The phone at the new Veterans Hub of Northeastern PA in Carbon County has been ringing off the hook since it began taking appointments for in-person counseling in September.

On Thursday, flanked by local, state and federal officials, the Together With Veterans Northeastern Pennsylvania partnership, held an official grand opening of the Hub, located on the first floor of St. Luke’s University Health Network’s Lehighton campus, 211 N. 12th St.

Christine LeClair, Carbon County Veterans Affairs director, said she hopes the new hub will improve access to mental health and other needs of the area’s veterans. Traffic and parking, she added, is difficult at the veteran’s office in Jim Thorpe, and many veterans are already on the St. Luke’s campus to address other health concerns, so the Hub site is convenient for them.

“We wanted to equip our community with the tools and resources it needs to connect veterans experiencing an emotional and mental health crisis with life saving support,” LeClair said. “I’m in awe and so grateful that in a relatively short amount of time we have forged this partnership between federal, state and local officials to better serve our veterans.”

The Hub provides social work and counseling services to veterans in Carbon County and the surrounding area. Since September, the Scranton Vet Center’s social worker Denise Carey has been offering in-person counseling by appointment on Wednesdays at the Hub. More days and hours will be added if the demand warrants, LeClair said.

“We work with combat veterans of any era, any veteran who has undergone a stressful or traumatic event, and any veteran struggling with suicidal thoughts,” Carey said. “It’s been quite a busy clinic here already.”

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey was on hand for Thursday’s grand opening, thanking those directly involved in “the life saving heroic care you are providing to veterans and for the suicide prevention efforts you are undertaking.”

“If any public official is going to prove themselves worthy of the valor of a veteran, you have to vote the right away and advocate for funding and other initiatives. I’m grateful to be part of this ceremony and celebrate the great work being done here in Carbon County.”

One of LeClair’s top goals for the Hub is to reduce veteran suicides. Carbon County has the highest rate of veteran suicide in Pennsylvania and is home to about 8% of the state’s veterans, roughly 5,000 people. Some of Carbon County’s veterans are older having served in the Vietnam War, LeClair said, but many are younger veterans who served in the Middle East, North Africa and West Asia.

“I think this Hub is greater than what Christine had even initially envisioned,” said Jennifer Spitler, Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs regional program outreach coordinator.

“We wanted a space where people could come together and talk about the issues surrounding veteran suicide and this has provided that and so much more.”

Nearly half of all people, 45%, who die by suicide visit their doctor within a month before their death, LeClair said.

“While the county Veterans Affairs office does see many veterans, there are so many who think that they are not eligible or deserving of the benefits that are available to them,” she said. “Being able to connect with veterans face-to-face will help us to counsel them on their earned benefits and assist them with applications and referrals.”

At the Hub, veterans also are able to meet with an accredited Veteran Service Officer to file claims for local, state and federal veteran benefits, LeClair said. Hours for the VSO are still to be determined. No appointments are needed for these services.

The Hub is named for Chad Robert Peyton, a Blackhawk helicopter pilot who served with LeClair in Operation Iraqi Freedom and who died by suicide in May 2021. Since he left the service, Peyton had been dealing with post-traumatic stress. The date of the dedication would have been Peyton’s 42nd birthday. Peyton was originally from California where he flew MEDEVAC as a civilian. Peyton’s family members attended Thursday’s grand opening virtually.

When LeClair took her idea to open a satellite veterans office at the St. Luke’s Lehighton campus to John Nespoli, campus president, he readily offered the space.

“The veterans who served our country deserve the kind of care and attention that we at St. Luke’s are happy to help foster,” Nespoli said.

St. Luke’s Psychiatric Associates recently opened a 24-hour walk-in mental health clinic at the Lehighton campus in collaboration with Carbon, Monroe and Pike counties. The location makes it possible for the psychiatric center to refer patients to the veterans’ Hub and connect veterans with social or mental health resources immediately if necessary. It is what’s known in mental health as a warm handoff, LeClair said.

“The early months of the walk-in clinic have show much success and phenomenal demand, exceeding our expectations,” Nespoli said. “These efforts are going to save lives.”

To make an appointment, veterans can call the Scranton Vet Center at 570-344-2676.