Louisiana receives $3 million in grants to support veterans’ mental health – KNOE

Louisiana receives $3 million in grants to support veterans’ mental health  KNOE

Five Louisiana groups awarded ~$3M in VA Staff Sergeant Fox Grants for veterans' mental health peer support and outreach, including two in Northeast Louisiana. State also launching its first Veteran Business Outreach Center. MONROE, La. (KNOE) – Five Louisiana organizations have received roughly $3 million in federal grants to support veterans’ mental health, including two organizations serving Northeast Louisiana. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs awarded the grants through the Staff Sergeant Fox Grant. The funding supports peer support, outreach and mental health counseling for veterans. Wellspring Alliance for Families and Merakey are the two grantees located in Northeast Louisiana. Col. (Ret.) Charlton Meginley, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, said the grants will help organizations build partnerships, conduct outreach events and workshops, and raise awareness of available resources.

“Using this grant to build partnerships, do outreach events, workshops, spread awareness will all help just the VA as a whole and just the community as a whole get ahead of this epidemic and ensure that veterans are getting the benefits and the care that they need,” Meginley said. First Lt. Sidney Jones of the U.S. Army Reserve said nonprofit organizations can help connect veterans with support. “When you have these grantees who are in the NGO, the 501 space, who can really work one-on-one with veterans with their