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BY TOM BERGER
I am stepping down as chair of VVA’s national PTSD/Substance
Abuse Committee. However, I have accepted a position in the
VVA national office as Senior Analyst for Veterans’ Benefits
and Mental Health Issues. I am confident that a new chair
will be selected by the October Board meeting. I plan to
work closely with the new chair and members to insure that
the committee continues to meet its goals and commitments
on behalf of VVA and America’s veterans.
Here’s
my Leadership Conference report: The PTSD/Substance Abuse
Committee sponsored the seminar “Post-War Integration:
From Battlemind
to PTSD” by Dr. Matt Friedman, Executive Director of
the National Center for PTSD. Dr. Friedman presented his
seminar twice, once before the VVA Leadership Conference
attendees, and later for the members of Veterans of Modern
Warfare who were having their first National Convention in
Greenville. Dr. Friedman provided a wealth of information
particularly about the different PTSD treatment modalities
in use and those under study. Both sessions were well attended.
SUICIDE HOTLINE UPDATE
According to an AP report published July 28, the government
says that more than 22,000 veterans have sought help from
the suicide hot line in its first year, and 1,221 suicides
have been averted. In the same article, Dr. Jan Kemp, national
suicide prevention coordinator for the VA, said: “The
hot line receives up to 250 calls per day—double
the average number calling when it began. Callers are divided
evenly between veterans from the Iraq, Afghanistan, and
Vietnam wars.”
The VA estimates that every year 6,500
veterans take their own lives. The mental health director
for the VA, Dr. Ira Katz, said last December that of the
eighteen veterans who commit suicide each day, four to
five of them are under VA care, and 12,000 veterans under
VA care are attempting suicide each year.
The veterans hot
line, which is linked to the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline, received 55,000 callers in its first year, including
veterans and people who are concerned about them, according
to figures released in July. One-third of the 40 specially
trained counselors are veterans themselves.
“We try
to get them [callers] to talk about their situation and what
they remember and see if they can identify exactly what their
issues are. I think there’s a comfort in
knowing that they can get some help from people who do understand
what combat stress is like,” Kemp said.
Call center
counselors can instantly check a veteran’s
medical records and then connect the caller to local VA suicide
prevention coordinators for follow-up, monitoring, and care
at local VA Medical Centers. Kemp said that since the hot
line started, 106 veterans have been steered to free medical
care from the VA. Kemp also said the hot line was put in
place specifically for veterans who don’t get enough
help until it’s too late.
“They have indicated
to us that they are in extreme danger. Either they have guns
in their hand, or they’re
standing on a bridge, or they’ve already swallowed
pills,” she said. Kemp said 1,221 veterans who were
in such situations were rescued during the hot line’s
first year.
The VA is preparing for the return of large numbers
of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. This could put added
stress on the mental-health screening program for returning
veterans, which could lead to a rise in undiagnosed mental-health
issues. The VA received enough money to double its suicide
prevention staff and is planning to hire 212 more people
soon.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available
24 hours a day by calling 800-273-TALK (8255). Veterans should
press “1” after being connected.
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