ALWAYS GET UPDATES ON THE NEW WEATHER AUTHORITY APP AND ON THE RADIO 90 POINT TO B.
>> THANK YOU, DAN. NOW. WELL,
TOMORROW IS MEMORIAL DAY AND
IT’S A DAY WE REMEMBER ALL OF
THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SERVED IN
THE ARMED FORCES AND HAVE
PROTECTED OUR COUNTRY. AND
UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF THOSE
SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS
WERE LOST TO SUICIDE.
ACCORDING TO THE V A’S LATEST
NUMBERS, 553 VETERANS DIED BY
SUICIDE IN FLORIDA. IN 2019,
THE STATE SPECTRUM SUICIDE
RATE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER
THAN THE NATIONAL GENERAL
POPULATION SUICIDE RATE. AND
DOCTOR NGUYEN, THIS GROUP’S
THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OF
JACKSONVILLE, VA OUTPATIENT
CLINICS JOINS ME NOW LIVE VIA
ZOOM THIS MORNING. THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> GOOD MORNING. AND I THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME
TODAY. THIS IS INDEED A TIME
THAT WE PAUSE TO REMEMBER ALL
OF OUR FALL ON WHO HAVE
SERVED.
>> FOR THE PAST 250 TO US AND
PROTECT US AND HAVE FOUGHT
HARD. LIBERTY WE ARE ENGAGED
AND PROVIDING SERVICES TO ALL
OF OUR CURRENT VETERANS. AS WE
JACKSONVILLE HEAD IS SO
WELCOMING TODAY, VETERANS AND
MILITARY FAMILY WE CONTINUE TO
OUR SERVICES HERE AND TO
PARTNER WITH OUR COMMUNITY
PARTNERS. SO THIS MEMORIAL
DAY, WE WON’T BE PARTICIPATING
IN TRADITIONAL CEREMONIES THAT
WAY HAVE BEEN ON PARTICIPATING
BY LINE READS AND OUR
EXECUTIVE HEALTHCARE DIRECTOR
ALL REMARKS AND WE ALSO HAVE A
MEMORY BOARD ANYONE CAN COME
ON AND PARTICIPATE AND VIDEOS
AND COMMENTS ABOUT YOUR LOVED
ONES, FRIENDS AND FAMILIES WHO
HAVE SERVED IN THE MILITARY
AND THEN WE CAN ALL SHARE THAT
TOGETHER THAT THAT IS
WONDERFUL. AND IS WHAT KIND OF
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ARE
OFFERED BY THE VA.
>> SO WE HAVE A MULTITUDE OF
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES OUR
LARGEST PRESENCE AND
JACKSONVILLE AND IS AT THE
SOUTHPOINT CLINIC THE
UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD CLINIC.
BUT WE HAVE MILITARY SERVICES.
I MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, ALL
OF A’S. AND I’M ALSO AT THE
VETERAN CENTER JACKSONVILLE.
AND ONE THING I WANT TO SHARE
IS SOMETIMES THE HARDEST PART
IS JUST GETTING THOSE THAT ARE
ON INTO THE GETTING CONNECTED.
AND SO ON JULY, THE 18TH ARE
CENTER IS GOING TO HAS
BASICALLY LIKE A FAMILY DAY
AND AND OUR JEFFERSON STREET
CLINIC. SO VETERANS AND THEIR
FAMILIES CAN COME AND INTERACT
WITH AND SEE THE DIFFERENT
SERVICES THAT WE HAVE. AND
WE’RE HOPING THAT THAT WILL
TEAR DOWN SOME OF THE
BARRIERS. WE’RE ALSO BUILDING
A NEW FACILITY IN THE NORTHERN
PART OF JACKSONVILLE ON HAIR
AND A WRITER ON OFF MY ACTS
LIKE IT AND WE’RE GOING TO
HAVE IT ON THE AND THAT WAY.
WE’LL HAVE A NICE TO HAVE
HOUSE VETERANS TEMPORARILY
WHILE THEY GO THROUGH
TREATMENT FOR WHATEVER MENTAL
HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE ABUSE
DISORDERS, THEY HAVE. AND THAT
GIVES THEM A POINT OF
STABILIZATION. AND THEN OF
COURSE, WE HAVE OUR HOMELESS
VETERANS SERVICES AND WE
CONTINUE TO DAILY BECAUSE WE
DON’T WANT ANY VETERAN WITHOUT
A HOME OR WITHOUT SERVICES.
>> THAT’S WHEN IT’S AND IF YOU
HAVE A LOVED ONE WHO IS A
VETERAN IN IS STRUGGLING WITH
MENTAL HEALTH, WHAT CAN YOU
DO? WHAT ARE SOME SIGNS TO
LOOK OUT FOR AND CAN YOU DO TO
INITIATE THAT CALL TO MAKE
SURE THAT THEY’RE GETTING IN
TOUCH WITH SOMEONE THAT CAN
HELP THEM?
>> ANY VETERAN OR THEIR FAMILY
MEMBER CAN BRING IN THERE,
THEY’RE GOING TO RISE OR THEIR
CAREGIVER FOR LOVED ONES AND
COMMAND. ANY CLINIC WITHOUT AN
APPOINTMENT. IF THEY’RE HAVING
A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND
WHERE GLAD ENGAGE THEM WITH
MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ON
THE SPOT. AND THEN IF THEY
NEED A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE TO
HELP ARRANGE THAT TRANSFER OF
CARE, WE ALSO HAVE THE
VETERANS CRISIS POND. THAT’S
24 7. AND AS AND SAID, WE HAVE
THE VET CENTER THAT HAS A
MULTITUDE OF HEALTH SERVICES
AND THEN OTHER THING PEOPLE
REALLY NEED TO REALIZE IS THAT
MENTAL HEALTH, ILLNESS AND
DEPRESSION AND POSTTRAUMATIC
STRESS DISORDER IS A DISEASE
OF THE BRAIN AND SO HAS THAT
ONE OF AWFUL OUTCOMES IS
SUICIDE. AND SO JUST LIKE WE
HAVE VETERANS WHO HAVE HEART
DISEASE WHO HAVEN’T CHEST PAIN
WHEN WE HAVE THE ENDURANCE TO
HAVE MENTAL HEALTH DISEASE AND
THEY’RE STARTING TO NEED, I
THINK THAT THEY DON’T WANT TO
WAKE UP GAINS IN WITH THEIR
FAMILY OR THEY’RE HAVING AND
MAKING PLANS TO TAKE THEIR
LIFE. THAT’S THE 9-1-1
EMERGENCY SAY TO THE EMERGENCY
TREATED LIKE HE WAS TRYING
TREAT IT LIKE YOU WOULD A
HEART ATTACK BECAUSE SUICIDAL
THOUGHTS. ARE THOSE WARNING
SIGNS THAT YOU GET WHEN YOUR
BRAIN IS NOT WORKING? WELL AND
WE CAN HELP PEOPLE GET THROUGH
THAT AND AND FIND A WAY AND SO
I JUST TELL PEOPLE DON’T BE
FRIDAY TO CALL 9-1-1 OR GO TO
THE EMERGENCY RENT. SO YOU CAN
GET THE CARE THAT YOU NEED.
ALL RIGHT. BUT THAT IS
DEFINITELY IMPORTANT BEING
PROACTIVE.
>>CORLEY PEEL: THANK YOU SO