CANDACE CAMPOS AND TRAFFIC SAFETY EXPERT TROOPER STEVE. THIS IS NEWS. 6 AT 09:00AM
GETTING RESULTS.
>> CANDACE: WITH MORE THAN A
MILLION VETERANS RECEIVE
MENTAL HEALTH HELP FROM THE VA
EACH YEAR ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
BUT WE KNOW THE TRUE NUMBER OF
THOSE STRUGGLING CZAR
STRUGGLING ARE MUCH HIGHER.
>> JULIE: THAT’S BECAUSE
VETERANS MAY BE GETTING HELP
FROM OTHER PROVIDERS. AND MANY
DON’T SEEK HELP AT ALL BECAUSE
OF THE STIGMA OR BECAUSE
THEY’RE AFRAID IT WON’T WORK
ANYWAY, LOCALLY. THERE’S WITH
THEIR FISTS ARE HELPING
VETERANS COPE. IT’S A LITTLE
BIT OUT OF THE BOX TO RECEIVE.
IS HERE TO EXPLAIN IF THIS
WEEK SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE.
THAT’S RIGHT. LADIES. SO
MENTAL HEALTH CAN BE A VERY
REAL STRUGGLE FOR ANYONE, BUT
ESPECIALLY WITH OUR VETERANS
BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY’VE BEEN
THROUGH. AND THAT’S WHY THE
LAKE NONA VA DOWN THE CELERY.
THEY’RE GETTING RESULTS WITH
ART. HENCE WHY? AND SOME
AMAZING ART RIGHT HERE.
LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL
WORKER, LARRY D JOHNS JOINS ME
RIGHT NOW. FIRST AND FOREMOST,
LARRY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR
SERVICE YEAR OF A MARINE THIS.
I THINK YOU ALL RIGHT. SO TELL
ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR
TIME IN SERVICE AND WHAT YOU
DID IN THE MILITARY. IT, SIR.
SO LIKE I
>> I START 24 YEARS. ONE MONTH
AND 4 DAYS IN THE MARINE I WAS
ARTILLERY, HAD TO COME BACK TO
US. ONE AND OTHER STORMS, 99 1
WHY HEALTH? OPERATION IRAQI
FREEDOM IN 2007 COME FOR OKAY.
WHY HEALTH? OPERATION IRAQI
FREEDOM IN 2007 COME FOR OKAY. of every wave YEAH, BUT ARTILLERY, I WAS,
YOU KNOW, AND A LOT OF THINGS.
24 YEARS, YOU DRILL INSTRUCTOR
GREATER.
>> AND WERE YOU ME? A LOT OF
GREAT PEOPLE. AMAZING PEOPLE.
AMAZING AMERICANS ALL OVER
YEAH. AND THE BUCK CONTAIN
CONTINUE ON. AND THAT’S WHY
LOW WORKING WITH VETERANS
BECAUSE I WANT TO CONTINUE TO
SERVE THOSE WHO SERVE. AND
IT’S JUST IT’S AMAZING TO ME.
BUT WHEN YOU PUT THAT MUCH
TIME INTO SERVICE, LET ALONE
AS A MARINE IN KNOWING WHAT
YOU’VE DONE AND IT’S PRETTY
INTENSE STUFF WAS REALLY COOL.
AND YOU SAID YOU’RE THERE IN
2007? YES, SIR. YES, SIR. I
WAS IN IRAQ AT THE EXACT SAME
TIME, PROBABLY SEVERAL 100
MILES AWAY FROM I WAS A LITTLE
FURTHER SOUTH. THAT IS PRETTY
COOL. BUT HOW DO YOU GO?
>> FROM BEING A MARINE? LET’S
THINK ABOUT THIS. LIKE WHEN
PEOPLE YOUR AVERAGE AMERICAN
CITIZENS THINK ABOUT A MARINE,
THEY’RE NOT THINKING A SOCIAL
WORKER. WHEN YOU COME ON OUT
OF THERE. BUT MEETING YOU YOUR
THIS MAKES A PERFECT MATCH.
HOW THAT HAPPENED. PRIOR TO
I’M GOING BACK TO THE STATES.
A PROGRAM CALLED UNIT FAMILY.
READ THIS OFFICER.
>> AND UNIFIL RIDDANCE OFFICER
READ THIS OFFICER.
>> AND UNIFIL RIDDANCE OFFICER of every wave WAS EMBEDDED WITH A MILITARY
OR REASON MAY SERVICE MEMBERS.
AND WHAT PROVIDES SERVICE AND
SUPPORT FOR THE FAMILY’S, OK?
