Photo: County Executive Romaine (left) and Legislator Lennon (right) sign bill designating Sept. 22 as Veterans Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day (Credit – Office of County Executive Romaine)
The topic of Veterans’ mental health is salient for an unfortunate reason: it is a problem that continues to persist, in some places at record-high levels.
Legislator Chad Lennon (R-Rocky Point) recently submitted a bill to name September 22 as “Veteran Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day” in Suffolk County.
The bill’s legislative intent states that since September is Suicide Prevention Month and since approximately twenty-two Veterans take their own lives each day, the date of remembrance of September 22 is appropriate.
The bill was signed into law by County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) at the V.F.W. Post #6249 in Rocky Point last Thursday.
However, the bill wasn’t only signed into law. It also made the rare achievement of attracting co-sponsorship from every other Legislator in the horseshoe. In addition to Lennon, all seventeen other Legislators signed on to make the bill a law.
“Every Legislator co-sponsored this bill, which is unheard of, so it shows that the support is out there,” Legislator Lennon told The Messenger. “A lot of it is educating people on what’s happening in the community because unless you’re in that Veteran military community, you really don’t know what’s going on. So, thank you to the support of every other Legislator that passed this bill unanimously and the County Executive for his support for our community. It is a great first step, but it’s just the first step.”
Lennon said that many Veterans are not aware of the benefits and resources available to them, likening them to a “hidden secret.”
“The thing we always say in the Veteran community is, ‘I don’t know what’s out there. Nobody’s telling, it’s almost like a hidden secret,’” said Lennon. “We need to bring those resources and benefits to the forefront so Veterans know what’s available for them.”
Lennon, a Marine and current Reservist, as well as Vice Chair of the Veterans Committee, said that he knows “too many who have taken their own lives.”
“One of the drivers of the trucks we had in Afghanistan died of an accidental overdose, which is the code word for suicide,” said Lennon. “There was another local Veteran who was in college who took his own life within the last year. When I was with recon, right before I got there, the Battalion Commander took his own life.”
Lennon adds that he knows or has heard of Lieutenant Colonels, Sergeant Majors, Colonels, and even Generals who have taken their own lives in the last decade.
Lennon also says that it’s not just the younger generation who grapples with mental health issues and suicide, but that Vietnam Veterans are a large number as well.
“We need to reach out to all eras of war and service to make sure they’re getting the services they need,” said Lennon. “Suicide knows no rank or gender. It knows nothing other than that it’s an issue that’s attacking everybody.”
Lennon also says that while the end result might be similar across the board, the causes that lead a Veteran to that point are more “layered.”
“Veterans have higher rates of homelessness, unemployment, and underemployment than others,” said Lennon. “Some also don’t think of themselves as Veterans because of their discharge status, and others think that because others hurt worse than them, that they themselves do not reach out for help. There’s always going to be someone in worse shape than you are, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get help for yourself.”
Lennon also outlined initiatives that the County has taken to aid Veterans in various walks of life.
“We have the Veterans Treatment Court, there’s a Veterans docket at the Traffic Court for resources, we have the Veterans’ Service Agency for the County,” said Lennon. “There’s no bank that a Veteran can go to for service animals, help with housing, or legal help. What we’re doing is putting all of those resources on the website and the next goal is to create an actual handout for the VA’s, so that Veterans can come in and ask for the benefits manual. We should have one at every level of government so every Veteran knows the benefits and resources they have.”
Lennon also says that solving the problems come in the form of engaging with the community, not limited to government providing help.
“The non-profits are really doing the bulk of the work out there,” said Lennon. “We saw many of them here today with Project Nine Line, Cooking for Long Island Veterans, and the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Foundation. There’s services providing scholarships to Veterans and their families and providing mental health support from the Dwyer Program.”
County Executive Romaine discussed the urgent matter with The Messenger after the bill-signing.
“It’s a huge initiative when you have twenty-two people a day taking their lives who are either active military or retired Veterans,” said Romaine. “It’s a big concern and we’re calling awareness to this because we have a Veteran Service Agency that will provide the help that is needed.”
At his State of the County Address last week, Romaine discussed suicide rates among police officers and initiatives to combat it. He spoke of similar measures regarding Veterans.
“Our Veterans Service Agency has mental health coordinators and counselors available. So, we’re there, we can help, we can get you the help or assistance you need. You don’t have suicide as your only option.”
Romaine also said that there’s “no shame” in reaching out for help.
“Please, if you’re going through a tough time, if you’re hitting a rough patch, reach out,” said Romaine. “There’s no shame in that. We’re here to help people through their difficult times. Please, there is help available.”
Majority leader Nick Caracappa (C-Selden), Chair of the Veterans Committee, provided to The Messenger soberingly realistic insights of the problem.
“This is a press conference today that I wish we didn’t have to have, but unfortunately the facts and statistics are all real, and we stand behind our Veterans,” said Caracappa. “Our Veterans are very proud to have served our country, to have served for our families and theirs. They cannot be too proud to help themselves and their families. This day is to recognize and bring awareness to that number twenty-two, because twenty-two Veterans per day nationally take their own lives. We want to get that number to zero. We’re going to keep going, we’ll keep coming up with every resource, awareness, and education possible to get that number to zero.”
The Messenger also discussed the bill signing with Legislator Dominick Thorne (R-East Patchogue), who also sits on the Veterans Committee.
“We’re proud of Legislator Lennon for putting this forward. This bill actually takes a statistic and turns it into remembrance, but more importantly, a call to action,” said Thorne. “Aggressive action to help our Veterans, give them the resources they need, and put a glaring spotlight on a problem. It cannot just be about statistics, it has to be about action. And this is what this bill does. Legislator Lennon put an amazing bill forward and we will stand with him every step of the way and our Veterans to make sure that we take care of the people who have fought for and defended our country.”
A representative for Legislator Catherine Stark (R-Riverhead), also a member of the Veterans Committee, gave the Legislator’s thoughts on the bill.
“Legislator Stark commends Legislator Lennon for bringing this legislation forward. Our office [First Legislative District] is always there to support our Veterans in Suffolk County, from Fisher’s Island all the way to the Nassau border,” said Stark’s representative. “We look forward to working with Legislator Lennon to support all our Veterans.”
The Suffolk County Veterans Service Agency Hauppauge office is located at 100 be reached at 631-853-VETS (8387). Offices are also available in Brookhaven Town Hall at 1 Independence Hill in Farmingville (631-451-6574), the Long Island State Veterans Home at 100 Patriots Road in Stony Brook (631-444-8759), and at 300 Center Drive in Riverhead (631-852-1410).
Please call before you go to these offices.
The National Suicide and Crisis Hotline can be reached by dialing 988 and is available twenty-four hours a day.
