ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Our veterans learn to care for physical wounds, but experts say it‘s the mental scars that affect them – even long after they’ve returned from war.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports its crisis hotline has received more requests for help than ever before from Veterans. While that means veterans are reaching out more often, it also means there is a greater need for additional services across the country.
Mental health experts say that emotional wounds can sometimes hit harder than any weapon, especially for someone serving our country.
That‘s where places like Rosecrance Behavioral Health step in to address the barriers that limit a veteran’s access to mental health services, including finances, lack of knowledge, and most harmful: stigma.
During the Saluting Veterans event Friday, David Gomel, the president and CEO of Rosecrance, says it’s their mission to improve access to care by serving those who serve us.
“Veterans are a unique group because they’re trained in a very specific way to maybe not ask for help,” Gomel says. “When they’re suffering sometimes the consequences are very dire. So, we want to make sure that we have the services here at Rosecrance to help all of our veterans that need our care.”
Ruben Hernandez served in the Army National Guard where he toured throughout the world, including Vietnam and Desert Storm. Now, he fights a different battle at Roscoe VFW Post 2955 as a service officer. He says not only has his life been impacted by the barriers to mental health access, but so have the lives of many of his fellow soldiers. That’s why he uses his position to reach out to Veterans in need.
“It’s our job to always be there and help them out,” Hernandez says. “If you are helping a veteran, you are helping families, children and other people within the community.”
The government estimates more than 40% of veterans are in need of mental health care, but recent studies show that more than half of them do not get timely treatment.
Gomel says there is an alarming number of veterans in our area facing homelessness, emotional disorders and substance abuse. Experts say that numbers are almost impossible to count because the stigma surrounding mental health often keeps veterans from self-identifying.
Rosecrance provides residential, outpatient and crisis services through its Veterans program. Their goal is to treat substance abuse and mental health disorders that affect some of our country’s heroes. But Gomel says he believes the more we fight the stigma, the more barriers we break through.
“We’ve created an entire system to make navigating our system easy for you,” Gomel says. “We have wonderful employees who are completely dedicated to your service. Please just call. Here at Rosecrance, we want to help you.”
In late October, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced that in 2024 it delivered more care and benefits than ever before, including a 6% increase in health care access for veterans.
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