Charlotte Behavior Health Care is the latest recipient of a grant from The Florida BRAIVE Fund at Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice. The grant, in the amount of $200,000, will be used over the next 18 months to address mental health, substance abuse, and related psychosocial needs of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families in the greater Charlotte County area.
Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom face a wide range of health and addiction issues, including problems related to unemployment, family dissolution, homelessness, and incarceration. Recent studies report that one-third of veterans from the current wars will return home with some mental illness and one-fifth will have posttraumatic stress disorder.
“Over the next year and a half, Charlotte Behavioral Health Care will serve 75-100 veterans and family members,” said Jay Glynn, CEO of Charlotte Behavior Health Care. “Our center has deep roots in the community, which makes us ideally equipped to treat the troops and help them integrate into civilian life. We are very appreciative to Gulf Coast Community Foundation for helping us provide extra care to the veterans in our community.”
“The Foundation is grateful to all the organizations that are providing necessary services and help to our returning troops,” said Teri A Hansen, president and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “Our goal is to continue to bring together our community to support the men and women who are protecting our country.”
The $5-million Florida BRAIVE Fund at Gulf Coast Community Foundation was created to assist military personnel and the families of military personnel who are serving or have served in Afghanistan and Iraq from a 25-county area: Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, Sumter, and St. Lucie. The fund was established with a gift from the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund of the California Community Foundation. For information about applying for a grant or making a contribution to The Florida BRAIVE Fund, visit gulfcoastcf.org.
