RETIRED JUSTICE EVELYN LUNDBERG STRATTON'S VETERANS' CRIMINAL JUSTICE & MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES NEWS
January 9, 2016
Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, Retired Veterans in the Courts Initiative
Evelyn Lundberg Stratton retired from the Ohio Supreme Court at the end of 2012 so as to pursue more fully criminal justice reforms with a particular emphasis on veterans who become involved with the justice system. She established the Veterans in the Courts Initiative in 2009. Video http://bit.ly/1glCXZ0
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VETERANS IN THE COURTS INITIATIVE estrattonconsulting.wordpress.com
Editor's Note: To refocus this newsletter on veterans-related criminal justice and mental illness issues and to shorten it to a more manageable size, we have moved our tables & lists of reference materials and other longer term information to retired Justice Stratton's blog. Please follow the links below.
Operation Legal Help Ohio National Legal Assistance VA Town Halls & Events http://bit.ly/1Gg0HbK http://bit.ly/19DC5zu http://bit.ly/1Gg1DN6 Events: Conferences, Webinars, Jobs & Hiring Fairs Listings Additional Resources etc. http://bit.ly/19Dz2ay http://bit.ly/1Gg21LH http://bit.ly/1Gg1nOi Current Newsletter 2015 Newsletters Ohio Resources For Veterans http://bit.ly/19ovER5 http://bit.ly/1FKASAC http://bit.ly/19ouWn0
This data will be updated constantly. Please use the links below to share the information. Please send us new sources when you find them. Thank you!
Editor's Note: Thank you to all of the individuals and organizations that provide articles for these news clips every week. I would especially like to thank and urge you to follow: Mary Ellen Salzano, founder facilitator of the CA Statewide Collaborative for our Military and Families, Dr. Ingrid Herrera-Yee, NAMI Military & Veterans Policy, Dr. Herrera-Yee is currently a Board Member for the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), Military Spouses of Strength, Military Mental Health Project and the National Guard Suicide and Resiliency Council among others. She has also been a special contributor to NBC News, Military Times, Air Force Times, Military Spouse Magazine and BuzzFeed. She spends her free time mentoring spouses through eMentor and Joining Forces. Dr. Herrera-Yee received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and was a Clinical Fellow at Harvard University. Lily Casura, journalist, author and founder of Healing Combat Trauma - the award- winning, first website to address the issue of combat veterans and PTSD (established February 2006), and Kelly Kennedy, author and former national health policy, congress and veterans issues reporter (USA Today, Army Times, Chicago Tribune Media Group and USMC 1stLt Andrew T. Bolla, PIO at the USMC Wounded Warrior Regiment, publisher of WWR In the News, DoD Morning News of Note and USA Colonel (Ret.) James Hutton, Director of Media Relations at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
FEATURED STORIES
VA needs skilled healthcare leaders to speed system reforms (Dr. David J. Shulkin is undersecretary for health at the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department) http://bit.ly/1nbqdLV . . . The recent challenges in the VA healthcare system have received much attention. Among the most daunting is the shortage of healthcare professionals in the Veterans Health Administration. We have nearly 41,000 vacancies—close to 1 in 6 positions are unfilled.
1 of 33 With so many vacant positions, it's difficult to fix our access issues and continue to make the progress needed in other areas.
To effectively tackle the issues facing the VHA, we must start by identifying and hiring more of the right leaders. We currently have executive openings at approximately 25% of our medical centers and regional networks.
Research: PEOPLE WITH UNTREATED MENTAL ILLNESS 16 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE KILLED BY POLICE http://bit.ly/1OYD2PP People with untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed during a police encounter than other civilians approached or stopped by law enforcement, according to a new study released today by the Treatment Advocacy Center.
Numbering fewer than 1 in 50 U.S. adults, individuals with untreated severe mental illness are involved in at least 1 in 4 and as many as half of all fatal police shootings, the study reports. Because of this prevalence, reducing encounters between on-duty law enforcement and individuals with the most severe psychiatric diseases may represent the single most immediate, practical strategy for reducing fatal police shootings in the United States, the authors conclude.
“By dismantling the mental illness treatment system, we have turned mental health crisis from a medical issue into a police matter,” said John Snook, executive director and a co- author of the study. “This is patently unfair, illogical and is proving harmful both to the individual in desperate need of care and the officer who is forced to respond.”
The report, “Overlooked in the Undercounted: The Role of Mental Illness in Fatal Law Enforcement Encounters,” urges lawmakers to reduce loss of life and the many social costs associated with police shootings by enacting public policies that will: Restore the mental health system so that individuals with severe mental illness are not left to deteriorate until their actions provoke a police response; Fund reliable federal tracking and reporting of all incidents involving the use of deadly force by law enforcement, whether lethal or not; and Assure that the role of mental illness in fatal police shootings is identified and reported in government data collection.
Defense officials propose biggest UCMJ changes in decades http://is.gd/cfqkMH . . . After a two-year review, the Defense Department is asking Congress to change dozens of articles governing how troops are tried and punished for misconduct. If approved, it would mark the most far-reaching changes to the UCMJ since its inception in 1950.
In a line-by-line review of military laws, top Pentagon lawyers sought to make the military justice system more closely resemble the civilian judicial system.
. . . Article 120, which covers rape and sexual assault, should be rewritten to match the definition used in federal civilian courts, under another of the recommendations.
. . . A key piece of the Pentagon’s new recommendations calls for making most documents — charge sheets, motions, judge’s rulings — available online, similar to the civilian federal court system.
Duane Williams (IAVA: The judicial empowerment could be an interim step to better control pre-trial deals that lessen the risk for sex offenders. The actual solution to that relates to decisions to prosecute, and that would remain a command function under the proposed changes.
Research: Visible Brain Damage Detected in MTBI From Blast Injuries http://bit.ly/1UFtH3Z 2 of 33 Many military personnel who experience blast-related traumatic brain injury (MTBI) have lasting brain damage as seen by MRI, according to a study published in Radiology.
Researchers from the National Capital Neuroimaging Consortium, the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, the Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, MD, sought to describe initial neuroradiology findings among members of the military service who had experienced a primary chronic mild TBI (MTBI) caused by a blast.
“We were really surprised to see so much damage to the brain in the MTBI patients,” Gerard Riedy, MD, PhD, National Intrepid Center of Excellence at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, said in a release. “It’s expected that people with MTBI should have normal MRI results, yet more than 50 percent had these abnormalities.”
Riedy, also noted that these findings represent the first in a series of new studies on advanced brain imaging in patients with MTBI.
“This paper is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “We have several more papers coming up that build on these findings and look at brain function, brain wiring, connectivity and perfusion, or brain blood flow.”
Event: CIT International Conference, Chicago, April 25th-27th http://citconferences.org/ Featured speakers include Patrick Kennedy, Ken Duckworth (NAMI National), and The Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Civil Division Head Vanita Gupta.
CIT International is a non-profit membership organization whose primary purpose is to facilitate understanding, development and implementation of Crisis Intervention Team CIT programs throughout the United States and in other nations worldwide in order to promote and support collaborative efforts to create and sustain more effective interactions among law enforcement, mental health care providers, individuals with mental illness, their families and communities and also to reduce the stigma of mental illness.
Event: Veterans Health Administration. VA Healthcare 2016 Conference, Washington, DC, May 16-18, 2016 http://www.veteransaffairshealthcare.com/ The medical care requirements of our veterans have evolved due to the influx of military operations experienced by the United States throughout the past few decades.
