Joining Forces to Train Teachers to Serve Military Children

Dr. Jill Biden

October 3, 2012

5:23 pm

This afternoon, I was so honored to meet two of our nation’s youngest heroes – 11-year-old twin sisters Felicity and Abigail. The 7th graders love to read and play sports, and, like many of our nation’s 1.3 million school-age military children, their current school is not their first school.  Felicity and Abigail have attended five different schools in four states in the past seven years.  They have left old friends and met new ones, transferred school records, left old soccer fields to join new teammates and coaches, and weathered their father’s many deployments. Their dad missed birthdays four, seven, eight, nine and 10.

But they are resilient and strong young ladies who are fiercely proud to be Army kids.  am proud of them, too.

I am also proud that today, more than 100 colleges of teacher education have signed on to Operation Educate the Educators, a partnership between the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the Military Child Education Coalition. Last year, the partners set a Joining Forces goal of getting 100 colleges of education to commit to raising awareness on their campuses about military children in their classrooms, and to help better prepare teachers to support them. 

Today, I joined Army Chief of Staff General Ray Odierno, Felicity and Abigail, and military families to celebrate this milestone. As an educator and a military mom, today was personal to me. I know how much it means to a family when a teacher makes a special effort to support a military child in school. 

When my son Beau was deployed to Iraq, my granddaughter Natalie’s teacher hung a photo of Beau’s unit to Natalie’s classroom door. This simple gesture reminded the school staff and Natalie’s classmates that her dad was at war. It meant so much to her to know that she didn’t have to go through that year alone, and that her teachers and friends were looking out for her. It meant so much to Joe and me, too.

When a teacher arranges a parent-teacher conference by Skype for a deployed mom or dad, or when a principal celebrates the Marine Corps birthday in the school cafeteria with the entire school, it helps a military family stay connected.

Our military families sacrifice so much, and we owe it to them to support them in every way possible. That is why the First Lady and I started Joining Forces, a national effort to encourage all Americans to support military families.  Today, I was honored to celebrate a very meaningful Joining Forces commitment that will make a difference in the lives of our military children. 

Dr. Jill Biden is the Second Lady of the United States

The White House: An International Approach to Military Mental Health

Posted by Rosye Cloud on October 03, 2012 at 10:24 AM EDT

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has been one of the most significant issues our  military has faced --- and we are not alone. Last week, the United States came together with representatives from Canada and the United Kingdom to address military mental health.  Ensuring the mental health and wellness of our  servicemembers, veterans and their families is a cause that unites all of us.

The event sends a strong message to our military, our veterans and  all Americans, that we as a nation, and our partners around the world, are serious about addressing these concerns. This event brought together leaders from the government, non-profit, and private  sectors, all committed to the same goal --- tending  to the invisible wounds that many service members too often endure in silence.

Many of the best thinkers from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom came together, not simply to discuss “what’s wrong” but also to share best practices and to chart a course for addressing these shared issues.The symposium included academics, clinicians, researchers, policy makers, foundations, veteran service organizations, national leaders and, of course, servicemembers, veterans and family members.

As leaders and experts took the stage to address a host of issues and convey a  variety of perspectives, common themes and challenges emerged. Chief among them was the need to enhance access to quality mental health services. There was common agreement that we must expand the capacity of those services so all who need care can get it in a timely manner, and in a setting that is relevant to their individual needs. Continued work is needed to reduce the stigma that surrounds mental health issues in general, and strong efforts are needed to eliminate false perceptions that seeking treatment will cast a shadow on the military member or their family. Additionally, thorough research continues to be conducted, and we must leverage that research into methods of treatment that have a lasting impact. Addressing these important issues  will benefit not only the military but, as is often the case, the entire  country.

It’s all hands on deck. We must continue to work together to address faulty perceptions surrounding military mental health. Many myths become barriers to care. For example, surveys discussed indicated that the public believes there is a very high rate of mental health issues for those who have deployed. In fact, about 4 in 5 service members do not experience serious mental health issues --- and of those who do, 88% can continue their duties with no alteration, even while in treatment.

The resilience the vast majority of military members display is remarkable. Their ability to contribute to the workforce, their communities and their families is indeed strong.

