WACO, Texas – Warriors Research Institute, a Baylor Scott & White Research Institute center, has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans' Assistance that will help expand evidence-based mental health treatment to Texas veterans and their families. The treatment is available at no cost to veterans and family members regardless of discharge status.
"We are honored that the Texas Veterans Commission chose to support these convenient, effective treatments for veterans and veteran family members," said Suzy Gulliver, PhD, Warriors Research Institute director. "Now veterans and their family members across the entire state will have additional access to these mental health services."
The Statewide Evidence-Based Telehealth Treatment will build on the success of Vet PaTHs, a pilot program which focused on peer support and telehealth for Central Texas veterans. Now statewide, this program will deliver high-quality, accessible treatment to more veterans and their family members who are dealing with post-traumatic stress syndrome and other mental health challenges.
"Our successful Vet PaTHs pilot demonstrated this treatment format as a great match for this population," said Eric Meyer, PhD, Warriors Research Institute associate director. "The vast majority of feedback we received from both veterans and family members showed substantial improvements in quality of life as a result of these services."
Through a telehealth clinic, participants can speak directly with providers via live video conferencing on computers or mobile devices. The program is administered by clinicians who have had military and veteran cultural awareness training, including consultations with an experienced war veteran and licensed mental health professional.
Veterans or family members interested in participating in the Statewide Evidence-Based Telehealth Treatment program can reach WRI at (254) 716-6208 or wri@bswhealth.org.
Warriors Research Institute, a Baylor Scott & White Research Institute center, strives to improve the quality of care available to military veterans and emergency responders via a program of scientific inquiry. In addition to providing and evaluating state-of-the-art experimental treatments for those suffering the effects of toxic or traumatic work events, the Warriors Research Institute team trains future generations of treatment providers in evolving evidence-based care. For more than a decade, the Warriors Research Institute team has been involved in a wide array of empirical research studies and clinical programs. To learn more, visit the Warriors Research Institute site.
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