The number of veterans dealing with PTSD and other mental health issues continues to grow in Arizona so the VA in Tucson is taking the necessary steps to build a larger safety net for them. The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System recently hosted a Community Mental Health Summit to discuss how to bring better services to help veterans and their families.
Mental Health Summit in Arizona
More than 40 percent of veterans who use VA health services have mental health conditions or substance use disorders, according to the Veterans Administration. So this year, when the community met for their annual summit, their goal was to make connections with the VA and partners in the community that can help.
Among the topics that were discussed at the summit were the following:
- The high suicide rate among veterans, which is estimated to be around 20 per day
- How they can improve the quality of life for veterans and their families
- Getting community partners to provide wrap-around care for veterans and their loved ones
- The new mental health building being built on the Tucson campus
Right now, while veterans can be treated by the VA, their families cannot. This is one of the things the summit wants to change because these issues can take a huge toll on veterans’ loved ones. The VA hopes to collaborate with community partners to provide a wrap around service that offers help to veterans’ family members.
The VA is also building a new mental health building on the Tucson campus. It opens next year in January and will house residential treatment programs for veterans who have substance abuse issues or PTSD. It will be open to veterans to see the primary care doctor and a psychiatrist all in the same day if needed, all without the need of a referral. This is an innovative program that many other VA’s are copying.
