Bridgeport to Baghdad: Citizen Again
Jeremy Harrison, a sergeant in the 459th experienced post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after returning from Iraq.
By Chip Hitchcock
June 8, 2009 · One West Virginia veteran of the Iraq War struggled to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder, and now helps other veterans live with their memories of war.
On a rainy afternoon five years ago, the 459th Reserve Engineering Company’s buses pulled into the armory in Bridgeport, West Virginia. They were returning from a year in Iraq.
On one bus, a soldier called out, “Welcome Home, Gentlemen! Can I get a Hoo-Ah?”
The other soldiers responded with the Army yell: “Hoo-ah!”
Minutes later they spilled out onto the parking lot, to be embraced by family and friends.
In the years since, that scene has been repeated for almost every West Virginia National Guard and Reserve unit. Afterwards, the soldiers face the challenges of adjusting to home.
Every combat veteran has a different reaction to the trauma of war. Those reactions may dramatically affect their civilian life.
In 2007, a Department of Defense Task Force found that three to four months after returning home, one-third of regular Army soldiers were experiencing mental health issues.
The figure is even higher -- one-half -- for National Guard and Reservists.
go here for more
http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=9954
Showing posts with label West Virginia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label West Virginia. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
2,500 motorcyclists ride for VA center
2,500 motorcyclists ride for VA center
By JENNIFER FITCH
June 7, 2009
waynesboro@herald-mail.com
GREENCASTLE, Pa. — Greencastle residents tailgated and set up folding chairs on the sidewalk for the 19th annual Operation God Bless America motorcycle ride, which attracted 2,500 motorcyclists in support of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Martinsburg, W.Va.
Don Gordon of Mercersburg, Pa., has ridden in the massive line of motorcycles every year since 1991. He said he rides in memory of his late uncle, who was unable to use veterans resources during an illness because his military records were lost.
“It’s a gathering of like-minded people for a worthy cause. The more money raised and people that are aware of these issues, the better chance they have of getting the resources they need,” said Gordon, who rode a Harley-Davidson Softail.
Approximately $62,000 was raised Sunday, according to steering committee member Mary Ann Davenport.
go here for more
http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=224549&format=html
By JENNIFER FITCH
June 7, 2009
waynesboro@herald-mail.com
GREENCASTLE, Pa. — Greencastle residents tailgated and set up folding chairs on the sidewalk for the 19th annual Operation God Bless America motorcycle ride, which attracted 2,500 motorcyclists in support of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Martinsburg, W.Va.
Don Gordon of Mercersburg, Pa., has ridden in the massive line of motorcycles every year since 1991. He said he rides in memory of his late uncle, who was unable to use veterans resources during an illness because his military records were lost.
“It’s a gathering of like-minded people for a worthy cause. The more money raised and people that are aware of these issues, the better chance they have of getting the resources they need,” said Gordon, who rode a Harley-Davidson Softail.
Approximately $62,000 was raised Sunday, according to steering committee member Mary Ann Davenport.
go here for more
http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=224549&format=html
Monday, March 2, 2009
West Virginia National Guards need to know now!
If you served in Iraq or know someone that did, you need to pay attention to this.
W. Va. seeks ex-guardsmen for health screening
By John Raby - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Mar 2, 2009 17:11:21 EST
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia National Guard is still trying to locate about 25 troops who may have been exposed six years ago to a toxic chemical at an Iraqi water treatment plant, a Guard spokesman said Monday.
The Guard was notified in November that as many as 150 members were in the Basra area and were potentially exposed to hexavalent chromium in 2003. Lt. Col. Mike Cadle said that number has since been narrowed to about 125.
About one-third of the troops are still with the Guard and contacting them was simple. But those no longer active members aren’t required to maintain contact and Cadle says efforts to reach them have proven difficult.
The Guard wants the soldiers to get health screenings through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“We want people to know. That’s the goal, whether they were exposed long term, short term,” Cadle said. “We just want people to know there’s a potential and that they should get the appropriate assessment at the VA. Whether the outcome is somebody has an illness related to this or not, it’s not the point.”
click link for more
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
When it comes to PTSD, it's time to reach outside of the box
I'm beginning to wonder if there is any possible way to get the elected officials to start working out of the box? Is it that hard to look beyond the usual places when it is clear the usual places have yet to come up with any answers?