While once daunting, meeting these requirements are now feasible as a result of the many advancements across the Veterans Health Administration.
VA Healthcare 2016 will bring together strategic leaders and experts within the Veterans Affairs to share the best practices that have helped successfully implement new technology upgrades, clinical care advancements, and more precise administrative efficiencies.
We will examine topics including: Future of mental healthcare and health informatics within the VA Technology upgrades impacting the patient experience Innovations in women's specific care Treating the growing threat of traumatic brain injury Administrative innovations through enhancing veterans benefits And much more
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
3 of 33 Pennsylvania DMVA Announces Veterans' Trust Fund Grant Funding Opportunities http://prn.to/22Snk36 HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) today announced the availability of up to $550,000 in competitive grants from the Veterans' Trust Fund (VTF).
"The goal of the Veterans' Trust Fund is to build and expand partnerships with charitable organizations, veterans service organizations and county directors of veterans affairs," said Brig. Gen. Jerry G. Beck Jr., deputy adjutant general for veterans affairs. "By awarding these grants in specific areas of emphasis, we can ensure that organizations who serve our veterans will be able to continue their good work."
Grants will be considered in the following areas: Up to $400,000 in competitive grants to veterans service organizations and 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations with a mission of serving Pennsylvania veterans, focusing on four areas of emphasis: homelessness, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), employment and workforce development initiatives, and other programs or services that address newly identified, unmet or emerging needs of veterans and their families. Up to $150,000 in competitive grants to County Directors of Veterans Affairs or the Pennsylvania Association of County Directors of Veterans' Affairs, focusing on three areas of emphasis: veteran outreach initiatives, veterans' court initiatives, and other programs or services that address newly identified, unmet or emerging needs of veterans and their families.
Since the VTF was established in 2012, more than $830,000 has been awarded in competitive grants.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
More than 200 telemedicine laws introduced nationwide in 2015 http://is.gd/QCqN64 Dive Brief: A new report from the National Conference of State Legislatures found there was a total of 200 telemedicine bills introduced in all but eight states in 2015. The federal government also introduced two bills, The TELEMedicine for MEDicare Act of 2015 (TELEMED Act) and the Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act of 2015, which may supersede local laws for VA and Medicare patients. The bills would create an interstate license for those practicing telemedicine on those patient populations. With the exception of Rhode Island, all states offer Medicaid reimbursement for telemedicine and almost all states reimburse for live video visits.
VHA: Top Ten VA Services List for Veterans in 2016 http://1.usa.gov/1mwoNLn 1. Sign Up For VA Health Benefits 2. Drop By a Vet Center 3. Learn About VA Mental Health Resources 4. Help a Homeless Vet Find a Home 5. Watch Veterans Share Their PTSD Experiences 6. Discover The Many Ways VA Is Helping Women 7. Enroll in the MyHealtheVet Online Program 8. Stop Smoking and Binge Eating 9. Take Advantage Of The Veterans Crisis Line 10. Save These Links To VA Services
VA Transition and Care Management Program http://1.usa.gov/22Sy1Tt 4 of 33 The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is renaming the Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) Care Management Program to Transition and Care Management (TCM) Program.
The OEF/OIF/OND Care Management Program was established in October 2007 by the VA to address the needs of wounded and ill Servicemembers and Veterans as they return from deployment and transition from the Department of Defense health care system to the VA system of care.
The renaming of the OEF/OIF/OND program to the Transition and Care Management (TCM) Program is intended to more accurately reflect the purpose, target population, and future vision of providing care management not only for those Veterans with service in combat supporting OEF/OIF/OND, but also to post 9/11 Veterans who need care management.
If you are a post 9/11 returning Servicemember or Veteran in need of assistance, please contact a member of our Transition and Care Management Program.
Justice Department shuts down 46 investigations into VA wait time scandal http://washex.am/1RfzUpc . . . . As of Dec. 3, the Justice Department has refused to pursue any charges in 46 of 55 cases referred by the VA's own inspector general.
Nine cases are still pending, according to a letter from Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, to Attorney General Loretta Lynch that was obtained by the Washington Examiner.
Despite the widespread attention VA officials have received for manipulating patient wait times, the Justice Department has acknowledged opening just one criminal investigation into a practice that took place at 110 VA facilities across the country.
FBI Director James Comey told Congress last year that the law enforcement agency's Phoenix office had opened a criminal probe of allegations made against officials at the Phoenix VA hospital.
Research: Survey of VA Access to Care Stand Downs http://is.gd/eEwll0 The Veterans Engineering Resource Center (VERC) and VA Office of Analytics and Business Intelligence invited CHERP’s Susan Zickmund, PhD to analyze their VA-wide survey of facilities that held Access to Care National Stand Down events in 2015.
The 200-page After Action Review, written by Dr. Zickmund’ s team headed by Peter Taber, ABD, provided key recommendations and actionable items from the responses from 105 VA facilities. Issues ranged from planning and coordination to staffing and publicity. This important information from front-line staff will be used to improve the operations and effectiveness of future Stand Down initiatives and events.
VA Facility News: Washington, DC VAMC outreach team will participate in the NBC 4 Health and Fitness Expo this weekend, January 9-10 VA Las Vegas Town Hall, January 13th VA New Orleans Town Hall, January 20th Chicago VAMC Town Hall, January 21st Atlanta VA Medical Center Town Hall, January 23rd Veteran Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS) on January 4 hired a new director, projected to begin work on January 24. Canandaigua VAMC Town Hall, February 9th Syracuse VA farming out orthopedic surgery after 2 doctors retire 5 of 33 VA PTSD facility turns away veteran's service dog VAAAHS integrates mental health services into primary care
VA OIG Reports Healthcare Inspection – Eye Care Concerns, Eastern Kansas Health Care System, Topeka and Leavenworth, Kansas Combined Assessment Program Review of the Royal C. Johnson Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota Review of Community Based Outpatient Clinics and Other Outpatient Clinics of Royal C. Johnson Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota Healthcare Inspection – Patient Care Deficiencies and Mental Health Therapy Availability, Overton Brooks VA Medical Center, Shreveport, Louisiana Review of Alleged Unauthorized Devices and Equipment on Networks at VHA’s Southern Arizona VA Health Care System Review of Alleged Supervisory Influence To Expedite a Friend’s Disability Claim at VA Regional Office New York, New York Review of Alleged Misuse of Hurricane Sandy Funds at VA New York Harbor Healthcare System Healthcare Inspection – Pulmonary Medicine Clinic Appointment Cancellations, William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, SC Review of Alleged Misuse of Hurricane Sandy Funds at VA New York Harbor Healthcare System Review of Alleged Problems With VBA’s Veterans Benefits Management System and Claims Processing Review of Alleged System Access Failures for Veterans’ to VBA’s eBenefits Program Review of Alleged Violation of VHA's Datawatch Data Pump Server Software License Agreement Healthcare Inspection – Poor Follow-Up Care and Incomplete Assessment of Disability, VA San Diego Healthcare System San Diego, California VA Tangles with Committee, IG over Discipline
Additional resources from my blog LIST OF VA TOWN HALLS & OTHER MEETINGS NATIONWIDE: http://bit.ly/1Gg1DN6
OHIO
Governor Kasich signs Ohio Senate Bill 10 into law: Medical assistance recipients- identify those eligible for military-related health care benefits http://1.usa.gov/1OYDDB4 To amend section 323.151 and to enact sections 5160.471 and 5902.21 of the Revised Code to establish a process for identifying individuals who are medical assistance recipients that may be eligible to receive federal military-related health care benefits and to extend eligibility for the enhanced homestead exemption for disabled veterans to include veterans who receive a total disability rating for compensation based on individual unemployability due to a service-connected disability.
