State Rep. Kenneth Paschal (R) represents District 73 in the Alabama House of Representatives.
Members of the Alabama House Military & Veterans Affairs Committee were joined by representatives from the Alabama Departments of Veterans Affairs and Mental Health last Tuesday as they visited the historic Tuskegee Campus of the Central Alabama VA Health Care System.
More than just a formal informational tour, the was prompted by a recent conversation I had with a veteran who had received behavioral health treatment at the facility and spoke highly of the care.
Their testimony compelled me to bear firsthand witness and learn more about the services available to Alabama veterans through our federal VA system.
Military veterans deserve more than simple words of gratitude — they deserve timely, effective care, especially when it comes to mental health. Alabama has only two inpatient VA behavioral health treatment facilities located in Tuskegee and Tuscaloosa, and that lack of availability makes it even more critical to support and strengthen the resources we do have.
As a career soldier and military veteran, one of the key lessons I learned in training is that when you have mass casualties and bleeding inside your own perimeter, priority one is to stop the bleeding, but you must also quickly identify its source and cause.
The same principle applies to mental health — we must act urgently to provide critical care, but real, lasting change requires us to address the root causes.
I was honored to be joined by fellow members of the House Military & Veterans Affairs Committee, including Chairman Rep. Ed Oliver, R-Tallapoosa County; Rep. Jerry Starnes, R-Autauga County; and Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Etowah County.
We were also joined by key leaders from our state agencies, which included Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Jeff Newton, Alabama Department of Mental Health Commissioner Kim Boswell, ADMH Chief of Staff Collier Tynes Dixon, ADMH Director of Legislative and Constituent Affairs Andrea Hutchings.
Their presence and interest underscored the importance of interagency collaboration in supporting veterans’ behavioral health.
During the visit, I also provided a Veterans Crisis Line yard sign — Dial 988, Press 1 — to be displayed alongside the Operational We Remember flag display on campus.
This yard sign initiative is part of a collaborative effort by the Alabama Challenge and America250 Alabama Honor Our Veterans Committee and offers both a life-saving resource and a visible reminder to veterans that clearly confirms “We see you, we honor you, and we’re here for you.”
This visit was also a valuable opportunity to bring stakeholders together — leaders committed to expanding access to mental health support and recovery pathways for our veterans across Alabama.
I’m proud of the work the House Military & Veterans Affairs Committee is doing, both during the legislative session and beyond.
Our efforts focus on building stronger partnerships, evaluating existing services, and pushing for meaningful improvements — not just at the state level, but in how we align with federal systems, as well.
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