Long Valley Veterans Have Access To New Counseling Service

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Under a contract with the Mental Health Association (MHA), Morris County has launched a "Veteran and Family Support Program" to assist veterans in re-establishing themselves with their families and in the community after returning home from duty.

The Veteran and Family Support Program is intended to provide veterans with free psychotherapy as well as group counseling and support for their families and friends.

The Mental Health Association describes it as a holistic approach to assisting returning service members in reuniting with family while also dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological barriers to readjusting to civilian life.

In 2019, the most recent year for which data was available, 6,261 veterans died by suicide, a suicide rate 52.3 percent higher than non-veterans in the U.S., according to the annual report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

"We began these programs out of respect for our returning service members and the difficulties they and their families face after they come back from a conflict to pick up their lives again. Sometimes they need to talk to other veterans who faced the same difficulties re-entering our society. Some may find they need professional counseling, and their families may realize they too need some guidance in how to interact with a loved one returning home from combat,” said Commissioner Deputy Director John Krickus, a Marine Corps veteran.

The Morris County Board of County Commissioners also included in the program referral components that connect veterans to employment, finance and other services necessary for their reintegration.

The County Commissioners unanimously approved the initiative late last year, and it is being supported by funds made available through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Other new programs include "Peer to Peer Support Counseling," which allows veterans to be counseled by other veterans who have had similar experiences, and "Veteran Roundtables & Events," which brings veterans together in social settings.

“MHA is proud to stand with Morris County’s veterans; they are the best of us. Trauma is real and impacts all of us, and veterans despite their bravery are still human. And we all need help from time to time. The veterans were there for us and we will be there for them,” said MHA CEO Robert Davison.

Veterans interested in this and other services provided by Morris County should visit the Morris County Veterans Services Office website.

"As we said, Morris County wants to be here for our veterans, not only on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but always,” Krickus said.