Michigan Department of Corrections Officer of Year Helps With PTSD

Devoted union rep helping staff with PTSD is Corrections Officer of the Year
MLive
Danielle Salisbury
March 03, 2017

One of about 6,500 officers in Michigan and nearly 300 at the Cotton prison, she was nominated by a peer; awarded as her facility's officer of the year; and selected state-wide from a pool of five finalists.

Michigan Department of Corrections Officer Cary Johnson

JACKSON, MI - With the exception of the leave she took when her son was born seven years ago, Cary Johnson hasn't called in sick to work in 16 years.

As a representative of her union, she realizes it is important to be exemplary.

"I am making sure the union is credible by being the officer they want me to be," Johnson, 43, said this week.

A corrections officer at the G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility just outside Jackson, Johnson is a leader and mentor whose work demonstrates care and concern for the well-being of her fellow officers.

For her "integrity and dedication to public safety," Johnson has been named the state's 2017 Corrections Officer of the Year.

She began her career in 1995 and has been a union leader since 1997, currently serving as the only woman on the Michigan Corrections Organization state executive board, according to a statement released by the corrections department and the union.
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Shame Missing on Veterans Committing Suicide

Veterans continue to kill themselves. There is a lot of shame in that but not in them. It is ours to carry!

It is time to stop the bullshit, stop talking, stop writing, stop walking, pushing up, fundraising and getting publicity for what you want to do because we are only making matters worse for the veterans and families we claim we want to help. For Heaven's Sake! They still think having PTSD is something to be ashamed of!

Shame on Congress!
In 1999, when no one was talking about veterans committing suicide other than veterans and families, this chart shows there were 20 a day taking their own lives. There were over 5 million more veterans in the country. Thus, while the number of reported suicides has remained consistent, the number of veterans has been greatly reduced.

Why? For over a decade of bills being written, and funded, the result has been a higher percentage of veterans have been taking their own lives, not less. In 2007 the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act was signed into law. Ever since then, there has been an endless series of politicians writing the same bills, repeating what has failed.

Shame on Veterans Groups!
In 1978 the DAV produced a study on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The title was The Forgotten Warrior Project. This is the pamphlet they were handing out. I got a copy of it in 1993 and received a lot of comfort knowing it was not just happening to my family.

I love all these groups and belong to some of them, as I have for most of my life. Yet, as the DAV, VFW and American Legion groups complain about the lack of younger veterans joining, they have done far too little to remember what it was like when they came home. Seems there is far too much unawareness on PTSD. 

Why? Families are still searching for support and information, yet, these groups sit back and let regular folks make claims to the press about what they are doing. They allow the press to keep making the public believe that the suicides are happening only to younger veterans, while the majority of veterans committing suicide are over the age of 50. They allow Congress to continue to write bills that do not work and waste precious time instead of taking the time to know what they are dealing with before they rush to do anything that makes them feel good but leaves veterans behind. Put together groups and open it up to non-members. Prove they do matter that much to you and then maybe you'll get them to join. As long as that is not your goal and you prove you do care, any help you give them will be appreciated and will actually make a difference.

Shame on Reporters!

Why? You continue to give publicity to people doing pushups while veterans get pushed away from families and friends because they have been living under the assumption there is no hope for them. You jump on what is easy to report on, like repeating a number in a report without reading the report itself, thus perpetuating a headline as if it was correct instead of discovering what the facts really were.

Have any of you actually tried to figure out how taking a walk, doing pushups or having a group run benefits anyone other than the participants? It doesn't help veterans stay alive after surviving combat. I still wonder if any of you take this seriously enough to have noticed that fact? They did everything humanly possible to survive combat but lost hope here? How about you actually go out and interview folks about what worked for them? How about you spend some time in support groups, hearing their stories with open minds and then doing your own research about what they were talking about?

Shame on All of Us! 

