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My Turn with Assemblyman Randy Voepel EastCountyOnFB

AssemblymemberRandyVoepel
ThuJune01,201708:14pm
East County C
MayisMentalHealthAwarenessMonth,atimetoeducate 1.4K likes
individualsandorganizationsaboutmentalhealthchallenges
andtreatmentoptions.

ApproximatelyoneinfiveadultsintheUnitedStateswill Like Page

experiencementalillnessinagivenyear.Whilethecauses
ofmentalillnessmayvary,whatiscertainisthatmental Be the rst of your friends to like
healthissuesarerealandtreatablemedicalconditionsthat this

affectboththeU.S.civilianandveteranpopulations.

Anestimated44,193Americansdiebysuicideeachyear,
makingsuicidethetenthleadingcauseofdeathinthe
East County
UnitedStates.Ina2016U.S.DepartmentofVeteransAffairssuicidedatareport,anaverageof22veteransdiedby Californian
suicideeachday.Thisisanalarmingstatisticconsideringveteransconstituteonly8.5percentoftheU.S.population 39 mins

andaccountfor18percentofalldeathsbysuicideamongU.S.adults. We have some great stories

Oneofthemaindetrimentsfacingveteranstodayistheinabilitytofindasteadypositionataplaceofemployment. for you this week. Please
Withupwardsof453,000unemployedveteransintheUnitedStates,itistimeforinitiativesthatpromotementalhealth
stop by your local news
stand and pick up this week's
andjobopportunitiesforveterans.
edition.
Anotherchallengeforveteransadjustingtocivilianlifeisfindingaffordablehousing.Around30percentofveterans, http://www.eccalifornian.com/
aged18to24years,areunemployed.Furthermore,eventhoseveteranswhoareemployedstruggletomeettheir /my-turn-lemon-grove-
basicneeds,oftentimeslivingpaychecktopaycheck.WhileveteranhomelessnessinSanDiegoCountyisdown9 councilm
percentfromlastyear,andtheunshelteredhomelessveteranpopulationhasseena21percentdropfrom2016,
theresstillplentyofworktobedonenationwide.OnanygivennightintheU.S.,around75,000veteransareonthe
streets.

Inthespiritofpromotingmentalhealthandemploymentopportunitiesamongstveterans,thisyearIintroducedthe
VeteransEmploymentParityAct(AB353),whichwillauthorizeemployerstosetapolicythatallowspreferencein
hiringtoveterans,regardlessofwhentheyserved.Thereisnosubstituteforwhatemploymentoffersinthewayof
structure,supportandmeaningtoourmentallyvenerableveterans.

Thisyear,Californiahasmadesignificantprogressregardingmentalhealthawareness,butwestillhavealongwayto
go.AccordingtotheU.S.DepartmentofVeteransAffairs,risksforsuicideamongVeteransare21percenthigher
whencomparedwithU.S.civilianadults.

AswerecentlycelebratedMemorialDay,itisimportanttorememberthesacrificesmadebythosewhodiedservingin
themilitary.Whilewecommemoratethosefallenonthebattlefield,wemustnotforgettohonorthoseveteranswho
havediedfromselfinflictedwounds.ArecentsurveybytheIraqandAfghanistanVeteransofAmericashowedthat
40percentofveteranshaveknownatleastoneIraqorAfghanistanveteranwhocommittedsuicide,and31percent
havethoughtabouttakingtheirownlifesincejoiningthemilitary.

Wemustdoeverythinginourpowertoensureveteranshaveadequateresourcesandopportunitiestothrive.This
May,showyoursupportforveteranmentalhealthandspreadthewordaboutpreventativemeasuresandinitiatives
thatcanhelpsavecountlesslives.Suicideawarenessisthegreatestproponenttosuicideprevention.

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