Why does Easterseals take a different approach?

Despite increased funding, the Veteran suicide rate in Massachusetts nearly doubled from 2006-2016, from a rate of 10.7 per 100,000 to 20.2* As demonstrated by the stats above, traditional modes of Veteran services aren't making the desired impact. This is evident in the tens of billions of dollars has been poured into expanded mental health services for the Veteran Community as a result of rising suicide rates. And yet, while the investment in mental health programming increases, the problem(s) continue to steadily increase as well.

Our Approach- MassVeteran.com

MassVeteran.com has nearly 7,000 users with over 67,000 pieces of content being viewed in its first 7 months

MassVeteran.com eliminates many of the barriers that cause barriers preventing the accessibility of services, including employment hours, child care needs, geographic location, mobility limitations, and more

Peer activity groups held every month where current military and veterans participate in an activity together, establish bonds, and learn from each others experiences

Small group activities specifically geared toward a general Veteran audience, post 9/11 Veterans, women-specific, and seniors

More than 50 small group activities held in 2021, including recurring strength training, coffee hours, hikes, and unique challenges

Distributed Chromebooks and provided training to seniors and families to access information and services available online

Provide monthly support to a local food pantry ensuring that seniors and young families have access to food, hygiene items, basic first-aid, clothing and household cleaning supplies.

Focused on prevention of common hardships through information, education, access to resources and consistent peer support