The government spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year on mental health treatment for service members and veterans. Countless taxpayer programs address the spectrum of mental health concerns and positively affect the lives of millions of current and former military personnel and their loved ones.
Often under-recognized is the role civilian organizations play in meeting the myriad emotional needs of our veterans. Private citizens donate sizable amounts of money, resources and time every year. As a result, thousands of private-sector programs have popped up over the past decade and are providing immeasurable benefits to individuals, families and society.
A good example is Boulder Crest Retreat. Funded solely by private citizens, BCR provides recreational and therapeutic activities and programs for wounded military members, veterans and their families. Founded by a retired Navy explosive ordnance disposal master chief and his wife, BCR welcomes veterans dealing with both physical and emotional injuries.
BCR’s 37-acre retreat in Bluemont, Virginia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, provides wounded warriors and their families a place to relax and reconnect during the long and difficult process of recovery. To date, about 1,000 service members, veterans and their loved ones have spent time at the retreat at no charge to them.
Another example is Give an Hour, founded in 2005 for the purpose of meeting the mental health needs of service members and their families who for various reasons do not want to seek care from the military health system.
The program has built a network of roughly 7,000 mental health professionals who volunteer their clinical services. These volunteer professionals, spread across all 50 states, have provided over 100,000 free clinical hours to troops and their families. Along with offering no-cost clinical care, Give an Hour provides education and training in military schools and communities in an effort to reduce the stigma of mental health problems and treatment.
The crucial role private citizens play in meeting the physical and emotional needs of our nation’s warriors can be traced back to the Revolutionary War. Without fail, individuals and communities have stepped up when the government has not been able to fully address the vast needs of our men and women in uniform. Our country owes a debt of gratitude to the millions of unnamed and unheralded individuals who donate their time and money to support these nonprofit organizations.
To learn more about these two programs, visit www.bouldercrestretreat.org and www.giveanhour.org.
Bret A. Moore is a clinical psychologist who served in Iraq. Email kevlarforthemind@militarytimes.com. Names and identifying details will be kept confidential. This column is for informational purposes only. Readers should see a mental health professional or physician for mental health problems.