If you go to YouTube video, type in PTSD in the search field, several of mine are on the first two pages. If you go to Google, again with PTSD in the search field, you find mind yet again. While Google video has had numerous problems with hit counts in the past, a few months ago, they seem to have corrected their problem.
There are more, but you get the idea.
With that in mind consider that if the veterans were getting what they need from the military and the VA, would they ever need to watch videos like mine or any of the others? I'm not a professional video creator. I taught myself how to do them two years ago. There is another version of Wounded Minds, the first one I made and last time I had a look at the counts on that one it was well over 10,000. That video was not very good because of the colors I used and the slides moved too fast to read them.
What I'm getting to is this simple fact. There are people like me all over the country the DOD and the VA will not use to help. To them, living with it everyday in our own homes, is not good enough. I've been doing outreach work for 26 years and 15 years of that has been online. My husband is a Vietnam vet with PTSD so I take all of this very seriously. I track it across the country and around the globe. Do any of the people acceptable to the VA and the DOD do that? I'm not saying they are not committed to what they do and they are trained to do what I cannot do, which is to diagnose and treat the veteran, but I am experienced and trained in getting them to understand what PTSD is. They also spend most of their time working with the veterans. They don't have time to do what I do. Most of them have no idea what the Montana National Guard is doing because of the suicide of Chris Dana or the fact they came up with a program so wonderful that President Elect Obama wants to replicate it across the nation. When he was campaigning, he went there without much media attention and found out exactly what they were doing. Yet if you ask a National Guard unit in another part of the country, they have no idea what is being done there.
I am a licensed, insured, certified and ordained Chaplain with the International Fellowship of Chaplains. We are good enough to work in any crisis with victims, emergency responders, but apparently we are not good enough to work in the crisis the VA and the DOD has on their hands with these veterans trying to keep their heads above water without drowning in misery. The VA won't use me as a Chaplain because I don't have a degree. The DOD ignores me even though I passed a test on Military Cultural Competence. I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to self-promoting, I'm not very good at it. I spend too much time researching and posting, plus making the videos to ever really understand how to do it right. While I have made a lot of phone calls, I get thanks but no thanks. So when do they work outside the box and start looking at what the veterans need that they are not doing?
The National Guards and Reservists have a bigger problem because they go back to their communities, isolated from the people who understand what they are going thru. Why aren't the armories having every single educator come in and do presentations so these civilian warriors can find what they need? Why not do it for the families as well? We've all heard how there are not enough acceptable people to go around the country, so why not use people who are trained to do what the others cannot? If the goal is to get as many as possible into treatment, then educating them should be one of the top priorities and mobilize every resource available but they don't.
The commanders can only do what they are allowed to do. The elected officials and the brass make the rules. It's time for them to either change the rules or work around them especially when the lives of these veterans are on the line.
Senior Chaplain Kathie "Costos" DiCesare
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/
www.youtube.com/NamGuardianAngel
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
If you go to YouTube video, type in PTSD in the search field, several of mine are on the first two pages. If you go to Google, again with PTSD in the search field, you find mind yet again. While Google video has had numerous problems with hit counts in the past, a few months ago, they seem to have corrected their problem.
PTSD I Grieve08:40
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 1,262
PTSD After Trauma
04:44
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 2,457
The Voice Women At War
09:49
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 1,040
Women At War
08:02
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 10,744
Coming Out Of The Dark Of PTSD
04:25
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 1,277
Hero After War
08:27
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 5,227
Nam Nights Of PTSD Still 08:33
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 2,499
Wounded Minds is a fairly long video, 28 minutes, and is only on Google because of the length.
Wounded Minds PTSD and Veterans
Mar 15, 2006
2819 views (The hits before the problem with Google was fixed were over 8,000)
83 downloads
There are more, but you get the idea.
With that in mind consider that if the veterans were getting what they need from the military and the VA, would they ever need to watch videos like mine or any of the others? I'm not a professional video creator. I taught myself how to do them two years ago. There is another version of Wounded Minds, the first one I made and last time I had a look at the counts on that one it was well over 10,000. That video was not very good because of the colors I used and the slides moved too fast to read them.
