Wounded Warrior Project Participates in Panel Discussion on PTSD, Mental Health, and Suicide Prevention Hosted by Brookings Institution

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) recently participated in a forum about innovative PTSD treatments and PTSD Awareness Month. The forum was hosted by Dr. Michael O'Hanlon, senior policy fellow at The Brookings Institution, one of the nation's leading policy think-tanks.

Michael Richardson, WWP independence services and mental health vice president; Brian Dempsey, WWP government affairs director; and Kayla Williams, senior fellow and director of the Military, Veterans, and Society program at the Center for a New American Security shared their insights.

Richardson and Dempsey spoke on WWP's best practices for suicide prevention, both within WWP's veteran program offerings and through collaborative efforts with other veteran service organizations, the VA, and private sector hospitals.

"One of the huge barriers to mental health care is stigma," Richardson said. "It could be a societal stigma relating to the workforce or a personal stigma around how you're feeling. Sadly, even our entertainment stereotypes the impacts of post-traumatic stress. This is why we need to change the narrative and show veterans that seeking treatment works. We must showcase the strength it takes to seek care, not weakness. And veterans who are receiving this care, and getting better from it, are telling their buddies about it. That's normalizing mental health care, and we should keep that going."

"In our Annual Warrior Survey, the VA has been consistently rated as the number one health care resource for veterans who use it, and we want to see more veterans use it," Dempsey said. "But if the first doctor visit happens to be with a doctor in a small town on a main street in Montana, who is not part of the VA's community care network, we want to make sure that the veteran is able to get the help there, where it's available."

Read more about the forum highlights and how WWP is working with our nation's leaders to improve the lives of wounded veterans and their families.

About Wounded Warrior Project
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers – helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project