Following Veteran’s Day, people are shifting their focus towards supporting those who served.
veterans-along with their families–gathered to discuss how to improve mental health in military households.
NCC News reporter Miles Walker has the story.
Across the street from Newhouse, veteran-treatment and providers and professionals attended Champions of Change, a conference where both military families and ex-veteran learned more on the main talking point: Mental health.
Tyler Swartz: “We always tell our service members, ‘You made the choice to join, your family didn’t. They were enlisted and they were brought into this involuntarily.’ So, we always like to make sure that our families have the upmost care taken of them.”
Among those in the audience, military spouses all too familiar with the effects of deployment.
Lyndsey Hodkinson: “While I was married, I also worked for the department of the army…A number of challenges in a number of things experienced while serving on active duty that are more challenging, are often times compounded after transition.”
That transition Lyndsey touched on can lead Ex-Veterans down difficult paths.
She believes that the best solution for these families starts with simply talking about it.
Lyndsey: “The more you’re able to talk about it, whether it’s gambling or substance use disorder or suicide or anything else, if you’re able to have that conversation and be open and willing to learn and to improve your own knowledge, then you would be better off and bring more awareness.”
Reporting from the Veteran Resource Center, I’m Miles Walker. NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Veterans, Ex-Veterans, and veterans’ family members went to the National Veterans Resource Center–a few minutes away from SU’s campus–where they were met with treatment providers, specialists and more all prepared to shed some light on improving overall mental health.
“We always tell our service members,” Tyler Swartz, Military and Family Readiness Specialist, said. “‘You made the choice to join, your family didn’t. They were enlisted and they were brought into this involuntarily.’ So, we always like to make sure that our families have the upmost care taken of them.”
The conference was not only intended to assist veterans, but also to help the veterans’ family members lead a healthier life.
“While I was married,” Lyndsey Hodkinson, Operations Manager for Champions of Change, said. “I also worked for the department of the army. A number of challenges in a number of things experienced while serving on active duty that are more challenging, are often times compounded after transition.”
Mental health continues to make headway with regards to further progressing awareness on the subject, which Lyndsey believes is a direct result of people continuing to address the issue in both private and public forums.
“The more you’re able to talk about it. Whether it’s gambling or substance use disorder or suicide or anything else, if you’re able to have that conversation and be open and willing to learn and to improve your own knowledge, then you would be better off and bring more awareness,” Lyndsey said.
