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FORT BRAGG, N.C. - May is Mental Health Awareness Month and as such, is an important reminder that our mental well-being is just as important as our physical.
It is certain that the stress, isolation, and uncertainty of the past two years of pandemic living have impacted the mental health of our Soldiers and Families. It is perfectly normal for your mental health to fluctuate. We all face difficult situations in our lives and creating positive habits is a great way to support your mental health.
As the garrison, it is our job to provide our community with holistic ways to improve and maintain mental health, and to provide resources to those that are in need.
One great way to improve or keep your mental health in check is through exercise. Fort Bragg has 14 physical fitness centers, and several parks and recreational usage trails that Soldiers and their Families can use to stay physically fit.
One such park is Smith Lake. The park not only has two great playgrounds for the little ones but it also has a 2.9-mile hiking loop and five different mountain bike trails. Plus, throughout the summer, starting Memorial Day Weekend, the beach will be open!
Liberty Park is another option and brand new addition to Fort Bragg’s arsenal of green-recreational-use spaces. This park has 3.4 miles of paved trails, 2.8 miles of unpaved trails and 25 physical fitness stations. In addition, it functions as the anchor point for the 14.1-mile Liberty Trail, which is set to be completed this year.
Our military kids also have some great options for staying fit through the Youth Sports and Fitness Program. Youth Sports provides team sports, individual sports, and fitness and health programs in the Child Development Centers and School Age and Youth Centers.
We also know that a big part of mental health is feeling safe and secure in your home. We are committed to providing our Soldiers and Families with quality living conditions here on the installation.
As part of that commitment we have the Directorate of Public Works Housing Division, which helps to ensure the health, life and safety of service members, Families and Department of Army civilians who call Fort Bragg their home.
The DPW Housing Division has three pillars. The Housing Services Office assists with off-post housing. The Unaccompanied Housing assists with single-Soldier quarter accommodations. The Army Residential Communities Initiative assists with on-post Family housing and provides oversight of our privatized housing partner, Corvias.
All three offices are committed to helping our Soldiers and Families with any of the situations they may encounter with their housing needs. For more information about these offices go to https://home.army.mil/bragg/index.php/about/garrison/directorate-public-works/dpw-ho.
In addition, we have been cracking down on speeding across the installation in order to make living and working on Fort Bragg safer. We want our Families to feel safe and secure as they walk through our neighborhoods or play outside.
Learning stress management, building coping skills and maintaining a support system are additional ways in which you can build and maintain your mental health. In support of this, Fort Bragg Army Community Service offers several classes aimed at helping our Soldiers and Families build the necessary stress management and coping skills necessary to strengthen their mental health.
Some of the classes include Scream Free Parenting, Anger Management, Stress Management, Budget and Debt Management, and Couples Communication. For a full list of available classes and resources go to https://bragg.armymwr.com/programs/acs.
Another great resource for mental health on Fort Bragg is Behavioral Health. This program aims to empower and care for our Soldiers and Families, and deliver high quality outcomes based on behavioral health treatment. For more information go to https://womack.tricare.mil/Health-Services/Mental-Health-Substance-Abuse.
Finally, we have the Sexual Harassment, Assault and Prevention Program and the Suicide Prevention Program. Both of these programs provide essential services to help Soldiers and Family members through some of the most difficult experiences a person can face.
It can be incredibly tough to overcome the mental anguish of sexual harassment or assault. SHARP is here to help you navigate through the process and give you needed resources to help you heal. Fort Bragg is one of six installations piloting the new, redesigned SHARP Fusion Directorate. The directorate serves as a central point of support that synchronizes medical, investigative, legal and support services independent of a victim’s immediate command.
Fort Bragg’s SHARP hotline can be reached at 910-584-4267 or you can call the DoD Safe Helpline at 877-995-5247. For more information and resources go to https://bragg.armymwr.com/programs/sexual-harassmentassault-response-and-prevention.
When mental or physical health has been significantly degraded, thoughs of hopelessness may you’re your head. We sincerely hope that if you are contemplating self-harm, that you will reach out to our 24/7 support helpline. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available any time at 1-800-273-8255.
For more information and resources on Suicide Prevention go to https://home.army.mil/bragg/index.php/my-fort-bragg/all-services/suicide-prevention.
Maintaining mental health is a community affair. We are far stronger as a community when we watch out for each other, keep our living spaces maintained, offer encouragement and actively engage in positive relationships.
Take this chance to get to know your neighbors, your work mates, your school mates and your battle buddies. You never know when these relationships could turn into the support you need to get through a difficult time or when you could be the critical support for someone else.
This is Our Home: Pitch In. Own It. Be Proud.
| Date Taken: | 05.04.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.04.2022 13:09 |
| Story ID: | 419910 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 254 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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