In the article, “Our Opportunity to Serve Veterans,” Kathryn Power, M.Ed., Regional Administrator and Lead, Strategic Priority for Military Service Members, Veterans and their Families, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) calls on community providers to become educated about the needs of our Veterans and their families. Ms. Power writes, “There is a misconception that Veterans are only served through closed systems, and that the civilian community does not have the opportunity to interact with the Veteran population,” […]
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Dr. Eric Elbogen, a forensic psychologist at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, heads a team that developed tools that mental health clinicians can use to assess and reduce risk for violent behavior in Veterans. The research identified risk factors associated with risk of violence in Veterans and provided information to aid in the construction and development of clinical checklists used by doctors in the Veterans Administration (VA) hospital system and non-VA medical facilities treating military Veterans. The […]
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The North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) is providing free tax preparation to service members, Veteran retirees, and their families throughout the state of North Carolina. Certified staff travels across the state to make the service available to soldiers who may not have the ability to get to the JFHQ location in Raleigh. The tax center also provides times on the weekend so that service members do not have to take time off from their civilian jobs. Since opening three years […]
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The Soldier 360 leadership-training program is experiencing success at Fort Bragg and earning high praise from Fort Bragg leaders. This five-day training program includes non-traditional therapies and aims to increase resiliency among noncommissioned officers. Mary Lopez, a retired colonel and director of Soldier 360, says that the program provides enlisted leaders with tools, techniques, and programs that could help a soldier in need. Participants in the course describe how the training has helped them both mentally and physically. To read […]
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A groundbreaking ceremony for the 280,000 square foot Kernersville Veterans Affairs clinic was held in January. The new clinic, expected to serve about 34,000 veterans a year, will cut down on the travel time for veterans who currently seek care at the VA. The services offered at the clinic will include primary care and general and specialized mental health services among others. Similar clinics are being built in Charlotte and Fayetteville to help meet the growing health care needs of […]
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Researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University have found that for veterans treated for traumatic brain injury (TBI) that the majority had a clinician-diagnosed mental health disorder and approximately half had both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and pain. Additional findings indicated that six percent of the veterans treated during the study period suffered from TBI, PTSD, and pain, referred to as the “polytrauma triad.” The principal investigators of the study believe that their findings will lead to better understanding and treatment […]
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The US Department of Justice (DOJ) estimates that there are about 140,000 veterans in American jails today. More than half of these veterans have substance abuse problems, and a quarter were inebriated at the time of the violation that landed them in prison. Experts say many are “self-medicating,” countering the strains of their service, PTSD, emotional stress, mental fatigue, survivor guilt, and/or family disruption with drugs or alcohol. Recognizing that many veterans are in need of treatment, not incarceration, many […]
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The Veteran Stand Down and Outreach Event hosted by the Onslow County Career Center offered hot showers, meals, toiletries, clothing, and a variety of resources to more than 100 veterans. Fifty organizations representing the Department of Veterans Affairs, schools, nonprofits, and crisis response services were available to help the veterans who attended. Veterans received assistance with applying for and checking on the status of benefits, enrolling for care, and becoming members for the many veteran service organizations present. To read […]
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The Cape Fear Regional Theatre has received a grant to create a documentary theatre piece based upon the voices of the military community as told through the stories of families with deployed service members. The theatre is in the planning phases of the “Voices from the Homefront” project, this will lead to community engagement workshops where spouses and children of deployed service members can share their experiences and contribute to the final product. To read more, click here.
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The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center has released new clinical recommendations to help service members who have sustained a mild traumatic brain injury, otherwise known as concussion, to progressively return to their normal activities following their injury. The guidelines are available here. The recommendations developed with input by academic experts, sports concussion clinicians and military TBI experts are for use by military and civilian health care professionals. To read more, click here.
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