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Local veteran urges Clovis leaders to pursue Vet Center mobile services and evening walk‑in mental‑health options
Summary
A Marine Corps veteran asked the commission to press for closer Vet Center services, including mobile units or a permanent/temporary local presence, to improve access to mental‑health care for veterans and families in Clovis.
During the public‑comment portion of the Sept. 11 meeting, Marine Corps veteran and Air Force dependent Eric Brem urged the Clovis City Commission to advocate for improved Vet Center services in the area, including mobile Vet Center visits and evening walk‑in family services.
Brem told commissioners that Clovis is a rural community and that local veterans rely on an outpatient clinic with limited mental‑health staffing; he said veterans are often referred to Amarillo or Lubbock for more intensive care. He cited national data in his remarks, saying that “as of February 2022 there have been 6,407 deaths by suicide” among veterans and that Department of Defense data reported additional active‑duty deaths in 2023, and added that roughly 12–13% of Clovis’s adult population are veterans — about 3,200 people, he said. Brem described the Vet Center program’s confidentiality (Vet Centers generally do not report to the Department of Defense except in cases of direct threat) and proposed a local pilot: either a regular mobile Vet Center schedule or temporary evening walk‑in clinics hosted locally on set days.
Brem identified himself as a VA site‑lead benefits advisor by day and said he is prepared to help coordinate local outreach through the military family readiness center. He asked city leaders to use Clovis as a model for other rural communities that need closer, stigma‑free veteran mental‑health access.
Mayor Pro Tem and commissioners thanked Brem for his remarks and said staff would be in touch; no formal action was taken at the meeting.
Ending: Staff noted the comments and indicated they would follow up with Brem and relevant county and federal partners to explore options for mobile or local Vet Center services.
