Written By: Rashetta Fairnot, Public Health Advisor, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
On Monday, July 9, we hosted a Recovery Month Twitter chat about “Access to Behavioral Health Care for Military Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families.” I was joined by our co-hosts: retired Navy Reserve Captain Kathryn Power, SAMHSA’s Strategic Initiative Lead for Military Families and Regional Administrator from Region 1, and MSG Stephanie Weaver, National Guard Liaison to SAMHSA.  The conversation focused on military families and especially those service members recently returning home and their navigation of the behavioral health system. …

Written By: Rashetta Fairnot, Public Health Advisor, Consumer Affairs, CSAT
As Independence Day approaches, our nation reflects on its freedom and we look to honor the military service members and veterans who keep us safe. Since September 11, 2001, more than 2.3 million American military personnel have been deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, or both.  Although the vast majority of returning service members successfully transition back home, 18.5 percent of returning service members do meet criteria for either post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. Unless treated, these types of behavioral health issues have …