This article was republished with permission from WTOP’s information companions at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription in the present day.

Over the previous week, state companies and small companies throughout Maryland lit up with inexperienced lights to point out their assist for Maryland’s veterans as a part of Operation Green Light, a nationwide marketing campaign to acknowledge veterans and supply instructional alternatives highlighting the wants and well-being of those that served within the U.S. army.

Hospitals and well being care services throughout the state are additionally taking part within the lighting marketing campaign to boost consciousness for the medical and psychological well being wants of veterans, which will be completely different from the overall inhabitants.

“Veterans, as a result of their serving our nation, have been exposed to different stressors than our civilian population,” based on Dr. David Marcozzi, chief medical officer for the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Operation Green Light runs from Nov. 6 by means of Nov. 12, and the University of Maryland Medical System well being care services are taking part this week, in addition to Maryland’s VA Maryland Health Care System.

Marcozzi can be a veteran as a retired colonel from the United States Army Reserve, and has an in depth perspective on the medical wants of Maryland’s veterans, a few of which compound into each other.

The Maryland Department of Health stories that there are some 398,000 army veterans in Maryland, whereas 53,000 others are at the moment serving on energetic obligation, reserve and National Guard.

Veterans returning house from army duties might expertise a variety of psychological and medical situations on account of their providers, based on Marcozzi.

“They have higher levels of mental health disorders including post traumatic stress disorder…and that translates to substance abuse disorders,” Marcozzi stated. “And then, fundamentally, due to some of their deployments, they have conditions that are a result of their injuries that they’ve encountered. From amputations to head injuries and concussions to traumatic injuries.”

Maryland’s delegation in congress has labored on laws to assist veterans obtain well being take care of situations associated to poisonous publicity whereas serving.

The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (PACT Act), handed final yr to develop VA well being care protection for signs of poisonous exposures, develop protection to post-9/11 fight veterans, and strengthen federal analysis on poisonous publicity, based on the workplace of U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D).

The 2022 laws additionally offers $75 million to create two veterans’ outpatient clinics in Baltimore and Prince George’s County.

Veterans can even nonetheless have typical well being situations that the typical American is inclined to, on high of service-related medical wants.

“They have the conditions that we all have — asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes,” Marcozzi famous.

He stated that well being care staff want to grasp the place veterans are at in terms of being open about psychological well being situations.

“You are not more vulnerable as a result of talking about depression, or concerns around suicidality,” he stated. “You will be stronger as a result of opening up about that eventually — once we have open dialogue and we have the right therapy and potentially pharmaceuticals to support you.”

“But what we don’t want to do is allow those challenges to remain silent, and allow the veterans to think that they are alone,” Marcozzi stated.

One of the challenges of attempting to supply psychological well being providers to veterans is that they could wrestle to ask for assist in the primary place.

Dr. Marcozzi stated that he can relate.

“I’m guilty of that,” Marcozzi stated. He referenced a November 2020 press convention he participated in to supply updates on COVID-19 as a part of Gov. Larry Hogan’s (R) COVID process pressure. The feelings that he felt throughout that press convention helped him notice that he wanted to put money into his personal psychological well being and search assist.

“All service members are trained to just power on and drive through,” Marcozzi added. “You just keep driving on with the mission. And when you’re mission-focused like that, you have the potential to lose the ability to have insights to yourself and to support yourself.”

The Maryland Department of Health not too long ago introduced a grant funding alternative for nonprofits to assist develop behavioral well being packages for energetic service members, veterans and their households.

On Oct. 23, the division introduced a $2.4 million grant by means of Sheila E. Hixson Behavioral Health Services Matching Grant Program.

“Many service members and veterans are trained to be resilient and may be less likely to ask for help, so it is our responsibility to offer providers the information and tools to reach and provide care to these individuals and families,” stated Maryland Secretary of Health Dr. Laura Herrera Scott in a written assertion.

Nonprofits who’re awarded the grant funds can use them for a wide range of providers to enhance entry to behavioral well being take care of not solely veterans but additionally energetic obligation members.

That contains using telehealth or telemedicine providers, in order that veterans can obtain care from their properties. Other makes use of for the grant funding contains psychological well being and substance use screenings and case administration providers.

The funds is also used to enhance supply of “trauma-informed, culturally competent, client-centered and evidence-based mental health and substance use disorders treatment services” and supply different remedy providers reminiscent of artwork and music therapies.

Dr. Marcozzi needs veterans who’re scuffling with psychological well being or different well being considerations to achieve out and discover the assistance they want.

“As a fellow veteran, I want to encourage other vets to stay optimistic and take care of themselves. You all have served our country with honor and dedication. Please know that you are not alone in facing any difficulty or struggle. There are many options for veterans to access support and assistance. You matter. You are valued,” Marcozzi stated in a follow-up assertion.

“Please prioritize your health and happiness,” he added.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a nationwide cellphone quantity for individuals in disaster, has an extension line particularly for veterans. Any veteran scuffling with psychological well being or different considerations can press “1” after dialing 988 to get related the Veterans Crisis Lifeline. Responders can assist join veterans to extra assets or provide emotional assist in tough occasions, amongst different assets.

The Veterans Crisis Lifeline additionally has on-line chat or textual content communication choices.