AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Augusta veterans are seeking resources from their local VA Health Center.
The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center offers many services and resources to veterans, one of which is mental health coaching.
While numerous programs are available to veterans in Augusta, including assistance with substance abuse, homelessness and other services, mental health coaching is one of the services being promoted to help veterans quickly access support at VA clinics.
Timothy Pendergast, Veterans Affairs Specialist
“So one of the things I would say is that no one resource can cover every individual who may need some kind of counseling services. If you don’t know about the resource or don’t know it exists, you can’t use it,” said veterans’ outreach specialist Timothy Pendergast.
The Department of Veterans Affairs hosted a mental health resource fair on Thursday, giving military members and their families a chance to find out what programs are available.
“We also provide bereavement counseling at no cost to family members of military members or veterans who have died on active duty or who have died by suicide,” Pendergast said.
Pendergast added that it’s all about giving back to the community.
“It’s kind of a one-stop shop. You can come here and see what resources are available, but it’s not just available to veterans. Veterans know about the services and they can influence and let other people in the community know about them,” Pendergast said.
To learn more about available services or to receive further assistance, please visit: https://www.va.gov/augusta-health-care/.
