Brett with Kicking The Sitgma

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and across HVAF platforms, you have learned about our Mental Health Team and the work being done to provide high-quality mental healthcare to the veterans we serve. I am excited to share an in-depth conversation on the next episode of Roger That with Brett Kramer, who manages the Indianapolis Colts Kicking the Stigma Initiative.

I’ve written before about the high rate of mental health and substance use diagnoses, as well as the increased suicide risk among veterans facing homelessness. As part of HVAF’s 2023 Strategic Plan, we have been intentionally investing in our Mental Health Team to expand programming to better support veterans facing these crisis situations.

HVAF’s Mental Health Team

A few years ago, HVAF hired a full-time therapist, recognizing the benefits of having this incredible resource in-house. For veterans who are often referred across multiple organizations and departments for services, simplifying access to care is core to HVAF’s mission to help veterans achieve self-sufficiency. Since then, we’ve consolidated our peer mentor teammates into a Mental Health Team and this year, we will add a second full-time Therapist. This team of 5 is now working across all HVAF programs and properties to ensure veterans can easily access therapeutic services, including individual and family counseling, as well as a variety of mental health, substance use, and life skills groups facilitated by our peer mentors.

According to the 2025 Mental Health Index, sadly, access to care remains a challenge throughout Indiana. While we have made significant improvements to our mental healthcare system, moving from a national ranking of 42^nd in 2022 to 24^th in 2024, every county in Indiana has a shortage of mental healthcare workers.

In 2025, the Marion County Health Department conducted a Community Health Assessment, noting that in 2022-2023, nearly 24% of Hoosiers experienced mental illness and 6% experienced serious mental illness. Hoosiers report, on average, 5 poor mental health days per month and 18% of Hoosiers report 15 or more poor mental health days within the last 30 days. All of this is exacerbated by a provider-to-patient ratio of 300:1 across our state.

The shortage of providers impacts care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs as well.  More than half of VA Medical Centers have a shortage of psychologists, with many open vacancies remaining unfilled. As the American Psychological Association reported in March, the VA is the largest single employer of psychologists and has provided clinical training for more than half of practitioners in the country. In 2025, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee ranking member, Senator Blumental, introduced legislation to improve pay and benefits for VA psychologists, reduce wait times for veterans seeking mental healthcare, and improve training and accountability for community providers working with veterans.

Across our state, and within vulnerable populations including veterans, we must do more to make mental healthcare accessible to all Hoosiers. I am grateful for the leadership of the Irsay Family and the Indianapolis Colts, and others, for helping reduce the stigma and support the necessary expansion of resources in our state to care for our neighbors.

To support HVAF’s Mental Health Team, please donate today.

Support HVAF’s Mental Health Team