In August, President Obama signed an Executive Order that strengthens our ongoing commitment to military mental health, "I know that you join me in saying to everyone who’s ever worn the uniform—if you’re hurting, it’s not a sign of weakness to seek help, it’s a sign of strength."  That theme is not only resonant in the United States, it is embraced by our allies as well.

By collaborating with our international partners, we will continue to strengthen the advancements we have already made, and new treatments will come to fruition as we continue to address military mental health as a collective body.

Rosye Cloud is the Director of Policy for Veterans, Wounded Warriors and Military Families

DoD to Host Caregivers Conference in 2013

By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Sep 14, 2012 7:16:24 EDT

The Defense Department will hold a conference next year to discuss issues facing military caregivers, a senior defense official announced Thursday.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Warrior Care Policy John Campbell said the Pentagon will bring together Defense Department caregiver program personnel, military and veteran service organizations, the private sector, and caregivers — spouses, parents, family or friends who help a service member following an illness or injury — to address the caregiver community’s needs.

Campbell made the announcement during the 2012 Warrior and Family Symposium sponsored by the Military Officers Association of American and the National Defense Industrial Association.

“I’ve been worried and concerned for a while about caregivers … the sisters, the brothers, the spouses, who really need our support,” Campbell said.

His remarks came after Annette Slaydon, the wife of a seriously injured Air Force explosive ordnance technician, told an audience of her husband’s struggles with his family, which doesn’t understand his post-traumatic stress disorder and recovery, and their marriage, left in shambles by their changed relationship.

“There’s no instruction booklet on how you move forward. There’s nothing that talks about how your relationship changes from that of a husband and wife to that of a patient and caregiver … and you wake up one morning and you wonder how it happened,” Slaydon said.

More than 49,000 service members have received physical wounds in Iraq or Afghanistan and as many as 300,000 may have personality changes related to multiple concussions or mental health issues such as combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder or depression.

During recovery, which often takes months or years — and for some, a lifetime — troops and veterans often rely on family members or friends to assist with tasks ranging from basic needs, such as bathing and feeding, to activities like managing their finances, coordinating medical appointments, securing jobs and regaining independence.

READ MORE HERE: http://militarytimes.com/news/2012/09/military-dod-to-host-2013-caregivers-conference-091412w/

Tough talk by Marine commandant complicates sexual-assault cases

By MICHAEL DOYLE

McClatchy Newspapers

Published: September 14, 2012

Gen. James Amos

COURTESY OF THE U.S. MARINE CORPS

WASHINGTON - The Marine Corps commandant wanted to snuff out rape in the ranks. However, his well-meaning but overly blunt talk instead complicated Marine sexual-assault cases worldwide and raised troubling questions about whether accused Marines will get a fair shake.

This week, for the second time in recent months, a Marine Corps trial judge found that Gen. James F. Amos' forceful remarks on sexual assault earlier this year presented the appearance of unlawful command influence.

Command influence can severely hinder the military justice system, where facts are found and fates determined by people who are drilled to obey their superiors.

So on Marine Corps bases from Twentynine Palms in California to Parris Island in South Carolina and beyond, defense attorneys are quietly but persistently challenging a system that they fear could be stacked against them. Already, some have secured additional trial help.

The commandant, a four-star general, has been compelled to answer a judge's written questions under oath. Conceivably, some cases could be dropped altogether, an ironic and unintended consequence of the Marine leadership's aggressive anti-rape stance.

"Our cases, particularly our sexual-assault cases, are being tried under intense scrutiny from both within and outside the Marine Corps," Col. John Baker, the chief defense counsel of the Marine Corps, said in an email Thursday.

READ MORE HERE

Army Testing Body Armor Made for Women

Spc. Arielle Mailloux gets some help adjusting her protoype Generation III Improved Outer Tactical Vest from Capt. Lindsey Pawlowski, Aug. 21, 2012. Both Soldiers are with the 1st Brigade Combat Team Female Engagement Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). These prototypes designed specifically for the needs of female soldiers, with shorter torso length and other improvements, are being fielded at Fort Campbell, Ky., for the next few weeks.

