Grantee Name
New York Cares; Veterans Outreach Center; Western New York Heroes
Funding Area
Veterans’ Health
Publication Date
December 2023
Grant Amount
New York Cares: $50,000
Veterans Outreach Center: $25,000
Western New York Heroes: $25,000
Grant Date:
December 2021 – May 2023
In 2021, military veterans experienced a unique period of acute mental distress while mortality rates for this population increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The twentieth anniversary of 9/11 was triggering for many and came on the heels of a violent and chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. After the Taliban takeover, 90% of Afghanistan war veterans with a history of mental illness experienced new or worsening mental health symptoms, including depression and thoughts of suicide. At the same time, the New York-based Veterans Crisis Line experienced a 98% increase in text messages and a 40% increase in online chat requests, reflecting an exceptionally difficult and traumatic period for post-9/11 veterans.
In response to these complex challenges, NYHealth awarded grants to New York Cares, Veterans Outreach Center, and Western New York Heroes to provide culturally appropriate mental health services and peer support programming, as well as screenings and referral support to veterans across New York State during an exceptionally challenging period of time. NYHealth also awarded the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Center a series of related grants to increase veterans’ access to telemental health services across New York State.