What I'm getting to is this simple fact. There are people like me all over the country the DOD and the VA will not use to help. To them, living with it everyday in our own homes, is not good enough. I've been doing outreach work for 26 years and 15 years of that has been online. My husband is a Vietnam vet with PTSD so I take all of this very seriously. I track it across the country and around the globe. Do any of the people acceptable to the VA and the DOD do that? I'm not saying they are not committed to what they do and they are trained to do what I cannot do, which is to diagnose and treat the veteran, but I am experienced and trained in getting them to understand what PTSD is. They also spend most of their time working with the veterans. They don't have time to do what I do. Most of them have no idea what the Montana National Guard is doing because of the suicide of Chris Dana or the fact they came up with a program so wonderful that President Elect Obama wants to replicate it across the nation. When he was campaigning, he went there without much media attention and found out exactly what they were doing. Yet if you ask a National Guard unit in another part of the country, they have no idea what is being done there.
I am a licensed, insured, certified and ordained Chaplain with the International Fellowship of Chaplains. We are good enough to work in any crisis with victims, emergency responders, but apparently we are not good enough to work in the crisis the VA and the DOD has on their hands with these veterans trying to keep their heads above water without drowning in misery. The VA won't use me as a Chaplain because I don't have a degree. The DOD ignores me even though I passed a test on Military Cultural Competence. I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to self-promoting, I'm not very good at it. I spend too much time researching and posting, plus making the videos to ever really understand how to do it right. While I have made a lot of phone calls, I get thanks but no thanks. So when do they work outside the box and start looking at what the veterans need that they are not doing?
The National Guards and Reservists have a bigger problem because they go back to their communities, isolated from the people who understand what they are going thru. Why aren't the armories having every single educator come in and do presentations so these civilian warriors can find what they need? Why not do it for the families as well? We've all heard how there are not enough acceptable people to go around the country, so why not use people who are trained to do what the others cannot? If the goal is to get as many as possible into treatment, then educating them should be one of the top priorities and mobilize every resource available but they don't.
The commanders can only do what they are allowed to do. The elected officials and the brass make the rules. It's time for them to either change the rules or work around them especially when the lives of these veterans are on the line.
Senior Chaplain Kathie "Costos" DiCesare
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/
www.youtube.com/NamGuardianAngel
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
W.Va. National Guard social worker seeks assistance for returning vets
By Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald reporter
CHARLESTON — Unaware help is available, or reluctant to seek it in deference to the stigma society attaches to mental disorders, many war-weary veterans are self-medicating and abusing alcohol, or getting flawed diagnoses, lawmakers learned Monday.
In some instances, says Lt. Suzanne Jenkins, a social worker for the West Virginia National Guard, soldiers are using a relative’s medicine and mixing in alcohol in search of immediate relief.
“When they get to me, I have not only to deal with the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but also their substance abuses.”
Jenkins provided the Legislature’s Select Committee B on Veterans Issues with a list of recommendations that would potentially put more returning troops under medical care.
One need is to get services advertised, which, by federal law, she explained, the Veterans Administration is barred from doing.
“What I have found when I’m talking to National Guard soldiers is they are not aware of exactly what the five-year window means,” Jenkins said, emphasizing it’s a five-year limit to seek help.
Failure to take advantage of the time limit means the soldier afterward cannot even get an appointment at the VA.
A recent survey commissioned by the panel, co-chaired by Delegate Barbara Fleischauer and Sen. Jon Blair Hunter, both D-Monongalia, found that one-third of returnees are not applying for services.
“If you get seen by that one provider, you can keep that benefit going,” Jenkins said of the five-year window.
go here for more
http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_322212503.html
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Rural West Virginia Vets have higher rate of trauma risk
Study: Rural W.Va. vets at higher trauma risk
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Nov 11, 2008 9:37:31 EST
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A new study shows that rural West Virginia veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than their urban counterparts.
The analysis is based on the ongoing West Virginia Returning Soldiers Study, which has surveyed more than 930 veterans.
The study shows that about 56 percent of returning soldiers from rural counties suffer from post-traumatic distress and other mental health problems, compared to 32 percent of soldiers in urban areas and 34 percent of those living on out-of-state military bases.