 Why? If you are a family member and you decided that you were going to become the answer to save other families from going through the same anguish, great. Not so much if you only have experience in that anguish but have taken no time at all to understand what you are dealing with. If you do not want to invest the time and wait until you actually understand it, don't make it worse for the people you want to help. You are qualified to start a support group for others just like you and that is very much needed. Otherwise, remember, you are heartbreakingly an expert on what failed. Think about what would have helped you help your veteran and then learn all you can about it. It is only by becoming aware of all that comes with PTSD, the different causes, levels and types, that you will be able to begin to put together a team to respond appropriately.

You will encounter veterans in crisis and you need to know what to do, how to talk to them, and above all, who you can call to get them help as soon as possible. You need to know the difference between calling the Crisis Line, 911 and if you should ask for police or the fire department to respond, or when all you need to do is listen.   

You also need to know that once you lose a veteran you were trying to help, no matter how much you knew ahead of time, you do not recover from it.

No matter how many veterans I help, the one I lost over a decade ago is a loss I have never gotten over. My husband's nephew committed suicide because for all I knew, all the research, I did not figure out how to get him to listen. 

 

Combat PTSD Marine Master Sergeant Life Saved by Military Family

EOD MARINE BATTLES ENEMY WITHIN; CREDITS COLLEAGUES FOR SAVING HIS LIFE 
Marine Corps Systems Command
By Emily Greene 
January 6, 2017

Farmer credits the support and compassion of the two men—part of his leadership team at MCSC—with saving his life during a time when he contemplated suicide. Today, Farmer battles post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and urges leaders across the Marine Corps to show understanding and compassion for Marines who may be suffering.

Joseph Klocek (left) and Maj. Scott Graniero (right) pose with Master Sgt. Clifford Farmer at Marine Corps Systems Command aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VA -- Master Sgt. Clifford Farmer is one tough Marine. As an explosive ordnance disposal technician with four combat tours under his belt, he has years of experience neutralizing and disposing of deadly explosives, including improvised explosive devices, the signature weapon of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

“We always joke in the field that some of us aren’t EOD techs, we’re IED techs,” Farmer said laughingly. “But, truth be told, and as much as I love my family, deployments are my happy place. As a Marine that is where I want to be – on the front lines with my Marines.”

When this battle-hardened senior non-commissioned officer transitioned from serving in operational environments to a support role at Marine Corps Systems Command it was hard.

“I never saw myself not in the field, side-by-side with my Marines,” he said. “At first I didn’t see how my new job was helping the Corps. And I was never cut out for a desk job.”

Little did he know his life was on the line again, but in a way he never saw coming. This time the enemy was himself.

“In the Corps the question is always ‘what have you done for the Marine Corps today?’ It’s about selfless service; someone else always has it worse,” Farmer said. “Throughout my career I’ve had aches and pains and just disregarded them as a passing inconvenience. My physical issues were nothing compared to seeing a friend die, and supporting the friend who carried him home. Everything else seems insignificant. I’ve since learned it’s also important to have self-compassion—to remember to take care of yourself.”

When Farmer found himself at MCSC, his years of combat stress hit, and they hit hard. He underwent multiple surgeries and treatments to repair a body that had not only served in theater, but also performed in sporting events ranging from mud runs to triathlons.
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Veteran Moved From Sleeping Under Bridges to Building Them

A veteran used to sleep under bridges but after he got help, he ended up building bridges to help other veterans.

Homeless vet went from sleeping under bridges to helping others
KVOA News
Written By Monica Garcia
February 10, 2016

TUCSON (KVOA)-- A Tucson Navy veteran went from living on the streets, to helping other homeless vets.

For years Andrew Young struggled with alcohol addiction and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Throughout his twenties, Young was homeless, traveling from city to city sleeping under bridges.

It wasn’t until Young reached out to the Southern Arizona Veterans Affairs, did he receive the help he so needed.

