DALLAS, Texas — As the nation marks 250 years of independence, organizations serving veterans in North Texas say the needs of those who served have shifted significantly over the past decade — even as some core challenges remain stubbornly unchanged.
The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Metrocare in Dallas has cared for more than 7,000 clients since opening its doors in 2016. Dr. Marlon Beach, the clinic's interim director and a U.S. Army veteran himself, said the transition to civilian life remains the single most persistent issue veterans bring through the door.
"Just like many Americans, our veterans are also facing employment struggles, employment instability," Beach said.
Ashly Smith, the clinic's intake coordinator who has been with the Cohen Clinic since it opened, said the types of veterans seeking help have broadened considerably in recent years. She noted a rising number of pre-9/11 veterans who spent years avoiding treatment before deciding to address long-suppressed trauma during and after the pandemic.
The Salvation Army of North Texas, which describes itself as the largest provider of social services for veterans in the United States, currently operates 106 beds for veterans in crisis. Rob Webb, area commander, said approximately 386,000 veterans live across the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area — roughly 25% of all veterans in the state of Texas.
Karlton Leonard, VA program manager at The Salvation Army of North Texas, said the veteran population today is fundamentally different from a decade ago. "You have more guys that are harder to house. They have more disabilities. They've got more problems with drug addiction," Leonard said. "It's just an increase. It hasn't changed over the last decade."
