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WACO, TX (KXXV) -The Central Texas Veterans Health Care System hosted a mental health summit at the Doris Miller Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Friday.
The event drew almost 100 people, including members of groups helping veterans. During the summit, several topics were discussed, including military sexual trauma, which is a term that includes sexual assault and sexual harassment during his or her military service. Psychologist Residential Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Susan Matlock-Hetzel gave a presentation about this topic, which she said is underreported. "We know one in five women in the military report a sexual assault. We know 1 in 100 men so we know is common. We know it's underreported and we want our veterans to know we are not alone,” Matlock-Hetzel said. She said each VA hospital has a military sexual trauma coordinator and resources available for victims. "We have physical health providers, we have mental health providers that will help them with what they're experiencing current day and to be able to recover them from those experiences. Whether that would be physical or mental and it’s all free of charge,” Matlock-Hetzel said. Clinical Psychologist and Local Recovery Coordinator Dr. Melissa Switzer said this is the first time the topic has been discussed at this event. “It’s something that it had been taboo to talk about and as more females are entering military service. We are seeing more experiences of military sexual trauma, which could include sexual harassment as well,” Dr. Switzer said. The summit aims to bring community members and the VA together to improve mental health services to veterans and family members. National Alliance on Mental Illness Executive Director Cynthia Cunningham said knowing about other services provided will help her give veterans and their families more resources. "So many of us offer mental health services but we get busy in our offices that we don't know what the other one does. Wonderful opportunity for the community to come together and learn what each other is doing,” Cunningham said. Some of the topics that will be discussed include the Veteran's Justice Outreach Program. Rep. Bill Flores attended part of the summit. There will be another summit at the Temple VA on Sept. 7. Copyright 2017 KXXV. All rights reserved. Friday, August 18th 2017, 11:26 am By Estephany Escobar, Reporter Woodland Hills, CA – August 18, 2017 – Habitat for Humanity San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys (SF/SCV) is honored to announce it has received a grant from the Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) for $25,000 which will fund trauma-informed workshops to help low-income veterans and their families address and cope with their invisible wounds of war such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), Secondary Trauma, and more.
“This generous grant provided by the Disabled Veterans National Foundation will make a huge difference in the wellness of disabled veterans and their families,” said Donna Deutchman, President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity SF/SCV and Homes 4 Families. “We are proud that an organization that recognizes the long-term effects that military service has on veterans sees value in trauma-informed and wraparound programming.” Joseph VanFonda (USMC Sgt.Maj. Ret.), CEO of the Disabled Veterans National Foundation said, “One of DVNF’s priorities is to help veterans overcome the invisible wounds of war. It is our honor to work with Habitat for Humanity, and we are thrilled that they are offering such an important program for our veterans.” The low-income veterans and families benefitting from this grant are part of the Homes 4 Families™ Veteran Enriched Neighborhood® program, which provides low-income veterans and their families with a homeownership opportunity along with self-sufficiency and resiliency training proven to move families up into the middle class. These ongoing social services and programs include financial education, leadership training, and veteran-specific trauma informed workshops to help veterans and their families overcome some military-specific challenges. Funding for veteran-specific services is extremely valuable because these services help to leverage homeownership and the full equity that our veterans earn, into a way out of the endless cycle of poverty, up the economic ladder. Disabled Veterans National Foundation exists to provide critically needed support to disabled and at-risk veterans who leave the military wounded—physically or psychologically—after defending our safety and our freedom. DVNF achieves this mission by:
Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, has introduced a bill to help survivors of military sexual assault who have been wrongly discharged by improving their access to a fair hearing, according to a press release from her office.
The bill also ensures they are not excluded from receiving disability benefits and care by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bipartisan bill, Protecting Military Honor Act of 2017, places safeguards to prevent service members from being wrongly discharged for conditions resulting from sexual trauma. For veterans, the bill improves the process of how they can seek to redress wrongful discharges, according to the release. “Our service members who have survived a sexual assault have already been through so much, I can’t imagine compounding that trauma with the damaging impact and stigma of carrying an ‘other than honorable’ discharge around for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, we’ve discovered that this has happened to tens of thousands of military veterans,” Herrera Beutler said in the release, adding the bill begins to restore justice for assault survivors who often need counseling, care and assistance.
