Carbon County wants to make sure veterans get the help they need.

Last week, the board of commissioners approved the award of funding in the amount of $100,000 through the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education to support the implementation of Together with Veterans Northeastern Pennsylvania.

It was previously reported that the funds would be used for a partnership with community colleges, which was a discussion through the County Commissioners Association, but the money will actually be used for the creation of a suicide prevention program.

Christine LeClair, county Veterans Affairs director, said that the action will help with the creation of the rural health initiative through a collaboration of various local and state agencies. It aims to address veteran suicide prevention in the county, as well as the Northeast Pennsylvania region.

Partners include Carbon-Monroe-Pike Mental Health/Developmental Services, the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center’s Suicide Prevention Team, St. Luke’s University Health Network, Department of Military Veterans Affairs, Northeast Pennsylvania Health Education Centers, local veterans organizations and more.

The program is a three-year, $100,000 initiative funded through the Veterans Affairs Office of Rural Health and supported by the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, and carried out via collaboration between the Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center for Suicide Prevention, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education Behavioral Health Program, local veterans, and other community stakeholders.

Together With Veterans is Pennsylvania’s first local affiliate, which officially launched in December 2020, and is overseen by the Carbon County Veterans Affairs Office.

The group is currently administering a Community Readiness Focus Group among local professionals, government, educators, and community leaders to understand the gaps in services and challenges to serving veterans in suicide prevention.