Veteran Support

New Support for Veterans and Their Families!

NAMI Maine’s new Mission:

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Maine has launched a new initiative to assist veterans and their families by increasing peer support and resource connections.

Debrief:

The need for individual and group supports continues to grow within the veteran population. Since 2001, the United States has deployed more than 1.5 million solders to Afghanistan and Iraq. Upon returning home, 15-20 percent of these service men and women are diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In addition, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), depression and other mental illnesses and substance use disorders are major concerns in the veteran population. When husbands, wives, mothers and fathers now living with mental health disorders come home, many families are left wondering what to do and how to manage the stress of the post-deployment transition period.

NAMI Maine is making a difference:

Through funding awarded by the Tibor and Anna Doby Veteran Support Fund, NAMI Maine and its collaborators the Maine Wounded Warriors Rehabilitation Program, Warrior Legacy Foundation, and Alpha One are working together to address the needs of rural veterans, their families, and the nonprofit providers that serve them.

This is an organized effort to train veterans and family members across the state in facilitating support groups for their peers and connecting them to appropriate resources for issues ranging from PTSD, TBI, other mental health concerns and physical disabilities. The project links veterans with other veterans and family members to provide support in rural areas that are far from other services.

In addition:

NAMI Maine provides a toll free HELP Line (1-800-464-5767) which is a confidential resource that is available to assist callers in resolving issues connected to mental health concerns or co-occurring substance use, and help them navigate the health care systems and get the resources they need.

NAMI also offers educational courses for family members who are coping with issues that can arise when a loved one is struggling since returning from combat. NAMI’s programming is unique in that these services are provided outside of VA facilities in local communities.

For more information about Veterans Support through NAMI Maine please contact:

NAMI Maine at 1-207-622-5767 or toll free at 1-800-464-5767; email: info@namimaine.org

NAMI Maine's colaborative services include: