Legislation championed by U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski to help veterans get access to mental health services is now law. She attended a signing ceremony last week at the White House for The Clay Hunt SAV Act. Walorski says it sets up a website to serve as a one-stop shop for veterans who are struggling with mental health problems. It also bridges the VA healthcare bureaucracy by offering more community-based services.
Walorski acknowledges a stigma still exists that asking for help with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems is a sign of weakness. She says that’s not the case, but it is up to individual communities to change that perception.
“When we’re talking about life and death and the startling numbers here, I think we as community members need to continue to reach out and say there’s strength in asking for help. That’s the strong answer is asking for help, and it is not a position of weakness. The weakness is allowing the whole thing to fade away, and allowing people to fade away,” Walorski said.
Find more information about the Clay Hunt SAV Act online at http://iava.org/savact/.
