Brandon Miller

The Partners of Alabama’s Challenge and City of Enterprise will host a veterans well-being town hall and resource fair on Friday, June 9 starting at 1 p.m. at the Enterprise Civic Center.

The two-part event is inspired by a statewide effort called Alabama’s Challenge for Preventing Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF), which aims to combat the continuing stigma Veterans face with mental illness. Recently released data shows 143 Veterans in Alabama died by suicide in 2021, which is a rate higher than the national veteran average and significantly higher than the national civilian average.

The town hall will be highlighted by a discussion of the benefits of 911 and 988 and how the two emergency resources serve the community individually and collaboratively. It will also feature an opportunity for veterans and the community to hear from the following resources:

  • Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs

  • Enterprise Career Center

  • Central Alabama Veterans Health Care Systems

  • Civilian Marksmanship Program

  • South Central Mental Health

  • Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services

  • Alabama Suicide Prevention and Resources Coalition

The resource fair will provide an opportunity to meet with ADVA Veterans Service Officers to learn more about how to apply for VA benefits, file for VA compensation and pension claims, access healthcare services, and discuss additional veterans-related programs. Other well-being and mental health-related resources from the Wiregrass will be in attendance, as well.

Alabama’s Challenge is an initiative aimed to create an impactful, long-term outcome across the state as we continue fighting a stigma with mental illness. Raising awareness of suicide prevention can help us understand the cause and circumstances that lead to mental health issues in general. The ADVA is a lead agency within Alabama’s Challenge and assists with connecting with SMVF to provide information and knowledge about suicide, provide support, and provide resources and options to deal with PTSD and crisis situations.