Be a Battle Buddy: Veterans Services Promotes Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Training

Not all wounds are visible. Many veterans return from their service carrying trauma. That is why Mecklenburg County Veterans Services is taking part in the North Carolina Governor’s Challenge to prevent and reduce suicide among transitioning service members, veterans, and their families. 

Veterans in Mecklenburg County and across the state are invited to become a “Battle Buddy.” A battle buddy is someone who always has your back and ensure you are never alone, whether on the battlefield or in life after military service. 

The N.C. Governor Challenge training is free and open to anyone in the community who wants to grow as an expert companion to service members, veterans, caregivers, and their families. It includes a wide variety of trainings, such as the structure of the military, communicating effectively with veterans, life of a military family, navigating the VA, and much more. The objective is to promote military culture, whole health, and suicide prevention training that helps connect more service members, veterans, and their families to community services. 

The completion of 500 minutes of training will earn a veteran a Challenge Coin and leave them with the power to support the growth and healing of trauma survivors. 

To learn more and register for the N.C. Governor’s Challenge training, visit Veterans.MeckNC.gov. 

Mecklenburg County Veterans Services is a division of the Department of Community Support Services and provides counseling and the development of benefit claims for veterans and their families.