Blumenthal introduces bill to reform military discharge process, aid survivors of sexual assault7/25/2017 WASHINGTON, CT - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation today to aid survivors of sexual assault, enhance the military records correction process, and improve military whistleblower protections. The Protecting Military Honor Act builds on years of work by Senator Blumenthal to ensure a fair discharge and appeals process for veterans, particularly those who suffered sexual trauma during their military service. A companion bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA).
“Survivors of military sexual assault should not be re-victimized by a dishonorable discharge, precluding them from veterans’ benefits and mental health services,” said Blumenthal. “Our veterans deserve justice and openness in discharge proceedings, including access to appeals processes for discharge categorization upgrades. For too long, those seeking to upgrade wrongful discharges have been hampered in their efforts to do so – a scourge that is particularly painful for survivors of military sexual assault. That is why Representative Herrera Beutler and I are introducing this bicameral, bipartisan bill to aid survivors of sexual assault, enhance the military records correction process, and improve military whistleblower protections. This legislation will enhance safeguards for our servicemembers and eliminate barriers to justice for veterans – ensuring they have the support and succor they have earned.” “Our service members who have survived a sexual assault have already been through so much, I can’t imagine compounding that trauma with the damaging impact and stigma of carrying an ‘other than honorable’ discharge around for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, we’ve discovered that this has happened to tens of thousands of military veterans,” said Herrera Beutler. “The very least we can do when someone who is willing to die for our nation has reported an assault is ensure their rights are preserved. Assault survivors in the military are much more likely to suffer from PTSD than other combat veterans; they’re more likely to need counseling, care and assistance, and the last thing our country should do is turn its back on them. We can’t undo the assaults these individuals have endured, but we can make sure that justice is on their side. This bill begins to restore that justice.” The Protecting Military Honor Act would: · Enhance the discharge review process for veterans: The legislation would clarify the processes, procedures, scope, and requirements applicable to sexual assault survivors who challenge terms or characterization of discharge on those grounds. It would also ensure veterans have meaningful access to a hearing to request a discharge upgrade, providing a greater chance of success with a personal appearance. · Strengthen considerations for sexual assault: The legislation would instruct boards to consider a broad range of “markers” of military sexual trauma, which often will not be in military records, similar to standards adopted by the VA. It would also help prevent unjust discharges by screening sexual assault survivors for mental health conditions or PTS prior to an administrative separation for a non-disability mental health condition. · Better protect servicemembers against retaliation: The legislation would align the burden of proof for military whistleblower claims to the civilian standard. · Improve oversight of the discharge review process: The legislation would create a DoD working group to develop best practices for administrative review processes. It would also enhance judicial review of incorrect or improper board decisions. In addition, it would also make decisions searchable online to give veterans a fair chance to argue their case. In June, Blumenthal secured two provisions included in the Protecting Military Honor Act in the Senate Armed Services Committee passed National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. This includes the repeal of the 15-year statute of limitations on requests for review of veterans’ discharge status – enabling all veterans to bring their case before the Discharge Review Boards for an in-person hearing where they can be considered for a discharge characterization upgrade. The second provision included in the NDAA requires Discharge Review Boards and Boards for the Correction of Military Records to publish information about cases in which sexual assault is alleged to have contributed to the original discharge characterization – improving the transparency of sexual assault cases. The NDAA will head to the Senate floor for consideration in the coming weeks. The Protecting Military Honor Act is supported by a number of advocacy and veterans groups, including Protect our Defenders, Swords to Plowshares, Human Rights Watch, Vietnam Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), and Veterans Legal Services Clinics, including Yale Law School. By U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal's office © Copyright by NorwalkPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of NorwalkPlus.com, Norwalk Plus magazine, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar. Photos without a credit line are "contributed photos". INDIANAPOLIS – The city of Indianapolis recently welcomed new fleet of veteran mobile care centers for those who may not have access to a traditional VA clinic.