Ohio Department of Veterans Services: 2015 Accomplishments http://dvs.ohio.gov/ Ohio is home to 67,552 women veterans, the 8th largest women veterans’ population in the nation.
More than 500 female veterans attended the Ohio Department of Veterans Services Women Veterans Conference on September 12, 2015, at the Hilton Columbus. Ohio hosts the largest women veterans’ conference in the country. Every other year, the event brings women veterans together from all over Ohio and provides networking opportunities, information on benefits, resources and employment
6 of 33 More than 200 runners and walkers participated in the Inaugural Women Veterans 5K in March.
The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame has now inducted 50 women. To nominate a veteran please go to:http://dvs.ohio.gov/VETERANS_HALL_OF_FAME/Nomination
Jobs and Education: The hard work and collaboration of Governor John Kasich’s Administration and the Ohio General Assembly and is paying off. Ohio’s veteran unemployment rate went from 11% at the end of federal fiscal year 2013 to 3.1% at the end of federal fiscal 2014. (federal fiscal years run Sept. 30-Oct.1)
With Ohio House Bill 488 implemented it is now easier for veterans and their spouses to obtain a state license or certificate for jobs.
Ohio’s 37 public colleges and universities are applying military experience toward free college credit and each institution has a student veterans’ coordinator.
The new http://www.ohiomeansveteranjobs.com/ gives veterans, service members and their families one easy entry point to find information about jobs, education and benefits
The new Veterans Business Support Center is making it easier for employers to connect with veteran talent. As of December 16th, 544 veterans have been hired into jobs paying more than $14 per hour
The Jobs for state veterans grant program put more than 2,000 people to work in Fiscal Year 2015
More than 1,400 employers are registered as military-friendly on www.OhioMeansVeteranJobs.com
Ohio Veterans Bonus Afghanistan Veterans are encouraged to Apply for the Ohio Veterans Bonus. Bonus payments range from $500 to $1,500. As of December 10, 2015 the Ohio Veterans Bonus program has paid out more than $73.3 million. To apply for the bonus, visit www.veteransbonus.ohio.gov, or any County Veteran’s Service Office (see www.dvs.ohio.gov to find your local office)
Veterans Benefits Together with Ohio’s 88 County Veterans Service Offices and the Veterans Service Organizations we are connecting a higher percentage of Ohio Veterans to federal VA benefits than at any other time in the recent past.
Ohio veterans received a 21.6 percent increase in compensation and pension payments in FY 2014 when compared to FY 2013, according to the VA’s Geographic Distribution of U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) Expenditures (GDX) report.
Ohio-based National Combat Trauma Expert & Ft. Hood Massacre Survivor Dr. Kathy Platoni Gives Keynote Address at Montgomery County (Dayton-area) Veterans Treatment Court Graduation http://bit.ly/1SegKzo Ohio Military Reserves Colonel Dr. Kathy Platoni is a retired U.S. Army Colonel; a Psy.D., DAAPM, FAIS; a clinical psychologist; and as a survivor of the Ft. Hood massacre.
Dr. Platoni is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay and Afghanistan)
7 of 33 She is co-author and editor of two books: War Trauma and Its Wake ~ Expanding the Circle of Healing (Scurfield and Platoni, 2012); and Healing War Trauma ~ A Handbook of Creative Approaches (Scurfield and Platoni, 2013)
Dr. Platoni is a nationally recognized PTSD expert and a national speaker. www.drplatoni.com
Fairfield County’s new Veterans Service site expected to ease operations (Dispatch Subscription) http://bit.ly/1UFqDou LANCASTER, Ohio — It’s hard to miss the bright-red lettering on the storefront office along business Rt. 33A that says Fairfield County Veterans Services. That’s the point.
The commission that helps military veterans apply for their federal benefits and gives them emergency help with food and rent is about to become more visible and, the director hopes, more accessible.
The county Veterans Service Commission plans to move this month from its cramped office in a remodeled old house in downtown Lancaster to roomier, modern office space in the Greenfield Center strip mall just north of the city.
EVENT: Military Veterans Resource Center's New Year, New Career Job Fair will take place on Jan. 14, 2016, from 10am- 2pm at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base http://bit.ly/1Zh62NV We invite all veterans, active duty military, members of the National Guard and Reserves, and spouses who are searching for employment to attend our 3rd annual New Year, New Career event. Employers from the Dayton, Miami Valley, and Cincinnati areas will be attending and searching for qualified candidates to join their team. Make sure you dress to impress and bring plenty of copies of your resume!
EVENT: Cavs, Legion team up for Cleveland hiring expo, January 25th http://bit.ly/1nbw3gg Jobs, training and free game tickets are up for grabs at a Hiring Our Heroes job expo coming to Cleveland soon.
The American Legion, in conjunction with the Cleveland Cavaliers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other partners, will host a hiring expo at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland Jan. 25. The event will be focused specifically on finding employment for current and former military servicemembers and their spouses.
EVENTS: Ohio National Guard Employer Advisory Council meetings: 15 MAR (Dayton) and 20 APR (Dublin) http://atichcd.org/events/ (Employer Advisory Council Tab) Please feel free to share this meeting invitation information with other interested employers.
EMPLOYER ADVISORY COUNCIL PURPOSE: To provide military-friendly employers with useful resources and guidance to help them succeed with military retention and recruitment initiatives.
IDEAL PARTICIPANTS: Human Resource personnel, talent acquisition/recruiters, military associate resource group leaders or others who want to better understand how to retain and hire military employees. We especially encourage those without prior military experience to attend.
Please join us at these upcoming employer advisory council meetings: March 15th (Dayton): How to connect employers in the Greater Miami Valley area to prospective Military & Veteran employees, JOB FAIR: 10:30 am -12:00 pm
8 of 33 April 20th (Dublin): Employer Recruitment and Retention Support Expo
Questions: Contact Kathy Lowrey, LtCol OHANG, Director, Community Outreach, Ohio National Guard, email: [email protected], View Ohio National Guard website and social media sites at: http://www.ong.ohio.gov/
Family housing at VA medical center planned in Dayton, Ohio http://bit.ly/22G4RGZ Planning has begun for a building to house families of patients receiving care at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in southwest Ohio.
Organizers of the project to build a Fisher House on the Dayton VA Medical Center campus say fundraising leaders have set a goal of $500,000 in individual and corporate contributions.
A Springboro couple donated more than $1 million last month for the privately funded $6 million project. The Dayton Daily News (http://bit.ly/1OkTZtL ) reports the Fisher House Foundation would pay the rest of the costs.
Ohio Chancellor John Carey joined Department of Veterans Services Director Chip Tansill visit Dayton-area colleges (Facebook video) http://on.fb.me/1OYEBNR Chancellor John Carey joined Department of Veterans Services Director Chip Tansill for a recent visit to three college campuses in the Dayton region to talk with student veterans about their experiences.
