Integrating Mental Health Services Into The Pc Setting

There is concern about military service members receiving stigma about getting or needing treatment in the area of mental health. Stigma occurs when individuals view others negatively because they have been labeled or identified as having a deviant behavior against societal norms; deviant behaviors such as mental illnesses or diagnoses uncommon or harmful to others. How does that impact the military? Military men and women alike are termed heroes, warriors, and survivors; this is quite the reputation to keep up. Military members go to war or deploy to hostile combat environments, which many come back with severe mental illnesses and diagnosis that need immediate care. At this point they may not feel like a hero. The terms psychological, mentally ill, PTSD, and behavioral health has gained a reputation as having or being a problem. Being labeled a problem is not what service members want. Many studies are trying to pinpoint the problem and resolve the stereotypes associated with getting treatment. Consequently, an individual’s attitude toward mental health treatment is thought to be affected by other people’s views on mental health care (Held & Owens, 2012).

Bennett, PhD; Hilary J. Liberty, Ph 2013 107). Prior research has evaluated the prevalence of MH concerns and opportunities for treatment at various points in the military/veteran career including post deployment, among those being treated at Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, and in the general population) (Andrew Golub, PhD; Peter Vazan, PhD; Alexander S. Bennett, PhD; Hilary J. Liberty, Ph 2013 107). The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data indicate that a substantial portion of young veterans in the general population have substance use disorder (18%) or Serious Psychological Distress (SPD) (14%) (Andrew Golub, PhD; Peter Vazan, PhD; Alexander S. Bennett, PhD; Hilary J. Liberty, Ph 2013 111). All in all, the NSDUH proved to be an extremely valuable resource for this study, and indeed, the results of this analysis for unmet treatment needs have identified important directions for further research into reasons for not getting treatment, especially for SPD (Andrew Golub, PhD; Peter Vazan, PhD; Alexander S. Bennett, PhD; Hilary J. Liberty, Ph 2013 113). The Veterans Administration and National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) are taking steps in the right direction to help our veterans with their unmet needs with substance abuse and PTSD. Some examples of improvements are, better mental health evaluations before leaving active duty, more information about military service, and tracking trends among veterans in the general population, who are not necessarily in contact with the

The first step in the process: making an appointment with your primary care physician, second, get a referral from your primary care physician to see a case worker, third, talk to your case worker about your mental health issues, fourth, getting an appointment with a mental health care doctor, fifth, attending your mental health care appointment, after you have taken all of these steps 2-7 months may have gone by. In the EBSCO article,” VA Health System and Mental Health Treatment Retention” it states,” Throughout the entire of process of trying to attain mental health care the patient (you) maybe deteriorating mentally more and more each day. It is stated in the EBSCO article “Access to VA Services for Returning Veterans with PTSD” “This is unacceptable”. We as veterans have voluntarily served our country proudly, because of this service we at times come back with one or many mental illnesses. We deserve proper mental health care that is administered in a timely and safe manner.

The VA runs the largest substance use disorder treatment program in the world. Treatment of veterans with SUDs and co-occurring psychiatric disorders is one of the following three paradigms; parallel, sequential, and integrated. Most VA programs are parallel, where the patient receives treatment for SUD in one program and treatment for PTSD in another. Many SUD-PTSD veterans may be unable to navigate the separate systems or make sense of the disparate messages about PTSD treatment and recovery. One challenge to dissemination and implementation of EBTs is that of dual disorders, particularly SUD and PTSD. These patients use costly inpatient services, tend to have frequent relapses, and are less likely to adhere to or complete treatment.

Rates of trauma and mental illness are reported to be disproportionately higher among American veterans, especially those of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The barriers to care after civilian reentry further disadvantage this already vulnerable population. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been the longest sustained US military operations since the Vietnam era, sending more than 2.2 million troops into battle and resulting in more than 6,600 deaths and 48,000 injuries. Veterans are at risk mental health challenges, as well as family instability, elevated rates of homelessness, and joblessness. Veterans have disproportionate rates of mental illness, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse disorders, depression, anxiety, and military sexual trauma.

These words left the pen of judge Stephen Reinhardt two years ago from the 9th circuit court of appeals on a case of veterans against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); The dispute for a veterans right to healthcare is still raging. The United States is facing a larger population of veterans every year, who suffer from a number of debilitating ailments, and finding itself with less means to take care of them. The VA is allowing health assessments go unnoticed for years due to lack of funding. Without this necessary treatment veterans who suffer from mental disorders like depression, anxiety or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) will build up tension and develop a risk for breakdowns which can cause not only mental, but physical damage to themselves and their community. These valiant men and women deserve proper treatment by means of formal evaluation, cognitive therapy, and monitored medication. Our service members have been promised treatment and it is our obligation as a country is to ensure it is

Both articles identify the issue of providing mental health services for veterans with an extra emphasis on those that served in Afghanistan and Iraq (OEF/OIF veterans). It is no surprise that returning veterans suffer from both visible/invisible (physical and mental) wounds. Most veterans have this “high” expectation that they are going to receive quality care from both the DoD and VA. Unfortunately reality steps in where veterans are slapped in the face because they are receiving a lack of poor quality care all while jumping through Beuracractic hoops. The challenges faced to access these services include resistance, stigma, lack of professionalism, and geographic and/or regional disparities in the distribution of services resources and/or benefits, and the system simply refusing to change.