Rural veterans are also at greater risk for suicide.
Hilda Heady, a rural health specialist at West Virginia University, says part of the problem is a lack of mental health care facilities in rural areas.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_wvruralvets_111108/
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Nov 11, 2008 9:37:31 EST
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A new study shows that rural West Virginia veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than their urban counterparts.
The analysis is based on the ongoing West Virginia Returning Soldiers Study, which has surveyed more than 930 veterans.
The study shows that about 56 percent of returning soldiers from rural counties suffer from post-traumatic distress and other mental health problems, compared to 32 percent of soldiers in urban areas and 34 percent of those living on out-of-state military bases.
Rural veterans are also at greater risk for suicide.
Hilda Heady, a rural health specialist at West Virginia University, says part of the problem is a lack of mental health care facilities in rural areas.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_wvruralvets_111108/
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Female Veterans statue on hold because of pants?
Impasse threat shadows female veteran statue
By Lawrence Messina - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Sep 7, 2008 16:31:42 EDT
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — To artist Joe Mullins, recent history appears ready to repeat itself.
Mullins was hired nearly 10 years ago to sculpt a statue to honor West Virginia’s female veterans. But a fight over the design all but derailed the project five years ago.
Mullins now worries that a new attempt to complete the memorial is headed toward the same fate.
The Division of Culture and History has refused to fill its two seats on a new, 13-member committee assigned to assess the project and find it a permanent home.
Mullins says that could leave the committee dominated by older veterans who dislike his statue, which was developed and approved by a different committee at the beginning of the decade. These critics have argued that the statue is too masculine, and should be wearing a skirt instead of fatigue pants.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/ap_veterans_statue_090708/
By Lawrence Messina - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Sep 7, 2008 16:31:42 EDT
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — To artist Joe Mullins, recent history appears ready to repeat itself.
Mullins was hired nearly 10 years ago to sculpt a statue to honor West Virginia’s female veterans. But a fight over the design all but derailed the project five years ago.
Mullins now worries that a new attempt to complete the memorial is headed toward the same fate.
The Division of Culture and History has refused to fill its two seats on a new, 13-member committee assigned to assess the project and find it a permanent home.
Mullins says that could leave the committee dominated by older veterans who dislike his statue, which was developed and approved by a different committee at the beginning of the decade. These critics have argued that the statue is too masculine, and should be wearing a skirt instead of fatigue pants.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/ap_veterans_statue_090708/
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
VA press release about mobile health care
Recent VA News Releases
To view and download VA news release, please visit the following Internet address: http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel
VA Mobile Health Care Clinics Reach Rural Veterans Service Coming to 24 Counties in Six States
WASHINGTON (Aug. 27, 2008) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) isrolling out four new mobile health clinics outfitted to bring primarycare and mental health services closer to veterans in 24 predominatelyrural counties, where patients must travel long distances to visit theirnearest VA medical center or outpatient clinic."VA is committed to providing primary care and mental health care forveterans in rural areas," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. JamesB. Peake.
"Health care should be based upon the needs of patients, nottheir ability to travel to a clinic or medical center."The pilot project is called Rural Mobile Health Care Clinics. It features a recreational-type vehicle equipped to be a rolling primarycare and mental health clinic.
VA is currently in the process of procuring and outfitting the vehicles,and officials expect the mobile clinics to be operational by early 2009.
Rural areas in Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming will share a single mobilevan, while Maine, Washington state and West Virginia will each have a VAmobile van.
The clinics are planned to serve:
* Colorado: Larimer, Jackson, Logan, and Weld counties;
* Maine: Franklin, Somerset and Piscataquis counties;
* Nebraska: Cheyenne, Kimball, and Scottsbluff counties;
* Washington state: Greys Harbor, Mason, and Lewis;
* West Virginia: Preston, Randolph, Upshur, Wetzel, Roane, andTaylor counties; and,
* Wyoming: Albany, Carbon, Goshen, and Platte counties.
Factors considered in the selection of the participating sites includeda need for improved access in the area, the degree to which clinics willexpand services and collaborations with communities the clinics serve.
