s . org • MONDAY , NOVEMBER 7 , 2016 NEWS 3
rtrait of fellow SAC alumnus Rafael Reynosa , who died in combat in Iraq . The painting will esource Center . / R . Nicanor Santana / el Don
NTANA
CES FOR STRUGGLING VETERANS
an in the summer of 2012 , Matthew Aland and his plaght . Aland ’ s comrade , who he 12-man crew , had lost his the scorching Middle Eastned the machine gun and d and his team made it out ed home after his five-year ounds from the experience
like him who are struggling with mental health conditions after serving in the military , the resources in Santa Ana are growing . To help veterans on campus , SAC ’ s Veterans Resource Center offers various programs such as Veterans Upward Bound , Veterans Support Services and Strength in Support . Strength in Support provides counseling , mentorship and workshops run by veterans , therapists and military family members .
“ We need more space for mental health personnel , facilities and aftercare to make sure this population gets the help they so desperately need and deserve ,” SAC nursing program student Christina Griego said . Griego works in the emergency room at Saddleback Memorial Hospital in Laguna Hills and empathizes with patients like Aland , who struggle not only with their PTSD , but are also unsure of how to ask for help . “ We need to break that stigma . People need to know it ’ s okay to seek help ,” Griego said .“ It ’ s not a sign of weakness , it ’ s a sign of strength .”
By 2014 , Aland ’ s binge drinking was out of control , his attempt to numb the emotional pain left over from years of active duty , which led to a car accident that nearly killed him and another driver . “ That was a profoundly guilty experience because I just wanted my downward spiral to affect me , but it had collateral damage , bringing someone else down with me . That ’ s something that I still struggle with ,” Aland said . When Aland ’ s apartment lease ended shortly after , he became homeless , one of about 50,000 veterans who sleep on the streets each night in the U . S . A fellow veteran , who worked at Veterans First in Santa Ana , invited him to the facility . There he was offered housing , meals and mental health counseling at no cost .
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