OEF/OIF/OND combat Veterans can receive cost free medical care for any condition related to your service in your theater of operation for five years after the date of your discharge or release.

For this reason, combat Veterans are strongly encouraged to apply for enrollment within their enhanced eligibility period, even if no medical care is currently needed.

Your 5-year enrollment period begins on your discharge or separation date from Active Duty military service, or in the case of multiple call-ups, your most recent discharge date.

Comprehensive VA health benefits — including preventative care, mental health care, prescriptions, emergency and surgical care — are available to all Veterans (usually with a co-pay).

Register now! http://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/apply/returning_servicemembers.asp

This is an announcement to introduce a very new organization that helps veterans who are ill. Sometimes soldiers are exposed to biological warfare and suffer the debilitating effects of such toxic chemical exposure long after they return home from war. Although the Veteran’s Hospital is a wonderful resource, this type of illness can cause symptoms and overall malaise that traditional medicine cannot treat or cure.

“Nutritional Intervention for Veterans” is made up of a panel of doctors who are experts in treating this type of illness. And they are donating their time and offering their services and nutrients free of charge to those who have offered and donated their services to our country. Who is more deserving than our veterans to receive free care for what they have sacrificed to make us all safe? Stand on the frontline of our campaign! If you would like to help with a donation of any denomination, please go to our online campaign at: http://www.indiegogo.com/Nutritional-Intervention-For-Veterans?a=361678&i=reli&key=a4XGB3qE

Take a couple moments to visit the website and watch some of the videos. If you find the site valuable, you can help by linking to the campaign. Additionally if you know of a Veteran who is going through any the situations explained, please forward the appropriate video to them so they can view how a fellow Veteran found the care and support they needed to improve their lives.

This is just one of the videos you will find there…

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has embarked on a major initiative to reach out to women Veterans in order to solicit their input on ways to enhance the health care services VA provides to women Veterans.

“We are taking a proactive approach to enhancing VA health care for women Veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We are seeking the input of women Veterans so that VA can continue to provide high quality health care to the growing numbers of women Veterans.”

Representatives at VA’s Health Resource Center (HRC) are placing calls to women Veterans nationwide, asking them to share their experiences with VA and suggest potential enhancements that will further VA’s mission to provide the best care anywhere.

Women Veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the Veteran population. Of the 22.7 million living Veterans, more than 1.8 million are women. They comprise nearly 8 percent of the total Veteran population and 6 percent of all Veterans who use VA health care services.

VA estimates by 2020 women Veterans will constitute 10 percent of the Veteran population and 9.5 percent of VA patients. The HRC, which started placing calls on June 1, is contacting women Veterans who have enrolled, but have not begun using VA services.

“Through this contact center, we are placing friendly, conversational calls to women Veterans,” said Patricia Hayes, chief consultant of the VA’s Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group. “We want these Veterans and their caregivers to talk candidly about why they are not using VA, whether they are aware of the gender-specific services we offer, and what additional services they would like to see VA offer.”

The HRC representatives making the calls are also informing women Veterans about the services VA offers and quickly connecting them with appropriate departments if they are interested in trying VA health care. Veterans who have complaints about VA are connected to a patient advocate who helps resolve issues.

VA has trained professionals in all aspects of women’s health, including general primary care, osteoporosis management, heart disease, mental health care, menopausal services and obesity-related issues, such as diabetes. Preventive screenings for breast and cervical cancer are also areas in which VA excels. Soon, all VA facilities will offer comprehensive primary care for women from a single provider.

The Women Veterans Health Care program has made significant changes in the last few years to enhance the health care offered to eligible women Veterans. This progress includes:

• Adopting key policies to improve access and enhance services for women Veterans;
• Implementing comprehensive primary care for women Veterans;
• Conducting cutting-edge research on the effects of military service on women’s lives;
• Improving communication and outreach to women Veterans; and
• Providing mental health, homelessness and other services designed to meet the unique needs of women Veterans

Army Staff Sgt. Victor Medina sustained a moderate Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) during his third deployment in Iraq in 2009. Several months later, Medina started a blog titled, “TBI Warrior” to help educate other survivors and caregivers affected by a brain injury through his own experiences–before and after TBI. He shares his story with the DCoE Blog.

Let me take you back to the first day of my new life. The day was June 29, 2009. The mission was a mounted patrol to escort supplies and route reconnaissance from a main contingency operating base (COB) to a joint security station (JSS). The route would take about three hours. We maneuvered through one of the largest cities in Iraq during the three-hour mission. As we exited the city limits – the event occurred that changed my life forever. An explosively formed projectile impacted our vehicle.

The next 48-plus hours are a blur in my mind, still. Most of what I can remember about the event is because of the stories others have told to me. I do remember the smoke and the confusion that followed the accident, but I don’t remember fainting. I remember waking up in an aid station feeling very confused and overwhelmed. I learned I had sustained a moderate TBI.

Today after 16 months of rehabilitation, I look back and think: “It has been a long recovery.” Life is not the same; I have changed. The people who knew me pre-injury can clearly see the difference. I still cope with lingering side effects. Problems with my vision, hearing, balance, headaches, speech disfluency, including the obvious cognitive impairments, are all there. I am not the same as I was before the injury. The truth is that I’ve tried to be the old me but just haven’t been able to succeed at it.

My new philosophy in life and with the injury is: “If this is the hand life dealt me, I will play the best game possible.” Is it frustrating? Yes. I encourage others not to focus on the negative things of the past or present, but rather set eyes on a bright future. I believe survivors of mild or moderate TBI have the power to be as independent as they want to be, regardless of the symptoms. I always ask survivors to stop and ask themselves: “Are you a victim?” or “Are you a warrior?”

