WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- The Washington-based non-profit organization Give an Hour has begun offering free mental-health services to returning veterans and their families.

The non-partisan organization announced the offering of a nationwide network of 575 providers in an effort to help America's armed forces and their loved ones supplement their mental-health services. Give an Hour's services are available to the service member, their immediate family, and their extended families including parents, siblings and significant others.

"We are thrilled to have 575 licensed mental health professionals on our network," said Give an Hour Founder and Executive Director Barbara V. Romberg, in a statement. "What our Veterans and their families and loved ones are experiencing as a result of deployments, traumatic brain injuries and other devastating physical injuries, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and more is incomprehensible to the general population. The sheer number of people being affected makes it virtually impossible for the very competent but overtaxed military healthcare system to provide help to everyone who needs it."

Research indicates that many soldiers fear that seeking mental-health treatment will jeopardize their career or standing, which is a major barrier preventing military personnel from seeking appropriate treatment. Officials say many in the military feel there is a perception of stigma associated with treatment.

"While our primary focus is to get much needed counseling and other mental health services to the folks that need it, the other unique aspect of our organization is a kind of pay-it-forward idea that the people receiving services will then give an hour of volunteer time back to their own community," Romberg said.