For many years, the VA has offered health care to the men and women who have surrendered a large part of their lives to protect our nation. The VA has made great stride in providing specialized services to veterans such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), and Mental Health treatment. In fact, the VA is leading the field on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) research, but now that many of our men and women are returning home from war, the commitment that the VA made to provide accessible health services and a smooth transition from military life back to civilian life to these heroes and their dependents are not being granted in a timely manner. Studies show that suicide among veterans is the number one leading cause of death in the United States and

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, (2015) veterans comprise 22.2% of all suicides. The suicide data reports of 2012 estimated 22 veterans commit suicide everyday (Kemp & Bossate, 2012). Evidence-based studies show one of the major reasons behind the large number of veteran suicides may be related to undiagnosed mental disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The Department of Veteran Affairs reports, “8 percent of the five million veterans using VA care have been diagnosed with PTSD” (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2014). This gap in mental health treatment among veterans negatively affects our nation as a whole. It is our duty to implement policies that provide a better quality and quantity of mental health services for the soldiers that

“The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is home to the United States’ largest integrated health care system” (Mason e.t. al 2016). Because of technological and medical advancement, surviving injuries from war has lead to a greater need for post deployment and discharge care. I often hear the phrase “Freedom is not free”; the mental health of our active duty soldiers and veterans is one area that ends up costing America. Some lose time with their families, some are injured physically and mentally, and some lose their lives.

Treatment for co-ocurring disorders fall under the outpatient spectrum for addiction rehabilitation, however, it is an essential and successful form of treatment specifically for veterans. For many civilians who have not been to combat it is difficult to comprehend the toxic combination of pride, anger, duty, anguish and anxiety many veterans feel after their time in the service. Consequently, adjusting back to civilian life is a difficult task to accomplish; while some veterans sustain only minor physical and psychological wounds from combat, others aren’t as lucky. As mentioned above, for veterans, PTSD is considered a mental health condition caused by the traumatic events experienced in wartime. Thus often causing veterans to drugs or alcohol to self-medicate. If left unaddressed, PTSD and substance abuse in veterans can be

No military in the history of the world has been more widely deployed than the United States. The United States currently has troops stationed in 150 countries, and each year thousands of American citizens are sent abroad for active duty. However, the mental health of veterans are not taken into consideration when they return home. Many have been exposed to prolonged periods of combat-related stress or traumatic events that can lead to severe disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and traumatic brain injury (TBI)—which can plague veterans for the rest of their lives. Groups such as the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America are advocating for change due to the high suicide rates of veterans who are not receiving adequate help for their conditions. It is estimated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that 22 veterans commit suicide every day after a long struggle with the physical and mental tolls of war. However, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been insufficiently handling with the current numbers of veterans with mental health conditions— which is a key element of this issue. To deal with this problem, President Obama signed a bill this past March to allow greater access of mental health care for veterans. The bill is aimed at suicide prevention by simplifying the health care process, as well as by collaborating with nonprofit mental health organizations to effectively reach the public. Psychiatry students are also

Both PTSD and substance abuse in Veterans not only affects themselves, but it also affects their families and communities (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2017). The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2017) states that there are 3.1 million immediate family members to the veterans in the United States (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2017). These family members can potentially suffer from second-hand trauma symptoms (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2017). The U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S Department of Veteran’s Affairs both offer care that veterans and their families are eligible for, but a substantial number of veterans and their

These various stakeholders are all concerned about the same thing: the health and well-being of the active duty service members, reservists, and veterans. This is especially true when U.S. soldiers and veterans are unable to care for their own health due to mental illness. The existing landscape is a flawed Veterans Affairs system that many are calling for a complete overhaul. There are programs in place through the DoD that cause a “healthy soldier effect” in currently serving active duty and reservists, but this is not enough to cause a “healthy soldier effect” once they become veterans. The advantage to forming policy for veterans is to play off the current infrastructure, but the disadvantage is that the infrastructure is in dire need of assistance.

There are several limitations within this research which will consist of having such a limited sampling size available to collect data. This may cause the findings associated with this research not to be valid for all VHA facilities nationwide. Amongst other limitations is the level of sensitivity related to mental health appointments. Many veterans may be reluctant to disclose their opinions associated with the lack of access to scheduling mental health appointments in fear that they will be characterized differently. However, the researcher will take every step possible to eliminate any unorthodox reflections related to this research and ensure reliability and validity of gathered