CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Last chance pets are finding forever homes with the nation's heroes with the help of some matchmaking.

Beth Zimmerman, executive director of the nonprofit group Pets for Patriots, says her organization is working with U.S. military veterans to help them find, afford and adopt last chance dogs and cats from shelters.

She says there are well-documented mental and physical benefits of pet ownership, and Pets for Patriots has discovered some unintended additional benefits in the program.

"We've had many veterans who have PTSD, depression, substance abuse, other types of psychological conditions, either reduce, or in some cases, come off their medications entirely," she relates.

Zimmerman says pets that are certain to die in a shelter, or face long-term homelessness in a shelter, are singled out for the program – so they are usually older animals, and large, mixed-breed dogs.

Zimmerman describes the situation as a perfect match, but there are stumbling blocks – mainly money.

Pets for Patriots helps veterans with animal adoption fees, veterinary care and sometimes food.

"We have overwhelming demand from communities across the country where we have not yet launched our program, and we'd love to be in as many of them possible," she explains.

Pets for Patriots arranges adoptions for active duty military, as well as retired – and the group accepts cash donations online.

Veterans can also go to the website to start the adoption process, or find a participating shelter at PetsForPatriots.org.





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Georgia is taking on its mental-health care challenges head-on through new legislation.

One bill is aimed at increasing the number of providers in the state. Senate Bill 480 offers loan repayment assistance to mental-health care professionals who choose to work in underserved areas.

Rep. Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta, highlighted the state's access landscape, noting that of its 18 public health districts, 12 are located in rural areas. She said the goal is to ensure equitable access to mental-health services for all.

"Georgia is terribly short of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, marriage and family providers, all levels of people that deal with various aspects of mental illness," said Cooper.

According to the Rural Information hub, most of Georgia struggles with having enough mental-health providers. The data shows out of 159 counties, only six have no shortage, and two only have shortages in parts of the county.

Cooper elaborated on the multifaceted challenges Georgia faces in mental-health care, citing historical underinvestment and rapid population growth as contributing factors to the current shortage. She described the evolution of mental-health care policy in Georgia, including previous legislative efforts to promote parity between mental and physical health care.

"We are trying to make up for mistakes of the past and trying to do what's right for mentally ill people and to put their illness on parity with anybody that would have a gallbladder or heart disease," Cooper added.

Cooper pointed out that in this past legislative session, 19 bills were signed to help increase the state's ability to care for mental- and behavioral-health needs. Other legislation includes SB 373, which helps provide expedited licenses to marriage and family therapists.


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New York's 2025 budget improves access to mental-health services.

Budget legislation stipulates commercial insurers have to pay rates similar to Medicaid for in- and-out-of-network behavioral health services.

While many New York adults can access care, younger people can't because of insurance coverage.

Matthew Shapiro - senior director of government affairs for the National Alliance on Mental Illness-New York State - said people are glad this broadens access to often limited mental health services.

"We hear from people all the time that they can't access care, they can't find a psychiatrist, they can't find a social worker, they can't find someone who'll prescribe medication," said Shapiro. "It can be very, very difficult, especially in parts of Upstate New York where these services just aren't readily available."

Some insurance companies pushed back, saying it would raise customers' rates. Shapiro noted that this will hopefully resolve long-standing issues in obtaining mental-health care.

A state Attorney General's office report finds 86% of the listed, in-network mental-health providers were either unreachable, not in-network, or not accepting new patients.

The budget allocates millions of dollars to other programs that establish new inpatient psychiatric beds statewide, and increase mental health support for first responders.

But, Shapiro noted that other insurance companies' barriers prevent New Yorkers from getting the best mental-health care they can.

"It's so important those people get the medications their doctor believes are best for them, and their individual set of symptoms as quickly as possible," said Shapiro. "So, eliminating things like fail-first procedures and what they call step-up procedures."

He added that these policies can significantly set back a person's recovery.

A 2024 survey finds 1 in 5 adults required to fail first had to visit the emergency room or be admitted to a hospital as a result of the policy.




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As Children's Mental Health Awareness Week kicks off in Arkansas, an expert said parents can help their children have a healthy brain to thrive.

Charles Fay, child psychologist and president of the Love and Logic Institute, said national data show roughly 42% of adolescents aged 12-17 in Arkansas, mirroring national trends, receive services for severe depression.

He argued a healthy brain is the foundation of good parenting and Arkansas parents could foster children's ability to become mentally strong, responsible and successful.

"Parents creating a home where kids are really expected to take good care of themselves and show them how to do it, with the eating, the diet, with sleep," Fay outlined. "We're seeing more young people getting hardly any sleep and one of the biggest reasons is they have their phones or other devices in their bedrooms."

For children struggling with depression, anxiety or adjusting to challenging situations, the state program ARKids provides mental health resources online.

Fay stressed it is important for parents to identify signs of mental health struggles in their children. One indicator he suggested is a child's lack of interest in activities they normally enjoy. He added it is important for parents to consistently be firm and caring with their children.

"Firm means healthy limits and accountability," Fay emphasized. "There's been a number of studies recently that show that when kids do not have consistent limits, when they are not held accountable, they are far more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and a whole host of other mental health disorders."

Fay noted the importance of guiding children to translate their natural talents into fulfilling careers. He believes the path leads to greater happiness. His book, "Raising Mentally Strong Kids," features a strategy combining brain science with practical tools to cultivate resilient minds in children.