Ouachita Behavioral Health & Wellness and Hot Springs nonprofit Scars & Stripes have partnered to provide coordinated services for veterans in Garland County.
The partnership will combine clinical behavioral health care with case management, housing support and benefits navigation. Veterans can contact either organization directly to access services. Services through Scars & Stripes are provided at no cost.
Garland County is home to approximately 7,875 veterans, representing about 9.8 percent of the population, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Nationally, 6,398 veterans died by suicide in 2023, an average of 17.5 per day. About 61 percent had no contact with VA health care in the year prior.
“Our veterans deserve care that meets them where they are,” said Susan Smith, CEO of OBHAW. “This partnership helps ensure they can access both clinical care and the support services needed to move forward.”
Scars & Stripes operates from the Hot Springs Community Resource Center, 109 Hobson Ave., providing case management, housing and utility assistance, transportation support and help with navigating benefits. The organization also offers suicide prevention services, court-ordered anger management programs and assistance in obtaining identification and military records. Staff are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and can meet veterans at OBHAW locations when needed.
“Veterans in Arkansas are not lacking services; they are falling through the gaps in those services,” said Jared Eakin, executive director of Scars & Stripes. “With this partnership, we aim to fill those gaps and lower the veteran suicide rate by addressing the life stressors before they turn into a crisis. This allows us to better assist veterans as they navigate housing, benefits, and health care systems. Working together improves access and reduces barriers.”
Feature image: OBHAW Clinical Director Michelle Kveum and Scars & Stripes Executive Director Jared Eakin. (Photo provided)
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