DCoE Blog

• DCoE Collaborates with ‘The USAA Educational Foundation’ on New Suicide Prevention Publication

  Posted by USPHS Capt. Janet Hawkins on November 22, 2010

  

  Suicide is the leading cause of violent death in the United States, and service members are taking their own lives at an unprecedented rate. As such, suicide has become a major concern for our nation and our military. In an effort to provide useful suicide prevention information and resources to service members and their families, Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE), in collaboration with the Suicide Prevention and Risk Reduction Committee (SPaRRC) and The USAA Educational Foundation, is releasing the educational publication “Suicide Prevention”.

  This publication outlines what steps service members can take to help themselves or others who may be at risk, including:

  • Contact information for different suicide prevention programs
  • Important steps for service members and veterans
  • How to help someone in crisis

  Categories: Collaborations, Suicide, DCoE, Resources, Psychological Health   |   Comments (4)

• Frontline Psych with Doc Bender: From Military Life to College Life

  Posted by Dr. James Bender on November 18, 2010

  
  Doc Bender on top of the Ziggurat of Ur in Southern Iraq, in February 2009.

  Dr. James Bender recently returned from Iraq after spending 12 months as the brigade psychologist for the 4-1 CAV out of Ft Hood. He served for four and a half years in the Army. During his deployment, he traveled through Southern Iraq, from Basra to Baghdad and many spots in between. He writes a monthly post for the DCoE Blog on mental health issues related to deployment and being in the military.

  A few months ago, I was involved in a TV production entitled “The Cost of Freedom” at Montgomery College in Maryland. It was primarily about the experiences of vets from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, how the wars have affected them and their families, and what happens once they return home. For some vets, that means attending college.

  In the past, many colleges weren’t prepared to handle some of the challenges that military students face – the adjustment to civilian life. Thankfully, this is changing. Many colleges now are in a far better position to deal with the unique needs of military students. They have special assistance to help with everything from making sense of GI Bill paperwork to getting connected with social and sports clubs.

  Categories: Community Support, Reintegration, Resources   |   Comments (4)

• Time to Register for the Trauma Spectrum Conference

  Posted by DCoE Strategic Communications on November 16, 2010

  

  What’s the Trauma Spectrum Conference?

  The Trauma Spectrum Conference is hosted to address the range of disorders caused by trauma. This year’s conference will focus on emerging research on polytrauma recovery and reintegration of service members, veterans and their families. DCoE, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), will host this two-day event, Dec. 7-8, 2010 in Bethesda, Md. Click here to register.

  What is Polytrauma?

  Polytrauma is defined as two or more injuries, sustained in the same incident, that affect multiple body parts or organ systems and result in physical, cognitive, psychological and/or psychosocial impairments and functional disabilities. Visit the VA Polytrauma System of Care for more information.

  This year’s conference will use the lens of emerging research on polytrauma and its impact on those not only affected with multiple injuries but their support networks as well, to:

  Categories: Traumatic Brain Injury, Conferences, Collaborations, DCoE, Psychological Health   |   Comments (1)

• New Multimedia Toolkit Aims to Help Families Cope During All Phases of Deployment

  Posted by DCoE Strategic Communications on November 16, 2010

  

  Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE), with Vulcan Productions, is distributing more than 200,000 handbooks and videos to military families and friends around the country about how to cope with the challenges of all phases of deployment. The newly released toolkit, “A Handbook for Family and Friends of Service Members—Before, During and After Deployment,” was developed by a team of medical, mental health and military family experts.

  “This handbook meets a great need, especially for the parents of young men and women in military service for whom there is little support currently available,” said Interim Director of DCoE Michael E. Kilpatrick, M.D. “We are hopeful that other federal agencies and private sector organizations will step-up and help ensure we can get this valuable resource in the hands of every family affected by a deployment.”

  This unique resource includes information specifically designed to help families and friends:

  • Become aware of the stressors and feelings they may encounter throughout deployment

  Categories: Real Warriors Campaign/Stigma, Collaborations, Families, DCoE, Resources, Psychological Health   |   Comments (5)

• Join Our Last Monthly Webinar of 2010: All About Military Families

  Posted by DCoE Strategic Communications on November 15, 2010

  
  U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Isabella Guia, left, stationed onboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), says goodbye to her family before the ship departs Norfolk, Va. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Lolita M. Lewis)

  Military families face many different challenges, from deployments to relocations. It is so important that family members, like their loved ones who serve, receive the support they need. Join us Thursday at 1-2:30 p.m. for our monthly webinar Family Support Strategies and Techniques.

  This webinar will explore the most common issues affecting today’s military families and examine support programs and resources available at the local, state and national levels. For each of us – including service members and veterans – family can be the most intimate and supportive unit we have, whether in times of celebration or crisis.

  Speakers from the Department of Veterans Affairs, DoD Yellow Ribbon Program and the Department of Family Science at the University of Maryland will present valuable information to equip families to cope with some of the common stressors during all stages of the deployment cycle to include reunion.

  Categories: Families, Training, Psychological Health   |   Comments (4)

• Real Warriors Campaign Launches “Hearts of Heroes” PSAs

  Posted by DCoE Strategic Communications on November 10, 2010

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  In honor of Veterans Day, the Real Warriors Campaign will release two new video public service announcements (PSAs) featuring Medal of Honor recipients, from World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars, who talk openly about the need to seek treatment for invisible wounds. The warriors featured in the new “Hearts of Heroes” PSAs came forward to stress the importance of getting care for invisible wounds, such as combat stress, and want all servicemembers to know that they aren’t alone.

  Categories: Real Warriors Campaign/Stigma, Resources, Psychological Health   |   Comments (1)