Victoria, Texas-based Crossroads Area Veteran Center is implementing a new telehealth system that will connect veterans to mental health specialists at Corpus Christi (Texas) Vet Center through videoconferencing technology, Victoria Advocate reports.
Crossroads Area Veteran Center currently does not have a full-time mental health specialist. The center has a part-time contractor, but services aren't always immediately available.
"Sometimes we have veterans that are really upset and want to talk to someone right now. We usually try all our resources, and we're lucky if we get someone to see them within 48 hours," Eva Painter, Victoria, Texas county's veteran services officer, told the publication. "And these are veterans that are asking for a reason to live, to wake up tomorrow."
With the new telehealth system, Crossroads Area Veteran Center aims to become eligible for more federal funding to increase its mental health services. Department of Veterans Affairs representatives told the center in order to receive more funding, it needs to increase its number of counseling sessions for combat veterans and/or veterans who have experienced sexual assault trauma, according to the report.
"It's imperative that we start getting our numbers up and that we start using this telehealth system so that we can show that this is definitely a resource that's needed in our area," Ms. Painter said.