Roundtable discussions at Sinclair Community College, Wright State University and Clark State Community College helped Chancellor Carey and Director Tansill learn more about what each school is doing to help its student veterans and how the state of Ohio can continue to help them on their path to a degree and a successful career.
The Ohio State University: OSU Ranked #1 in the Country in "Top Colleges for Veterans" by USA Today http://bit.ly/22SzGbn and http://veterans.osu.edu/ November 18, 2015 USA Today & College Factual have ranked The Ohio State University the #1 College for Veterans in the Country! See the entire rankings and read more Here
USA Today: “Standing #1 overall on our ranking of the Best Colleges For Veterans, Ohio State University - Main Campus is a good choice if you are interested in a quality education coupled with factors we think are important to veterans.”
Editor’s Note: Congratulations to the staff of the Ohio State Office of Military and Veterans Services: o Michael Carrell, Assistant Provost & Director o Michael Forrest, Director, Veterans Transition & Services o Terry Worst, Senior Veterans Benefits Specialist o Gina Lee, Veterans Benefits Specialist o Brad Fittes, Academic Advisor o Angela Abel, Dept of VA, VetSuccess on Campus Counselor
Apartments In Campbell, Ohio Being Remodeled For Homeless Veterans http://bit.ly/1OYCKbL CAMPBELL, Ohio (WKBN) – Volunteers in Campbell, Ohio began remodeling two apartments on Delmar Avenue on Saturday for veterans that don’t have a home.
Four veterans will be moving into them, rent free, once they’re done. The goal of the project is to help the veterans get on their feet. After that, the next step is moving them into permanent housing once they are more stable.
9 of 33 Iron Soup Historical Preservation is an organization that works to remodel abandoned homes in Campbell. They have invested thousands of dollars on these two apartments to not only help veterans, but to make historical neighborhoods more attractive.
Columbus: New suits will outfit vets, those in military (Dispatch Subscription) http://bit.ly/1mwlYdb With a son in the Marine Corps and a heart that aches for all military families, Madel O’Neil found her own mission as a volunteer with the H.E.R.O.E.S. Care support program.
It’s humbling and satisfying work, pulling together community resources to help meet the needs of service members who give so much, the Lancaster resident said. Projects were pretty straightforward until O’Neil was asked how many pallets of suits she wanted.
“Pallets?” she thought. “I had no idea what was a pallet, and how much is in a pallet.”
The answer: a lot. O’Neil soon received a shipment of nearly 300 new men’s suits, 400 dress shirts and dozens of ties, belts and shoes.
All items are now displayed in a storefront in the Worthington mall, where they will be offered free to veterans and service members on Saturday and Sunday.
Major General (RET.) Deborah A. Ashenhurst joins R2 Associates as Senior Vice President, Military Strategy http://bit.ly/1UFiYGJ Cruzzen@gmail MORRISTOWN, NJ, January 6, 2016, — Today. R2 Associates LLC announced that Major General [Ret.] Deborah A. Ashenhurst has joined the R2 Associates learn as its Senior Vice President. Military Strategy.
In this new role, she will be responsible for assisting R2 clients in developing and implementing strategies to raise their visibility and increase their business with the United Slates National Guard and Reserves.
‘I am very pleased to welcome Debbie Ashenhurst as the newest member of the R2 leadership team," said Richard Goldberg, President and CEO of R2 Associates.
"The knowledge and experience she has acquired throughout her distinguished career will benefit both our company and our clients.”
Ohio Twelfth Judicial District: Trial Court Should Consider Reversing Guardsman’s Probation of No Firearms http://bit.ly/1UFupy7 An Ohio National Guardsman sentenced to five years’ probation for a road rage incident, which included a ban against owning or holding a gun, had part of his appeal overturned. The Twelfth District Court of Appeals said the man’s probation sentence should be reconsidered due to his military status.
. . . In the appeal’s court opinion, Judge Shephen W. Powell wrote that while a trial court has a “broad discretion” when determining probation conditions, the court should consider if it “(1) is reasonably related to rehabilitating the offender, (2) has some relationship to the crime of which the offender was convicted, and (3) relates to conduct which is criminal or reasonably related to future criminality and serves the statutory ends of probation,” quoting an earlier Ohio Supreme Court decision (State v. Jones, 1990).
“Based on the unique set of facts and circumstances of this case, we believe this issue deserves a more thorough review so that the trial court may determine whether such a restriction serves the statutory ends of probation or whether it is so overly broad that it unnecessarily impinges upon Intihar’s liberty,” Judge Powell wrote.
10 of 33 Ohio township board votes out trustee deployed with Guard http://bit.ly/1nbs0Ri TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - A county prosecutor has threatened legal action after two township trustees voted out another board member on deployment with the Ohio National Guard and replaced him with an outgoing trustee.
The two Spencer Township board members near Toledo called an emergency meeting on New Year’s Eve to vacate the seat of the deployed trustee who in September was sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Ohio high court won't hear appeal over veteran's pet ducks http://bit.ly/1mwnPic COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by a military veteran who sought to defy local law and keep pet ducks that he says help relieve his post- traumatic stress disorder and depression.
. . . One member of the Supreme Court, Justice Sharon Kennedy, disagreed with the court's decision and said she would have accepted the review on the issue of medical necessity as a viable affirmative defense.
Additional resources from my blog OPERATION LEGAL HELP OHIO http://bit.ly/1Gg0HbK OHIO RESOURCES FOR VETERANS http://bit.ly/19ouWn0 OHIO JOBS FOR VETERANS http://bit.ly/1CL3Ay0 RESURRECTING LIVES FOUNDATION http://bit.ly/1R9toOV EVENTS FOR OHIO VETERANS & VETERAN SERVICE PROVIDERS http://bit.ly/1cpZrKQ
VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS
VA: Removal of Requirement To File Direct-Pay Fee Agreements With the Office of the General Counsel http://bit.ly/22SioeD Effective December 29, 2015, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) amended its regulations concerning the payment of fees for representation by agents and attorneys in proceedings before the VA.
Specifically, this rule removes the requirement that an agent or attorney file a direct-pay fee agreement with both the VA Office of the General Counsel and the agency of original jurisdiction.
The intended effect of this final rule is to require that direct-pay fee agreements be submitted only to the agency of original jurisdiction, thereby eliminating duplicate filings by agents and attorneys, 80 CFR 81191.
Ark. organizations seek jail diversion for veterans with mental health issues http://bit.ly/22G5gsO PINE BLUFF, Ark. (KTHV) - It's been well-documented that many returning veterans come home battling some form of mental illness, and that many of them end up in jail because of it. One Arkansas sheriff has called the system "broken", and is looking for help in finding a way to fix it.
"I don't want to see those detainees brought here when they need help,” said Jefferson County Sheriff Gerald Robinson. “If you look throughout the state we just do not have enough mental health professionals and/or facilities to deal with those who are mentally ill… We're not equipped, we're not trained, we're not educated to deal with them in the way that they need to be dealt with."
Robinson said Arkansas needs to find a way to find help for people with mental illness 11 of 33 instead of locking them up, and as a veteran himself he's especially passionate about getting fellow veterans the help they need. So his department started a partnership with the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System to set up a special veterans court focused on diverting mentally ill veterans out of jail.
IL: Madison County veterans advocate still barred from county building http://bit.ly/22G7sRe Madison County officials and the Veterans Assistance Commission remain at a stalemate months after the last round of court actions over VAC superintendent Brad Lavite, and they may be headed back to court.