To view and download VA news release, please visit the following Internet address: http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel
VA Mobile Health Care Clinics Reach Rural Veterans Service Coming to 24 Counties in Six States
WASHINGTON (Aug. 27, 2008) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) isrolling out four new mobile health clinics outfitted to bring primarycare and mental health services closer to veterans in 24 predominatelyrural counties, where patients must travel long distances to visit theirnearest VA medical center or outpatient clinic."VA is committed to providing primary care and mental health care forveterans in rural areas," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. JamesB. Peake.
"Health care should be based upon the needs of patients, nottheir ability to travel to a clinic or medical center."The pilot project is called Rural Mobile Health Care Clinics. It features a recreational-type vehicle equipped to be a rolling primarycare and mental health clinic.
VA is currently in the process of procuring and outfitting the vehicles,and officials expect the mobile clinics to be operational by early 2009.
Rural areas in Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming will share a single mobilevan, while Maine, Washington state and West Virginia will each have a VAmobile van.
The clinics are planned to serve:
* Colorado: Larimer, Jackson, Logan, and Weld counties;
* Maine: Franklin, Somerset and Piscataquis counties;
* Nebraska: Cheyenne, Kimball, and Scottsbluff counties;
* Washington state: Greys Harbor, Mason, and Lewis;
* West Virginia: Preston, Randolph, Upshur, Wetzel, Roane, andTaylor counties; and,
* Wyoming: Albany, Carbon, Goshen, and Platte counties.
Factors considered in the selection of the participating sites includeda need for improved access in the area, the degree to which clinics willexpand services and collaborations with communities the clinics serve.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
West Virginia talks to congress about citizen soldiers and PTSD
WV doctor testifies to Congress about PTSD
By Scott Finn
Listen Now (3:37 )
July 24, 2008
The war in Iraq has raged for five years – the war in Afghanistan even longer. And more than ever before, the battles are being fought, not just by full-time, active duty military, but by the National Guard and Reserves.
On Thursday, a researcher from West Virginia University testified to Congress about the impact on these citizen-soldiers. They have high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, especially in rural areas. But almost half of the veterans who need help aren’t getting it.
Dr. Joseph Scotti told the Senate Veterans Affairs committee about a survey of hundreds of West Virginia guard members, sponsored by the state Legislature.
He discovered that members of the National Guard experienced the horrors of war just as much as full-time soldiers, sailors and marines.
"In West Virginia, the members of the National Guard and Reserve had experienced as much combat exposure as active duty personnel, Scott says. "So they were right up there on the front lines, experiencing as much in terms of witnessing death and experiencing danger."
Despite that, they receive less preparation and less support when they return.
"These are our citizen soldiers," he says. "With a short notice, they are put through an intensive training and sent to a war zone. And then, with almost equally short notice, brought home and given a couple of days to decompress, and sent right back to their families and jobs. We know from the past, like the Vietnam War, that doesn’t work very well."
In the survey, veterans answered questions about their mental state, and Scotti and other researchers scored them. More than one-third had post-traumatic stress disorder, and almost half scored high on either PTSD or depression.
go here for more
http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=3630
By Scott Finn
Listen Now (3:37 )
July 24, 2008
The war in Iraq has raged for five years – the war in Afghanistan even longer. And more than ever before, the battles are being fought, not just by full-time, active duty military, but by the National Guard and Reserves.
On Thursday, a researcher from West Virginia University testified to Congress about the impact on these citizen-soldiers. They have high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, especially in rural areas. But almost half of the veterans who need help aren’t getting it.
Dr. Joseph Scotti told the Senate Veterans Affairs committee about a survey of hundreds of West Virginia guard members, sponsored by the state Legislature.
He discovered that members of the National Guard experienced the horrors of war just as much as full-time soldiers, sailors and marines.
"In West Virginia, the members of the National Guard and Reserve had experienced as much combat exposure as active duty personnel, Scott says. "So they were right up there on the front lines, experiencing as much in terms of witnessing death and experiencing danger."
Despite that, they receive less preparation and less support when they return.
"These are our citizen soldiers," he says. "With a short notice, they are put through an intensive training and sent to a war zone. And then, with almost equally short notice, brought home and given a couple of days to decompress, and sent right back to their families and jobs. We know from the past, like the Vietnam War, that doesn’t work very well."
