Soldiers Face Stresses of War

Paul,

Civilian professionals need greater education on the military culture, the mission of the military, and the special nature of combat stressors. According to the Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health (came out in June 2007), it is suggested that reimbursement for Mental Health services provided by civilian professionals must be revamped, increased, and given greater priority of need. The Department of Defense Task Force also found that the military's resources (funding and personnel) is inadequate to the task at hand. I have heard that 200 Mental Health professionals needed to be hired in order to address the current shortfall in the military services. However, given the increased focus on Mental Health issues and traumatic brain injuries (TBI), I believe that 200 additional personnel are not enough. The civilian sector must become more involved and focused on assisting the military in taking care of soldiers. If it takes a village to raise a child, then it will take a community to heal a soldier.

During this fiscal year, increased congressional appropriations for both the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration have included funding for many additional mental health professionals specifically hired to treat combat trauma in veterans. It is difficult to say if the addition of these therapists will be able to adequately meet the caseload until the situation is re-assessed; but it is a good start. In addition, both the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration mental health units are working to reduce wait time for initial appointments for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans. In some locations, it is now policy that these veterans are seen within one week of being referred.