Lavite is currently barred from entering the Madison County administration building where the VAC offices are located. In March 2015, Lavite had a mental breakdown attributed to post-traumatic stress disorder relating to his combat service.
He kicked out the window of a police car during the episode. He was subsequently declared fit to return to work by the PTSD specialist at the St. Louis Veterans Administration medical center, Dr. Jane Loitman, but Jeremy Jewell, a child psychologist employed by the county, disagreed.
Loitman’s letter dated March 23 stated simply that Lavite was undergoing continuing treatment at the VA’s PTSD clinic and he was cleared to return to work without restrictions. Jewell’s report, as provided by the VAC’s attorney, stated that Lavite had passed various psychological tests, but stated that he was unfit to return to duty and should continue to follow his psychiatrist’s instructions.
IL: 10th Circuit Court lists new judicial assignments http://bit.ly/1RfvAX9 PEORIA — The annual change in 10th Circuit Court judicial assignments includes two assignments for Peoria County’s felony courts and a former prosecutor recently selected for the bench.
. . . Each year the judges undergo assignment changes. Such changes tend not to reflect upon the judge. Rather, the changes can give both the attorneys and judges a change of pace.
. . . Judge Lisa Wilson remains in Peoria County’s DUI courtroom, its drug court and its veterans court.
IN: 1st Indiana veterans court founder to attend State of Union http://bit.ly/1VNvtRu NEW ALBANY, Ind. (AP) — A judge who founded Indiana’s first court designed to help troubled veterans turn their lives around has been invited to President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address.
Floyd County Superior Court Judge Maria Granger says her invitation to the president’s Jan. 12 address “says boldly that justice is for all Hoosiers, veterans and civilians, alike.”
Granger established Indiana’s first Veterans Court in 2011. Indiana now has 15 such courts with nine more in the works. Those courts recognize the unique challenges many veterans face and provide them with alternatives for putting their legal troubles behind them.
U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly says such courts help veterans “especially those dealing with mental health issues or substance abuse, get their lives back on track.”
KS: First Veterans Treatment Court in Kansas launches in Johnson County Jan. 13 -Kansas Chief Justice, Johnson County District Attorney and others set to speak at opening ceremony http://bit.ly/1nbA700 JOHNSON COUNTY, KAN. – (Jan 4, 2016) On January 13, Johnson County District Court will 12 of 33 hold the first Veterans Treatment Court in Kansas. The mission of the VTC is to identify veterans in the criminal justice system and, when eligible, get them into treatment and court supervision as an alternative to incarceration.
VTC offers two alternatives to jail time: a diversion track through the Johnson County District Attorney’s office and a probation track offered through Johnson County District Court Services. These programs allow eligible veterans to voluntarily participate in a 12-18 month program of frequent court appearances, drug and alcohol testing two times per week minimum, treatment, recovery support meetings, and a mentor program with another veteran.
“This is an opportunity to help veterans who may be suffering from traumatic brain injuries, depression, substance abuse, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of serving our country,” says Timothy P. McCarthy, District Court Judge, who spearheaded the effort to bring VTC to Johnson County.
As part of the Johnson County jail booking process, everyone arrested in Johnson County is now asked if they have served in the military. Veterans who are eligible and willing can apply to VTC. To be eligible, veterans must be Johnson County residents and eligible for either VA benefits or Johnson County Mental Health Center services. Veterans charged with lower level felony or misdemeanor offenses such as DUIs, drug-related charges or domestic violence charges will be considered for the program.
Judge McCarthy will preside over the Veterans Treatment Court docket every other Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. beginning Jan. 13. This first event will include a flag ceremony, as well as remarks from Kansas Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, District Attorney Stephen Howe, representatives from the Veterans Administration and the VTC team.
LA: Veterans Treatment Court aims to get veterans help they need http://bit.ly/1OSI3zv CALCASIEU PARISH, LA (KPLC) - They served our country, yet the struggles they face cause some veterans to wind up in the criminal court system.
But there's a new Veterans Treatment Court in Calcasieu that aims to help make their lives better.
Judges David Ritchie and Sharon Wilson will preside over the new court, which is just now kicking off.
At a Thursday news conference, the judges said they hope the veterans who utilize the court can get the help they need. Crimes usually excluded from some specialty courts won't necessarily be off limits at this court.
"We aren't just going to close the door on crimes of violence in this because it may be things that some of these veterans suffered when they were overseas," Ritchie said. "Some of the PTSD may have led them to domestic violence or something like that."
Federal court to weigh lawsuit alleging lung diseases from Iraq, Afghanistan burn pits http://1.usa.gov/1mwnEU5 WASHINGTON — A federal district court on Jan. 21 will consider the scope of a lawsuit alleging soldiers’ exposure to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan led to serious respiratory illnesses and deaths and whether government contractor KBR, Inc. is responsible for the way the pits were operated.
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Veterans Court): U.S. Federal Court of Appeals denies Veteran’s claims for benefits http://1.usa.gov/22SoZFQ Editor’s Note: Inclusion of this story is made to point out that there is a federal “veterans court” for veteran’s claims. Because your editor is not a lawyer, excerpts of the Court’s 13 of 33 decision in this case may be incomplete.
This case arises from a decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) denying disability benefits to Donald E. Golemon (Mr. Golemon) for three conditions: (1) adenocarcinoma of the colon; (2) peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremity; and (3) multiple myeloma.
The Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) affirmed and the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Veterans Court) remanded-in-part and affirmed-in-part. Specifically, the Veterans Court remanded Mr. Golemon’s claims for benefits relating to colon cancer and peripheral neuropathy and affirmed the denial of benefits for myeloma.
Because Mr. Golemon’s arguments are either without merit or will be addressed in the partial remand to the Board, we affirm.
. . . The decision denying Mr. Golemon’s motion for reconsideration was signed by David C. Sprinkler, Deputy Vice Chairman of the Board. Mr. Golemon does not challenge the authority of the deputy vice chairman to issue such a decision. We nevertheless recognize that such authority is consistent with the VA’s regulations.
. . . Mr. Golemon will have the opportunity to raise his concerns about these alleged statements by the Board on remand. If his concerns are not adequately addressed during the course of those proceedings, Mr. Golemon may then raise the issue if he appeals the Board’s ultimate decision on his claim for benefits for his peripheral neuropathy. We therefore conclude that due process does not require remand or reversal. For these reasons, we find no error in the Veterans Court’s designation of the Board Decision as the decision on appeal.
Implementation of the Mandela Rules will be expected in 2016 http://is.gd/iXz9Lq In December 2015, the revised Standard Minimum Rules for prisoners were unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. These rules will provide all nation-states with a key framework that can be used for monitoring and assessing the treatment of prisoners.
This will mean that the implementation of the Nelson Mandela Rules will be expected in 2016. The implementation will involve taking into account several key changes to the Standard Minimum Rules that have existed since 1955.
The main changes include issues relating to healthcare in prisons, the investigation of deaths in custody as well as expectations for the professionalization of prison staff. Penal Reform International have been a key organization involved with the negotiations of these rules and have already provided a short animation explaining what they mean for prison management.