According to Young, the VA Outreach Program helped him not only stay sober, but finally get off Social Security Disability benefits he’d grown dependent on.
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KVOA | KVOA.com | Tucson, Arizona

Illinois State Rep Steps Up For Veterans

Rep. Manley, D-Joliet, creates new Veterans Citizens Advisory Committee
Veterans, supporters come together for brainstorming session
The Herald News
By LAUREN LEONE–CROSS
January 18, 2016

Leverence, who has post-traumatic stress disorder, said the resources provided by the Will County VAC saved his life, and could save others, too.

State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, speaks Monday to those in attendance at the first meeting of the Veterans Citizens Advisory Committee, held at her office in Joliet. The group will tackle challenges faced by veterans and try to help veterans through creation of legislation and building support networks. Nearly two dozen veterans, supporters and nonprofit leaders attended Manley's meeting.

JOLIET – State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, said she hopes Monday’s meeting of her new citizens advisory committee will be the first of many dedicated to finding new ways to help veterans through legislation and building support networks.

Nearly two dozen veterans, supporters and nonprofit leaders attended Manley’s Veterans Citizens Advisory Committee meeting, held Monday morning at her office at 2701 Black Road in Joliet. The event was open to anyone.

Much of the event centered around challenges faced by veterans navigating the health care system and securing benefits, and the lack of support from non-veterans upon returning home.

Others, including Kevin Leverence, an Iraq war veteran from Joliet, suggested that the resources are there, but veterans don’t know about them. Community outreach requires money, which many nonprofits, VFW posts and other non-government agencies do not have, he said.

“Let’s bring people together,” Leverence said. “One of the best things we can do is find the best things that are already there. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel.”

Veterans have available the Orland Park Vet Center, the Will County Veterans Assistance Commission, and Family and Friends Day Center Inc., a social service agency with three veterans houses in Joliet, he said.
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Vietnam Veterans Turn to Cracker Barrel After VA Ended PTSD Support Group

This is what peer-support does. They help each other heal as much as deal with life. A group of Vietnam veterans found that within the walls of the VA. Great! Or so it seems but the VA said they do not want therapy so the veterans have to find someplace else to meet.

Now, just wondering here, but where are all the charities out there raising so much money for awareness when this group has to meet at Cracker Barrel on their own dime? Plus, why do all these groups need so much money when this story makes it clear that veterans help each other for free?

Vietnam vets with PTSD upset at Stratton VA over end of therapy group
VA facility disputes claims of need by Vietnam veterans
Times Union
By Claire Hughes
Published January 17, 2016

The veterans' group will keep getting together, one way or another, Risatti said. For now, they're meeting at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in East Greenbush.

Peter Risatti, 70, of Lee, Mass., and Silvester Diaz, 69, of Troy, are part of a Vietnam veterans group unhappy about the discontinuation of their PTSD therapy.
(Claire Hughes/Times Union)

Albany
A dozen or so Vietnam veterans who call themselves a "band of brothers" say the Stratton VA Medical Center is eliminating their group therapy for post traumatic stress disorder, and they can't imagine how they will live without it.

The men, in their 60s and 70s, say they rely on the group to keep them from drinking, exploding at their wives, or getting so anxious they can't leave their homes. They see the VA's decision to end their group therapy as a foolish measure to cut costs that will lead to problems more expensive to treat.

Peter Risatti, a 70-year-old member of the group, explained how he sees the VA perspective: "We figure you're going to die off in the next few years, so why should we spend money on you?"

The Albany VA has a different story.

Since the psychologist who led the PTSD group retired in 2014, the men have refused other therapy options offered to them, according to Albany VA spokesman Peter Potter. What they want, Potter said, is a place to socialize.

