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Press Release: Let’s Talk Interactive and Soldier On Recognize Telehealth’s Impact on Veteran Mental Health

Posted: June 01, 2021

Charlotte, NC and Pittsfield, MA [May 31, 2021] - At Memorial Day, Let’s Talk Interactive, Inc., (LTI) a leader in customizable telehealth solutions, and Soldier On, a nonprofit organization committed to ending veteran homelessness, are celebrating the impact their telehealth program has had on veterans in just over one year of their partnership.

Since Soldier On started utilizing LTI’s telehealth solutions in March 2020, the organization has hosted over 4,500 sessions. Soldier On’s Executive Director of Clinical Services and Certified Teletherapy Provider, Kevin Cahill, has conducted 28 percent of them. Kevin also uses LTI for consultations with the Veterans Treatment Court, Hampshire County Jail, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Berkshire Housing Association on a weekly basis. Monthly he uses the telehealth technology to consult with Soldier On’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families programs and has also hosted a staff training on PTSD with over 50 attendees.

“I am able to meet with up to 25 veterans per week, up from roughly 13 per week before we leveraged LTI’s telehealth services,” said Cahill. “LTI’s partnership came at the right time for us, just before COVID-19 required social distancing precautions, which prevented us from meeting in person with veterans. The technology not only enabled us to continue to provide behavioral telemental health services but allowed us to meet more often. The technology also provides more eye contact and facial cueing, because you’re not monitoring the rest of the body.”

Soldier On will be leveraging additional telehealth solutions-- including new kiosks-- as the organization continues to expand its services and veteran housing throughout the Northeast. “We are able to give veterans access to mental health support at their fingertips by leveraging LTI’s HIPAA-compliant online software in kiosks, televisions, smartphones, computers and tablet technology,” said Bruce Buckley, CEO of Soldier On. “As a result, we’re continuing to help them overcome mental health hurdles from PTSD, trauma and addiction, and ultimately lead a productive, independent life.”

Soldier On continues to grow its impact. The agency has partnered with WinnDevelopment and this fall will be opening the new Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community in Tinton Falls, NJ, which will provide 70 units of permanent housing for military veterans. Soldier On’s programs impact an estimated 3,200 veterans annually across four states, including Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. As Soldier On grows its presence throughout the region, LTI’s technology will enable the nonprofit to support all of its permanent housing residents with life skills, substance abuse counseling, and other groups.