Additional resources from my blog LIST OF NATIONAL AND STATE LEGAL ASSISTANCE RESOURCES FOR VETERANS http://bit.ly/19DC5zu U.S. VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS LOCATIONS http://bit.ly/1Lf1VX5
PTS/TBI/MST
GAO: Army should monitor PTSD prescriptions more carefully http://1.usa.gov/1VNATfo . . . The Government Accountability Office advises that the Defense Department, along with the Army, should more closely track and review prescriptions for PTSD, in line with recommended treatment guidelines it shares with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
14 of 33 Without ongoing monitoring, “the Army may be unable to identify and address prescribing practices that are inconsistent with the guideline and do not have clinical justification,” GAO Health Care Director Debra Draper wrote in the report, which was published Tuesday.
Draper’s recommendation comes from a GAO audit of how the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments prescribed drugs for PTSD and mild brain injury. The investigation was based on a provision in the fiscal 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, which directed the GAO to assess continuation of care, particularly for servicemembers with PTSD or mild brain injuries who were making the transition to VA health care.
The VA and Defense departments have developed joint guidelines for treating PTSD and mild brain injury, which discourage the use of benzodiazepines — a class of sedatives — and antipsychotic drugs.
Research: Brain Scars Detected in Concussions http://is.gd/OJlna3 A closer look at the brains of soldiers who have suffered concussions reveals evidence of injuries that were invisible to conventional imaging methods.
Brain images taken from hundreds of soldiers diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injuries suggest that methods for diagnosing concussions are inadequate in detecting damage. The results, part of the largest-ever imaging study of traumatic brain injury in the military, provide evidence that even brain injuries commonly classified as mild may lead to long- lasting damage.
Research: What Neurologists Should Know About “Concussion”, the Film http://bit.ly/1mwlgNg Often, when a movie comes out about a complex medical diagnosis, a flurry of articles rush to denounce the science. Will Smith's Concussion needs no such censure.
In 2005, Bennett Omalu, MD, MBA, MPH, published his now-famous Neurosurgery journal paper, “Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in a National Football League player,” announcing the first documented case of long-term neurodegenerative changes in a retired professional National Football League (NFL) player which he deemed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In it, he wrote, “This case draws attention to a disease that remains inadequately studied in the cohort of professional football players, with unknown true prevalence rates.”1
CTE's true prevalence rates are still unknown, hindered by the current inability to diagnose those living with the condition and the politics surrounding neurological testing of active players. However, that doesn't mean the topic has been silenced. In April 2015, the NFL reached a $1 billion settlement with thousands of former NFL players who suffered concussions, and research into CTE is ongoing. There is also no doubt that Will Smith's portrayal of Dr Omalu will certainly boost visibility of these efforts.
Research: BioTE Medical Study Shows Promising Results for US Veterans with PTSD http://bit.ly/1mwngF9 IRVING, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire/ — A current BioTE Medical Combat Trauma Treatment Study (in conjunction with the Veterans Advocacy Center (VAC)) is showing promising results in helping veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The Founder of BioTE(R) Medical, Gary Donovitz, M.D., explains: “Many veterans return from combat with PTSD and TBI.”
He adds, “They have hormone imbalances that start in the pituitary gland. We are optimizing their hormones to help relieve their symptoms naturally. We do this by using bioidentical hormones instead of conventional prescription medication. This can improve the quality of their lives.”
This study is FREE and available in 40 different states. It is open to veterans who have been 15 of 33 discharged, are retired, or are still serving. It includes treatment and lab work (up to $2,000 in value). With such promising results, the program is still looking for qualified participants through the end of 2015.
Research: New NIH-funded memory drug moves into Phase 1 clinical study http://1.usa.gov/1OYDLAH An experimental drug that may improve memory is now being tested in a Phase 1 safety trial. The compound, BPN14770, was developed by Tetra Discovery Partners, with support from the NIH Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network, a program designed to facilitate the discovery and development of novel neurological treatments. It is the first compound funded by the program to reach a Phase 1 clinical trial.
Research: Study: Bomb blasts may cause early aging in brains of troops http://usat.ly/1eLVBwn A scientists have discovered signs of early aging in the brains of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans caught near roadside bomb explosions, even among those who felt nothing from the blast.
Years after coming home from war, veterans are showing progressive damage to the brain's wiring, according to a study published online Monday in Brain, A Journal of Neurology.
"Generally as we age, the connections (in the brain) deteriorate. But with those people with blast exposure it appears as though it's happening faster," said Benjamin Trotter, a bio- medical engineer with the Department of Veterans Affairs and lead author of the study.
Canadian Research: Lions Gate hospital doctor praised for trauma study http://bit.ly/22SksTT A Lions Gate Hospital psychiatrist and nuclear medicine specialist is winning high praise for a far-reaching study that could change the way we diagnose and treat patients with post- traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.
Dr. Rob Tarzwell and a team of researchers compared more than 21,000 single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) images of brains of people clinically diagnosed with PTSD, TBI or a combination of both. They found they were able to predict with 100 per cent accuracy which condition or conditions their subjects had.
“This is the largest functional neuroimaging study in history and that allowed us to have a lot more confidence in our statistical results,” Tarzwell said. “The data have been murky. This is the first time a clear and convincing difference has been demonstrated.”
Discover Magazine placed it on their list of the top 100 science stories of 2015.
Open for Public Comment: SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices http://1.usa.gov/1OSGzp2 Monday, January 4, 2016–Friday, January 29, 2016
SAMHSA's Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality invites you to provide feedback for the launch of a new endeavor at the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP). In addition to reviewing programs received during the open submission process, NREPP will conduct independent literature reviews to add programs with strong evidence bases to the registry. SAMHSA welcomes comments from community organizations; clinicians; practitioners; advocates; researchers; city, county, and state agencies; and all other stakeholders.
Your feedback will help NREPP identify and prioritize important practices and programs to the mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment field.
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If you would like more information about NREPP, please visit http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/.
Treatment: Veterans Let Slip the Masks of War: Can This Art Therapy Ease PTSD? http://thebea.st/22SwzAc Service members suffering from PTSD often feel like they’re wearing a mask. Melissa Walker asks them to make one.
Walker, an art therapist and healing arts coordinator with the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center runs an art therapy program in which service members returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD or a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are asked to make papier-mâché masks to express their feelings.
Treatment: Combat veterans find solace at Boulder Crest Retreat in Virginia http://bit.ly/1UFhR9O A sprawling 37-acre landscape located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains serves as a tranquil and picturesque backdrop for recovering combat veterans and their families at the Boulder Crest Retreat for Military and Veteran Wellness (BCR) in Bluemont, Va.
With only two years under its belt, BCR is steadily becoming the proving ground for therapeutic and mental wellness of wounded warriors and their families to start healing from the hardships and terror of war.
. . . The retreat integrates alternative medicine therapies, such as yoga, meditation, music therapy, equine therapy, culinary and gardening. Additionally, recreational therapies like archery and kayaking are available.
Since its creation in Sept. 2013, more than 1,700 veterans and their families have gone through the program.
There are two options for those visiting the retreat. Firstly, six months out of the year, young enlisted families can stay on the property for various amounts of time for a Family R&R or Rest and Reconnection stays.
The other six months is dedicated to a combat stress recovery program called PATHH or Progressive and Alternative Therapies for Healing Heroes.
The program is broken into seven-day, five-day and three-day programs.