In the survey, veterans answered questions about their mental state, and Scotti and other researchers scored them. More than one-third had post-traumatic stress disorder, and almost half scored high on either PTSD or depression.
go here for more
http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=3630
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Gov. Joe Manchin, taking the lead taking care of veterans
Helping Afghanistan, Iraq veterans cope theme of conference
By Bill Byrd
Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT — Helping the state’s Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans — and their families — cope with readjustment issues, including care for those with traumatic brain injuries, is the theme of a conference this week in Charleston.
Speakers will discuss issues such as financial counseling, addictive behaviors, suicide prevention, treatment for those with traumatic brain injuries, women in the military, and post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, said the Rev. Ricardo Flippin, a conference organizer.
Flippin is the coordinator of the “Care-Net: Beyond the Yellow Ribbon” program, sponsored by the West Virginia Council of Churches.
Gov. Joe Manchin, one of the leaders in the effort to help the state’s veterans, including those on active duty, will open the conference Wednesday morning. The June 4-5 event at the Charleston Civic Center will consist of workshops and panel discussions. The conference is free and open to the public.
“We want to assure all veterans and their families have the same resources available to them no matter where they live in the state,” Manchin said.
“The Care-Net conference is an opportunity to network and learn about programs, agencies and systems that offer assistance to military members and their families,” he said in a statement.
“We hope to highlight our strong assistance programs and outline our weaknesses so we can learn how to provide the best services and assistance through a combined effort,” the governor said.
Manchin and state lawmakers have been working since early last year and the disclosure of neglect in the care of seriously wounded soldiers to make sure active duty members and veterans of all wars get the services and help they need.
go here for more
http://www.timeswv.com/intodayspaper/local_story_153003504.html
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
High numbers of West Virginia PTSD veterans
High number of WV war vets return home with PTSD, depression
By Emily Corio
Last year, West Virginia lawmakers wanted to know how veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan were adjusting to life at home. They commissioned a study to survey these veterans about their mental health, home-life and work. So far, the results show a troubling trend.
Click here for audio
Click here to read story
Heady: Unless the primary care doctor, let’s say five years out, thinks to ask ‘Hey, did you, are you a veteran? Were you in Iraq? Did you see combat?’ Until we can understand all of those kinds of features and make sure that people are trained for that---to ask for it, to look for it, then that gives us a whole other picture to know what this, how to advise this person, how to help them, where to refer them, all of those kinds of things.
If the DOD and the VA did a better job of getting the troops and veterans to understand what PTSD is, they would not have to wait until they go to a private doctor later and take their chances the doctor would be aware of what to ask the veteran about. This is ridiculous!
Are they not doing more outreach work on purpose hoping more don't show up to seek treatment for their wounds and reduce the budget? I know it sounds like a conspiracy but given the fact PTSD has been well known under different names since the beginning of recorded history, you'd think everyone would know what it is, but they don't. I still get emails from veterans and their families trying to understand this. You would also think that since the Vietnam veterans rate of PTSD and astronomical numbers following Korean veterans and WWII veterans, they would have used all these years to be pro-active in addressing this. Then you would also have to think that if it was about saving a buck here and there, they would take advantage of early intervention to make sure that PTSD was stopped from getting worse before they became chronic and before their lives were destroyed to the point they could not work, saw their families fall apart and end up homeless. But, you must be among those who still think that when the administration claims they take care of the wounded, they actually do. We know what works and they are not doing it!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Second West Virginia State Trooper Commits Suicide
Gall is the second State Police officer to commit an apparent suicide in the past year. Marlo Gonzales, a 13-year veteran of the force, shot himself in July with his service weapon inside his police cruiser while outside his father-in-law's house, police said.
February 14, 2008
Police believe trooper death was suicide
A West Virginia State Police corporal was found dead Tuesday in an apparent suicide, shortly after his gun and badge were taken and he was notified that he was the subject of an internal investigation.
By Gary Harki
Staff writer
A West Virginia State Police corporal was found dead Tuesday in an apparent suicide, shortly after his gun and badge were taken and he was notified that he was the subject of an internal investigation.
Cpl. V.J. Gall, 46, was found dead of a gunshot wound on the back porch of his home, said Joe Thornton, spokesman for the state Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety.
