Mental health care for veterans
Florida is home to nearly 1.5 million veterans including over 400,000 who have served since 9/11. An estimated one in every three veterans experiences mental health challenges. When those challenges go untreated, veterans are at greater risk of suicide. Suicides among post-9/11 veterans are four times the number of combat deaths. Each year, more than 8,000 U.S. veterans take their own lives, including more than 500 in Florida.
This is why Lakeview Center is partnering with Home Base, a leading nonprofit organization working to heal these invisible wounds and combat veteran suicides, while eliminating barriers to care and enhancing the quality of support. Through comprehensive, innovative programs and evidence-based, world-class clinical care, Home Base aims to improve the lives of those affected by military service-related trauma.
With more than six military installations in Northwest Florida including Naval Air Station Pensacola, Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, Tyndall Air Force Base and Naval Air Station Panama City, more than 39,000 active-duty military live in our region and veterans represent 12% of our area workforce, twice the average US rate. Home Base Florida expanded to the panhandle to better serve veterans and military families in Northwest Florida.
Home Base Florida expanded into Pensacola with the launch of an outpatient clinic in partnership with Lakeview Center, the largest, most comprehensive nonprofit provider of behavioral health care in Northwest Florida with 70 years of experience serving children, adults and families.
Meeting the needs of Northwest Florida veterans
Through this partnership, outpatient clinical care is available at no cost for veterans and military families for a variety of behavioral health needs including post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, anger, grief and loss and co-occurring substance use issues. Lakeview provides outpatient counseling, psychiatry, medication management, and case management to veterans and their families referred by Home Base.
As a Home Base Florida partner clinic, Lakeview Center team members received extensive training in evidence-based therapies and military-informed care from clinical experts at Massachusetts General Hospital. This specialized, holistic model is tailored to meet the needs of veterans and their family members.
Our outpatient clinical care is rooted in evidence-based practices like Cognitive Processing Therapy, which research has shown to be more effective for PTSD treatment than traditional talk therapies. Our goal is to make a difference in veterans’ lives by equipping them with practical tools for their mental health and wellness journey. In order to increase access to high quality care throughout Florida, Home Base and Lakeview Center offer virtual telehealth appointments.
These outpatient services complement Lakeview Center’s 60+ programs from crisis support and outpatient treatment to community-based care and residential programs.
These services are provided at no cost regardless of ability to pay, time in service or discharge status. Home Base Florida outpatient services at Lakeview Center are available for appointments by calling 850-206-8256.