Read Stories > Turn This Moment Into a Movement

As a family member or friend, you can make a difference in a Veteran’s life. The moment when you start the conversation about mental health could be the most important moment in both of your lives. Whether you’re helping to track down a helpful local resource, providing encouragement for making an appointment for mental health support, or finding a fellow Veteran’s story that might strike a meaningful chord, you can support a Veteran’s recovery journey.

Mental Health Month could be the moment when we let the Veterans in our lives know that recovery is possible. Continue reading below for three simple ways to support a Veteran this May — and help turn this moment into a movement.

1. Share Stories of Recovery

Sometimes, the best way to understand where a Veteran is coming from is to hear the stories of Veterans who have dealt with similar challenges. If you’re looking for a way to start talking about mental health, consider finding a story on MakeTheConnection.net that may resonate with the Veteran in your life.

Nearly 500 Veterans have shared their experiences in confronting mental health challenges. With just a few clicks on the website, you can find stories from Veterans who served in specific service eras and military branches, as well as those with particular mental health conditions. These stories can be a powerful tool to help Veterans realize that they’re not alone and that treatment worked for someone who is much like them.

2. Spread the Word

Help make Mental Health Month the moment when we let all Veterans know that recovery is possible. Every social media tweet, post, or share can help build positive perceptions about mental health treatment and encourage someone to reach out for support. You never know who your message of encouragement might reach. Visit the spread the word page on MakeTheConnection.net to find materials that you can download, post to social media, or share in your community.

3. Help Veterans Take the Next Step

No matter where a loved one is in their mental health recovery journey, you can provide support for the next step. And you don’t have to do it alone — there are resources to help. Check out these resources to help a Veteran connect with care:

• Check a Veteran’s eligibility: This page can help answer questions and determine whether or not a Veteran is eligible for VA health care benefits.
• Apply for benefits: Getting started is simple. Encourage a Veteran to create a free account online to help ease the enrollment process, or explore VA’s “How to Apply” page.
• Schedule an appointment: Veterans who are already enrolled in VA can use the VA Appointments tools to schedule some VA health care appointments online and view details about their upcoming appointments.
• Find support beyond VA: There’s a whole community of support ready to help with whatever a Veteran is going through. Use our resource locator to find support near you.