Helping her fellow veterans is a dream job for Vet 2 Vet advocate Lauren Roman, who is working to raise awareness of veterans dealing with substance abuse. It's something she says is often overlooked.

“It’s more common than we know from the outside," Roman said. "So it’s something that we come across routinely.”

Vet 2 Vet is one of the organizations that will work to assist vets struggling in Sullivan County through the county’s Substance Use Task Force.

“It’s something that touches my heart, and it is a point where I really want to help them in gaining access to the resources they need to get better," Roman said.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, over 10% of veterans receiving first-time care from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) meet the criteria for a substance use disorder diagnosis.

Sullivan County’s task force features several pillars to tackle substance abuse across different avenues. Assisting vets directly is the newest initiative.

Wendy Brown, the coordinator of the task force, said it's important to have collaboration between organizations in the county like Vet 2 Vet, Action Toward Independence and the VA.

“There’s no one group or one organization and one discipline that can address the opioid issue," Brown said. "It’s across the board."

Sullivan County Commissioner of Health and Human Services John Liddle said the new initiative will focus on directly impacting vets in need.

“We’re really focusing on outreach and awareness this year," he said. "There’s going to be a lot more activity in that direction.”

Roman wants to see assistance expanded throughout the state because, she says, no veteran should think they have to go through it alone.

“There are resources for them and there are people that are wanting to help them in this capacity, because it’s not something that we’ve really had available before," she said.