Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are not receiving the care they need. The rates of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, self-destructive behavior and suicide attempts are terribly high, and the VA system cannot address them all. Many vets live far from a VA center. At many VA hospitals, the required waiting time is too long, and the amount of counseling that can be provided to any one vet is not enough.
Today, I calling for all mental health professionals across the country to volunteer services to one veteran and his or her family. Make it more than more than one if you can. But if every psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, marriage and family therapist, pastoral counselor and other groups volunteers services for one family, we can make a huge difference.
Being for or against this war is irrelevant here. One thing all Americans can be proud of is that we have learned to cherish and honor our veterans for their service regardless of our opinions of the decisions made by policy makers. In this spirit, I offer my own services to a veteran who needs them. My office is in Lafayette, California (30 minutes from San Francisco). If the veteran you want to refer is paralyzed or unable to drive, I will go to them.
I would love to hear from other psychologists like myself, and from any mental health professional. Help me in the planning and execution of this idea. We can make a difference!
Blessings to you dear visitor on this one and only day of its kind in your life!
July 19, 2008 at 6:17 pm |
Hello-my experiences with the VA hospital and ‘veterans affairs’ has been almost equally as harmful as the damages I live with since my term in the Navy 38 years ago!
I believe the one major injury-and crime-the military and VA wants to have a dissappearing act is MST…military sexual trauma!
I am so fiercely angry at the system that allowed it to happen to me-repeatedly…and told me to get used to it-then years later tells me to fight it and when I began my fight the veterans affairs advocate makes it just as if it happened again-he used bigoted remarks that would have never been said if I kept my mouth shut and ‘got used to it’!!
God bless you for your offer to aid veterans-you are a grand individual.
July 21, 2008 at 1:39 pm |
Dr. Lee,
I am delighted to see your challenge to colleagues and your invitation to serve a veteran and or their family. The need is indeed far greater than the military or the VA can meet.
Geoff Souther