Veterans Support Group

This support group is for veterans living with a mental illness or mental health issues and Gold Star Families. Share problems you are facing and learn how others have dealt with the same issues. In a confidential environment, share your concerns and ask questions about housing, medications, government programs, therapists, transitioning from military to civilian life and anything else troubling you. You can talk with no fear of stigma or shame. No registration, just walk in. You will be welcomed!

Times:

FORM LINK for NAMI Veterans Support Group┃IN PERSON (2nd and 4th Tuesdays @ 6:30 PM)
- 175 Olde Half Rd, Ste 205, Lincolnshire, IL 60069
FORM LINK for NAMI Veterans Support Group ┃ONLINE (Thursdays @ 5:30 PM)

Note:

All first-time participants must call facilitation lead Dr. Phil Metres at 847-498-3623 for an initial question screening and to find out the specific Tuesdays of the current month the groups meet.

Participants will not be admitted to the group until an initial screening has been performed with Dr. Metres.

Military and Veterans Family Support Group

Our military and veteran family support group offers understanding, shared experiences, and a caring community for family members of active military and veterans. It provides emotional support, valuable information, and a network of friends who share the journey. In this group, facilitators celebrate achievements, find solace, and foster resilience together. Our support groups are free for attendees and lead by two LCSWs trained therapists with previous military and veteran experience. Families and individuals must register before attending any meetings. Our facilitators will reach out to you personally.

Location: ONLINE – ZOOM

Time: 5:30 PM – 6:30PM Every Thursday

Registration via Zoom is required for each session.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Getting Personal

We’ve always been best friends, ever since the 7th grade. I joined the Army National Guard at the age of 17 and he joined the Army at 23. We worked together, lived together, but him joining the Army finally split our paths. We seemingly always cross paths no matter which way life has turned. So, it was no surprise to me when we crossed paths again at Ft. Benning, Georgia. I was attending Airborne school and he was going through infantry school. He wanted to kick down doors in Iraq, I was simply on an another adventure. We both accomplished our goals, but there’s one thing, I’m sure, he never factored into the equation as a desired outcome. Through two tours in Iraq, Paul was carrying an unwanted foe, PTSD. With his following duty stations and displacement from location to location, his wife soon dislodged from the marriage along with his two sons. She would leave him a total of 4 times; each time returning to Japan with his children. It became too much for him to handle. He had bottled up the tours to Iraq, the wife leaving him and family issues into a tight dark space in his mind. It couldn’t live there for long. The pending implosion occurred, throwing him into mental break downs twice in 3 weeks. The drinking got heavy to dowse the loneliness and anguish. Luckily for him, his command wasn’t new to handling this issue. They referred him to a local Air Force post for a psychological evaluation. Within one week he was packing his bags for The Meadows in Arizona. He was ready to face what was kept hidden away. Many times in the past I had asked him to get into a church group or a Veterans Support Group, but like we’re taught to be in the Army, he was tough and “able to handle it on his own”. He wasn’t.

The Veteran’s Support group is designed for scenarios just like this. After he left the Meadows, he needed continued mental health support. This is what our Veterans Support Group is all about. I ask you to join us. I ask you to put your arms down and start the recovery process. Yes, we’ve faced a great deal, but it doesn’t need to be alone. We are here. Please, join us today.

NAMI-CCNS, National Alliance on Mental Illness − Cook County North Suburban, is a local affiliate of NAMI, the Nation’s Voice on Mental Illness.

For additional information, please call us at 847-716-2252, or visit us at www.namiccns.org

Veterans Support Group