By Rebecca A. Clay
A Critical Safety Net
The military system has plenty of help to offer veterans
who experience problems with mental health, substance
abuse, or the transition to civilian life.
In addition to rigorous predeployment screening to identify
those with pre-existing mental health problems, the U.S.
Department of Defense (DoD) screens personnel once a
year during active duty, at discharge, and again 3 to
6 months later. The goal? To catch problems early.
Veterans who need mental health or substance abuse treatment
then receive care at the Veterans Health Administration
(see Veterans Resources).
Medical facilities there offer care for mental health
and substance abuse issues as well as care for specialized
PTSD problems. In addition, care is available through
a network of private providers participating in the DoD's
TriCare program.
More informal assistance is available through the 207
Veterans Centers around the country, where veterans offer
peers both readjustment counseling and help accessing
other programs.
Community mental health and substance abuse treatment
providers can supplement this care by serving as a critical
"safety net," explained Mr. Steinberg.
To play that role effectively, community providers need
to become knowledgeable about the resources available
to returning veterans and the rules for using them.
Gary M. Baker, M.A. |
Gen. Barry
McCaffrey (Ret.) |
Beverly Watts Davis,
Senior Advisor to
the SAMHSA Administrator |
They need to know that veterans aren't automatically
eligible for VA care, for instance. "In general,
the veteran must take the first step and apply for the
benefit," explained Gary M. Baker, M.A., Director
of the VA's Health Eligibility Center.
Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans—including
active-duty military with honorable discharges, reservists
who completed their tours, and National Guard members
activated for Federal duty—have certain privileges.
There's a special rule that gives them priority access
and no-cost care of combat-related problems for the 2
years following their discharge. The only catch? They
must register in the VA system within 2 years of discharge
or risk losing access to VA care later on. This 2-year
"window" is covered through the military treatment
facilities and TriCare, along with the VA. More information
on this topic is available on the DoD and VA Web sites.
In addition to screening veterans and referring them
to DoD or VA facilities for care, community providers
also need to be ready to provide services themselves.
That's because some veterans return to geographically
isolated communities where VA services aren't available.
Others aren't eligible for services even if they are
available. Stigma, denial, or anger at the military keep
others away. And symptoms of PTSD may not show up until
long after the war is over.
Community providers should routinely ask clients—both
men and women—whether they've served in the military
or experienced trauma. They should also assess them for
PTSD, other mental disorders, and substance abuse. "If
you don't ask," said Dr. Clark, "they're not
going to tell."
"With
the active cooperation of all of
society, the road home for our veterans
can be further improved and the journey
home can be made easier."
—H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H.
CSAT Director
|
H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., SAMHSA's CSAT
Director |
And not asking could prove fatal, warned Col. Jonathan
W. Coffin, Ph.D., staff psychologist for the Vermont
National Guard and Outpatient Director at the Howard
Center. "I guarantee that every one of you will
have the opportunity to save a veteran's life,"
he said.
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A Warm Welcome Home
Veterans aren't the only ones local providers and the
community as a whole can help: Families of active-duty
service members and veterans may also need support.
That's a message Susan A. Storti, Ph.D., R.N., Director
of the CSAT-funded Addiction Technology Transfer Center
of New England, has taken to heart.
Susan A. Storti,
Ph.D., R.N. |
Major Gen. Arthur T. Dean (Ret.) |
When her fiancé was deployed with the Rhode Island
National Guard, she jumped into action. She assessed
the needs of soldiers, veterans, and their families;
identified available resources; and helped create a "Rhode
Island Blueprint" to fill the gaps.
Now the entire community is involved in welcoming veterans
home and supporting families while they're gone. Experts
train community providers in such areas as traumatic
brain injury. Support groups give families tips on stress
management and opportunities to vent. Researchers are
studying ways of enhancing resilience in children. Even
the local theater company has gotten into the act, with
a play drawing on the words of soldiers, journalists,
and others who have been to Iraq.
Simply welcoming veterans home can help, said Major
Gen. Arthur T. Dean (Ret.), Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America.
"The way many of my contemporaries were received
when they came back from Vietnam set them up for failure,"
he said. "We can all participate in welcoming and
embracing today's troops as they return home."
Dr. Clark agreed. "With the active cooperation
of all of society," he said, "the road home
for our veterans can be further improved and the journey
home can be
made easier."
Electronic files of the presentations from the conference
are available online at the SAMHSA Web site, www.samhsa.gov/conferences/va_conference/. 
See
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Resources
Deployment Health Clinical Center
www.pdhealth.mil
(866) 559-1627
General Information 24/7
www.MilitaryOneSource.com
(800) 342-9647
National Center for PTSD
www.ncptsd.va.gov
(802) 296-6300
SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and
Drug Information
www.health.org
(800) 729-6686
TDD: (800) 487-4889
SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center
www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov
(800) 789-2647
TDD: (866) 889-2647
VA Health Eligibility Center
www.va.gov/healtheligibility/HECHome.htm
(877) 222-8387
VA Office of Seamless Transition
www.seamlesstransition.va.gov
|
« See Also—Previous
Article
See Also—The Road Home: National Conference on Returning Veterans & Their Families
« See Part 1: Community Services Provide Safety Net
for Returning Veterans
Addressing Special Needs of Veterans »
Preventing Suicide among Veterans »
Recovery Month Includes Veterans »
Resources for Veterans »
See Also—Next
Article »
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