Veterans Mental Health Council

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Veterans Mental Health Council Veterans and families empowering each other through advocacy, education, and support. We're here to advocate and improve services for all.

Meetings are held virtually via Zoom on the second Tuesday of the month at 6:00pm. To participate, contact us at [email protected], and we will send you the link. We welcome Veterans and family members utilizing VA behavioral health services to join our council. For inquiries or to share your concerns, please email us at [email protected].

💙 **“I’M OKAY” DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN EVERYTHING IS OKAY**Anxiety and stress can be heavy, even when no one else can see th...
10/19/2026

💙 **“I’M OKAY” DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN EVERYTHING IS OKAY**

Anxiety and stress can be heavy, even when no one else can see the weight.

For Veterans, service members, and military families, that weight may come from deployment experiences, transition, relationships, finances, chronic pain, grief, work, family responsibilities, or simply trying to keep everything together.

Sometimes people keep moving forward while carrying far more than anyone realizes.

That is why checking in matters.

If someone says, **“I’m okay,”** it can be worth slowing down and asking, **“How are you really doing?”** Then give them room to answer without judgment, pressure, or trying to immediately fix everything.

And if you are the one carrying the weight, remember this: you do not have to wait until stress becomes overwhelming before reaching out. Talking with someone you trust, connecting with a peer, taking a break, setting boundaries, or seeking professional support can all be healthy steps.

At the **Veterans Mental Health Council**, we believe mental health conversations should happen **before a crisis**. Connection, compassion, and early support can make a difference.

🇺🇸 **You do not have to carry every burden alone.**

Check on your people.
Check on yourself.
Start the conversation.

🌐 Learn more about our mission:
https://bit.ly/4uKsDDa

Carol Thompson, the Chair of the Veterans Mental Health Council, delivered a powerful and inspiring presentation at the ...
10/19/2026

Carol Thompson, the Chair of the Veterans Mental Health Council, delivered a powerful and inspiring presentation at the 2026 NAMI Missouri Conference, reminding us why this work matters and how much more needs to be done.

The VMHC is committed to reducing veteran su***de through collaboration, education, advocacy, and connecting veterans and their families with meaningful support. Reducing veteran su***de takes more than awareness. It takes action, commitment, and people willing to get involved.

We need people willing to turn that commitment into action. Were recruiting volunteers and new council members who can bring their experience, ideas, professional connections, and time to help us expand our reach and strengthen support for veterans and their families. Whether you're a veteran, family member, mental health professional, or community advocate, there's a place for you in this work.

Visit https://lnkd.in/eV3ayjDu to learn about the council and how you can get involved.

💙 WE ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU MATTER TO US.Sometimes the most important thing we can remind someone is also the simplest: Yo...
10/18/2026

💙 WE ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU MATTER TO US.

Sometimes the most important thing we can remind someone is also the simplest: You matter. Your story matters. Your presence matters.

For Veterans, service members, and military families, difficult seasons can bring isolation, grief, transition challenges, PTSD, depression, anxiety, or the feeling that no one truly understands what they are carrying. Those struggles may not always be visible—but that does not make them any less real.

At the Veterans Mental Health Council, we believe connection is one of our strongest tools in su***de prevention. We want to build communities where Veterans feel seen, heard, valued, and supported before a crisis occurs.

That work can begin with each of us.

🇺🇸 Call the Veteran you haven't heard from lately.
💙 Ask, “How are you really doing?”
👂 Listen without judgment.
🤝 Stay connected when someone is struggling.
📞 Help connect them with support when they need it.

You don't have to be a mental health professional to make a difference. Sometimes simply showing someone that they matter can open the door to a conversation they desperately needed.

We are here because you matter to us. And no Veteran should have to fight alone.

If you or a Veteran you know is in crisis, call 988 and press 1 or text 838255 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.

🌐 Learn more about the Veterans Mental Health Council:
https://bit.ly/4uKsDDa

#988

Be patient with yourself.The version of you that you’re becoming still requires grace for the version of you that’s lear...
10/17/2026

Be patient with yourself.

