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Give an Hour President Barbara Van Dahlen on efforts to help veterans with their mental health-care needs.
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Our brave men and women returning home from war face countless challenges and hardships and are now turning to charities in record numbers.
Joining me now Barbara Van Halen president and founder have given our -- nonprofit group.
Offering free counseling to post 9/11 veterans military members and their families Barbara tell us more about -- not profit and the work you do.
-- And thank you for covering this important topic.
Given our as a nonprofit organization that I founded just spent eight years ago to provide -- -- health care to our returning troops their families.
And their communities and so far we now have 7000.
Of just about 7000 mental health professionals.
All over the country who provide free mental health care and they've now given well over 82000.
Hours of care to those who served their families and their communities.
This -- amazing because this is involuntary these people are doing this out of the kindness of their hearts are doing it for free what are the biggest problems at these returning vets face.
Well it's important most veterans who come home.
All they want and what their families want is to continue leading productive meaningful lives and many of them.
That's exactly what they will do but they a significant number of our service members.
Will come home with understandable challenges as a result of their service so.
It's a continuum some -- home with go ahead go -- I had some may come home with flight.
-- posttraumatic stress others with traumatic brain injuries but -- it will be more.
Reintegration struggles relationship problems.
-- -- -- in finding jobs yes really a range of things.
Now I have a factor the Department of Veterans Affairs is treated some eight.
866000.
Of the one point six million -- returned since 9/11.
That's a lot that they really can't handle -- all camp my.
-- they can't even if they want to they're not in every community they're not in many of the rural communities of veterans go home to.
Well at you know it it's amazing to me.
To see the problems and and your effort is amazing.
How can people help with your costs.
Well they can go to our website which is given our dot org and -- they can help and a number of ways obviously if there mental health professional we want them to join our network.
If they know a service member please help spread the word.
If they want to donate to help us provide this service they can do it easily on -- website and they can learn a lot.
About the issues that affect these men and women that most civilians don't really understand and frankly don't often take the time to learn.
You know -- one fact that we had here.
50000.
Veterans diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.
A 184.
-- diagnosed each day it's unbelievable your work is terrific thanks for coming on the show tonight Barbara really appreciate your time thank you.
Thank you so much.
