REMARKS
Council Member Linda Lee's opening remarks on supporting families of veterans with PTSD
0:10:49
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3 min
Council Member Linda Lee provides opening remarks for a joint oversight hearing on supporting families of veterans with PTSD. She emphasizes the importance of addressing mental health challenges faced by veterans' families and highlights recent legislative efforts to expand access to mental health services for veterans.
- Lee reflects on previous joint hearings between the Mental Health and Veterans Committees, noting the value of peer support programs.
- She mentions Local Law 38 of 2024, which she sponsored, aimed at improving distribution of mental health resource information to veterans and their families.
- Lee draws parallels between the challenges faced by caregivers in various contexts and the often overlooked needs of veterans' family members.
Linda Lee
0:10:49
Thank you so much, Char Holden.
0:10:51
And thanks for always sharing your story and bringing, like, to this important issue.
0:10:55
And think this is actually our 3rd joint hearing actually with Mental Health And Veterans Committee, which I think is a record.
0:11:01
I don't know about how the last council was, but I'll I'll just say I think it's a record.
0:11:05
And I have to say it's always great because especially when it comes to mental health, you know, trying to be a voice for the voiceless and speaking up on behalf of marginalized communities is definitely, I think, where both of our hearts are.
0:11:17
And it's it's been really great in a learning experience for me every time we have joint committees with the veterans.
0:11:23
Because even I still remember our first hearing that we had in 2022 about the veterans treatment courts, and that was such a fascinating thing for me to learn about, and a lot of lessons we heard there with the peer supports.
0:11:36
And how that's so much more needed, which I see the resources here is amazing.
0:11:41
So I just wanna thank you all for being here today.
0:11:44
Sorry.
0:11:44
Went a little off script.
0:11:46
But, yes, so thanks for joining us today for the hearing on support.
0:11:50
In the families of veterans with PTSD.
0:11:53
Today's hearing shines a necessary light on the often overlooked mental health challenges faced by the families of veterans.
0:11:59
While we frequently discuss the mental health impacts of PTSD on vets, the toll it takes on their loved ones spouse's partners, children, deserves equal attention.
0:12:09
Families not only support their veterans, but also becomes secondary victims of the trauma dealing with anxiety, depression, and even PTSD symptoms themselves.
0:12:18
This hearing is part of a larger initiative that the council has undertaken to address mental health across all communities.
0:12:25
Last year as part of the council's ongoing mental health road map, we passed a package of bills focused on expanding access to mental health veteran services for veterans.
0:12:34
I was proud to sponsor local law 38 2024, which ensures that comprehensive information on available mental health resources is distributed to veterans and their families across the city.
0:12:46
These efforts are part of our continued push to ensure that every family knows where to find help, and we know that this is an ongoing challenge, which you will continue to try to help with.
0:12:56
But there is more work to be done and the stories we've heard from military families children who've become caregivers and spouses who take on the emotional weight of PTSD highlight the gaps in care that persist.
0:13:08
As we listen to today's testimonies, I hope we can identify further opportunities to collaborate with the Department of Veterans Services and other agencies to close these gaps and expand support.
0:13:18
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today and working together to ensure that no family is left to navigate these challenges alone.
0:13:27
And just on a separate note, I will say coming from the nonprofit sector, we did a lot of caregiver programs, whether it's caregivers of cancer patients, caregivers of mental health, you know, having someone with your family that lives with severe mental illness fairly mentally illness diseases.
0:13:43
And I have to say it really does take a toll on the family and oftentimes their support is overlooked and so looking forward to today's topic.
0:13:53
I would like to take a moment also to thank my own staff.
0:13:55
Members of the mental health disabilities and addiction committee staff who worked so hard to prepare this hearing.
0:14:01
And, of course, we have Sarah Sutra on my left who is on our committee.
0:14:04
So thank you so much for preparing in.
0:14:06
I'll hand it over back to chair Holden.
Robert F. Holden
0:14:08
Thank you, Shirley.