The 20 new mobile centers provide emergency support and various forms of counseling. Indianapolis was chosen as one of 20 cities to deploy 20 new centers. Driver of one of the mobile clinics, Bill Moylan, is trying to spread the word about the services the clinic can offer the community. "When a service member goes on deployment, it's hard on them but it's just as hard on their families. So, we offer a family counseling when a loved one's away. We also do military sexual trauma, bereavement counseling, marriage counseling," he said. The 20 vehicles will be added to the existing 50 mobile centers already on the streets. The Director of the Indianapolis Vet Center Melanie Harris said a third of veterans who serve in the military do not seek help at the VA. She said the mobile centers hope to address more of the issues veterans experience, including decreasing suicide rates. Stephanie Wade In a study presented at the 40th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Denver scientists have presented a study that found that military sexual trauma (MST) among men is prevalent and that it can predict alcohol problems years later.
For those of you who are not ware, MST is defined as sexual harassment and/or sexual trauma experienced during the course of military service. MST includes uninvited or unwanted verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature, such as attention, verbal remarks, touching, sexual coercion, sexual assault, and rape. It happens to both men and women, and can have not only mental and physical but also behavioural health consequences such as substance use/abuse. Recent findings were shared at the 40th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Denver. According to Jennifer Fillo from The State University of New York at Buffalo, while studies of such kind are predominantly focused on women it has been found that men are the victims of approximately 60 percent of annual sexual assaults in the military and despite that much less is understood about the nature and consequences of MST for men. Researchers said at the presentation that they found high prevalence of MST – more than 16 percent of male Reserve and National Guard service members during the most recent deployment. Findings indicated that there is an association between MST and a more than three times greater odds of alcohol problems years after it occurs. Researchers stressed that it is important for the public to understand that MST is serious issue for both women and men, and has long-term mental, physical and behavioural health implications. Currently, two thirds of men fail to report sexual assault experienced during their military career. Effective treatments exist, but people won’t get treatment if they are too afraid or ashamed to report the events to anyone, scientists said. By Olivia Tucker - July 10, 2017 Kathleen resident Margaret Flowers is bringing together Genesis Joy House, a location and organization to help women who served in the military.
Residence: Kathleen Occupation: Executive director/founder, Genesis Joy House Q: What stage are you at in opening the Genesis Joy House? A: We’re shooting for December, so the end of this year. Will we make it? I’m not saying it’s absolutely going to be open but if we get the volunteers and help we need that’s what we’re after. It can happen. Q: Can you explain the mission of Genesis Joy House? A: It’s to serve and advocate for women who’ve served us, our country, through military service but find themselves homeless, displaced, disabled and needing help getting back on track. But let me say even though we’re not housing women yet it hasn’t stopped us from helping. We’re already being contacted and putting women veterans in touch with other help and services. Q: Referring them to needed services? A: That’s right. We work cooperatively now and will do the same when our facilities open. We’ll provide a place to stay, learn, get healing, get up and running and back on track, all to combat chronic homelessness and help women vets. Q: How will that look? A: Some may come because of homelessness due to losing a job, ending a relationship, getting out of an abusive situation or other life situation. They could be coming from the streets, from a VA program or even after being released from incarceration or a drug program. They’ll enter our program for 90 to 120 days and when they’re done they’ll have a job and place to live. Q: They’ll get room, board, training, counseling — all of it? A: Yes. Some training will be in-house, like life skills from basic home care, cooking and cleaning to practical finances to practical relationship issues. This isn’t a flop house. During the day they’ll be actively involved in bettering their situation. We’re already working with counselors, including professionally licensed counselors with expertise in PTSD, overcoming military sexual trauma and drug and alcohol treatment. We’ll be help them connect to needed services and opportunities to help their emotional and physical health. We have connections to area educational programs and are excited to work with the new Georgia VECTR Center at the south end of Armed Forces Boulevard. Q: And what is that? A: The Veterans Education Career Transition Resource Center and its goal is to help veterans and their families transition into the state’s public colleges, universities and workforce. Q: When did you first get the idea for Genesis Joy House? A: Probably 15 years ago. I knew my God-given purpose was to help others. I have a full-time job but have always been involved through church and other ways in service to others. It seems one way or another I always got put in charge of visiting crack neighborhoods and places others were scared to go. To me it was just never overwhelming. My awareness of homeless issues grew and I became more and more aware of the staggering number of female veterans who are homeless and how sadly underserved they