Everyday, U.S. troops protect our interests around the globe. A spouse struggles with worried children as a soldier gets deployed once again. A veteran trying to make sense of combat experiences feels guilt about surviving when others did not.
The sacrifices of military life are varied, but a center at 5330 Elm Street in McHenry is welcoming veterans, reservists, active military personnel and their families to drop in, have a cup of coffee and share the power of talk to cope with challenges. Free group sessions and mentoring are provided by professionals who themselves are veterans or military family members.
The center will hold an open house from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 20. The Director of Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Erica Borggren is slated to attend.
“When a service member is sent off for an extended period, stress for everyone around that service member is natural,” said Alan Belcher, executive director of Transitional Living Services, a not-for-profit group that runs the center. “Returning home is usually a joy-filled time but there usually is a readjustment period after the initial reunion because not only has the service member changed, the family has too.”
The center serves as a hub for a Lake-McHenry County initiative to transform the way services that address the emotional well-being of veterans and their families are delivered.
The initiative is being led by a consumer-driven governance council in conjunction with the Lake County Health Department and the McHenry County Mental Health Board. It is funded through a five-year, $3.6 million grant from the federal government’s Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration and involves a network of community-service agencies. The program is entering its second year.
Objectives are to reduce homelessness, prevent suicide and reduce hospitalizations among veterans and active military personnel. Referrals for veterans who return with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury will be available. A primary focus is to support military families with a loved one who has been deployed or who has returned with Post Traumatic Stress.
PTS, often caused by battlefield events, has been associated with strained marital and family relations as well as parenting difficulties, according the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development. In addition, family members who assist with the veteran’s recovery also experience significant stress.
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