AUSTIN, Texas - The nation's wars may be winding down, but many returning veterans are still fighting for their lives.

Suicide and mental-illness rates are skyrocketing, and those who left the service on bad terms are missing out on standard benefits - just when they need them most. An estimated one in five recent veterans suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, but the diagnosis often comes after a soldier's less-than-honorable discharge.

Pfc. Ryan Angell, 25, faced combat in Iraq during his 3 1/2 years in the Army. He was let go for misconduct, and later diagnosed with PTSD. He lives in Jasper now and is finding it hard to get back on his feet.

"Health care's a big one. As soon as I got out, they canceled my insurance. I tried applying for unemployment; didn't receive a dime. I've been denied my VA home loan, my post-9/11 GI Bill to go to school on - everything."

Angell contacted the nonprofit Texas Legal Services Center's veterans' assistance program, which is helping him apply for a discharge upgrade - from dishonorable to medical. Janet Totter, a retired naval officer and the program's managing attorney, says the upgrade process is long and complicated.

"There's a tremendous burden on the veteran to prove that the military didn't get it right, and that the conduct really was associated with undiagnosed PTSD, or undiagnosed traumatic brain injury, or some other medical condition."

Totter says the length of those wars, with an unprecedented number of redeployments, is one reason the emotional toll on veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq has been so high.

The Army has made efforts to consider PTSD when it sees behavioral problems, but Totter thinks no military branch is equipped - or adequately funded - to handle the illness appropriately. Troops with physical injuries are treated and returned to active duty if possible, she says, but with psychological injuries, a quick separation is easier and cheaper - making them "throw-away soldiers."

"We are not giving purple hearts to combat veterans who have PTSD even though the PTSD was a result of the combat. We say, 'Yeah, we're concerned about them,' but we don't honor their service the same."

Besides the loss of benefits, she says, a bad discharge can stigmatize a veteran for life.

Angell believes his PTSD was triggered by an attack on his convoy in 2009. His superiors indicated he would be commended for helping rescue survivors, but he soon found himself in trouble instead - for fighting and substance abuse. While he didn't recognize the symptoms at the time, he thinks the military should have.

"They put all the money into the soldier to go to war, and then when they got a broken soldier, they don't want to put the money back in to make him a real soldier again. They need you, and it's all good, but once they don't need you they kick you to the curb."

The Texas Legal Services Center has a free hotline for low-income veterans at 1-800-622-2520. More informaiton is online at tlsc.org.


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Alzheimer's disease is the eighth-leading cause of death in Pennsylvania.

A documentary on the topic debuts Saturday in Pittsburgh. "Remember Me: Dementia in the African American Community" features individuals and families who are dealing with memory loss.

C. Nathaniel Brown, founder and CEO of Expected End Entertainment and a former Pittsburgh resident, said his aunt lives with dementia, which sparked his interest in talking with others to find out more about the disease and how it affects communities of color.

"The first thing I found out was that there are over 100 types of dementia," Brown noted. "And the more I learned, the more I realized how much it was impacting the African American community disproportionately. We're twice as likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or some other progressive type of dementia."

The film will be shown at the Carnegie Library in Homewood, from Noon to 3 p.m. ET. It is free, but registration is required. According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than half of Black Americans believe major declines in memory and cognitive function are simply a normal part of aging, rather than symptoms of Alzheimer's or dementia.

Brown added after the screening, there will be a question-and-answer session and community organizations will be there to provide resources.

"Allegheny County Health Department will be present, the University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer's disease Research Center will be there," Brown outlined. "The Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania organization will be there, as well as several people who were interviewed for the film, including counselors, professionals."

He mentioned the documentary features the late Academy Award-winning actor Louis Gossett, Jr. Brown said Gossett emphasized the importance of leaving a legacy by educating people about living with Alzheimer's, steps to take after diagnosis, and preventive measures.


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Boulder and Broomfield County residents can now access mental health services the same way they can access urgent medical care.

Dr. Nadia Haddad, medical director of mental health services with Mental Health Partners, said all too often, people can't get help unless they are already connected with an outpatient provider, and many have months-long waiting lists. She said if people have to wait for care, their situation can get worse, and what might have been a manageable issue can turn into a crisis.

"They are going to the emergency room or going to a psychiatric hospital. And so what we're trying to do is fill that gap so that people can get connected with services when they need it, on a walk-in basis," she said.

Mental Health Partners, a community mental health center serving Boulder and Broomfield counties for 60 years, recently launched UrgentPsych Mental Health and Substance Use Urgent Care. The walk-in program provides immediate, in-person support for urgent mental health and substance use needs for anyone, regardless of their ability to pay, whether or not they are an existing client, or speak English. For more information about the 24-hour facility in northeast Boulder, call 303-443-8500.

Mental Health Partners' new Intensive Family Services program provides in-home therapy for K through 12 youth with disruptive behaviors who are at risk of being placed in foster care or the juvenile justice system. The urgent care facility is also available to people of all ages.

"That's another really challenging part of seeking out services. Care for children and adolescents is often even more challenging to find. There are fewer child psychiatrists out there," she said.

Both new programs were created in part to get people the services they need to avoid hospitalization. But Haddad said when people do reach a point where they need 24/7 monitoring and daily visits from a medical provider, it is essential that people can access hospital-level care.

"The vast majority of people who are dealing with mental health-related issues do not require hospitalization. If we can change people's trajectories earlier, we can prevent mental suffering, and they may not have to go through the hospital," she explained.


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This is National Library Week, honoring the many roles that libraries play in their communities.

In central Texas, a pilot program is using the public library system to expand mental health services in rural areas.

Residents in four counties can get assistance at their local public library through the Libraries for Health program.

Trained mental health peer specialists evaluate clients and refer them to clinics for additional help if it's needed.

The program is funded through the St. David's Foundation, working to advance health equity in Central Texas.

The foundation's Senior Program Officer Abena Asante said the initiative works in tandem with the mental health community.

"It's in no way taking the place of clinical-directed psychologists," said Asante. "It's just one community response in addressing the lack of mental wellness resources in rural communities."

Asante said libraries are trusted and accessible gathering places for people living in rural areas. The libraries tailor programs to meet specific local needs based on feedback from the residents.

Data collected during the 3.5-year pilot program will be used to evaluate its success. The nonprofit Via Hope trains the peer specialists who work in the libraries.

Dr. Sandra Smith, vice president of Via Hope, said the staffers use their own life experiences to help them relate to the clients.

"They have to have had a mental health challenge at some point in their life," said Smith. "We don't ask them any specifics about that, we don't ask diagnoses - it's a self-disclosure."

The Libraries for Health program operates in eight libraries in Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays and Williamson counties. If successful, it could be implemented in other parts of the state.





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