Gall was relieved of duty at about 6 p.m. Tuesday and told he would be placed on administrative leave on Wednesday, Thornton said.
Gall .. After Gall was notified of the internal investigation, "his service revolver and badge were taken," Thornton said. "Not a whole lot occurred after that. Apparently he left."
Troopers at the detachment were soon called out on an unrelated incident, Thornton said.
go here for the rest
http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/200802130783
February 14, 2008
Police believe trooper death was suicide
A West Virginia State Police corporal was found dead Tuesday in an apparent suicide, shortly after his gun and badge were taken and he was notified that he was the subject of an internal investigation.
By Gary Harki
Staff writer
A West Virginia State Police corporal was found dead Tuesday in an apparent suicide, shortly after his gun and badge were taken and he was notified that he was the subject of an internal investigation.
Cpl. V.J. Gall, 46, was found dead of a gunshot wound on the back porch of his home, said Joe Thornton, spokesman for the state Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety.
Gall was relieved of duty at about 6 p.m. Tuesday and told he would be placed on administrative leave on Wednesday, Thornton said.
Gall .. After Gall was notified of the internal investigation, "his service revolver and badge were taken," Thornton said. "Not a whole lot occurred after that. Apparently he left."
Troopers at the detachment were soon called out on an unrelated incident, Thornton said.
go here for the rest
http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/200802130783
Saturday, November 10, 2007
West Virginia VA
West Virginia
41 funded beds
357 homeless veterans
http://www.nchv.org/page.cfm?id=81
Taking a look at what they say and what they do.
41 funded beds
357 homeless veterans
http://www.nchv.org/page.cfm?id=81
Benefits available to veterans, their families
By Katie Wilson
Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT — Veterans and their families have many opportunities for different kinds of help.
Different benefits are available through the state and federal government as well as various online support groups.
“We are blessed in this state to have a real strong VA presence,” David Allen, acting director of the Veterans Administration Huntington Regional Office, said.
Just for starters, the state has four medical centers in Beckley, Clarksburg, Huntington and Martinsburg, as well as seven veteran centers, a national cemetery and a veterans home in Barboursville, Allen said. Each of the medical centers and veterans centers have satellite offices, which bring veteran care and benefits to those who have served and their families in every part of the state.
Allen said all the state and federal veterans officials work together, which ultimately benefits the veterans. A VA representative can pick up the telephone and call other organizations to benefit their veterans, he said. If someone is in a real hardship situation, such as terminal illness, a dire emotional state or if they’re homeless, the veterans organizations can provide help.
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http://www.timeswv.com/intodayspaper/local_story_315030355.html
Taking a look at what they say and what they do.
West Virginia VA
VA spent more than $912 million in West Virginia in 2006 to serve about 182,000 veterans who live in the state. That same year, 32,555 veterans and survivors received disability compensation, dependency and indemnity compensation, or pension payments in West Virginia. VA provided 4,778 veterans, reservists or survivors education benefits through the GI Bill; 10,120 owned homes with active VA home loan guarantees originally valued at $297 million. West Virginia veterans held nearly 9,000 VA life insurance policies worth $97 million. In 2006, 224 were interred in West Virginia’s national cemeteries.
In West Virginia, VA operates medical centers at Beckley, Clarksburg, Huntington and Martinsburg.In 2006, the Martinsburg medical center had 336,814 outpatient visits and 4,726 inpatient admissions.
Beckley had 145,787 outpatient visits and 1,571 admissions.
Huntington had 293,359 outpatient visits and 4,459 inpatient admissions.
Clarksburg had 207,669 outpatient visits and 3,820 inpatient admissions. Clarksburg also admitted 191 to its nursing home.
A full range of medical services is provided to West Virginia’s veterans, including acute medical, surgical, psychiatric and nursing home care. Specialty units at most medical centers offer veterans rehabilitative medicine, prosthetics and sensory aids, spinal cord injury care, women's health clinics, mental health and substance abuse clinics, urology and post-traumatic stress disorder counseling.
Additionally, outpatient clinics throughout the state serve veterans in rural areas such as Tucker, Wood, and Braxton counties, and at Charleston, Franklin, Williamson, and Petersburg.