Web-Based Training: VA PTSD Consulting Program 2016 Lecture Series: PTSD and Military Sexual Trauma, Melissa Ming Foynes, PhD, Wednesday, January 20th, 2-3pm ET TO REGISTER: To receive continuing education credit you must register before the lecture. VA: REGISTER in TMS to receive CEU credit. Non-VA: Create a free account and REGISTER in TRAIN. Questions? See "Registration and CEU Instructions" at upper right.
Lecture Description: Many Veterans seeking mental health service have experienced military sexual trauma (MST) (i.e., sexual assault and/or repeated, threatening sexual harassment during military service). While MST survivors present with a range of MST- related physical and mental health difficulties, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the most common mental health diagnosis. Addressing MST-related PTSD involves attending to many of the same treatment themes that commonly arise in the course of treating PTSD associated with other forms of trauma. Thus, clinicians with expertise in PTSD and other trauma-related difficulties have generalizable skillsets that apply to working with MST
17 of 33 survivors. However, there are also ways in which the impact of MST may be unique relative to other forms of trauma, presenting treatment challenges that are particularly salient to MST survivors. Thus, in order to provide more targeted care, we must enhance existing approaches. The overarching goal of this lecture is to offer clinicians an opportunity to learn certain principles and tools to improve their clinical practice with MST survivors. In addition to providing background information about the nature of MST and its impact, there will also be an emphasis on the interpersonal and sexual health implications of MST, with an in- depth focus on two core areas that commonly arise in the course of treating MST-related PTSD and other mental health difficulties: 1) observing and asserting therapists' personal limits; and 2) assessing and treating sexual functioning difficulties.
Speaker: MELISSA MING FOYNES, PhD serves as the Clinical Programs and Practices Lead for VA Mental Health Services’ national Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Support Team, a national education and training, program development, and policy team. She also serves as the program lead for the MST Consultation Program and as one of its consultants.
Football legend Barry Sanders raises awareness of PBA with a new PSA (Tackle PBA) http://bit.ly/22Su1C9 Though you may have never heard of PseudoBulbar Affect (PBA), you're not alone.
Nearly two million Americans with certain neurologic conditions or brain injuries are estimated to suffer from uncontrollable outbursts of crying or laughing. PBA doesn’t discriminate.
It can affect men and women, old and young. Conditions or injuries that could lead to PBA include: Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias Stroke Traumatic brain injury (TBI) Multiple sclerosis (MS) Parkinson’s disease Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS)
A young football star ‘in the prime of life,’ and the disease that destroyed his brain (Washington Post) http://wapo.st/1OYC9XC But it’s also a portent of the hundreds, thousands, of tackles that would come. Here would come the boom again and again. All through four years of high school and two more of college, not to mention the decade he spent on youth teams, back when a regulation-size football still dwarfed his child’s hands. All told he spent 16 years on the gridiron, 16 years of using his body like a battering ram, 16 years of boom.
When he died two years ago, at 25, those 16 years left his brain brittle and deformed, pockmarked with the clumps of protein characteristic of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The disease, researchers reported Monday, was the worst they had ever seen in someone so young.
“It was quite widespread,” Ann McKee, co-author on a study of Keck’s brain in the journal JAMA Neurology, told NBC News. (The study does not name Keck, but he has been identified by news outlets.)
“I have to say, I was blown away,” McKee told the Kansas City Star in November, before the study was published. “This case still stands out to me personally. It’s a reason we do this work. A young man, in the prime of his life, newly married, had everything to look forward to. Yet, this disease is destroying his brain.”
CTE can only be diagnosed after death, so it is rare when scientists are able to study its effects in someone as young as Keck. He is the youngest person to be definitively diagnosed 18 of 33 with the disease, and McKee said its presence offers insight into how concussions affect young athletes, even ones who never play professionally.
No Visible Bruises: Domestic Violence and Traumatic Brain Injury (The New Yorker) http://bit.ly/1UFpkG3 . . . Fifty per cent of domestic-violence victims are strangled at some point in the course of their relationship—often repeatedly, over years—and the overwhelming majority of strangulation perpetrators are men.
Those strangled to the point of losing consciousness are at the highest risk of dying in the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours after the incident, from strokes, blood clots, or aspiration (choking on their own vomit).
Such incidents can cause brain injury—mild or traumatic—not only by cutting off oxygen to the brain but because they are often accompanied by blunt-force trauma to the head.
Still, victims of domestic violence are not routinely screened for strangulation or brain injury in emergency rooms, and the victims themselves, who tend to have poor recollections of the incidents, are often not even aware that they’ve lost consciousness.
This means that diagnoses are rarely formalized, the assaults and injuries are downplayed, and abusers are prosecuted under lesser charges.
Lumos Labs Fined by FTC Over Brain-Game Claims (WSJ Subscription) http://bit.ly/1UFsrh5 Lumos Labs, the company behind brain-training app Lumosity, will pay $2 million to the Federal Trade Commission to settle allegations it “deceived consumers with unfounded claims” in its advertising.
Agency says Lumosity developer made unfounded claims suggesting games could stave off dementia, Alzheimer’s.
ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH NEWS IS POSTED IN THE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SECTION BELOW.
DoD: More Sexual Assault Reports Show Growing Trust in System (at service academies) http://1.usa.gov/22Sx4KI WASHINGTON, January 8, 2016 — More military service academy cadets and midshipmen this year reported instances of sexual assault and harassment, indicating growing trust in the reporting system, a Defense Department official said Jan. 7.
Dr. Nathan W. Galbreath, senior executive advisor for the Defense Department Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, or SAPRO, said that the increase in reporting suggests growing confidence in the response system.
Speaking on via teleconference and joined by Dr. Elizabeth P. Van Winkle of the Defense Manpower Data Center, or DMDC, Galbreath said the department’s assessment teams found “good indicators of progress” in the DoD Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies for academic program year 2014-2015.
The academies received 91 sexual assault reports this year, an increase of 32 reports over last year, Galbreath said.
New book explores women's challenges in combat zones http://bit.ly/1S6YOr7 A new book from Oxford University Press takes a fresh look at women in combat and finds that while the number serving in war zones has risen exponentially in the past 20 years, the 19 of 33 research on issues important to female troops — health, family, career advancement and relationships — is lacking.
"Women at War," edited by retired Army Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie and Army National Guard Col. Anne Naclerio, doesn't question whether women should be in combat, since they have been for years.
Rather, it aggregates the scant data on the effects of war and military service on women, from the physical impact and psychological consequences to influence on relationships, financial stability, and long-term health.
EVENT: California Women Veterans Unconference 2016, Women Veterans Alliance Friday, April 15, 2016 at 7:00 PM - Sunday, April 17, 2016 at 1:00 PM (PDT) McClellan Park, CA http://bit.ly/1nbxoE3 This will not be your typical conference. That's why we are calling in an "unconference".
The Unconference on Saturday is open to any women that served or is currently in serving in the military. Come and enjoy some AWESOME camaraderie with your sisters that served!
Organizer: Women Veterans Alliance - To provide empowerment to women veterans through networking, career and professional development and mentorship for women that have served and are currently serving.
ONLINE SCHOOL Milspouses http://bit.ly/1nbyHCG Any #milspouse who is interested with online schooling? I am a curriculum advisor and I help military spouses to pursue online courses using their MyCAA grant from registration to enrollment.
If eligible, MyCAA will FULLY COVER the tuition cost of your chosen program. MyCAA grant is available to spouses of service members E1-E5, W1-W2 or O1-O2
Anyone who is interested, please email [email protected] right away as February batch is already open for slots!