MEGAN LOCKE SIMPSON/U.S. ARMY


By NANCY MONTGOMERY

Stars and Stripes

Published: September 13, 2012

Nineteen soldiers training this week to deploy to Afghanistan were sporting the newest thing in the Army’s defensive arsenal: body armor strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.

The 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division soldiers at Fort Campbell, Ky., are to be the judges of the new vests now in prototype. Authorities hope they will provide a safer, more comfortable fit to the 14 percent of active duty troops who are women, and who for years have been wearing body armor designed for men.

Would the new “Improved Outer Tactical Vests” — shorter in the torso, narrower in the shoulders, darted in the bust and with a narrower but adjustable waist — pinch, gap, bell or otherwise fail in form, fit and functionality?

It was too soon to tell, said Libby Richardson, of the U.S. Aberdeen Test Center, who is leading the field test. “It’s the first day,” she said Tuesday, of a testing period that will last a couple of weeks.

But Capt. Lindsey Pawlowski, veteran of two deployments in the usual body armor, seemed pleased. “I can sit down in it,” she said. “I can run in it easier.”

The discomforts of the standard vest made it tougher to do the job, said Pawlowski, who is 5 feet 4 inches tall. “Anybody who’s short like me, it’s, ‘Oh, God, why?’ ”

Pawlowski and the 18 other soldiers testing the vests are to be on the brigade’s Female Engagement Team, seeking to interact with Afghan women, when they deploy in November.

As they train, it will become clearer, Richardson said, if the new body armor under development for the past couple of years addresses shortcomings of the “unisex” body armor designed with male bodies in mind.

The vests were too long in the torso for many women, who tend to have shorter torsos and longer legs than men of the same height, leaving a dangerously exposed gap under the arms. They also hit women in the hips or rode up in the back when women were seated, in Humvees, for instance.

READ MORE HERE 

Wyo. National Guard Gets Stress Training (Combating Suicides)

By JAMES CHILTON 

Wyoming Tribune Eagle

Published: September 2, 2012

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Army National Guard is arming its troops with a new weapon: a skills set to cope with the stresses of military life.

According to media reports, suicides in the Army have outnumbered combat deaths this year. That statistic serves as a stirring reminder of the importance of not only post-traumatic support but of proper mental and emotional conditioning, said Lt. Col. Samuel E. House of the Wyoming Guard.

"Military suicides have long been an issue within the military," House said. "The idea behind resilience training is to minimize that - as well as address other issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Army has offered resilience training, formerly called "battle-mind training" for several years. But, House said, it was only recently that the Army began to mandate that specific numbers of troops go through it.

Those troops, he said, can then use the lessons they've learned to help other soldiers cope with the day-to-day stresses of military life, such as the disconnect that can sometimes occur between military and civilian life.

"It's designed to look at the cultural aspect of it, not just the combat piece of it," House said. "There are just as many suicides among those who have deployed versus those who have not deployed. Marital problems, it's the same thing."

It's not uncommon for soldiers to assume a pessimistic disposition, whether it's due to the violence they witness overseas or whether they're coping with being separated from family and loved ones, House tells the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

Others can cope with military life but may have a hard time readjusting to civilian life, where responsibilities and expectations may be different than previously.

"Individuals who have done their four years or eight years or 20 years, it's interesting to see: Some people get out and go off and are very successful, other individuals, it's all they know," he said. "Particularly within the National Guard, before you deploy you have those (civilian and familial) responsibilities. Then you deploy and for the first two or three months, you feel like you need to be a part of the things at home."

While many soldiers are eventually able to accept their new roles, House said once they do return, they have to adjust to family life all over again.

At the same time, a soldier's spouse may have settled into his or her own new routine, which they then have to alter once the soldier returns home.

For that reason, one of the big focuses of the resilience training is getting soldiers to consider more than just the worst-case scenario.

All too often, House said, some soldiers may assume they're being cheated on or left behind.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.stripes.com/news/wyo-national-guard-gets-stress-training-1.187787

Pentagon Reports Death of Female Soldier in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

Published: Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012 - 9:09 am

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- The U.S. Army says a soldier based at Fort Campbell, Ky., has been killed in Afghanistan.

