LAWTON, Okla. – A new nonprofit mental health clinic for veterans and their family members is set to open early next year in Lawton but is already taking virtual meetings.
The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Red Rock offers mental health services to post 9/11 veterans, including National Guard and Reserves, as well as active duty and all family members.
“It’s not just PTSD. It can be depression, it can be a transition disorder, it can be anxiety. Everything is not PTSD,” said Medal of Honor Recipient Ryan Pitts.
“There’s actually more than 6,000 post 9/11 veterans and their family members in this area and there are more than 12,000 active duty services members and their family members in this Lawton/Fort Sill area. So high need and we’re happy to be here,” said Clinic Director Amista Chambers.
Pitts said this is a critical time for veterans and their families, with mental health issues continuously rising.
“This is a long time we’ve been at war. Our nation’s longest time of war. The deployments have just been nonstop. When I was in just for those 6 years, you were either deployed or you were getting ready to go. That puts tremendous stress on veterans but also their families as well,” Pitts said.
To make a virtual appointment, you can just call the clinic and they’ll get everything set up for you.
“We do take insurances and things of that nature, but we never want payment to be a barrier to care. It is assessed on a client to client basis,” Chambers said.
Pitts said he knows seeking help for mental health can be a tough decision but he encourages anyone, whether a veteran or a family member, who is struggling to make the phone call and change their life.
“It’s an example for the men and women you served alongside and those that have come after you that you don’t even know. That’s how we take steps I think to normalize mental health, which we need to do. I encourage them to look at it that way, you are not just doing it for yourself, you’re doing it for everyone who has worn the uniform and wears it currently. That could be the encouragement that those people need. That could be what puts them over the edge to saying yes, I’m going to reach out for help,” Pitts said.
The services are available to veterans and their family members regardless of what their discharge status is
