SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio veteran is asking the Bexar County Commissioners Court to approve funding for a countywide veteran mental health outreach service center.
Steven Price, a military veteran and co-founder of Voices of Our Veterans, said he’s pushing for changes in the community’s response to veterans’ mental health needs, after two veterans died by suicide last year outside the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital.
“There’s not enough outreach. There’s not enough intervention,” Price said. “Although it’s out there when a young man goes and kills himself in front of the hospital, what’s that about?”
Price said his advocacy is informed by his own experience navigating veteran services. He said it took years for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to recognize some of his injuries as service-related.
“It took me almost 10, 15 years before the VA actually started acknowledging that my hips and my back injuries were due to the service,” Price said.
Price said he is seeking to transform a downtown building at 206 San Pedro Avenue into a “one-stop” service center where veterans can access multiple resources in one place.
“I’ve lost several friends to suicide, and I’ve seen a lot of them here locally in the last 10 years since I’ve been doing this work,” Price said. “They take their lives because they can’t take care of themselves.”
Price also criticized what he described as inconsistent public support for veterans.
“Memorial Day, people will come out, and they’ll wave the flag,” he said. “Fourth of July, people come out to celebrate. Some people don’t even know the difference between Memorial Day and Presidents’ Day. They have no idea. They just know they got the day off.”
Price said the proposed effort aims to prevent further deaths.
“We can pass it over. We can save some lives,” Price said.
Other organizations in Bexar County have backed similar resolutions, according to Price.
KSAT asked the Bexar County Commissioners Court on Thursday how it plans to respond to the proposal. This article will be updated once a response is received.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, call 988 or text TALK to 741-741.
You can also reach out to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) or the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) at 210-223-7233 (SAFE) or 800-316-9241. You can also text NAMI to 741-741.