There鈥檚 been an increase this year in the number of veterans ending their lives. Senior army leaders say they鈥檝e seen a 30 percent jump in veteran suicides.
Federal legislation approved in late October aims to help veterans dealing with mental health and substance use disorders.
Army combat veteran Nate Pelletier, a vice president at Cincinnati-based treatment centers, wrote a portion of the bill. It provides funding to help veterans transition from military service back into day-to-day life.
鈥淭hose that are leaving the service they get some training and some skills in preparation but then there鈥檚 a cliff. And then they鈥檙e discharged and there鈥檚 no connection to where they鈥檙e going," Pelletier said. "Often there鈥檚 no requirement for them to have a job. That gap is a distress gap and that is what I鈥檓 hoping this pilot with the transitional funds will help close.鈥�
With veterans at a high risk for substance abuse and mental illness, Pelletier says the goal is to be able to identify and prevent those issues before they happen.
One resource for struggling veterans is the 1-800-273-8255.
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