Every year we celebrate Veterans Day to commemorate the millions of men and women who have served in the United States military. In March, The Aspen institute launched its first program dedicated to veterans’ issues. The Aspen Institute Veterans Initiative deals with the many issues that veterans may face upon leaving the military, with special emphasis on the availablity of mental illness treatment.
To kick-off the veterans initiative,Paul Rieckhoff, founder and executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, participated in a panel hosted by the Institute in March, entitled “A Call to Action: Restoring Mental Well-Being to our Veterans.”
In the video clip below, Rieckhoff discusses what outreach means for a veterans interest organization.
Rieckhoff went on to explain he believes stigma is not the only reason veterans are not receiving the mental illness care they deserve.
