Transforming Veteran Mental Health: Insights from the Mission 85 West Creek Summit

Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

Challenge

Mission 85, a unified network of integrated veteran services, aimed to collectively address the escalating mental health crisis and suicide rates among veterans in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Veterans in these regions faced significant mental health challenges, exacerbated by fragmented services, inadequate resources, and pervasive stigma. Addressing these issues was critical to prevent further loss of lives and support veterans’ reintegration into civilian life. The three key organizations making up Mission 85 —The Warrior Alliance (Atlanta), Upstate Warrior Solution (Greenville), and Veterans Bridge Home (Charlotte), needed to work together for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to the crisis.

Solution

To address these pressing issues, Mission 85, supported by strategic facilitation from Openfields, organized the West Creek Summit. The summit brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including the key members from Mission 85, the VA, and the Arthur M. Blank Foundation. Hosted at the West Creek Ranch in Paradise Valley, Montana, its aim was to reimagine how veteran service organizations can work together with the VA and other government agencies to improve veteran mental health and prevent suicide across three states. The goal was to map the trends, develop key strategies, and advance the Mission 85 network. The summit featured three intensive workshops:

Session 1: The Future of Veteran Mental Health

This session focused on understanding future trends in veteran mental health. Participants used models like the Three Horizons, the Cone of Uncertainty, and the Futures Wheel to frame their discussions. These models helped visualize the transition from current practices to future innovative solutions and explore potential future scenarios. Participants mapped four decades of social, technological, economic, environmental, and political changes, identifying themes and trends that would shape the future.

Session 2: The State of Our System

This session examined the current state of veteran mental health systems. A panel of experts discussed the six major factors contributing to veteran suicide rates. State teams then broke out to identify opportunities and barriers within their regions. North Carolina focused on developing a regional “team of teams” actor map, South Carolina highlighted public/private partnerships, and Georgia prioritized forming a statewide healthcare alliance with Kaiser Permanente and the VA.

Session 3: Mission 85 Network Strategies

In the final session, participants developed a vision for the next 90 days and beyond, outlining actionable strategies for the Mission 85 network. Goals included formalizing partnerships, developing county-level data, establishing best practices, and pursuing collaborations on homeless care and benefits.

Impact

The West Creek Summit resulted in significant positive outcomes, which included goal setting for formalizing key private sector and government partnerships, increasing access to mental health services through telehealth, and enhanced collaboration among stakeholders. The summit also fostered a sense of community and shared purpose among stakeholders, contributing to the long-term success and well-being of the veteran community. The summit formalized a plan over the next few years for network convening, vision casting, and regular strategy meetings. The integrated model developed through Mission 85 set a foundation for sustained improvement in veteran mental health services, ensuring ongoing adaptation and growth.