AND SO I DID IT 6 YEARS AFTER
I RETIRED. AND THEN WITH JUST
MAKES SENSE TO JUST I LOOKED
INTO DOWN 16, CAME HERE TO
ORLANDO AND WITNESS YOU SELF
FROM 2016, 2018. AND THEY JUST
WANT TO JUST UP WITH A LITTLE
BIT AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH
VETERANS. MORE OF A CLINICAL
SETTING. SO WHAT YEAR REAL
QUICK DID YOU ENLIST IN THE
MARINE 1986? YOU HAVEN’T
STOPPED? NO, NO, IT DOES NOT
STOP. SO TELL ME A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC PROGRAM
THAT YOU’RE INVOLVED WITH AND
>> HOW IS THIS HELPING
VETERANS? YES, OKAY. SO.
>> I’M USED SCHOOL SOCIAL
WORKER COVID CAME THINGS KIND
OF SHUT DOWN. OKAY. I DID
INTERNSHIP AT THE LAKE VA
OPENING CAME UP TO WORK AT AND
ON THE ALSO COVID HIGH IN 2020
I WENT ON I BECAME A PERMANENT
HIRE AND I WAS AND I SHARE
WITH MY SUPERVISOR ABOUT ART
THERAPY. HOW HAS HELPED ME
OVER THE YEARS? OKAY. AND I
JUST STARTED PAYING LIKE IN
2018 AND VERY THERAPEUTIC,
VERY MINDFULNESS. AND I THINK
THEY WERE BENEFIT. VETERANS AT
THE ON DOWN THE SEWER AS WELL,
TOO, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, DO A
LOT OF DEPRESSION AND THEN
HELP ISSUES. A LOT OF IS USE
AND ADDICTION AND STUFF LIKE
THAT. AND THIS JUST THE WAY
IT’S ALLOWED HIM TO JUST TAKE
THEM EYES FOR A MOMENT OFF
THEIR SITUATION OFF THEIR
MEDICAL STUFF OFF THEIR MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES AND JUST BE IN
THE MOMENT OF OF THAT
PAINTING. THAT IS AMAZING. SO
YOU’RE TELLING ME THIS PROGRAM
DID NOT EXIST, NOTED THAT,
SIR. AND IT HELPS YOU. SO THEN
YOU WENT TO YOUR STAFF SO THAT
YOU CAN IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM
TO HELP OTHERS. YES, SIR,
THAT’S EXACTLY HOW IT ALL.
YES, SIR. YES. AND SO FOR
VETERANS OUT THERE, HOW CAN
THEY BE INVOLVED IN SOMETHING
LIKE THAT SAID, I’M PLANT. I
WANT TO COME DOWN TO AND HAVE
A GOOD TIME. THIS.
>> THAT MOMENT THAT YOU YOU
MENTIONED JUST HIT DISAPPEAR.
FORGET ABOUT THINGS AND BE
THERE. HOW DOES A VETERAN GET
INVOLVED IN THIS?
>> WELL, SO I WORK SO WE HAVE
TO SO. WE JUST WANT TO MAKE
THE BALL WANT TO MAKE KNOWN.
I’M A VETERAN IN APPLIES TO A
WE HAVE A CALL TO TRY TO GET
TO THEM STORY. ARE THEY REACH
OUT TO THE PROVIDER TO TRY TO
GET TO THE CELERY AND ITS
LEXUS. A RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT
PROGRAM GOT ASSIST VETERANS
THAT MAY BE STRUGGLING WITH
HEALTH ISSUES. SUBSTANCE
ISSUES, OUR MAY BE
EXPERIENCED. HOMELESSNESS. WE
DON’T PROVIDE HOUSING WHICH
KIND A SYSTEM WITH THAT. SO
IT’S A 60 TO 90 DAY PROGRAM.
BALDWIN, THIS 56 BEDS AND LAKE
KNOWN IN THE 60 LIKE 66 TO 90
DAYS WIDEN THIS PROGRAM.
LIKELY GROUPS AND WHATNOT.
THEY DO PROGRAMMING. I THINK.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE
TRY TO INCORPORATE SUCH
SOMETHING LIKE THIS HERE, YOU
KNOW, TO HELP THE VETERANS
KNOW THIS DEAL WITH SOME OF
THE STUFF THAT WITHIN THEIR
GROUPS, BUT TO TAKE THEIR
MINDS OFF AND DO SOME
TEMPERING IT. BUT AS WELL,
TOO.
>> AWESOME. SO THIS IS IT FOR
MEMBERS WHO ARE ALREADY
PARTICIPATING PROGRAMS THAT
PEOPLE WANT HELP AND THEY JUST
WANT MAYBE EXPLORE SOME
DIFFERENT TYPES OF METHODS
COULD COME BE INVOLVED IN THE
VA. COME SEE YOU THIS WAY.
THIS SOMETHING. SO WE ALSO DO
WE HILL INTO THE LANDSLIDE.
PHOTOGRAPHERS NUMB EQUINE
THERAPY, OK, YOU IRIS. SO
ULTIMATELY SO TO BE ABLE TO
HAVE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO
HAVE A OUT OF THE BOSTON TO