VA SECRETARY ADDRESSES TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY CONFERENCE
WASHINGTON – Recognizing the longstanding, integrated collaboration shared by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki gave the keynote address Monday at the fourth annual Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Military Training Conference here.
“We–DoD and VA–simply cannot afford to be less than aggressive in our effort to identify, treat and rehabilitate TBI READ MORE »
THOUSANDS STRAIN FORT HOOD’S MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM
FORT HOOD, Texas — Nine months after an Army psychiatrist was charged with fatally shooting 13 soldiers and wounding 30, the nation’s largest Army post can measure the toll of war in the more than 10,000 mental health evaluations, referrals or therapy sessions held every month.
About every fourth soldier here, where 48,000 troops and their families are based, has been in counseling during the past year, according to the service’s medical statistics. And the number of soldiers seeking help for combat stress, substance abuse, broken marriages or other emotional problems keeps increasing. READ MORE »
CHECK OUT OUR LATEST BLOG FOR PBS’ THIS EMOTIONAL LIFE SERIES ON THE HUFFINGTON POST!
CIAV has had the opportunity to partner with PBS for their campaign “This Emotional Life” to highlight the emotional challenges facing military families and veterans. Take a look at our latest blog on the military/veteran community and the tremendous work of our CIAV organizations: Supporting Our Veterans And Military Families.
You can learn more about their campaign to help military families here.
WOMEN’S SCARS OF WAR
By Jessica Yadegaran
Contra Costa Times
When retired Army Staff Sgt. June Moss returned from Iraq, she had to explain to her children why she couldn’t hug them. Any embrace longer than two seconds made her skin feel like it was on fire. “When I got back, my kids were really clingy,” Moss says. “They wanted affection. But, what do you say to a child?”
BEREAVED KIN PUSH FOR MILITARY CONDOLENCE LETTERS
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: January 13, 2010
WASHINGTON (AP) — Army Pfc. Brian Matthew Williams, 20, took his own life the day before he was to return to Iraq. Because it was a suicide, the president didn’t send a condolence letter to his family. Nobody has planted a tree in his honor or carved his name onto a memorial wall.
ZERO TO THREE EXPANDS COMING TOGETHER AROUND MILITARY FAMILIES INITIATIVE
With continued deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, military families are experiencing significant challenges. An environment experiencing uncertainty, separation, and sometimes loss can create high levels of stress for families, but its effects on the youngest family members are easily overlooked.
WOMAN OEF VETERAN FEATURED IN MARIE CLAIRE AFTER BECOMING HOMELESS
“I Served My Country…and Wound Up Living in My Car”
Marie Claire
This is an important story… one of many that we don’t often hear about. Roughly 210,000 women have deployed to areas of combat operations since September 11. And 1 out of every 10 homeless veterans under the age of 45 is a woman.
MILESTONE FOR USA CARES PTSD AND TBI TREATMENT PROGRAM
Reaching a hundred of anything is usually considered a milestone—whether it’s years of age or points in a basketball game. USA Cares has just reached such a milestone with the one-hundredth veteran assisted through their Warrior Treatment Today program.
Begun in January 2008, the Warrior Treatment Today program has grown significantly as more and more veterans are coming forward for help with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). READ MORE »
OPERATION IN THEIR BOOTS: FILMMAKING FELLOWSHIP FOR OIF/OEF SERVICEMEMBERS
Update: Operation in Their Boots is now accepting applications for the OIF/OEF filmmaking fellowship. Visit their web site to get more information and to fill out an application.
Operation In Their Boots is a one-of-a-kind Filmmaking Fellowship sponsored by Brave New Foundation where five OIF and OEF veterans, reservists, national guardsmen and women, and currently enlisted service members* will be selected to direct their own, fully funded documentaries.
DAV APPLAUDS U.S. SENATE FOR UNANIMOUS APPROVAL OF NEW PROGRAM TO SUPPORT FAMILY CAREGIVERS AND WOMEN VETERANS
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20—The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) applauds the U.S. Senate for unanimously approving S. 1963, “The Caregiver and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009.”
As passed, S. 1963 creates a comprehensive new program to support family caregivers of severely disabled veterans, and strengthens VA health care programs for women veterans, homeless veterans, veterans with mental health needs, and veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury.
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