MAC-V helping veterans take care of their mental health

MINNEAPOLIS — Mental well being is the first well being care concern of many veterans dealing with homelessness.

MAC-V has a particular crew who veterans say helped save their lives.

Army Veteran Lawrence Trafton’s psychological well being points got here after his time serving in Germany. His spouse misplaced her battle with most cancers, and the loss despatched him on an unplanned journey.

“When she died, I went on a mission. I went for a stroll and I simply went mainly homeless as a result of I ust did not wish to cope with something,” he stated.

For months, he walked round with out hope till he was launched to MAC-V.

MAC-V’s Healthcare Navigation Manager Jessica Linnell stated that making a connection and assembly folks the place they’re is the important thing to serving to with somebody’s psychological well being.

Air Force veteran Dennis Rivers, who has been homeless since 2017, stated his life hit all-time low when he bought to Minnesota. 

“I used to be working, however I used to be sleeping in my automobile,” he stated. “I used to be going out and in of threatening to hurt myself.” 

MAC-V’s outreach crew took Dennis out of his automobile and positioned him right into a resort, after which non permanent housing.

“The very first thing they instructed me is ‘we would like you to get your well being collectively, don’t be concerned about nothing else.’ They made positive I used to be on my meds and I at all times had somebody to speak to and I used to be at all times round optimistic folks,” he stated.

Along with housing, MAC-V additionally works to decrease the variety of veteran suicides, which is presently about 17 a day.

“Death by suicide within the veteran neighborhood is an epidemic and we do consider that we in our work are decreasing that danger as a result of we all know that evidence-based remedy for nervousness, melancholy, PTSD, reduces suicidality,” stated Linnell.

Rivers stated MAC-V helped him get secure when he thought he was unstable. 

“They helped me by way of my psychological points that I used to be having,” Trafton stated. MAC-V ultimately set him up with a psychiatrist.

You might help MACV’s mission proper now by donating to our Home for the Holidays marketing campaign. Every greenback counts, and no matter you donate Wednesday can be matched as much as $100,000 by MidCountry Bank. Forty {dollars} will assist a veteran with housing assist for in the future, and $175 pays for a household’s groceries for one week. Just textual content MAC-V to 44321 or go surfing to wcco.com/holidays to make a donation.

Reg Chapman

Reg Chapman joined WCCO-TV in May of 2009. He got here to WCCO from WNBC-TV in New York City the place he coated an array of tales for the station together with the Coney Island aircraft crash, the crane collapse on town’s east aspect, 50 photographs fired at motorist Sean Bell by New York Police, and a lacrosse crew assault at Fairfield High School in Connecticut.