By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Cohen Military Family Clinic opens its doors
Facility hopes to break down barriers to mental health care
Cohen ribbon cutting
Gov. Brian Kemp, along with wife Marty, and Aspire CEO Babette Hankey and others, cuts the ribbon Tuesday. Photo by Pat Donahue

Veterans, active duty soldiers and their families now have a new door open to them for mental health care.

Officials from across the state, the Cohen Veterans Network and Aspire Health Partners cut the ribbon on the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Aspire Health Partners on Memorial Drive, within sight of the Fort Stewart main gate. The clinic offers accessible mental health care, with counseling for a variety of emotional, mental and psychological issues.

“We are here to better the lives of veterans, service members and military families,” said Babette Hankey, CEO of Aspire.

Aspire is the largest behavioral health company in the southeastern United States, ranging from prevention services to a psychiatric hospital, Hankey said. For veterans, Aspire provide homeless services, housing, case management, and mental health counseling.

“There aren’t enough mental health resources in the country, and this is one we think is going to make a difference,” said Dr. Anthony Hassan, president and CEO of Cohen Veterans Network. “You have a place to go get help when you need it. Accessible, high-quality care is ready and waiting for you and your family.”

Fifty percent of the clients among the now 23 clinics across the nation are family members, Dr. Hassan said.

“They need a place to go that understands them, that appreciates them,” he added.

Dr. Hassan pointed out they have opened 22 other clinics, but the Hinesville location was special.

“This is a community effort. We didn’t do this on our own,” Dr. Hassan said. “You are such a tight-knit, kind community. This community is one of the best.”

“Hinesville has the perfect, cohesive esprit de corps that exists between community, its leadership and its citizens and the military,” said Dr. Preston Adams, chairman of the board for Aspire.

The services the clinic provides include individual, couples, family and group sessions. The clinic also has case management to provide such wraparound services with partners as employment, housing and education. There are same-day services for those in crisis.

All services also are available through telehealth.

“We know that it can be difficult to take that first step toward access mental health care,” said clinic director Belinda Sharp. “We want to make sure all barriers are removed.”

Seventy-one percent of Liberty County’s population is either directly or indirectly connected to the military, state Rep. Al Williams said. Georgia, Gov. Kemp pointed out, is home to more than 700,000 veterans.

“This is a military town and this is a military state and we appreciate your sacrifice on our behalf,” Gov. Kemp said. “This is another important step to make sure our veterans are able to thrive in the Peach State. Our state and nation are built on the service of these brave men and women.

“What an incredible facility we have here,” he said. “Hundreds of veterans will be able to receive the care for their struggles, but also their families. The unfortunate truth is that for too long those who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms have had to struggle in silence.”

The state also has put more resources and effort into mental health care, Kemp said, and he praised the efforts to bring the Cohen Military Family Clinic.

“Mental health is a crisis and the pandemic really highlighted that crisis in that we need to spend more time, more money on mental health,” added Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan. “This is a great example of private public partnership coming together and working for the good of the community in an efficient matter to tackle a tough issue. It’s awesome to see this model come alive. This clinic is a model that has been tested all around the country.”

Since its inception in April 2016, the Cohen Veterans Network has helped more than 45,000 veterans, active duty service members and their family members. Cohen invested $275 million of his own money to help veterans after a suggestion from his son, a Marine Corps veteran.

“We’ve got the best of everything. We don’t cut corners,” Dr. Hassan said, who also thanked Melissa Ray for getting the facility built.

Rep. Williams said driving through the state’s bigger cities reveals a depressing scene. “The bridges are full of people sleeping under them. Many of them are veterans,” he said. “And society has never taken a good look, publicly, at mental health. The time has come that it be given its rightful place. This facility will have an impact.”

Lt. Gov. Duncan lauded the wraparound services the clinic will provide to family members, and applauded the partnership that brought the clinic to Hinesville and the front door of Fort Stewart.

“It’s not just the individual who is suffering — it’s those around them trying to care for them,” he said. “I think the long-term payoff is going to be immense. I see this as a perfect model.”

Sign up for our e-newsletters
Fire at Walthourville home displaces three people
Martin Court fire
Fire fighters work to contain a blaze at a Martin Court home early Monday morning.

An early Monday morning fire in Walthourville has displaced three people.

According to Nick Maxwell from the Walthourville Fire and Rescue Department, the fire began shortly before 1 a.m. on the 100 block of Martin Court.

Maxwell said firefighters from the Walthourville Fire Department were dispatched initially to the area when the homeowner called 911 to report his neighbors may have been burning trash and smoke was entering his home.

When firefighters arrived, they observed smoke and flames coming from the home, which according to Maxwell was 30 to 40 percent engulfed in flames. The homeowner got out of the residence safely with his family.

A ladder unit from the Hinesville Fire Department had to be dispatched to assist in fighting the fire due to an iron fence and ditch which made it difficult for fire trucks to get closer to the residence.

Units from the Long County Fire and Rescue also assisted in fighting the fire, which heavily damaged the garage and kitchen area of the home.

The cause of the fire has not been officially identified and is under investigation.

The Red Cross has been called in to assist the family.

VIDEO: Martin Court fire

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Latest Obituaries