View Event from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

Kerry made the announcement today at the premier of the groundbreaking new documentary on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, “Hidden Wounds,” by New England Cable News. Kerry was joined at the premier today by former Senator and decorated veteran Max Cleland, military veterans, the commanders of the Massachusetts and New Hampshire National Guard, and survivors.

Proposal: Add $100 million in the FY06 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act to Vet Centers for expanded PTSD Screening and Treatment Programs

What: The National Guard in New England has pioneered innovative solutions to deal with the stress and strains experienced by all soldiers returning from active-duty in combat zones. Under an initiative developed first by the New Hampshire National Guard, and since adopted in Massachusetts, and under consideration elsewhere, service members are required to undergo an in-state counseling and readjustment program, part of which includes one-on-one counseling with a counselor from a Vet Center.

Why: Not all the wounds of war are physical. In July of 2004, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that one-in-six combat veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan showed symptoms of major depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. A more recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 19.1% of returning veterans from Iraq, and 11.3 percent of veterans retuning from Afghanistan, reported mental health problems. We know from historic experience that soldiers will return from war having to navigate a range of emotional issues, regardless of whether or not they are diagnosed with PTSD.

In FY2004, Vet Centers served 125,859 veterans in more than 1 million visits. Even without the war in Iraq, Vet Centers were already overloaded with cases. Last year alone, Vet Centers expected to provide services to nearly 14,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan in almost 44,000 office visits—more than 3,800 of these veterans were PTSD clients.

In testimony last year, VA officials noted that, except for cost of living increments, Vet Center budgets have not increased in the last ten years.

Details: The New Hampshire National Guard pioneered this new approach to meeting the mental health and readjustment needs of its soldiers. It has since been adopted by the Massachusetts National Guard and briefed to enthusiastic leaders from the National Guard in each of the New England States. After spending one day at home, reuniting with family and loved-ones, soldiers are required to report to local armories where they are assisted with paperwork, participate in a medical session with VA representatives, and receive instruction from the chaplain’s staff on how best to readjust. Most importantly, members of the National Guard receive one-on-one counseling with counselors from Vet Centers who specialize in treating war trauma and related readjustment issues.

The counseling is both mandatory and confidential. As a result, the New Hampshire approach has destroyed any stigma associated with seeking help for emotional health problems. Of the first 810 soldiers to pass through the screening process, nearly 200 have received counseling.

Counselors at Vet Centers are highly trained in readjustment counseling. 60% of the counselors in Vets Centers are veterans themselves, 40% are combat veterans. All are very experienced helping veterans and their families deal with the challenges of readjustment.

Vet Centers are funded through the Department of Veterans Affairs. They provide invaluable service to the country’s veterans. To meet the needs of the New Hampshire National Guard, the Vet’s Centers in New England called in counselors from other states. The New Hampshire National Guard shared the expense of this collaborative effort because it was the right thing to do for returning soldiers.

This should be a national priority with federal funding.

Legislation: Add $100 million to the FY06 Emergency Supplemental to fund PTSD screening of returning National Guard Veterans through Vet Centers nation-wide.

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Resources: Vet Centers By State:

Info on Vet Centers

Vet Center Voice

Q and A

Q. What are Vet’s Centers?

A. Congress established the provision for readjustment counseling for Vietnam era veterans in 1979, recognizing that a significant number of these veterans continued to experience readjustment problems. In 1991, legislation extended the eligibility of counseling to combat veterans of the post-Vietnam era conflicts, including Persian Gulf, Panama, Grenada, and Lebanon. Vet centers are staffed with professionals experienced and trained with working with veterans. Counselors come from many disciplines including psychology, social work, nursing, and rehabilitation counseling. Many staff members are veterans themselves.

Q. What is their current annual funding?

A. The President’s FY06 Budget proposal anticipated 1,050 readjustment counseling sessions in FY05 and 1075 in FY06. In FY05 and FY06, their budget was just less than $100 million per year.

Q. Are there any other legislative proposals to increase funding at Vet Centers?

A. S.716 (Akaka) would increase authorized funding for Vet Centers to $180 million. It passed the Senate by unanimous consent on December 22, 2005.