This weekend, military veterans may receive free peer support, suicide prevention counseling and other mental health help as the Warrior Support Task Force again sets up shop at Haverhill’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Services for area veterans will be made available Saturday and Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial at Millbrook Park, 111 Mill St., near the entrance of Plug Pond, in Haverhill. Former interim Haverhill Veterans Services Officer Ralph T. Basiliere, chairman of Haverhill’s Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Ad Hoc Commission, was a guest Tuesday on WHAV’s morning show.
“We have hired a licensed mental health counselor that will provide services for five hours each day. We have a lawyer coming to answer questions for free for veterans. We have a trauma sensitive yoga instructor coming that will do all levels of yoga—chair yoga, mat yoga, breathing exercises—she’ll be there throughout the duration of both days,” Bailliere tells WHAV listeners.
Using the slogans “You are not alone” and “It’s okay to not be okay,” Basiliere adds people are available to talk with veterans who believe they may be in need of services or in need of camaraderie.
“We have Veterans Northeast Outreach Clinic coming for eight hours each day, chaplains from the American Legion Riders from the U. S. National Response Corps of the American Legion, Ruth’s House, Home Base is coming Saturday,” he adds.
Basiliere says Haverhill has 8,300 veterans and the Warrior Support Task Force came about following discussions with Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini, Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Commissioner Patrick Driscoll, Wilbur M. Comeau American Legion Post 4’s Chris Manning, Covanta’s Mark A. Van Weelden and Haverhill’s Veterans Services Office.
Those seeking more information may call Basiliere at 978-891-2281 or email him at [email protected].
Besides WHAV.net, Tuesday’s entire interview may be heard on WHAV’s “Merrimack Valley Newsmakers” podcasts, available at WHAV.net and Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts, TuneIn and Alexa.