MERIDIAN, Idaho β September is Suicide Prevention Month, highlighting a troubling reality: veterans and first responders face significantly higher rates of suicide and mental health challenges compared to the general population.
One local clinic in Meridian is stepping up to support those who serve our communities by offering free brain scans throughout the month.
"Yellow on the temporal lobes, that's indicative of head trauma," said Chad Woolner, a Doctor of Chiropractic at Align Integrated Medical Clinic in Meridian, while examining a scan.
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After decades in law enforcement and time in the military, Gary Walker is putting his health first.
"It will be interesting to see what kind of damage has been done or not been done," said Walker, a U.S. Army veteran and retired law enforcement officer.
An EEG brain scan can measure trauma, injury, PTSD and more, serving as the first step in understanding how to help people most at risk for mental health challenges.
"Brain health issues have never been more critical," explained Woolner.
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Woolner is leading a brain health initiative at Align Integrated Medical Clinic by offering free brain scans specifically for first responders and veterans throughout September.
"They deal with an abnormal amount of stress and an abnormal amount of challenges, and as such, we see a disproportional amount of suicides amongst veterans," added Woolner.
Walker said the opportunity to understand potential brain health issues is valuable for people in high-stress careers.
"We suppress a lot of things. We just kind of push it down and move through to the next activity. And I think this way, we have an opportunity to see what might be going wrong and what we can do to help [it]," said Walker.
"Knowing there is just such a massive need, we wanted to make it as accessible as possible," said Woolner.
The clinic is offering free brain scans and other resources for veterans and first responders throughout September.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can dial 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for immediate help.
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