The version of you that you’re becoming still requires grace for the version of you that’s learning, growing, and healing right now. Mistakes may be part of the journey, but they do not define who you are. You can acknowledge where you’ve fallen short without turning those moments into your identity.

Growth takes time. Healing takes effort. And becoming who you are meant to be often starts with showing yourself the same compassion you would offer someone else.

Keep going. Keep learning. Keep becoming.

💙 BOTH THINGS CAN BE TRUEYou can be grateful for where you are and still want more.You can be proud of how far you have ...
10/16/2026

💙 BOTH THINGS CAN BE TRUE

You can be grateful for where you are and still want more.

You can be proud of how far you have come and still recognize that there is room to grow.

You can appreciate your progress and still have difficult days.

For veterans, military families, and anyone navigating healing, transition, or personal growth, there can be a lot of pressure to have everything figured out. But healing is not a finish line, and growth does not require perfection.

Sometimes progress looks like taking one healthy step. Sometimes it means resting. Sometimes it means asking for help, setting a boundary, reconnecting with someone, or simply giving yourself permission to keep learning.

At the Veterans Mental Health Council, we believe there is strength in giving yourself both grace and room to grow.

You do not have to choose between being thankful for today and hopeful for tomorrow.

🇺🇸 Honor your progress. Give yourself patience. Keep moving forward.

Learn more about our mission and support for veterans and military families:
https://bit.ly/4uKsDDa

🇺🇸 **FOCUS YOUR ENERGY WHERE IT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE**One of the most valuable mental health skills we can practice is ...
10/15/2026

🇺🇸 **FOCUS YOUR ENERGY WHERE IT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE**

One of the most valuable mental health skills we can practice is learning the difference between what we **can control** and what we **cannot control**.

We cannot control the past, other people’s opinions, unexpected circumstances, or everything happening around us. But we can influence our choices, our effort, our attitude, our boundaries, and how we respond when life gets difficult.

For veterans and military families, that distinction can be especially important. Military service teaches us to assess the situation, identify what can be influenced, and act with purpose. Those same principles can help when navigating stress, transition, relationships, trauma, or uncertainty.

Focusing on what is within our control does not mean ignoring difficult circumstances. It means refusing to spend all of our emotional energy fighting battles we cannot change while overlooking the choices we can make today.

At the **Veterans Mental Health Council**, we encourage veterans and families to give themselves permission to release what they cannot control and invest their energy in what supports healing, connection, and forward movement.

💙 **Progress over perfection. Small steps. Healthy choices. One day at a time.**

Sometimes peace begins with a simple question: **“What is actually within my control today?”**

Learn more about our mission and how we support veterans and military families:
https://bit.ly/4uKsDDa

⚓🇺🇸 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNITED STATES NAVY!Today, we honor the men and women of the United States Navy—past and present—whos...
10/15/2026

⚓🇺🇸 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNITED STATES NAVY!

Today, we honor the men and women of the United States Navy—past and present—whose service, sacrifice, courage, and commitment have helped protect our nation since October 13, 1775.

At the Veterans Mental Health Council, we recognize that service does not end when the uniform comes off. Navy Veterans, like all who have served, may carry experiences and challenges long after their time on active duty. Our responsibility as a community is to continue standing beside them, supporting their families, and making sure they know they never have to navigate those challenges alone.

To every Sailor and Navy Veteran: thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and the legacy you continue to build.

⚓ United by service. United by mission.
🇺🇸 Happy Birthday, U.S. Navy!

Learn more about our mission supporting Veterans and military families:
https://bit.ly/4uKsDDa

🇺🇸 **MISSOURI, LET’S BREAK THE STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH**Veterans and military families should never feel like they h...
10/14/2026

🇺🇸 **MISSOURI, LET’S BREAK THE STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH**

Veterans and military families should never feel like they have to hide what they are going through or face difficult seasons alone.