are. I think it’s historic we’re the first women veteran’s homeless shelter in Houston County, an area that appreciates its veterans and active duty military. We’re not aiming at putting a bandage on the problem; we want to pull the bandage off and help with real healing and solutions. Q: When did you actively start working toward Genesis Joy House? A: January, 2011. Actually, in December, 2010, I said, “OK, I’m stepping out in faith and starting,” and we started working on paperwork, began getting charitable status — which we have — and doing the things necessary to begin, including searching for a facility. Q: Can you talk about your facility? A: It’s a real miracle, a real blessing to us and will be to others. A property was donated by an area businessman just a few blocks from Robins Air Force Base at 501 Marshall Ave. Amazingly, it has studio apartments, a separate two-story building and a house near the road. Q: How many women will you be able to house? A: Ten in the studio apartments, six in the two-story house and four in the front house, so 20. That’s the plan. Q: Assuming spaces will start filling up next year, where would you say these women are right now? A: There are different levels of homelessness, so right now some would be living with other people, not in their own home or apartment. Some are shuffling between one place and another and others are literally living on the streets or in the woods. It’s heartbreaking. Q: Literally in the woods? A: Oh, yes. It is heartbreaking. We’ve already pulled women, veterans, out of local wooded areas they’re living in and helped them find better situations. These are women who served our country. It’s sad anybody is in that sort of situation much less those who served our county. There are all kinds of reasons people end up in those circumstances but can you imagine? These vets need our help. Some women are in VA facilities and we’re also working with the VA. Q: How can people help you? A: Through volunteering to do renovation work and donating toward it. And donating toward operations. Our facilities are suited to our needs but in real disrepair, including fire damage. Restoration is dependent on volunteer workers and we can use carpenters, sheet rock people, flooring people, plumbers, electricians, HVAC people, painters, landscapers, people who do tree removal, gravel and crush run people — all these and about anybody else. Builders and contractors that can volunteer or volunteer crews as in-kind donations are really needed and appreciated. Individual help is needed. A number of area businesses are donating supplies so we mainly need people to do the work. And, of course, more donations are always needed and welcomed. Warner Robins provided a $35,000 community development block grant for asbestos abatement and removal in the two-story building. That’s a big deal. Q: How do people volunteer? A: Christina Davis schedules work and handles that and donations. She can be reached at 478-951-0202. We’re doing work most Saturdays when we can get anyone to come. It’s best to schedule it but if someone happens to drop by and we’re working they’re welcome. But call Christina, especially crews that can come work. We’ve had a lot of help from base people but not as much as we’d hoped from the community. Answers may have been edited for length and clarity. Compiled by Michael W. Pannell. Contact him at [email protected]. ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — A documentary produced by a high school student heads to the nation’s capital this weekend. Rising Asheville High senior Evan Davison helped the Buncombe County Veteran's Treatment Court produce a film on all that it has accomplished since its inception in 2015 and will be playing it at a conference.
“I can't comprehend how far out this is going to go, but it's big and I'm excited to be a part of something that's bigger than just me and our local Asheville community,” said Davison. The court has helped veterans who land in the system because of opioid or alcohol abuse by pairing them with mentors, counselors and employers. It is currently assisting 19 veterans. One has already graduated. “A majority of our clients suffer from opioid addiction and some have military sexual trauma we have to work with them on. Alcohol is another big one,” said Dr. Eric Howard. “We really work with them on a regimented treatment plan.” Veterans who complete the program have the opportunity for non-violent crimes to be expunged from their records. Resident Superior Court Judge Marvin Pope Jr. said he was inspired after seeing the conditions of veterans returning from places like Iraq. “Our veterans are so severely injured when they return from these wars. They're treated with these medications, and they are just left to fend for themselves to deal with society,” said Pope. “When they go back in, they find themselves abusing drugs and self-medicating.” He said the likelihood of convicted criminals who committed a felony to return to jail is 60 percent. That number goes down to 30 percent for convicts in drug treatment court. It decreases even more for veterans in treatment court, at just 3 percent. “It uses military training and applies that to help him resolve the problems and treat what has caused this problem,” said Pope. Organizers hope to become a model for the country and get more grant money from lawmakers at the conference this weekend. “We have a lot of support, but it takes a lot of work to build those networks and make sure we work within the community,” said Howard. “Nothing happens without community partnership.” by Tanja Rekhi A constant maze of people fill the hallways of the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, many of whom are servicemen and women returning from deployment overseas. Leaving a war zone may come as a relief for most, but the veterans returning home can find that reintegrating into society brings its own set of challenges.
