Endeavors is helping Veterans face challenges with a new, first of its kind Veterans Wellness Center.
A man slowly strolls up and down the side of a busy intersection with a sign that reads, “Homeless Vet, anything helps.” As cars pass by, people hold out cash and change as the man walks up to their windows. This scene is an all too familiar one. No Veteran of the United States military should have to face this situation… but he is.
The truth is, once their time in the service is over, too many Veterans struggle with the return to civilian life, leaving them unable to cope with day to day life.
Veteran Challenges after Service
Right after leaving the service, many Veterans lack the skills necessary to compete in the civilian job market. Their training in the military is often very specialized and specific to their role in the services, which do not always transfer after they get out.
The military also provides a strict structure and set of rules. Once this is taken away, it can be difficult for Veterans to adjust to this new unregulated lifestyle.
Another issue that affects our Veterans is the invisible wounds they suffer from. A number of Veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq have experienced traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
What will Endeavors Veteran Wellness Center Offer?
Veterans will have access to medical care at the new Veteran Wellness Center which Endeavors broke ground on in San Antonio, Texas in November. 2019. With Texas trailing only California in Veteran population, San Antonio is the ideal place to have a multitude of wellness services provided all in one space. From mental health to physical health to holistic health, this center will offer Veterans many services that will help them and their families deal with life after the military.
Mental Health: psychiatric services and medication management, evidence-based psychotherapy, group therapy, art therapy, and intensive outpatient therapy.
Physical Health: health coaching and screenings, nutritional support, individual exercise equipment, group fitness, yoga, and tai chi.
Holistic Health: massage therapy, acupuncture, mindfulness and meditation classes, and functional medicine treatment.
The center offers wellness education and supportive services that include:
- Support Groups
- Client Educational Classes
- Professional Development Trainings
- Peer Support
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Drop-in Childcare
Virtual care is available through a secure web-based platform, prior to the center being opened to the public, thanks in part to a grant from the Texas Veterans Commission. The services offered through this include counseling, case management, and health coaching. This is crucial to extend services to those Veterans who may not always be able to make it to the center.
These services are collaborative by providing primary health care and coordinating dental care, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.
The Veteran Wellness Center will focus on suicide prevention to combat the issue of death by suicide within the Veteran community. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the rate of death by suicide for Veterans is seventeen per day. This rate is higher than their civilian counterparts for both men and women. With such a high number of Veterans dying by suicide, the Veteran Wellness Center is committed to understanding what the causes of this are and how to best help.
The Wellness Center keeps the whole Veteran in mind. Endeavors is devoted to providing services that heal both body and mind. Health problems that do not manifest themselves physically are often the most difficult to treat and can be the most harmful to an individual. Having all the services under one roof ensures that Veterans know that they are available and allows for easy access to them.
Who Endeavors’ Wellness Center Serves
The new Veteran Wellness Center is committed to serving the following groups when the site is opened in the spring of 2021:
- All Veterans and any person who has served in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves
- Family members as determined by the Veteran (this includes parents, siblings, spouses or partners, children, caretakers, and others)
- Those in the community that care for our Veterans and their families
For more information on the Veteran Wellness Center, please contact VWC-SA@endeavors.org.
To subscribe to our Veteran Wellness Center mailing list, click here.
About Endeavors
Endeavors is a longstanding national non-profit that provides an array of programs and services in support of children, families, Veterans, and those struggling with mental illness and other disabilities. Endeavors serves vulnerable people in crisis through innovative personalized services. For more information, please visit www.endeavors.org.