Yaphank, NY - Dec 31, 2013 - The Long Island Community Foundation has awarded a $30,000 grant to Suffolk County United Veterans to help launch 24-hour, peer-supported Crisis Respite and support services program for Veterans who are experiencing risk symptoms such as those associated with mental health challenges of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury.
The Crisis Respite program will operate at the newly-named John J. Lynch Veterans Place Shelter in Yaphank and will provide a safe milieu for Veterans experiencing distress. Such a respite can, where indicated, be instead of psychiatric hospitalization and can help bolster a connection or a plan for more aggressive peer support and professional intervention. The new program is intended to partner with the Pfc. Joseph Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Project as well as the outreach work of the Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) project, and SCUV’s ongoing homeless intervention work.
“The challenges of returning Vets remain a significant concern on Long Island” stated Suffolk County United Veterans Executive Director Michael Stoltz. Long Island is home to more Veterans than any metropolitan region in the US aside from San Diego “This aggressive intervention and rapid support program will be another element in our system to help transitioning Vets deal with acute stressors, be safe and sober, resume recovery, and restore family and professional support.” The program will launch in mid-to-late January.
For additional information or to make a referral, contact Wilkens Young, Director of Operations by telephone at (631) 924-8088 or email at wilkensyoung@scuv.org.
About Suffolk County United Veterans
Suffolk County United Veterans, founded in 1989, serves the homeless and at-risk Veterans and their families of Suffolk County, Long Island, NY. The organization operates eight sites of progressively-tiered housing in conjunction with a comprehensive range of programs and support services. Its mission is, “To give homeless and at-risk Veterans and their families the support they need to regain their dignity and independence.”
About the Long Island Community Foundation
The Long Island Community Foundation (LICF) is the Island’s community foundation, making grants to improve our region and helping donors with their philanthropy since 1978. LICF identifies community needs, strengthens the Island’s nonprofit sector, encourages philanthropy, and, with their generous donors, has built a permanent endowment to address these needs. They have invested more than $145 million in grants from hundreds of funds established by individuals, families, and businesses. LICF is a division of The New York Community Trust, one of the country’s oldest and largest community foundations. To learn more about the Long Island Community Foundation – or to become a donor— visit www.licf.org.