Mental Health Resources Available For Camden County Veterans At Upcoming Event

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Military veterans are at a higher risk of committing suicide than those who have not served, and an upcoming event in Camden County aims to help local veterans and their families prevent veteran suicide.

Local vets and their families are invited to the resource fair and panel discussion on March 12, with dozens of resources available. Other veterans will share their stories, and discuss lethal arms and storage safety. Attendees can also learn more about the Veterans Crisis Line (988), which is available 24 hours a day.

Veterans have a 57 percent higher risk of committing suicide than those who haven't served, according to the organization Stop Soldier Suicide.

And, a 2021 study by the Cost of War Project found that since 9/11, four times as many service members and veterans have died by suicide as have died in combat. Pentagon officials are seeking to make mental health and suicide prevention a higher priority.

The event is Sunday, March 12 from 1-4 p.m. and is hosted at Camden County College's Blackwood campus (200 College Drive, Blackwood NJ 08012). It will also be live-streamed on the county's Facebook page for those who cannot attend in person.

Camden County Commissioners and the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center are sponsoring this event. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has resources available for veterans experiencing a mental health crisis beyond the 988 crisis line.

Click here for more information about the event. Those interested in having a resource table at the event may contact Pat Egan Jones at patricia.jones@camdencounty.comor (856) 374-5801.