ALAMOSA — San Luis Valley veterans have long been served by the Veterans Coalition, which Wednesday received a certificate from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs honoring their work.
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs certificate declared appreciation for the organization’s dedication to strengthen the support of our nation’s veterans and their families, caregivers and survivors.
“Thank you for your organization’s leadership, collaboration and collective impact in your community, the certificate declared. “Your dedicated service has built a framework of support for our nation’s veterans,” declared the certificate, which was signed by Robert L. Wilkie, U.S. secretary of veterans affairs.
The local organization operates under a simple mantra: “We don’t know them all, but we owe them all.”
Richard Nagley, representing the Veterans Coalition, pointed out that 10 % of the San Luis Valley residents are veterans and 99 percent of Valley residents are related to a vet
“If you served even one day and were honorably discharged, you are a Veteran! If your name is not registered with the VA (Veteran ID Card) and you have not signed up for your VHIC (Veteran Health Information Card) you need to do so. If you are not in the system you will not be considered for benefits.”
A major problem is veteran suicide, especially in rural Colorado and Nagley points out that it is important to understand and address social, economic,and cultural factors unique to their communities. Veterans have different life experiences than people who have never served in the military and data show they often are reluctant to seek mental health care.
Only 7.3 percent of veterans in Colorado report poor mental health, which the survey defines as experiencing eight or more days of poor mental health in the past month, compared with 12.3 percent of non-veterans in 2013.
These percentages may seem low, and they might reflect the difficulty of talking frankly about mental health. For some, it is an uncomfortable subject. People’s attitudes and beliefs about mental illness can lead them to deny symptoms, delay treatment, and suffer hardships. A national survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that many people feel ashamed of their challenges or worry that others will not be sympathetic to their conditions.
Veterans are disproportionately affected by suicide, especially those living in rural communities. In fact, a recent study showed that rural veterans have a 20 percent increased risk of suicide compared with veterans in urban areas.
Of the nearly 13,000 Coloradans who died by suicide between 2004 and 2017, nearly 2,600 were veterans. That’s nearly 200 veterans dying by suicide every year since 2004 in Colorado. Every number is a human life — someone’s loved one, dad, grandfather, mom, son, or sister.
Statistics cited by Nagley indicate veterans and active-duty service members account for 20 percent of all suicides in Colorado, despite veterans only making up 9 percent of the state population. The suicide rate among veterans and active-duty service members in Colorado was more than two times higher than non-veteran adults in 2017, at 52.1 deaths per 100,000 compared with 22.1 per 100,000.
The rate of veterans dying by suicide per 100,000 has jumped since 2004, from 44.4 per 100,000 to 52.1 per 100,000 in 2017.
The 2013 Colorado Health Access Survey — the most extensive survey in Colorado of health care coverage, access and utilization — offers some insight into mental health status and barriers to accessing mental health care for veterans.
“Firemen and law enforcement are also our brothers; they know what it means to have your life on the line and we really appreciate the support.” Nagley explained the coalition is a non-profit and the money will go to help veterans with transportation costs to medical appointments in Denver, as well as to purchase food and gas cards for homeless veterans and other veterans in need. Nagley also pointed out the donations were doubled from the 2018 rally.
The Blue Water Navy Veterans bill recently passed through Congress and signed by President Trump finally recognizes the health effects of Agent Orange on veterans who were exposed to the dangerous chemical in Vietnam and allows the VA to recognize and treat them for diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, their children’s potential birth defects and other related health conditions.
Nagley pointed out this will potentially help many veterans in the Valley from several different branches who can show they were on specific ships on specific dates.
