DANVILLE, Va. (WDBJ) – As a disabled veteran-owned business, Calm Source is working to help those who served walk down the road to recovery from trauma, addiction, and other mental health challenges.
The Danville nonprofit is now offering free mental health and addiction recovery services for veterans.
This comes after a grant from the Virginia Department of Veteran Affairs.
“It could be PTSD, it could be the stress of military life, or whatever it may be,” said Leon Zimmerman III, Director of Operations for Calm Source. “Sometimes we just have to face it, and having a conversation with other veterans and things like that can be extremely beneficial.”
Zimmerman hopes lifting this barrier will help keep other veterans out of the dark place his dad was once in.
“Being a veteran myself, many years ago, I attempted suicide,” said Leon Zimmerman, Jr., veteran liaison for Calm Source. “So, I’m able to speak veteran talk, because sometimes it’s very difficult for veterans to speak to other people. When veterans speak to veterans, they understand each other, and it helps them out quite a bit.”
“He struggled a lot with it when I was younger. I heard stories and I didn’t see a lot of it, but I’ve experienced some of it and had some friends that have gone into the military and had some mental health issues. He’s a huge inspiration to give them help that they deserve,” added Zimmerman III.
Those services include counseling sessions with a licensed professional, peer groups, and more, which would typically cost $300 to $400 a day.
“So many veterans are kind of afraid to seek out things, because they say, ‘I’m afraid it‘s going to cost me something or I can’t afford this.’ But, if they’re aware of stuff that they can get that doesn’t cost them anything, they’re more willing to seek out these benefits,” said Zimmerman Jr.
They say 22 veterans a day commit suicide. Their hope is to see that number go down.
“It’s hard to imagine that men who served for this country end their own lives because they don’t know where to reach out for help. They need to be made to realize that they are not invisible,” explained Zimmerman Jr.
They plan to offer free services in Roanoke in the near future.
To reach out to Calm Source or schedule an appointment visit calmsource.net/ or call (434) 835-2370 or 877-LIVCALM (548-2256).
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