The Army says 20-year-old Pfc. Patricia L. Horne of Greenwood, Miss., died Aug. 24 in Bagram, Afghanistan. She was assigned to the 96th Aviation Support Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

                                    Rest in Peace....we will never forget you.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/26/4758274/fort-campbell-soldier-killed-in.html#storylink=cpy

Pfc. Patricia L. Horne of Greenwood is the 25th women to be killed in action in AFG war.

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT: Women Veterans Social Justice: Women Veterans Services (Part 1)

Women Veterans Social Justice: Women Veterans Services (Part 1)

Just click the link above!

Local Vets Speak Out on Military Sex Assault

BY: Max Freund

Every day for six months in the early ’90s, Joan had daily bouts with her boss, fending off unwanted sexual advances in his tiny, broom closet of an office.

“He would call me into his office and would push me into the corner” and then sexually assault her, said the former Army specialist whose boss, a sergeant first class, also outranked her at the military hospital where they worked.

Joan, who now works in Iowa City and goes by an alias to share her story, is a survivor of military sexual trauma, or MST. The latter is the military classification for sexual assault and harassment.

It’s a widespread problem. According to annual reports, the Department of Defense lists 3,192 reports of sexual assault in fiscal 2011, up from 2,688 in fiscal 2007. The Pentagon’s sexual assault prevention and response office estimates, however, that only 13.5 percent of incidents in the ranks are reported.

The documentary “The Invisible War,” which is being screened Friday at The Englert Theatre in Iowa City, is attempting to open the Pandora’s box on the seldom-discussed issue.

Local survivors

Joan and Brigid, both in their early 40s, did not know each other during their military careers, but today the friends use pseudonyms to co-author a blog — Enemy in the Wire — that catalogs their battles with military sexual trauma.

Brigid, a Cedar Rapids resident, said she suffered multiple assaults during her 10 years in the Iowa National Guard. She recalls the details of one when she was a teenager that occurred away from Iowa during active duty for training. Brigid was raped by two fellow trainees.

“I was passed out, drunk, and I woke up to being raped by two men,” Brigid said, recalling that she and a handful of close friends had rented a hotel room for a weekend getaway.

Brigid had gone to bed and thought the door was locked behind her. However, the two men were able to enter the room, lock themselves in and begin assaulting her.

“(My friends) broke the door down,” she said. “They witnessed my rape.”

The two men were training classmates, but neither was part of the group with whom Brigid was on vacation.

Brigid’s friends were able to chase the rapists away and persuaded her to report the incident to the Army’s criminal investigation command. She said reporting led to a six-month battle with military investigators, who forcibly ostracized her from her friends and threatened her with charges of sodomy and other offenses.

“You don’t tell. I broke the rules; I told,” she said. “And that is why a lot of women don’t come forward — because it was your fault anyway. What did you expect when you put on those boots? What did you expect? You want to play in a man’s world, well, you’re going to have to play with the men.”

Brigid eventually dropped her charges and returned to her National Guard post in Iowa, where she said she experienced multiple cases of sexual harassment and another rape by a commanding officer.

Joan had fewer issues with commanding officers and investigators than Brigid, since Joan chose to not come forward with formal complaints.

“Part of it was because it was very embarrassing, and part of it was because I had no proof,” said Joan, adding it would have been her word against an officer’s.

Both women say the sexual abuse was a leading cause of their leaving the military. They have since successfully filed claims for benefits with the Department of Veterans Affairs regarding the sexual assaults and are receiving financial compensation.

Military response

"Joan" and "Brigid" have dog tags that read "NOT INVISIBLE," part of the promotion for the documentary The Invisible War. Photographed on Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012, in the Gazette studio in Cedar Rapids. (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)

Because of the high number of sexual assaults, U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced early this year two policies to ease the process for men and women who report abuse.

The first allows victims who file a report to request an expedited transfer to a different unit. The unit commander must respond within 72 hours.

The second policy standardizes the retention period of all sexual assault records — 50 years — to streamline the process for veterans who file claims with Veterans Affairs.......

READ MORE HERE 

Mind Field: PTSD & the Military

Can the Armed Forces afford to accurately diagnose soldiers--and their families--with psychological issues stemming from war?