The VA hospital offers a variety of care and treatment for returning soldiers, including those seeking help with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The trauma and deployment recovery clinics offer help for veterans who are struggling with PTSD. “With our clinic, we focus specifically on military-related trauma so our clinic has a very heavy emphasis on combat-related trauma but then we also do military sexual trauma,” VA hospital psychiatrist, Dr. Robert Braese said. “And then also there's a lot of traumatic things that happen that are just a part of military service and we really focus on that, too.” For veterans returning after time in a high-stress environment, certain triggers or reminders can cause anxiety or tension. "With the more recent wars that have been more urban, things like certain driving-related triggers, like being boxed in, can be difficult if your service required you to be in convoys," Braese said. Being boxed in, navigating large crowds or loud, unexpected noises are just a few examples of triggers that can cause a person with PTSD anxiety or stress. "The triggers are basically anything that serves as a cue or reminder for something traumatic you've been through," Braese said. You might also be interested in...As Congress debates Obamacare repeal, the area's most vulnerable watch nervouslyShining light: Clinic spreads hope in community, changing livesAchievers Show moreBraese said films and television often portray the most extreme cases of PTSD, not showing how most people deal with it and creating an unpleasant stereotype. "The worst misconception is always equating PTSD with violence," Braese said. "That's because you've been through something traumatic, you're potentially unhinged and ready to blow up at any point in time. And unfortunately those are the kinds of cases of PTSD that are highlighted." More than military While military personnel are commonly associated with PTSD, civilians are just as susceptible to it. The PTSD Alliance reports that about 8 percent of all adults — 1 of 13 people in the United States — will develop PTSD during their lifetime. It's also estimated that 5 percent of Americans — more than 13 million people — have PTSD at any given time. "There's a lot of folks walking around on the streets from police officers to first responders to trusted friends and neighbors that have battled with these things," Braese said. “[There are] whole types of civilian-related trauma — childhood-related trauma, assaults, accidents — so it's actually a very pervasive problem in the general population.” Because PTSD is a prevalent issue for part of the community, Oklahoma City police officers are trained on how to deal with mental illnesses and are assessed after strenuous circumstances. "The police department, since 2002, has adopted a program called the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)," OKC Police CIT Commander, Captain Jeff Pierce said. "It's a core group of officers, and there's 140 authorized slots." Officers selected go through 40 hours of CIT training to help them understand how to deal with people who have mental illnesses, including people who struggle with PTSD. The training program includes classes that are led by psychiatrists, abuse specialists, social workers and others who have experience working with people who have mental illnesses. "We get about 1,200 to 1,300 mental health calls per month," Pierce said. More than 600 officers from across the state have been trained through the program. Gaining understanding Understanding the stages of PTSD — reliving the trauma, avoidance, increased arousal and negative feelings about self-worth — can help family and friends get help for those who are struggling. "We have some programs specifically for couples and families," Braese said. "We also have some that are just for spouses and caregivers that want to come and get education on their own." Misconceptions surrounding PTSD can often discourage people from seeking treatment. "I too often see folks that come in like, ‘Oh I held off from getting help for so long cause I was afraid about what I've heard about PTSD being labeled or what I heard about the VA,'" Braese said. "A lot of folks don't seek treatment because they feel like it's a sign of weakness or a sign of a flaw in their character, and so it makes it kind of hard for people to want to raise a hand a say 'I could use some help.' " By Alyssa Sperrazza Staff Writer [email protected] Published: July 4, 2017 5:00 AM CDT |
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