Military Veteran Peer Network

Making the transition from military life to civilian life can sometimes be quite difficult for veterans and their family members regardless of when and where they served but especially so for those that have been deployed to the combat theatre multiple times. Military life can be vastly different than civilian life and when a veteran takes off the uniform and attempts to move on with their life in the community he or she can sometimes find that others may not be able to relate to their experiences and the veteran may not feel as though others understand them.   Fortunately, The Texas Department of State Health Services recognizes that a need exists to assist veterans and their family members in their transition to civilian life. Veterans are reluctant to seek out services from mental health professionals and when they do they often discover that the mental health professional is not a military veteran with similar experiences. Because of this, there is now a campaign to train Peer Facilitators within the Military Veteran Peer Network in Texas. Over 300 military veterans have received specific training on how to assist other veterans and family members in their transition.   Regardless of when or where the veteran served, they and or their family members, are welcome to attend the transition meetings which are offered free of cost and in various locations throughout the state and including Victoria and DeWitt Counties.  Various topics are addressed in the meetings and referrals to community, state and national entities are made to meet the needs of those who attend.

If you are a military veteran or family member who would benefit from networking with others who are transitioning, please consider contacting Stan Hamlyn for more information. He can be reached at 361.582.2348 or via email at shamlyn@gulfbend.org. 

You can also join the Military  Veteran Peer Network on the web by going to:  http://www.milvetpeer.net.  There are local chapters you can join as well. 

Please click on the icon below to visit the link to the Military Veteran Peer Network and Veteran Portal: