'I wish I would've got help sooner': Veteran speaks on mental health resources

Mental health struggles are one of the biggest issues facing the military today. Five-year Army veteran Selena Villa spoke with Heather Healy on her struggles and the resources used to combat it. The Steven A. Cohen Clinic at Endeavors in Killeen offers a variety of resources for veterans and their families to use to help with the transition from military to civilian life, mental health and much more.

The clinics hours of operation and contact information can be found here.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Being in the United States Military isn't easy. Just ask Army Veteran Selena Villa.

“I was a behavioral health technician in the Army, so I pretty much worked in mental health my whole five years in the military,” Villa/ said.

She proudly served for five years, facing challenges on and off the battlefield.

“I wish I could’ve stayed in longer. Unfortunately — I did go through my own mental health struggles myself,” Villa said.

“I struggled with a lot of depression, in my time. When I had got out I had struggled from PTSD because of MST during my military career,” she added.

When she was done serving in 2021, she knew she needed help.

Her best friend led her to the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Endeavors in Killeen

“She was working at a different facility and got the job here as a case manager,” Villa said.

The clinic provides several resources from mental health services to helping ease the transition to civilian life.

“We provide integrated, holistic, supportive services for military members and their families, veterans, active duty, kiddos as young as five years old. We provide individual treatment, mental health as a whole, but also groups, couples families, whatever the individual needs,” says Clinic Director Katherine Nartin.

Now, Selena is thriving as a working member at the clinic as a Life Skills Coordinator, turning her own mental health struggles into a strong message for all active military and veterans.

“Don’t be afraid to get help. Just looking back, I wish I would’ve got help sooner, I know I worked in behavioral health and I saw just my friends and soldiers struggle daily and my job was to help them but unfortunately I forgot to help myself,” Villa said.