By Keegan Hamilton Wednesday, Aug 8 2012

Nature calls, even in a war zone. And so, in April 2008, when John Byron Etterlee was stationed at an American military base in Baghdad, working the night shift at an Army tactical operations center, he carried his rifle as he stepped outside to use the outhouse. Suddenly, just as he began to relieve himself, he heard an ominous buzz in the sky above.

Etterlee, a stout Georgia native with a blond crew cut and thick spectacles, hustled out of the portable toilet and gazed up into the darkness. The buzz sounded like a small airplane approaching, but Etterlee, already midway through his second tour of duty inIraq, realized the white streak tearing through the night was an incoming rocket.

"For a split second I thought, 'Oh my God, am I going to die?' " the 35-year-old soldier recalls matter-of-factly in his slow Southern cadence. "I thought it was coming toward me. Fifteen seconds later I heard a loud explosion that shook the buildings. The rocket hit maybe 50 yards outside the gate."

Nobody was injured in the attack, and Etterlee's desert outpost incurred no serious damage. In hindsight, he says, it was just another close call during a span when he and his unit became accustomed to mortar fire, IED detonations, and other random explosions. But for some reason, perhaps because of the embarrassing circumstances, this particular brush with death has stuck with him. "I almost pissed in my pants," Etterlee says with a halfhearted chuckle. "It wasn't funny when it happened, but it's kinda funny now."

A chemical-weapons specialist tasked mainly with keeping records and maintaining equipment, Etterlee had limited combat experience during his time in Iraq. Nevertheless, his vehicle was once nearly struck by a roadside bomb, and one of his closest friends was killed in action in a separate incident. When he returned home toJoint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in late 2008, the chemical weapons specialist was clearly rattled. His wife forced him to spend nights on the couch because he punched, kicked, and thrashed in his sleep. He was prone to outbursts of anger. He tried to avoid conversations about the war, and, when co-workers inevitably swapped battle stories, his heart pounded and his mind raced.

He says he tried to seek help, but to no avail. "I went to chaplains more times than I can count," Etterlee says. "I went to my chain of command, and basically got the runaround. Nobody put me on any kind of formal treatment program."

On top of his mental issues, Etterlee was struggling financially. He and his wife divorced. And then, during a training exercise at Fort Lewis, he suffered herniated discs in his back while dragging a fellow soldier in a simulated rescue situation. Despite the painful back injury, he was briefly redeployed to the Middle East. Back at the base again in 2010, Etterlee was at the end of his rope.

READ MORE HERE 

Reports of Military Suicides on the Rise: Will Licensed Counselors be Allowed to Help Now?

After over a decade as an Army Behavioral Health Specialist, BH-related experiences on 2 overseas deployments, from reports I was privy to while working in my active duty position in Washington, D.C., and from countless stories from military friends, co-workers, and clients, I have personally noted that interpersonal relationships were/are the most common theme amongst Troops contemplating or attempting suicide. This is something not “treated” with a diagnosis and a pill but that’s what our Troops typically get. Finally a U.S. publication has printed the truth: Our Troops need therapeutic counseling to address their most serious mental health needs. See the article link below.

The article reveals research clearly indicating that our Troops need the services of professionals who can specifically address the actual reasons behind the suicide rates, among other things. Troops’ mental health issues need to be addressed with actual counseling and therapy—not what they most often receive. As I’ve discussed in previous blogs, currently no military branch allows Licensed Counselors/Therapists to serve in the military as a Behavioral Health Officer. That is, of course, unless they are also a master’s level Social Worker, a Psychiatric Nurse, a Clinical or Counseling Psychologist, or a Psychiatrist. With the VA it’s not much better. Despite the efforts of organizations such as the ACA and despite Congress’s recent mandate to start hiring Licensed Counselors and Therapists, they are still only opening up the positions to Social Workers in most cases.

I have been running my mouth to anyone who would listen about this for years. Why is every military branch still excluding the Professional Counseling and Therapist professions? Why is the VA still not hiring professionals in THE fields of expertise to best address what Troops and their Families are needing most? NOT just diagnoses, NOT just pills, NOT just Army Social Workers pumped out of an accelerated program. But a well-rounded mental health care system. One that stops excluding professionals who are best suited to assist in the most common mental health issues.

