Reintegration Issues Facing Returning Veterans Caring for Veterans

Reintegration Issues Facing Returning Veterans Caring for Veterans with Post-Deployment Health Concerns: Past, Present and Future Ron Teichman, MD, MPH, FACP, FACOEM Associate Director – Clinical, Education and Risk Communication War Related Illness and Injury Study Center VA New Jersey Health Care System – East Orange, NJ

We have learned… § Veterans need help learning to access the VA system § What services are available § How to register § VA not only for the seriously wounded § Who can help

We have learned… § The VA needs help understanding this cohort of Veterans § Very consumer savvy population – Think Nordstrom’s not K-Mart § Print is out – texting, podcasting, You. Tube, Facebook are in

We have learned… § There is still a huge stigma attached to asking for mental health evaluations and services § Difficulties with concentration and memory are common § Young and beginning life and careers, including law enforcement § Tough to ask for help in the best of circumstances § Including a MH evaluation removes the stigma

We have learned… § New Veterans don’t know what they are entitled to and they don’t/won’t read large stacks of print material § They were given information at a time and in a setting that was not conducive to their receiving the information § They weren’t told via their media of choice

We have learned… § REINTEGRATION is a tremendous issue for these Veterans and many are struggling mightily with it. § Physical and mental health § Support systems § Communications § Financial and employment issues § Educational options § Legal problems § Driving difficulties

We have learned… § Our multi-disciplinary comprehensive clinical evaluation, which focuses on the individual Veteran can be: § Rehabilitative § Normalizing § Reassuring § Therapeutic

The bottom line… § The Do. D spends a great deal of time and effort on training these men and women to behave a certain way in order to survive in a combat theater. They are then returned to their civilian lives with no training on how to transition back into a setting where many of those same life saving behaviors, impulses and reflexes are inappropriate, illegal or even hazardous.

§ Think about driving skills… § Think about walking down the street and noticing people watching you… § Think about being at work or school and remaining focused on the same task for a protracted period of time without allowing peripheral events to distract you…

§ We do not come home from war. § We come home with war.

Thank you