Page 15 - Desert Oracle October 2021

• The Matthew J. Broehm Memorial Stand Down in Williams was held Friday, September 10 th
from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Williams Recreation Center,and served 27 Veterans including 4
homeless Veterans.
• Due to new legislation, the VA Supportive Housing Program is now able to admit certain
homeless Veterans whose discharge type would render them otherwise ineligible for VA care,
expanding the ability of the VASH program to house homeless Veterans in our communities.
• The HCHV Program is participating in a national Rideshare program to be able to provide Uber
and Lyft rides to homeless Veterans to get to necessary appointments such as medical
appointments and employment.
• The Jerry Ambrose Veterans Council of Mohave County is steadily expanding and currently
serves 10 homeless Veterans in Transitional Housing.
• NAVAHCS Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) project has continued its work in preparation for
construction of the residential units at NAVAHCS and is looking to be able to serve as many as
104 homeless Veterans through the VA Supportive Housing Program (VASH) and is estimated
to open in late 2022 to early 2023.

Afghanistan: Let’s Talk About It:

• Veterans from all eras are reacting to the events in Afghanistan, such as the U.S withdrawal
and the takeover by the Taliban and may question the meaning of their service or whether it
was worth their sacrifice.
• Veterans may feel more moral distress about experiences they had during their service. It’s
normal to feel this way. Talk with your friends and families, reach out to battle buddies,
connect with a peer-to-peer network, or sign up for mental health services.

Resources are available:

o Veterans Crisis Line: Any Veteran experiencing a mental health crisis or thoughts of
suicide, please contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive free, confidential support and
crisis intervention available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Family
members can also call if they are concerned about their Veteran loved one. Call 1-800-
273-8255 and Press 1, text 838255, or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.
Veterans don’t have to be enrolled in VA health care or registered with VA to use the
Veterans Crisis Line.

o Vet Centers - Discuss how you feel with other Veterans in these community-based
counseling centers. 70% of Vet Center staff are Veterans. Call 928-778-3469. The Vet
Center is located at the Crossings at 3180 Stillwater Drive in Prescott, AZ.
o VA also has resources to help Veterans transitioning from the military or going through
a difficult time in life. VA Solid Start connects Veterans with qualified representatives
who call three times during a Veteran’s first year of separation to walk through benefits
available. The Self-Check Assessment is a confidential, anonymous risk assessment
Veterans can use to help them understand if and how stress and depression are
affecting them.
o Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness can get free, confidential
support through the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans where trained
counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Veterans do not have to be
registered with VA or enrolled in VA health care to contact the National Call Center for
Homeless Veterans.