Mental health struggles are not a sign of weakness. Saying **“I’m not okay”** is not failure. Asking for help, talking honestly, and allowing others to stand beside you are acts of strength.

At the **Veterans Mental Health Council**, we are working to help build a Missouri veteran community where conversations about mental health are normal, support is easier to find, and people feel safe reaching out **before a crisis occurs**.

Breaking the stigma starts with each of us.

💚 Check on the veteran who has gone quiet.
💚 Listen without judgment.
💚 Talk openly about mental health.
💚 Learn about available resources.
💚 Remind people that they do not have to fight alone.

You do not have to be a mental health professional to make a difference. Sometimes it starts with one conversation: **“How are you really doing?”**

Together, we can change the conversation about mental health—and create stronger connections for Missouri veterans and their families.

🌐 Learn more about the Veterans Mental Health Council and our mission:
https://bit.ly/4uKsDDa

MID-MISSOURI WE NEED YOUR HELP GETTING THE WORD OUT!THE VETERANS MENTAL HEALTH COUNCIL - PRESS OF MEDIA DAY📅 Monday, Oct...
10/14/2026

MID-MISSOURI WE NEED YOUR HELP GETTING THE WORD OUT!

THE VETERANS MENTAL HEALTH COUNCIL - PRESS OF MEDIA DAY

📅 Monday, October 19, 2026
⏰ Registration: 8:30 AM | Event: 9:00 AM
📍 American Legion Hall, 3669 Legion Lane, Columbia, MO

THIS IS MORE THAN A MEDIA EVENT — IT’S A CALL TO COMMUNITY ACTION!

We invite faith leaders, mental health professionals, veteran organizations, nonprofits, elected officials, business leaders, families, and ALL community members to join us!

🇺🇸 Experience the invisible challenges veterans face.
🇺🇸 Honor veterans lost to su***de.
🇺🇸 Hear stories of hope, healing, and recovery.

COLUMBIA, JEFFERSON CITY, FULTON, BOONVILLE, MOBERLY, FAYETTE & ALL OF MID-MISSOURI — WE NEED YOU!

Educate. Connect. Prevent.

🇺🇸 PLEASE SHARE! Help us spread the word and bring our communities together!

🇺🇸 **THE NEW NATIONAL VETERAN SU***DE DATA SHOULD GET OUR ATTENTION**The latest VA data reports **6,488 Veteran su***des...
10/13/2026

🇺🇸 **THE NEW NATIONAL VETERAN SU***DE DATA SHOULD GET OUR ATTENTION**

The latest VA data reports **6,488 Veteran su***des in 2024—an average of approximately 17.7 Veterans every day.**

But one number stands out:

⚠️ **62% of Veterans who died by su***de in 2024 had not received VA health care during the year they died or the previous year.**

From 2023 to 2024, the su***de rate among Veterans enrolled in VA health care decreased **4.8%**, while the rate among Veterans not enrolled increased **3.7%**.

That does not mean VA health care alone explains the difference. But it reinforces something we cannot ignore:

**We have to reach Veterans who are not connected to care.**

Some Veterans may not know they are eligible. Some may have had a negative experience in the past. Others may distrust the system, feel they should handle things themselves, or simply not know where to begin.

At the **Veterans Mental Health Council**, we believe su***de prevention happens long before a crisis. It happens through connection, education, trusted relationships, peer support, and communities willing to reach out instead of waiting for someone to ask.

If you know a Veteran who has been isolating, struggling, or simply has not seemed like themselves lately—**call them. Check in. Ask how they are really doing. Listen.**

And please remember: Veterans do **not** have to be enrolled in VA health care or receiving VA disability compensation to contact the Veterans Crisis Line.

📞 **Dial 988, then press 1**
📱 **Text 838255**
💙 Support is available 24/7.

**The Veteran who needs this message may never like, comment, or share it—but they may read every word.**

Please share.

🌐 https://bit.ly/4uKsDDa

#988

Address

Columbia, MO
65201

Telephone

+15734186658

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