 | | Become a VMHC-NYC Member |
|
|
|
A Small But Significant Step
President Obama's August 31 executive order, Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Veterans, Service Members and Military Families, is a powerful reminder of two facts: That we have come a long way in providing the services that our nation's heroes deserve, and that we still have a long way to go.
We applaud the order for bolstering the staff of the Veterans Crisis Line, which helps veterans and military families who are experiencing emotional problems. All providers, veterans and military families should be aware of this important service. To reach the Crisis Line, call (800) 273-TALK (8255) and press 1.
We also salute the administration for promoting cooperation between public and private agencies by establishing at least 15 pilot sites where the VA will partner with community providers in areas that lack services for veterans. This is a crucial step, but the fact remains that, even though a veteran dies by suicide every 80 minutes, many veterans are still not taking advantage of VA behavioral health services. There is an urgent need to increase the capacity of the civilian providers that many veterans turn to for help.
Additionally, 15 pilot sites will meet the needs of only a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of veterans who are expected to return from Iraq and Afghanistan. We must be prepared to meet the needs of all veterans, and doing so will require even greater efforts from public and private agencies at the local, state and national levels.
President Obama's executive order is a great first step-- now we must all do our part to make sure it isn't the final step, but the beginning of the sustained, comprehensive and coordinated effort that all veterans and military families deserve.
Kimberly Williams, LMSW
Interim Project Director
The Veterans Mental Health Coalition of New York City
Read Kimberly Williams' Huffington Post article on the order.
|
|
Accepting Applications for Associate Director of VMHC and TBI and Emotional Wellness Alliance
Applications are now being accepted for the position of Associate Director of the Veterans Mental Health Coalition of New York City and the TBI and Emotional Wellness Alliance. The successful candidate for this position will have the opportunity to impact policies and practices surrounding traumatic brain injury and many other issues related to veterans' mental health. Read a summary of the position and learn how to apply.
|
|
Herb Ruben Honored With Award from Confide Counseling Center
Herb Ruben, who stepped down from his position as Project Director of the Veterans Mental Health Coalition of New York City on September 7, was honored with one of the Confide Counseling Center's Law Enforcement Awards for his lifetime of service to veterans, service members and military families. Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano presented the award to Herb, who was selected because of his service as a Marine during World War II, his 52 years of leadership at Peninsula Counseling Center in Long Island, and his leadership at VMHC from July 2010 to September 2012. Herb was the first person to receive the award for working with veterans.
|
|
Suicide Prevention Month
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and the Veterans Crisis Line is asking people to take an online pledge to help prevent veteran suicides. Participants pledge to share the number for the Veterans Crisis Line with friends, family and loved ones and to learn the warning signs of suicide. Click here to take the pledge and see resources on veterans' suicide.
|
|
Resources
NYU Opens Clinic for Military Families
New York University's Langone Medical Center has opened a Military Family Clinic to provide mental health services to veterans, active duty service members and their families, with a focus on veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The Clinic provides therapy for individuals, couples, families, parents and children, as well as medication management and other services. Click here to learn more, or call (855) 698-4677.
Resources for Treating Veterans With Depression
The Department of Defense and the VA have released free downloadable resources for providers who work with veterans suffering from depression, including a Major Depressive Disorder Toolkit, a training manual and a one-pager on treatments for depression. Download the toolkit.
Do You Need Treatment?
Free online screenings that assess symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, alcoholism and other service-related disorders are available from Military Pathways. Learn more or take a self-assessment.
SAMHSA Report on Veterans' Behavioral Health
The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has released a report that provides a concise explanation of behav-ioral health issues facing returning veterans and what providers can do to help. Read the report .
|
|
Veterans' Mental Health In Numbers
|
|
Perspectives
Incentivizing Military Service
Supporting returning veterans isn't just the right thing to do-it's vital to national security, according to Mike Haynie, Ph.D, a veteran and director of Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families and Vice Admiral Robert Murrett (Ret), deputy director of Syracuse University's Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism. Can neglecting the current generation of veterans discourage future generations from military service?
Looking Beyond PTSD
Great progress has been made in assessing and treating posttraumatic stress disorder, but providers who work with veterans often overlook other issues like depression and alcohol abuse, according to Veterans Healing Initiative president Margaret Stone. Read more at the Huffington Post.
More Must Be Done to Protect Veterans' Education Benefits
The federal government has taken steps to protect veterans from unscrupulous for-profit schools, which often take veterans' GI Bill benefits and provide worthless degrees-but more needs to be done, according to veterans Tim Hsia and Gus Giacoman. Read their post in the New York Times' At War blog.
|
In The News
Study: TBI Symptoms Can Last For Years
Symptoms of traumatic brain injury are generally thought to disappear within days or weeks of the injury, but new research suggests that they can continue for years without losing intensity. Learn about the latest research on TBI.
"Reverse Boot Camps" to Prepare Servicemembers for Civilian Life
The military is instituting mandatory reverse boot camps meant to prepare returning veterans for civilian life. The week-long trainings will address job skills, veterans' benefits and financial management, among other issues. Learn more about the reverse boot camps from Stars and Stripes.
City, Robin Hood Foundation Collaborate to Open Veterans' Job Center
New York City has a job center devoted to helping veterans find employment, thanks to a remarkable collaborative effort between the city government and the Robin Hood Foundation. The center, which is staffed by veterans, is expected to increase the number of veterans who receive job counseling and placement by 50 percent. Learn more about this innovative partnership.
Study: Teletherapy Gets More Veterans Into Treatment Motivational interviewing-a therapeutic intervention designed to help clients accept the need to change their behaviors-is effective in convincing returning veterans to seek mental health treatment, even when conducted by telephone, according to a new study. Read about the study at Medical Xpress.
Study: Couples Therapy Can Alleviate Symptoms of PTSD Therapy tailored to couples where one partner suffers from posttraumatic stress decreased the severity of the partners' symptoms and increased their satisfaction with their relationships, according to a new study. The study's authors believe that this approach might make sense, given the often devastating toll PTSD can have on relationships. Read more about the study.
IOM Report Depicts Progress and Shortcomings in Serving Veterans
The VA and Department of Defense have come a long way in treating veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, but those who serve veterans still need to do a better job assessing and treating PTSD and improving access to treatment, according to an Institute of Medicine Report. Read the IOM report.
Study: Variations in Gene Linked to PTSD
New research suggests that variations in a gene responsible for protecting brain cells from stress might play a role in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder. The finding could eventually play a role in identifying people who are at greater risk for developing PTSD and suggest new avenues for research. Read more about the study.
How Much of a Difference Can a Dog Make?
Many veterans believe their service dogs have made it possible to control symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and lead full lives, but the concept of service animals for PTSD is so new that there is little research documenting their effectiveness and no set standards or best practices for training them. Read more in U.S. News and World Report.
Grappling With War-Through Opera A Marine Corps veteran and an Iraqi-American playwright are collaborating to stage what's believed to be the first opera about the war in Iraq. See video of the opera, called "Fallujah," on YouTube.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