READ MORE HERE

Lawsuit alleges paperwork mistake has cost veterans millions

By LEO SHANE III

Stars and Stripes

Published: July 26, 2012

WASHINGTON — Some combat injured sailors and Marines may have been cheated out of millions in veterans disability payments because of paperwork mistakes made by the services, according to a class-action complaint brought against the military this week.

Officials from the National Veterans Legal Services Program filed the lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of three combat veterans, but said they believe more than 1,000 may have been affected.

Bart Stichman, joint executive director of NVLSP, said the men lost about $20,000 in disability benefits each because service officials failed to note their injuries were combat related. Without that designation, Department of Veterans Affairs officials were forced to withhold disability payouts from the men for several years.

Navy and Marine Corps officials directed requests for comment to the Department of Justice, which would defend the services in the suit. Department of Justice officials said they are reviewing the case, but did not offer any rebuttal to or explanation for the alleged errors.

Stichman estimates the mistakes cost veterans a combined $20 million in lost disability payments.

“Someone was asleep at the wheel on this,” he said. “We’re not seeing this problem with the Army or the Air Force. But the Navy and Marine Corps didn’t do what they were supposed to.”

The problem stems from a 2008 change in how veterans disability benefits were awarded.

Marine Corps veteran Randy Howard, one of the plaintiffs named in the lawsuit, received more than $24,000 in a payout from the service in 2008 after officials determined his traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder — the result of two combat tours in Iraq — made him unable to stay on active duty.

Under the old rules, any servicemember separated for serious injuries would receive a lump-sum payout from the military, but their veterans disability checks would be delayed until the VA “recouped” that same amount.

READ MORE HERE

Army Conducts Largest Mental Health Study

12th Public Affairs Detachment  
Story by Sgt. Joshua Holt


CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait – The Army Study To Assess Risk and Resilience in Service members research team is currently conducting a study to better understand the risks and factors associated with mental health, stress and suicide.

The Army STARRS research study is a partnership between The National Institute of Mental Health and the U.S. Army to identify the factors that may pose risks to soldiers’ emotional well-being and overall mental health.

“It’s the largest study of mental health risk and resilience that the military has ever conducted,” said Dr. Kevin Quinn, medical psychologist, NIMH program officer, Army STARRS. “We want to understand what might put a soldier at risk or what might make a soldier resilient to things that can increase or decrease the potential for suicide.”

“What we need to do, and what the study is designed to do is to contact a lot of soldiers,” said Quinn. “We’re on track with all the studies to have interviewed or surveyed 100,000 soldiers.”

The team assembled by NIMH includes participants from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego, University of Michigan, Harvard Medical School, NIMH and Army staff members.

The research will help the Army understand risks and factors of suicide, said Quinn. The rate of suicide has risen over the past five to seven years, but it is still an exceedingly rare event.

The study is designed to provide basic data to help aid other organizations studying prevention and risks associated with suicide, Quinn said.

Researchers look at the participant’s entire life, not just their military career.

“The basic component that’s involved in the majority of all the studies is the survey,” said Quinn. “We might look at the kinds of experiences that a soldier may have in the past before they ever entered the Army.”

The study will examine several different factors of the soldier’s life including: stress, deployments, exposures to trauma, family and personal history and demographics.

The survey can be taken in two different formats: a paper-and-pencil version and a computerized version. The method of testing would be determined by the research staff based on the location of the personnel being surveyed and the materials and equipment available.

Read more: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/92706/army-conducts-largest-mental-health-study#ixzz22tVUsVQx 

What are Some of DoD's Specialized Care Programs for Chronic Illnesses and PTSD?

Specialized Care Program (SCP) Track I

What Is It?

The SCP Track I is an intensive treatment program designed to address persistent disabling symptoms attributed by service members to deployment or other military exposure. It features three-weeks of multidisciplinary treatment of patients in small groups of three to eight individuals.

The program is based upon internationally recognized centers for management of chronic illness. It provides state-of-the-art care for those suffering from multiple symptoms such as:

Fatigue Headache Digestive Problems Weight Gain

Joint Pain Skin Rash Memory Problems Weight Loss

The Program's Goals

• Improve conditioning and decrease symptoms via a gradual, paced physical reactivation program.


