INVISIBLE WOUNDS

“Not all wounds are visible.”

Leroy Garcia served for six years in the United States Marine Corps. He now serves in the Colorado Senate; he’ll become its president in January.

Like 14,000 other veterans in Pueblo, the “Home of Heroes,” Sen. Garcia knows what can happen when the mental wounds of military service go untreated. The consequences—including elevated rates of suicide, substance use disorders, and homelessness—can be tragic.

That’s why we’re joining Sen. Garcia’s call not only to honor our veterans but also to ensure they receive the care they deserve. We’ll work with the legislature and the governor to advance that goal.

Here’s one place you can turn right now: the Veterans Crisis Line.

If you or someone you know is a veteran in crisis, call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1, chat at www.veteranscrisisline.net, or text to 838255. You’ll find free, confidential support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

More than 400,000 Coloradans have served our nation in uniform. “They put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms we enjoy every day,” as Sen. Garcia puts it, “and we owe it to them to ensure that they can get the mental health care they so desperately need.”

-Andrew Romanoff