Suicide Prevention Month Just Got a Fresh Coat of Paint
By Maureen Dyman, Communications Director
Spray paint and PTSD treatment don’t usually share the same sentence. But this month, they shared a lab coat at the Houston VA.
Content creator Liam Weis, known to his 450,000+ followers as “Spraypaintguy,” built his platform by walking up to strangers and asking to turn their t-shirt or hoodie into a canvas. Some of his posts have gotten more than a million views! When he visited the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston recently, he picked an unexpected canvas; the white lab coat of Dr. Deleene Menefee, program director of Houston VA’s PTSD Clinical Team. Click here to see the moment unfold in his Instagram post.
Why Liam visited the Houston VA
Weis’s own journey with substance abuse and recovery is well known to his followers and is part of what turned his artistic talent into a platform with purpose. Veterans, he says, hold a special place in his heart, with his grandparents and uncle all serving in the military.
“Veterans have sacrificed so much for our country” he said. “My own recovery has shaped my interest in mental health advocacy and it was great to learn about all the help VA has to offer Veterans.”
Why Dr. Menefee participated
For Menefee, who has spent her career treating women Veterans and Veterans with PTSD, the format was unconventional, but the message was familiar. Recovery, she often says, isn’t one-size-fits-all.
“We want Veterans to know that the Houston VA is here for them, no matter what,” she said.
According to Menefee, meeting Liam and seeing firsthand his commitment to spreading messages of recovery, was very impressive. “It was clear to me that Liam has a heart for Veterans and a heart for recovery,” she said. “His artistic talent is incredible and his caring and compassion for others is obvious. I’m not surprised he has such a large following.”
The bigger picture
Houston VA is experiencing unprecedented growth, with more than 1400 new Veterans enrolling for health care in August. The medical center’s PTSD Clinical Team is working hard to tailor a variety of evidence-based treatments to the individual Veteran, not the diagnosis.
“Treatment works and recovery is possible,” Menefee said. “It is truly our honor and privilege to serve those who have served.”
If you’re a Veteran struggling, or you know one who is, help is available 24/7:
Dial 988, then press 1
Text 838255
VeteransCrisisLine.net