New veteran-run mental health council set to visit Coos County
The WorldMar 21, 2019
According to Chairwoman
With a focus on improving access to services and support for veterans, Lloyd-Rogers said the council hopes to accomplish its goals through its series of outreach, education and advocacy efforts throughout communities around the
"At our first meeting we asked everyone what the major issues were that they thought we should tackle," she said. "We ended up with about 16 issues from consistent mental health continuum of care to learning of other non-invasive, alternative health care methods."
In partnership with Coos County Veteran Services, the council will be hosting three free screenings of veteran-directed documentary, "Project 22," in
A discussion and informational table will be presented at each screening for anyone interested in joining or learning more about the council, said Lloyd-Rogers. Its membership is open to family members of veterans, community agencies, veteran service organizations and other community partners.
While meetings are being held once a month at the
It's also working on creating a website, a directory of services and network of community partners to collaborate and share resources.
"There are a lot of gaps in access, availability and even the treatment of veterans with mental health issues," said Lloyd-Rogers. "We want to be solution oriented and stand up in a collaborative way to come up with those solutions."
The first movie screening will take place at the downtown
"In everything we do we want to destigmatize mental health and the stereotype people have of it," said Lloyd-Rogers. "Folks think people with a mental illness are walking the streets in an old Army coat, aren't able to hold a job or are irresponsible and that's a myth. It's like any illness you look for solutions to make it better."
Reporter
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