$2 million mental health grant to provide help for Arizona veterans

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, and an important group of Americans faces a higher risk of suicide than most: our veterans.

Seventeen veterans die by suicide every day, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The department is sending nearly $2 million to Arizona to help veterans get the help they need before a crisis happens.

“I think there’s a multitude of things that contribute to us being able to move that in the direction we want to move it in, which is fewer lives being lost to suicide,” Corinn Cook, with the Phoenix Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), said.

Cook wants those who have served in Arizona to know that help is available and that more resources are coming to that state.

The funds will go directly to organizations in the state that provide mental health resources to veterans, which Cook says is essential in reducing the alarming rate of veteran suicides.

“We still know that the veteran suicide rate is about 1.5 times that of the general population,” she said. “These individuals are the protectors of our country. They are the toughest of the tough. And these individuals might feel that they just need to be tough even when internally they are not feeling as tough.”

Cook says the earlier people can get resources and start treatment, the better. That way, professionals can target the problems a person may be facing.

“Sometimes, when our veterans return home, they aren’t immediately met with the resources they need. Not only have they been usually diagnosed with PTSD, but sometimes also an anxiety disorder or a substance use disorder as that is a common coping mechanism for our veterans, unfortunately,” she said.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It’s available 24/7.

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