• Provide opportunities to improve work performance and other activities of daily living.


• Promote overall well-being, symptom reduction, improved coping and decreased healthcare utilization through the practice of positive health behaviors and skills.


• Actively involve each participant in creating an individualized symptom management plan.

What Type of Care Is Provided?

The Specialized Care Program is designed to meet each participant's needs at a variety of levels. In addition to treatment of physical symptoms, there are interventions to assist in dealing with the stressors which accompany chronic pain and chronic illness such as loss of former abilities, strain on relationships, and transition from the military.

This program provides carefully coordinated delivery of care that takes into account many medical perspectives.

SCP Track I patients work closely with an internist and a health psychologist. Other members of the health care team include a, physical therapist, nurse, clinical social worker, and a nutritionist. A range of other medical specialists are also available depending on a patient's medical needs. 

The Program includes:

• A thorough review of medical history and past diagnostic testing with an internist
• Education regarding symptoms and personal health care management
• Support and education for family members
• Group and one-on-one meetings to discuss the impacts of physical symptoms, life stressors, and military experiences
• Information regarding benefits for veteran

Who Can Participate?

The SCP Track I is available to members of all armed services and components, as well as to family members affected by persistent symptoms. The Specialized Care Program emphasizes treatment over evaluation.

Prior to admission to the Specialized Care Program, each person's medical record is extensively reviewed by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals. The purpose of this review is to determine whether or not the Specialized Care Program would be an appropriate treatment

What Is the Specialized Care Program SCP Track II?

• Intensive, three-week, multi-disciplinary treatment program for patients with deployment-related stress, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or difficulties adjusting to re-deployment


• Comprehensive program designed to accommodate a need for treatment of operational stress and PTSD associated with recent combat deployments


• Focus on supportive treatment for service members from OEF/OIF with difficulties readjusting upon return who attribute concerns to operational stress or other operational issues and:

• Assistance through other treatment venues has been unsuccessful or


• Treatment resources at local and specialty care settings under existing standards of care have been exhausted or


• Treatment resources at local and specialty care settings are not available to meet the specific treatment needs of the patient and


• Patient continues to experiences difficulties in functional status and quality of life.


• Designed to prevent chronic PTSD which creates higher usage of medical/behavioral health resources


• Designed to reduce co-morbid health concerns such as depression, substance abuse, and domestic violence which contribute to high utilization of healthcare services

What Type of Care Is Provided by the SCP Track II?

• Each SCP-Track II treatment plan is designed to meet individual patient needs


• An internist evaluates/provides needed medical treatment for physical symptoms


• Program teaches patients strategies to deal with the physiological, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive effects of stress/trauma and their resultant consequences on social, occupational, emotional, and interpersonal functioning and quality of life


• Treatment program is group oriented, with three to eight individuals going through 3 week program as a group in order to facilitate trust and mutual support

What Are the Key Elements of Care for SCP Track II?

• Behavioral health and self-care strategies and treatment modalities including:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy


• Group exposure therapy


• Physical reactivation


• Stress management (relaxation training, massage therapy, yoga and acupuncture)


• Educationally-based self-care focus with relapse prevention follow up


• Multiple phone call follow up contacts for 10 months with clinician to secure improvements


• Functional status emphasis and return to duty


• Multi-disciplinary staff (physician, psychologist, social worker, nurse, physical therapist)


• Structured, day-hospital milieu, 0730 - 1600 for three weeks, Mon.- Fri.


• Ease of access to other referral sources within the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) system

How Are People Referred to the Program?

• Military health system clinicians can refer patients meeting admission criteria to the program

• Patients must be ambulatory and capable of some exercise


• Patients musts be stable enough for independent functioning


• Referral must include evaluation by a mental health professional to rule out significant co-morbid mental illness, e.g., psychosis, suicidality, active substance abuse


• For healthcare facilities lacking evaluation assets, referrals for evaluation may be made to DHCC Ambulatory Care Program


• The individual's command must approve program attendance


• For additional referral information click here.

Information provided by Department Of Defense Deployment Health Clinical Center