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Operation 0 offers free TMS therapy to veterans and first responders in O'Fallon
Summary
At the May 19 O'Fallon Veterans Commission meeting, Rich Bensel of Operation 0 described a state-funded, FDA‑approved transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) program that the organization said is free for veterans, first responders and their families and includes individualized qEEG mapping and a mobile van option.
Rich Bensel, a peer mentor with Operation 0, told the O'Fallon Veterans Commission on May 19 that his organization offers transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, as a free treatment option for veterans, first responders and their family members.
Bensel said TMS is an FDA‑approved, noninvasive therapy that uses a magnetic device positioned over the forehead to stimulate neurons. "This is 100% free to vets, first responders, and their families," he said, noting the program is HIPAA‑compliant, does not bill insurance and is funded through Missouri's mental‑health budget. He said the clinic has treated about 90 patients in the St. Louis area since September.
Bensel described the typical course as 20 treatment sessions, each about 15 minutes long, and explained that patients also receive three qEEG scans—on day 0, day 10 and day 20—to map brain activity and individualize the machine settings. "We won't ask anybody to go off their medications or stop going to counseling," he said; commissioners were told the therapy is adjunctive to conventional care and that patients should continue prescribed SSRIs or SNRIs while receiving TMS.
Commissioners asked whether the program participates in longitudinal research or shares data with federal agencies; Bensel said no longitudinal research data are collected for outside study and that the state receives only categorical information about veteran/first‑responder status. He also addressed safety and side effects: Bensel said headaches are the most common short‑term effect and that the clinics he referenced have not seen seizures in Missouri locations.
Operation 0 operates a clinic in O'Fallon off Lake Saint Louis Boulevard near Peruque Crossing, Bensel said, and maintains clinics in Kansas City and St. Joseph. He added that a mobile van is being updated for service in the area and that vans are already deployed in other parts of the state; the van can bring services to rural or group settings. Eligibility, he said, extends to people 13 and older, spouses and live‑ins when applicable.
The commission agreed to place brochures and business cards at the Veterans Assistance Office and invited Bensel to provide materials for distribution at the Memorial Day ceremonies. Bensel invited commissioners to tour the O'Fallon clinic.
The commission did not take any formal action on Operation 0's presentation; members asked follow‑up questions and accepted informational materials.
