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Vermont National
Guard to expand outreach program for soldiers
(February
2008 Issue)
By Ami Albernaz
A $3 million grant received by the Vermont National Guard will
expand an outreach program that may serve as a model for the rest
of the country in helping soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The grant, announced in November, will help Guard members broaden
access to mental health counseling and therapy for traumatic brain
injury stemming from soldiers' tours of service.
"At a time when returning soldiers across the country are suffering
from extremely high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic
brain injury, we are trying to develop a model outreach program
which connects service members and their families who need assistance
to programs that can provide help," US Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I-Vt),
who advocated for the funds, said in a statement. "We all know that
service members and their families, especially those from the National
Guard and Reserves, often are not aware of the services and benefits
available to them or do not know how to access them. This program
provides some of that education."
The grant should go a long way in enabling much-needed services
at a time when Guard counselors are tasked with helping returning
soldiers adjust to civilian jobs, says Colonel John Coffin, M.S.,
a National Guard psychologist. It will increase from five to nine
the number of outreach workers informally called "door knockers,"
who check in on Guard members after they have had time to re-acclimate
to life back home.
The money will also help the Guard provide evaluation and therapy
to soldiers suffering traumatic brain injury (TBI). Some surveys
have indicated that as many as 10 to 20 percent of returning soldiers
might have suffered a brain injury of some sort.
"This is a TBI war, one in which people's heads have been banged
around more than any other conflict," Coffin says, citing improvised
explosive devices as one major cause. "Many people have symptoms
that are rather unique in a way that we don't have experience dealing
with."
The Guard is working with the state's Veterans Affairs centers
to set up evidence-based therapy programs for improving brain functioning.
It also plans to increase the number of TBI specialists in the state.
Currently, the VA Medical Center in White River Junction has one
half-time doctor and some therapists for brain injury cases, Coffin
says.
As some of its returned members anticipate returning overseas,
the Guard hopes to bolster psychological and case management services
for those who are redeployable. "We're working hard to see who's
available for mobilization again and what kind of shape they're
in," Coffin says. "We're trying to guide soldiers to the correct
resources and to make it easier for partners and families of deployed
soldiers to get services."
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