Manhattan College and the James J. Peters VA Medical Center are teaming up to offer an entire day of free workshops and resources for veterans tomorrow.
According to Tiana Sloan, the Manhattan College director of Veterans Success Programs, the day — called the Veterans Wellness Summit — will include sessions on various aspects of health and wellness, as well as an on-site mobile health van for screenings.
Adverse health conditions, particularly mental health conditions, are being widely researched among veteran populations.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development states that more than 1.7 million veterans received treatment in a VA mental health specialty program in 2018. And in 2017, the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System found a significant link between post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a greater frequency of suicidal thoughts, plans and impulses among 60 male veterans.
Many of the services provided by VA health care teams aid with depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder and substance use.
Manhattan College in Riverdale has a long history of student veterans — with a total of 100 last fall — and brands itself as a military-friendly campus. Sloan told the Bronx Times in a previous interview that the first student to enroll at Manhattan College actually served in the Civil War.
Because of the active student veteran population that still exists today, the Veterans Success Programs staff also unveiled a new resource and study center in September. The school had a small lounge previously, but now has a large workspace to accommodate and provide resources and support for student veterans both socially and academically.
The Veterans Wellness Summit is free for all in attendance. Registration for the event at Manhattan College opens at 9 a.m. this Friday.
Sessions are from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Raymond W. Kelly ‘63 Student Commons, fifth floor, on campus at 4513 Manhattan College Parkway in Riverdale. For more information, send an inquiry via email to veterans@manhattan.edu.
Reach Camille Botello at cbotello@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
