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Truman VA Looks For Better Ways to Support Mental Health of Veterans After Awareness Summit

Local organizations are working on ways to increase access to mental health services for veterans in mid-Missouri. Friday, the Harry S. Truman Hospital hosted a Veteran Affairs Mental Health and Homeless Summit. L. Stephen Gairth of the Public Affairs Office at the Hospital said this has become an annual event.

Representatives from The Salvation Army, The Missouri Department of Mental Health and other local veteran agencies came together to discuss mental health in the veteran community. In total, about 50 people were in attendance for the summit.

“It really creates an environment where we can build on the existing partnership and really enhance the engagement that we have with those state and local organizations,” said Gairth.

He said the conversation at the summit highlighted pertinent topics such as access to mental health services, crisis intervention teams, and updates within the behavioral health service at Truman VA.

Scott Buis from Welcome Home, Inc., a veteran advocacy support group, attended the summit. He said the behavioral health goals were to prevent suicide, to create easy access to mental health services, and to improve point in time intervention.

“They’re looking at other aspects on how to prevent veteran suicide. The medical model does not fit everyone,” Buis said.

Buis said they watched an HBO documentary at the summit called The Crisis Hot Line: Veterans Press 1. He said it is online and worth watching. Buis said the documentary, “was really eye-opening on how the call center is saving veterans lives.”
Truman Hospital is looking for other ways to prevent veteran suicide, an issue that is on the rise. With the hospital being one of the top VA’s in treating mental health, annual summits like this one will help Truman VA reach that goal.    

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