Warrior Wellness launched for Native American veterans

Choctaw Nation launched Warrior Wellness, a grant-funded program, during the recent Choctaw Nation Veterans Day Ceremony.

The new program is designed to connect Native American veterans with their culture, heritage and each other to reduce rates of death by suicide among veterans.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there were 6,146 veteran suicides for an average of 16.8 per day in 2020. However, the data points to a declining trend in these suicides.
In 2020, there were 343 fewer veteran suicides than in 2019, and the number of veteran suicides was lower than in each prior year since 2006.

The decline in deaths points to how treatment programs geared toward veterans and their families can help those in need.

Thanks to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs SSG Parker Fox Suicide Prevention Program, the Choctaw Nation can offer more help to veterans in need.

“Being one of only 80 organizations awarded the grant means we can provide pivotal services here in southeast Oklahoma for Native American Veterans and their families,” said program coordinator Courtney Trent, Licensed Clinical Social Worker for Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority.

The Choctaw Nation Warrior Wellness Program will support veterans and their families with various options. Some available options are veteran peer support, case management, Veterans Affairs benefits assistance and income assistance.

The Nation has always prioritized serving veterans, but the behavioral health program has never had anything specific to veterans outside of regular outpatient counseling.

Shauna Humphreys, Director of Choctaw Nation Behavioral Health Services, is excited about the Warrior Wellness program and its creative approaches.

According to Humphreys, the grant would now allow them to serve those that fought for our country.
“I really like the aspects of this grant and the creative things that are happening, and I think it’s very much needed,” said Humphreys.

“A lot of non-traditional services that we haven’t had available for our veterans in the past are going to get a lot more accessible,” Trent said.

By partnering with the Choctaw Nation Veterans Advocacy office and other established programs throughout the Nation, the Warrior Wellness program will be able to help veterans and their families in many ways.

“We’ll have weekend retreats with cultural activities, resilience training, and trauma-focused services and healing for coping and how to thrive instead of just survive. We’ll really try to enrich their coping skills and their knowledge of resources and strengthen their family systems,” said Trent.

It’s not just the veterans themselves who can get help. Their families will also be able to get involved with treatment.

A recent Holiday for Heroes veteran-led women’s support group met in December in McAlester, Oklahoma.

Trent highlighted the importance of these meetings during the holidays.

“They [Holiday for Heroes events] are focused on coping with holiday stressors and how you manage and navigate through some of those tough times during the holidays,” she said.

“It’s really important that you treat the whole family, not just the veteran and then send them back into a family system that is struggling… it’s really exciting for us to be able to have the opportunity to offer these services to the whole family and not just the veteran,” Trent said.

Some more examples of non-traditional services available include hiking, animal-assisted and equine services, trail riding, gardening, fishing, family retreats and cultural options like the drum circle recovery groups. The goal of these types of offerings is to make the veterans who are seeking treatment more comfortable.

“They [veterans] have a difficult time coming into a typical counselor setting. By using these non-traditional settings, along with peer support with another veteran, it really opens up a window for them to engage and be connected with someone who has similar life experiences. Being able to connect with those peers is just so powerful,” said Trent.

Mental health support and community connection can make a huge difference for many veterans.

One of the ways that Native veterans will be able to get that community support is through the Operation Pop-Smoke app.

The Pop-Smoke app is designed for peer-to-peer support with the veterans in mind. It will serve as a veteran’s personal and confidential emergency response team with trusted peers that they choose.

Using the app, they can “pop smoke” or request help from their trusted team. The app also allows confidential texting and gives the group their exact GPS coordinates in live time so they can find them in times of need.

By providing several different treatment methods to veterans and their families, the program is more likely to connect with those in need, including those who may need or want treatment but are reluctant to go into a typical counselor’s office.

Warrior Wellness is available to all Native American veterans and their families from any tribe or service. For more information, go to choctawnation.com/services/warrior-wellness/

If you have suicidal thoughts, you can call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.