The Martinsburg medical center provides inpatient psychiatric care and a residential therapeutic program for veterans who completed inpatient post-traumatic stress disorder treatment. Martinsburg also offers a center for addiction treatment and a brain injury rehabilitation unit. In addition to general medical care, the Beckley, Huntington and Martinsburg medical centers use telepathology, telemedicine and telepsychiatry services to provide care to veterans closer to home. Clarksburg uses telepsychiatry at its outpatient clinics in Wood and Tucker counties. Martinsburg offers telepsychiatry at the outpatient clinic in Cumberland, Md.
Each of the medical facilities is affiliated with at least one major university, including West Virginia University and Medical School, Mountain State University, Bluefield State College, Radford University, Marshall University's Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, and the Pikeville, Ky., School of Osteopathic Medicine and The George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. West Virginia VA provides training for hundreds of medical students each year in nursing, dentistry, dietetics, audiology and speech pathology, medical technology, radiation technology, pharmacy, podiatry, psychiatry and social work. Through West Virginia's Rural Health Education Consortium, medical and dental students, along with pharmacy and physician assistant students, rotate annually through the Martinsburg medical center.
The Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense are working together to seamlessly transfer the health care of returning service members from military treatment facilities to VA health care facilities. The purpose of this initiative is to assist service members who were injured or became ill during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Although this initiative pertains primarily to OIF and OEF, transition to VA health care is available for service members returning from other assignments.
In West Virginia, more than 3,300 active duty service members and veterans of the Global War on Terror have sought VA health care. Many veterans from the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan have visited VA counseling centers in Beckley, Charleston, Huntington, Logan, Martinsburg, Morgantown, Princeton and Wheeling. These community-based Vet Centers serve as an important resource for veterans who, once home, often seek out fellow veterans for advice or help transitioning back to civilian life.
Programs to assist homeless veterans in West Virginia are extensive and reach all areas of the state. VA domiciliary staffs make sure veterans receive a supportive, therapeutic residential rehabilitation program that addresses the multi-faceted needs of the homeless by providing comprehensive clinical and vocational services. Outplacement and aftercare are also offered. The Martinsburg, Huntington, Beckley and Clarksburg medical centers have homeless outreach social workers who routinely screen and counsel homeless veterans. During the past several years, West Virginia facilities have been a significant partner with their communities in hosting veterans' stand downs, providing medical care, clothes, sleeping bags and VA counseling.
http://www1.va.gov/opa/fact/statesum/wvss.asp
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Suicide, is something we can live without
Suicide: ‘People think it’s a choice’
West Virginia has eighth-highest rate in country
By Mary Wade Burnside
Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT — Rebecca Wells saw her husband transform from a motivated business executive who enjoyed working out to someone overcome by depression, which ran in his family.
He sought counseling, took medication and even tried shock therapy. But one day in March 2006, the Huntington man told his wife he was going out of town. Instead, he went to a nearby lake and killed himself. Authorities found him just after Wells filed a missing person report.
“I have days that I have anger, but I’m not angry at him,” she said. “I watched him struggle to get out of bed and I watched him cry.
“What really makes me angry is when people think it’s a choice. He didn’t go through what he did because he wanted to.”
Because Wells wants to spread the word about suicide, she has become a bit of an activist. She has organized a walk called “Out of the Darkness” that will take place Oct. 6 in Ritter Park in Huntington, and she also joined the board of the Morgantown-based West Virginia Council for the Prevention of Suicide.
Bob Musick, executive director of the council, which he runs from his office at Valley Healthcare System in Morgantown, began the group in 2001 to reach out statewide to help people, both those considering suicide and those who have experienced the self-imposed death of a loved one.
West Virginia, he noted, has the eighth-highest suicide rate per capita of all 50 states, he noted. Alaska ranks No. 1.
“One reason is we rank high in guns in the home,” Musick said. “We also rank high in rural areas and we rank high in the number of senior citizens. Each one adds on to it.”
To commemorate National Suicide Prevention Week, which takes place Sept. 9-15, the council will begin a Suicide Survivors Group, which will meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at Valley Healthcare System, 301 Scott Ave., Morgantown.
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Luke 10
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? How readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt alive.
29 But he, willing to ajustify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise
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