With or without injury we are responsible for our actions and our future. Life is about decisions, and you can choose to stand up and make the best out of your life. I decided to stand up and help others. I decided to be an example; and that’s how TBI Warrior started.

It humbles me when others feel empowered and motivated by my experiences. The Army taught me the value in “selfless service.” That is the value I choose to carry with me to help others. I always say that my mission is not about me but about all those who come behind me. TBI is not the end; it can be a new beginning. The effects may not go away, but “it will get better.”

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month – click here for brain injury resources.

Mayslake Ministries
www.mayslakeministries.org/veterans_ministry.php

Rapid resolution therapy – Dr. Laura Bokar
www.fvinstitute.com

Edward Hines, Jr. VA hospital
www.hines.va.gov

Brian Clubb,  the Veterans Treatment Court Project Director for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP).  Brian is also a retired Marine Corps Veteran having served as an intelligence officer, a scout-sniper platoon commander, counter-narcotics analyst, and substance abuse control officer.  Mr. Clubb is a former deputy public defender and civilian defense attorney from San Jose, California where he represented hundreds of clients in his county’s drug and mental health treatment courts.   He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego and his Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

This year marks the ninth straight year of America at war. There are now more than 23 million U.S. veterans including 2 million and counting from the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The men and women of our military shoulder the burden of protecting our freedom. Over 5,000 have paid the ultimate price and another 37,000 will forever bear the physical wounds of war.

We must not forget that one in six veterans from Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom suffers from a substance abuse challenge. One in five has symptoms of a mental disorder or cognitive impairment. Research continues to draw a link between substance abuse and combat related mental illness and increasing numbers of veterans are appearing in our courts to face charges stemming directly from these issues. Where do many end up? Today, an estimated 60% of the 140,000 veterans in prison have a substance abuse problem. And tonight, roughly 130,000 veterans will be homeless, 70% of whom suffer from a substance abuse and/or mental illness condition.

Veterans Treatment Courts are hybrid Drug and Mental Health Courts that use the Drug Court model to serve veterans struggling with addiction, serious mental illness and/or co-occurring disorders. They promote sobriety, recovery and stability through a coordinated response that involves cooperation and collaboration with the traditional partners found in Drug and Mental Health Courts, with the addition of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health care networks, the Veterans’ Benefits Administration, volunteer veteran mentors and veterans and veterans’ family support organizations.

Brian will be joining us LIVE on our Veterans Day Telethon on November 6th to discuss more about Veteran Treatment Courts.  Be sure to listen in and send us your questions and comments to laurakennedylive@gmail.com

Torrey Shannon, National Spokesperson & Co-Executive Director of “Cleaning For Heroes” will be joining the lineup for our 2010 Veteran’s Day Telethon. Torrey came on board with Cleaning for Heroes in April 2010.  She has a unique perspective on the benefits of this one-of-a-kind program.  She is the wife of a combat wounded veteran who was featured in the Pulitzer-Prize winning stories in The Washington Post in 2007 and later testified before Congress about veteran care issues. Torrey, a former maid service owner, has been a peer mentor and moderator on many online residential cleaning forums over the years and remains actively involved in the cleaning industry. She is most recognized as an advocate and expert on quality-of-life topics that affect veterans and their families.

“Cleaning for Heroes” gives honor and assistance to our veterans and service members EVERY day of the year and is setting the example for others to follow! Within four months of the launch of this ground-breaking program, the Cleaning for Heroes network of maid services were spanning the nation and reaching into Canada. The response from the public was overwhelmingly positive.

Anne Aldridge, Founder of “Cleaning For Heroes”, is no stranger to the the sacrifices of veterans. She is the daughter of a Vietnam-era Navy veteran, the granddaughter of a World War II veteran, and the great-granddaughter of a World War I veteran.

“Cleaning for Heroes” is the only non-profit dedicated to to providing free house cleaning, home and repair services to disabled veterans in need.  If you would like to help support this worthy organization, please visit their website or click on the donate widget below!!!

There has been an increase of media coverage dealing with the growing number of non-profit organizations providing much needed companion pets for our returning troops requiring such companionship, and Pets for Vets is one of these great ideas.

This story is in two parts. The first part will cover what groups like Pets for Vets have to offer. The second part will cover the reasons why Veterans need to be screened and prepared to accept such animals just as much as the dog needs to be appropriate for the Veteran.

For example, Veterans coping with PTSD or exhibiting signs of domestic abuse must have our own demons under control before even thinking about such companionship. In most cases non-profit groups like Pets for Vets screen potential Veteran applicants to ensure a stable environment for the Pet and Vet.

I know from personal experience that most shelter pets sent out for adoption have been rescued from an abusive situation as puppies, so potential owners are screened within reason to prevent further abuse.

Simply put we do not take a dog that has had a traumatic experience of their own (PTSD if I may) and place them with someone with PTSD unless that person is undergoing treatment and has the condition pretty much under control that is the Veteran is stabilized. The addition of such a companion may serve as a compliment to any other therapy the Veteran receives.

I have ’stabilized’ type 2 bipolar meaning not only is it under control enough for me to live a normal [for me] life, but I never have required hospitalization for Mental Illness (MI). Shiba pictured here is my companion dog that I trained myself and love very much. She had been abused and battered before I got her to include having her tail cut off by the previous owner and tied to a tree with no shelter year round in Ohio including the dead of winter. It was a miracle Shiba survived; when decent neighbors reported the abuse. She looked nothing like this photo and was near starvation, fearing human contact. I intend ensuring all those demons in her experience go away, and she never suffers again for the rest of her days.

Lastly, it must be noted and clear that there is a vast difference between companion dogs like mine for people with MI and Service Dogs for people with physical combined with MI or Cognitive Impairment Disorders.

Robert L. Hanafin, Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired, Veterans Today News