Focus Updates | The Governor's Focus on Returning Combat Veterans and their Families - Part 82

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Robots Could Save Soldiers’ Lives, Army General Says August 17, 2011 – American Forces Press Service Robots and unmanned systems potentially could improve enemy surveillance, reduce a soldier’s workload and save lives on the battlefield, an Army general said here this week. “As I think about what’s happening on the battlefield today,” Lynch said, “I contend there are things we could do to improve the survivability of our service members. And you all know that’s true.” Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, commanding general of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command and assistant Army chief of staff for installation management, addressed an audience at a session of the 2011 Unmanned Systems North America conference hosted by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. Read the full article. DCoE Webinar Focuses on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Natural Disasters By DCoE Strategic Communications Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) will host its latest webinar, “Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Natural Disasters,” Aug. 25, 2011, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (EST). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) not only affects service members who experience traumatic events while deployed, it can also affect civilian communities, particularly in the aftermath of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, the earthquakes in Haiti and Japan, and the tornadoes that tore through the southern United States. The knowledge gained through extensive study of PTSD in military populations has provided great insight into the disorder in civilian communities. This webinar will discuss the effects natural disasters have on individuals who live in communities devastated by natural disasters, ways to promote resilience, and mechanisms for coping. Read more To register or for more information, please email: DCoE.MonthlyWebinar@tma.osd.mil Resilience Study Can Help DOD Strengthen Programs August 16, 2011 – American Forces Press Service The military has a plethora of programs aimed at building resilience in service members and their families, but needs a better system in place to measure their success, a study has revealed. Commissioned by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, the Rand Corp. study examined 23 military and civilian programs that address psychological resilience and offered recommendations on how the military can improve their quality and effectiveness. Resilience is a keystone to a service members’ overall fitness, said U.S. Public Health Service Cmdr. George Durgin, the centers’ resilience division chief in the resilience and prevention directorate. “If you have a service member who can adapt and overcome to adverse events and then turn back to a steady plane — a green zone — that’s what we’re looking for,” he said. Read the full article. Female Veterans Breaking Silence, Beating Trauma August 8, 2011 – NPR During a military mission in Afghanistan this weekend, a U.S. helicopter came under fire, crashing and killing eight Afghans and 30 U.S. servicemen. Twenty-two of the casualties were Navy SEALs. Families are still trying to process the weekend’s loss and deal with mental and emotional fallout from the nation’s wars. And women have it particularly tough. Significantly more women have served in the U.S. military in recent years, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Many of these women suffer post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and other issues after their service ends. U.S. Air Force veteran Lisa Bolling has survived military trauma, returned to a home on the streets, and is now coping with PTSD. Read the full article and listen to the story. SOAR Employment Programs The SAMHSA SOAR Technical Assistance Center is looking for SOAR programs that also focus on employment. We hope to share some of your strategies with other SOAR providers. If you can address any of the following topics, we would like to hear from you: Integration of Supported Employment and SOAR Increasing access to other employment services or programs for people who are homeless and receive SSI/SSDI Best practices in engaging SSI/SSDI beneficiaries around going back to work Linking people to SSA’s Ticket to Work programor vocational rehabilitation services Please email the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center at soar@prainc.com so that we may follow-up with you for more information. Thank you in advance for your time. We look forward to hearing from you! PAGE 82 of 3251...78 79 80 818283 84 85 86...325