VA drop in clinics are good for veterans and communities

Drop-In Clinic Through the Eyes of a Hero It Helped

By: Marci Manley, KARK 4 News
Updated: January 20, 2012

"Still wallowing in my depression and PTSD, not knowing where to turn," she said sitting inside the Veterans Hospital at Fort Roots in North Little Rock. "You don't want to be close to your family at times, you don't trust yourself."

Across town, a counselor stands in a room of about a dozen veterans.

"How do we go about staying focused? How do we keep our self-esteem up?" she asks them.

Barbara Minyard served the better part of a decade in the armed services. After her discharge the small cramped space where this counselor stands was the safe haven that offered Minyard an escape from the anxiety and depression of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

"Without the help I've received through the VA, I think I'd still be there," Minyard said. "I would still be in a pretty bad situation. I wouldn't have a home, because of the state of mind I was in."

Many veterans suffer from psychological torments, like PTSD and depression, once they leave the military. Finding help isn't always easy, but the drop-in clinic on Second and Ringo Streets is a place they can turn when they hit bottom.

"You're still wanting to depend on yourself, you're embarrassed. There's too much pride, so you hide and that makes it even worse," Minyard said.

For years, the drop-in center has been helping homeless veterans with temporary housing, counseling, career training, and therapy.
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