"That's a problem," Potter said. "They can't do it on the taxpayer's dollar."
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PTSD: CALLING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MAYDAY

PTSD: CALLING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MAYDAY
Fire Engineering
by DAVID WIKLANSKI
12/30/2015

Among the early references TO what we now call post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was that described by Herodotus in 440 B.C. He reported that Epizelus was stricken with blindness in the Battle of Marathon that continued throughout his life although there was no apparent physical reason to explain it. The primary factors in the loss of his vision were said to be the fright he experienced and witnessing his friend’s death. PTSD has been observed over the centuries among soldiers in battle and individuals who have experienced traumatic events-natural disasters, horrific accidents, or other tragedies. The term PTSD arose out of research on Vietnam War veterans, Holocaust survivors, and other trauma victims; it first appeared in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III, 1980).

Calling the Mayday
The fire service prides itself on taking care of our own. Most of our profession is built around a team concept. No matter what seems to be going on, there is always a fellow firefighter available to help out. Need help moving furniture? Call one of our brethren. Got spare tickets to a sporting event? Call one of our brethren. Need a ride home because your vehicle broke down? Call one of our brethren.

But why is it that when firefighters have a mental health problem and can’t handle it alone, we still try to keep it to ourselves? The answer lies in the culture of the fire service. We are problem solvers. Don’t know whom to call to fix a problem? Send the fire department; let the firefighters figure it out. But this works only with external problems. Emergency response, community relations, EMS, and technical rescue aren’t problems for us.

But when one of our own has a personal issue, who can that member call for help? Can that person turn to his fellow firefighters as he would for any other need? He should be able to, but the stigma attached to mental illness doesn’t allow firefighters to ask for that help. We all know about the firehouse culture and mentality. Most of the jokes and the laughter come from breaking someone’s chops. Although it’s a great way to develop esprit de corps, does it allow members to feel that they can share their personal issues? Or do they feel that such a disclosure would expose them to ridicule and make them the big joke around the firehouse for the next month or so? This mindset forces firefighters to keep their emotions bottled up and to feel as though they can’t turn to their brethren for the support they need to get through their current crisis.

In most firehouses, asking for help is perceived as a weakness. On the fireground, when you call a Mayday, you know we will move mountains to come to rescue you. But if you have a mental health issue, you won’t call for help. That’s why we need a “Psychological Mayday” for anyone in need to call for help. It should be just as acceptable as calling a Mayday on the fireground. If we can’t turn to our fellow firefighters for support, to whom can we turn?
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Presidential Medal of Freedom for Big Miracle TAPS Founder

Alaska military advocate to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
Alaska Dispatch News
Erica Martinson
November 16, 2015

The military quickly adopted the program, and it has since been replicated across the globe, in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Israel and Germany, among others, Carroll said.

In this Jan. 17, 2012 photo, Bonnie Carroll, president and founder of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, known as TAPS, poses in her office in Washington. Carroll is being honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, as part of her advocacy on behalf of grieving military families. Jacquelyn Martin

WASHINGTON -- The White House announced plans Monday to grant a Presidential Medal of Freedom to Bonnie Carroll, founder of an organization that provides support to grieving military families -- and the star of a true Alaska love story.

Carroll was working in the White House in 1988 when three California gray whales trapped in Arctic ice garnered international attention. President Ronald Reagan’s interest in the plight led the West Wing staffer to meet her future husband, Alaska Army National Guard Col.Tom Carroll. Their love story was later featured in the 2012 film “Big Miracle.”

In 1992, after he and Bonnie were married, then-commander of the Alaska Army National Guard and lifelong Alaskan Tom Carroll died in an Army C-12 plane crash in the Chilkat Mountains -- along with seven other top Guard leaders -- en route to Juneau. Tom Carroll's father, Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Carroll, had died 28 years earlier in a plane crash at Valdez while providing relief work after the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, Bonnie Carroll said.

Carroll channeled her grief into action, and following her husband's burial at Fort Richardson National Cemetery in Anchorage, she founded the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), which provides support for those impacted by the death of a member of the U.S. military.

Bonnie Carroll will be honored with the nation's highest civilian honor next week for her work after her husband's death.
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