MILWAUKEE— It’s been seven months since COVID has caused mental strain and stress on a lot of Americans. This is why the VA has created multiple platforms for veterans to access to help get them through this time.

Mental health is an important check no matter the time of year, however with COVID 19, it’s important to keep close tabs on how you and loved ones are feeling.

“Over time I think we have seen in the past few months an increase in stress with veterans,” Milwaukee VA Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Bert Berger says.

Dr. Berger works on a task force that helps get the word out about mental health for veterans struggling through COVID.

“We want to provide support, emotional support, stress management, resources so they can learn about the science behind COVID and way to emotionally deal with the issues,” Dr. Berger says.

The two accessible platforms are the COVID Coach App and Be There Wis website. These are two platforms veterans can go to to find resources to help them mentally through COVID.

Dan Buttery, the president and CEO of the Milwaukee County War Memorial is also apart of the task force. He says the level of resources and training those who work with veterans have allows them to be fully equipped to treat those in need during this time.

“Trauma surrounds us when we are in uniform, it surrounds many of us in our community. Our veterans are really poised to deal with this because we have dealt with this in the past. It doesn’t mean that we deal with it well. It just means we have bee exposed to an increased amount of trauma in some cases more than others,” Buttery says.

The two platforms provide resources for managing stress, learning more about COVID, and mental health checkpoints at your fingertips.

Although the app and the website are targeted towards veterans, anyone can access the resources provided.