The four-year army veteran — who was stationed at Fort Hood in Texas and deployed to Afghanistan for 13 months — had tried VA and independent programs to get his mental health back on track.

“None of them really seemed to help me answer the questions that I needed to answer,” he said.

Through the American Legion, the 38-year-old found the Save A Warrior program in Hillsboro, Ohio, a 72-hour intensive suicide-prevention program for veterans and first responders.

“At first, it was one of those things where it was like, ‘Yeah, I’m sure there’s a lot of people that need this. I can deal with my own problems. Save that seat for someone that needs it,’” he said.

But, things didn’t get better.

Brandner decided to sign up for Save A Warrior, and after canceling the intake meeting three or four times, his wife, Becca Brandner, gave him an ultimatum.

“I was not as kind as I should have been,” Becca said. “I essentially told him, ‘You will either do this or I’m done.’”

Josh and Becca have a blended family of four kids, the youngest being a 10-month-old boy.

Becca told her husband “giving up wasn’t an option.”

“God bless my wife,” Josh said.

He made the decision to take the call.

Increase in suicides

In 2024, there were 57 total known or suspected suicides in Butler County, seven of those being veterans.

In 2025, there have been 29 known or suspected suicides — 12 of which have been veterans, aged 25-93, according to the Butler County Coroner’s Office.

It’s hard to pin down exactly why these numbers have risen.

For veterans, post traumatic stress disorder and anxiety are two possible explanations, according to Dr. Scott Rasmus, Butler County Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services Board executive director.

Cara Brown, MHARS director of addiction services, said, while she can’t speak for veterans, she can speak as someone who worked directly in the mental health field through the COVID-19 era.

“I think COVID ... and social isolation specifically brought out a whole lot of issues,” she said. “Now, we’re dealing with the aftermath of that.”

She cited social anxiety, social media and a lack of connection as a contributor to this.

Financial stress and substance use are also possible explanations for the rise in suicides, according to Rasmus.

Another aspect is the gender divide: Of the 29 suicides in 2025, 25 were men; and of the 12 veterans, 11 were men, according to the Butler County Coroner’s Office.

“We don’t talk about mental health, right? That’s kind of the thing about being a man,” Josh said.

Talking openly about mental health can help, he said.

“That’s a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness, and I’ve had to learn that,” Josh said. “We’ve got to get more men to open up about the hard times that they’re having.”

“Reaching out is important in educating men about the availability and benefits of counseling,” Rasmus said.

Butler County resources

MHARS is Butler County’s behavioral health hub, which addresses the mental health and substance use needs of the county’s citizens.

Though recent federal funding changes could affect Medicaid and those who rely on it, 64 percent of MHARS’ annual $18 million budget relies on local tax levies.

Butler County residents voted to pass a .5-mill additional, five-year operating mental health levy in November 2024, with three key populations identified: suicide deaths, overdose deaths and veteran deaths, according to Rasmus.

MHARS contracts with 14 community providers for services, which include peer support programs through NAMI Butler County, the Butler County Suicide Prevention Coalition, new recovery housing at Freya’s Healing House in Middletown and a crisis hotline — all to support over 43,000 residents annually, over 10 percent of the county’s population.

“We identify programs and providers to address the needs of Butler County residents,” Rasmus said. “Especially in cases like this where you’ve got a high suicide death rate ... and then what’s happening obviously, unfortunately with veterans.”

MHARS is working collaboratively with MetroParks of Butler County to develop programs, one being a recent effort to help improve park visitors’ behavioral health and, hopefully, save lives.

As part of a new initiative, the two organizations have placed suicide prevention and addiction resource signage throughout the 23 MetroParks in Butler County. A total of 24 signs were installed in July.

Between 2020 and 2024, 18 people died by suicide within parks in Butler County.

Numbers to call or text for the 24/7/365 Butler County Crisis Hotline, national Suicide and Crisis Hotline and the Veterans Crisis Line are included on the signs.

“The great thing about having both phone numbers on there is that there is no wrong door,” said Brown. “If they call the local crisis line or they call 988, both of those entities can dispatch our crisis team members.”

After calling, a social worker is dispatched to wherever the individual is to assess them and see what services they may need.

In 2024, the Butler County Crisis Line and local 988 center received approximately 5,273 calls, according to Rasmus.

He added MHARS will be checking to see if call numbers also increase to evaluate the effectiveness of the signs.

“If things are going down and calls are going up for resources, that’s a positive thing,” Rasmus said.

The calls to the Veterans Crisis Line have gone up. In April, there were 293 calls, but in May, there were 356. In June, there were 427 calls, according to Mike Farmer, executive director of the Butler County Veterans Service Commission.

“We are hoping that these signs will give people another resource to call when they’re out in the park and might be having some suicidal ideation or thinking about harming themselves in some way. It’s another step before they maybe take action on those thoughts,” said Katie Ely-Wood, communications manager for MetroParks of Butler County.

Farmer said veterans, surviving spouses and eligible dependents account for 28,000 Butler County residents.

As for the increase in veteran suicides, he said, “We don’t have all the answers. And that’s the frustrating piece.”

The Veterans Service Commission operates a veteran suicide Fatality Review Board to try to find these answers, which involves interviewing next of kin to find out what was going on in the veteran’s life, when the crisis happened and what the factors were.

“We’ve got to get the community to recognize the signs and symptoms of depression, crisis and get the individuals earlier connected to (resources),” Farmer said.

Some of the signs include talking about death, dying or suicide; feeling hopeless; not sleeping in a normal routine; mood swings; withdrawal; and increased substance use.

“We would want somebody to reach if they’re experiencing any of those,” he said.

Veterans Service Commission is not a medical facility, but has referral programs to connect those in crisis with resources.

‘You’re not alone’

Months after Josh attended the Save A Warrior program, Becca has seen change in her husband.

“He came back a kinder and more gentle, better version of himself, one that I never knew. He was already great before, he’s just even better now,” Becca said.

Though Becca issued the ultimatum, she said: “I was never going to go anywhere. I was in it for the long haul.”

Now, the man who Becca said never wanted to be the center of attention, is focused on sharing his story.

“It’s okay to be yourself in that situation and find that vulnerability,” he said. “It was a beautiful gift. And then, once you come out of that, you learn that the real gift is in the service to others.”

Following a speech Josh gave following Hamilton’s Memorial Day Parade about veterans’ mental health, he was able to get a few people set up with Save A Warrior, which he continues to work with as a volunteer.

To those reading who may want to reach out for support, Josh shares this message: “You’re not alone. There’s people out there that love you, and you don’t even know their name.”

He added: “Choose yourself, choose your family, choose tomorrow.”