Florida Veterans Helpline Receives Thousands of Calls After Statewide Expansion
Aug 13, 2018
Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) August 13, 2018 – A support line for veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, financial hardship and other problems has broadened its reach to every county in Florida.
The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay and the state’s 2-1-1 system partnered for the Florida Veterans Support Line’s (FVSL) expansion. The helpline received around 3,300 calls per year in the three years since its launch in October 2014. However, the number of calls jumped to nearly 10,000 in just the last quarter of 2017 alone since the statewide expansion.
Florida veterans can make free calls to the helpline at 1-844-MyFLVet (1-844-693-5838) to anonymously discuss issues they are facing and seek emotional support. Callers are referred to resources at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as well as other local government programs, community services and nonprofit groups. Former service members can access the helpline regardless of their discharge status.
“The helpline’s expansion is a step in the right direction toward ensuring Florida veterans receive the practical assistance and emotional support they need,” said Florida veterans lawyer David W. Magann. “Often, veterans do not know where to turn when they need help, so being able to make a simple call to a helpline can improve their access to valuable resources.”
Last year, the Legislature awarded the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay $400,000 in funding through the Florida VA to take the support line statewide. Clara Reynolds, the organization’s president and CEO, said, “We are proud to have piloted the Florida Veterans Support Line in Tampa Bay, and now, based on the statewide need and positive impact of this service on our veteran community, we are thrilled to expand the resource statewide.”
She said callers are linked to their regional 2-1-1 hotline system so that they can be connected with services where they live. Trained veterans from a network of local nonprofit organizations throughout Florida answer the calls.
According to Reynolds, almost 60 percent of veterans who phoned the hotline in the first three months of its expansion were seeking mental health assistance. More than 33 percent of those callers said they needed help because they were suicidal.
Learn more at http://www.tampaveteranslawyer.com/
David W. Magann, P.A.
Main Office:
156 W. Robertson St.
Brandon, FL 33511
Call: (813) 657-9175
Tampa Office:
4012 Gunn Highway #165
Tampa, Florida 33618
- Veterans Statistics At A Glance
Gulf War Veterans, Persian Gulf War, The Global War on Terror (GWOT), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS) and ongoing conflicts : Gulf War-era II veterans served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces any time since September 2001. In 2015, there were 3.6 million veterans who had served during Gulf War Era II. U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan ended on December 31, 2014. As part of Operation FREEDOM’S SENTINEL (OFS), U.S. forces remain in the country to participate in a coalition mission to train, advise, and assist Afghan National Defense and Security […] - Agent Orange Claims
The VA’s general regulations implementing the laws related to Agent Orange are found at 38 C.F.R. § 3.307. Also, specific provisions relating to Agent Orange are found at 38 U.S.C. § 1116. In essence, specific medical conditions are presumed to be related to exposure to Agent Orange in service. The claim will still need to be supported by an adequate medical diagnosis of the condition and proof of those requirements for service location(s) as outlined below. Generally, veterans who served in the Country of Vietnam are presumed to have been exposed, but other types of exposure may require direct proof. […] - Camp Lejeune: Water Contamination Update, Presumptive Conditions
From the 1950s through the 1980s, people living or working at the U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, were potentially exposed to drinking water contaminated with industrial solvents, benzene, and other chemicals. VA has established a presumptive service connection for Veterans, Reservists, and National Guard members exposed to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune from August 1, 1953 through December 31, 1987 who later developed one of the following eight diseases: Adult leukemia Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes Bladder cancer Kidney cancer Liver cancer Multiple myeloma Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Parkinson’s disease Presently, these conditions are the only […]