We are offering a lot of courses under Medical and Healthcare, Business, Fitness, Computer, Hospitalization, Law and Justice, Paralegal, and many more. Please email if you want to get processed!
Additional resources from my blog RESURRECTING LIVES FOUNDATION http://bit.ly/1R9toOV EVENTS FOR VETERANS & VETERAN SERVICE PROVIDERS http://bit.ly/1Gg1nOi
SUICIDE
U.S. Military Sees Increase In July - September Suicides http://bit.ly/1UFieBn The DOD has released its most recent suicide report. We break down those numbers from July through September 2015.
The report shows there were 72 suicides among active duty servicemen and women. That's 15 more than during the same time period in 2014.
There were 32 suicides in the Army, 16 in the Air Force, 13 in the Marine Corps and 11 in the Navy.
20 of 33 Veteran suicide estimate of 22 per day sparks debate, spurs lawmakers to action http://bit.ly/1mwo50D . . . “Many of us think the rate is higher than 22,” said Dr. Craig Bryan, executive director of the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah. “We don’t want to blow things out of proportion and say it’s much worse, but, at the same time, we don’t want to pretend it’s not a problem. So 22 seems a reasonable estimate to provide based on the evidence.”
The way to get at the full picture of veteran suicide is to get better data that are not based on partial information from state data and extrapolations.
The solution: a labor-intensive study between the VA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to put together a national death index to get a real head count of all veteran deaths since 1979, including suicides.
The report should be released sometime in 2016, Dr. Robert Bossarte, director of the VA’s epidemiology program said, and researchers are divided on whether the rates would go up or down.
Research: VA: Gender Differences in Suicide Risk http://1.usa.gov/1OWa2Iu According to a study of suicide risk among Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) Veterans, in the seven years following separation from active duty service, the risk of suicide decreased over time for males, but varied over time for females. Overall, suicide risk was higher among male Veterans than females.
Researchers looked at suicide risk among active duty, Reserve, and National Guard Veterans who deployed to OEF/OIF and separated between 2002 and 2011. Read the study abstract.
There were 62 suicides out of 164,333 female Veterans and 1,491 suicides out of 1,237,049 male Veterans. For males, suicides decreased by 6.1% on average per year. Among females the pattern varied, with a hazard rate of 9.1 in the first year following separation, 6.1 in the second year, 15.0 in the fourth year, and 9.9 in the seventh year.
Workshop: Addressing Suicidal Behavior in the U.S. Military: Strategies for Assessment, Crisis Intervention and Treatment - San Diego NMC, CA - 28-29 January 2016 http://is.gd/YWlRtw The Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) is offering a 2-day evidence-based workshop for Tri-Service military/DoD/GS mental health clinicians at San Diego NMC, CA on 28-29 Jan. 2016, entitled "Addressing Suicidal Behavior in the U.S. Military: Strategies for Assessment, Crisis Intervention, and Treatment." The workshop is free and includes CEs, but any travel or expenses must be self-funded.
Military Suicide Research Consortium (MSRC) https://msrc.fsu.edu/ MSRC is part of an ongoing strategy to integrate and synchronize U.S. Department of Defense and civilian efforts to implement a multidisciplinary research approach to suicide prevention.
Funded through the Defense Health Program and managed by the Military Operational Medicine Research Program (MOMRP), this innovative cutting-edge research aims to enhance the military’s ability to quickly identify those at risk for suicide and provide effective evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies.
MSRC is incorporated in the National Research Action Plan (NRAP) on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other mental health conditions, and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
The plan was developed to improve the coordination of government agency research into 21 of 33 these conditions and reduce the number of affected men and women through better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Suicide prevention research is a key theme of NRAP.
EVENT: Military Suicide Research Consortium (MSRC) Pre-Conference Research Training Day, March 30th, Chicago, IL http://fla.st/1OW91QM The Military Suicide Research Consortium (MSRC) co-Directors, Drs. Gutierrez and Joiner, are pleased to announce the third annual MSRC pre-conference research training day.
The MSRC pre-conference research training day is to be held Wednesday, March 30th prior to the 2016 American Association of Suicidology (AAS) conference, in Chicago, IL.
This opportunity is available to up to 30 trainees who at the time of application are students or research fellows across levels of training (graduate to post-doctoral). The purpose of the training day is to provide those with an interest in developing their skills as military/Veteran suicide researchers with intensive training to move a specific relevant project forward.
Project ideas do not necessarily need to utilize Veteran/military samples, but must have relevance for those populations. For example, a study of adult psychiatric patient findings could apply to either group.
The core features of the Research Training Day Workshop include a) a didactic session including a presentation on grant writing, grants mechanisms, data analysis, and research ethics; b) small group meetings of mentors and fellows to discuss fellows’ grant applications, research papers, and career issues; c) and a networking luncheon.
A Travel Award of $1,000 is provided to support travel expenses, registration fees for the conference, and accommodations.
COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
Editor’s Note: Retired Justice Stratton invites all educational organizations to share their veterans- related activities and news with our readers. Thank you for your support of our veterans and military personnel.
VA: Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) Ends http://is.gd/BrmSRG The National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 ended REAP on Nov. 25, 2015. Some individuals will remain eligible for REAP benefits until November 25, 2019, while others are no longer eligible.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill in many ways has replaced REAP because it also provides educational assistance benefits for Reserve and National Guard members called to active duty on or after September 11, 2001, and in many cases provides a greater benefit than REAP.
SVA EVENT: Last call for #NatCon2016 registration, Florida, January 7th – 10th http://is.gd/0AyUN0 While you are finalizing your plans to attend Student Veterans of America’s 8th annual National Conference, we are gearing up to make this year’s event the most fun, meaningful and impactful conference yet. Over four days, conference participants will engage in networking opportunities and learn about leading practices in veterans' success on campus.
It’s not too late to register to join us at #NatCon2016, January 7-10, 2016 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort® in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Visit wewin.studentveterans.org for conference details, and keep up with the #NatCon2016 conversation on Twitter. Together we will make SVA’s 2016 National
22 of 33 Conference the best yet.
SVA: Secretary McDonald addresses the 2016 Student Veterans of America Conference http://1.usa.gov/1nbzvYj Anyone attending the Student Veterans of America (SVA) conference would not guess that SVA is one of the youngest Veteran service organizations. More than 1600 student Veterans and supporters attended the conference in Orlando, Florida coming from the more than 1,300 SVA chapters across the country.
Majority of these Student Veterans have transitioned from the military within the past few years and through SVA, form a Veteran family with other Veterans at their place of higher education. SVA connects these chapters to provide support and resources on the national level.
“It’s a focus on the entire life cycle of student Veterans,” said Jared Lyon, the newly appointed President and CEO of SVA. “We help Veterans make better informed decisions as they transition out of the military and look to use the education benefits they have earned. We also ensure Veterans are supported while on campus and then transition that Veteran on to a successful career.”
The connections and network opportunities SVA and the conference provides help Veterans find employment opportunities, which even at a time when Veteran unemployment is at near record low levels, can be a challenge. Companies seeking to hire Veterans have expressed that finding Veterans to hire can be difficult.
The interest is finding additional Veteran employees was evident at the conference. Many companies such as Raytheon, Google, General Dynamics, Citi and Accenture all had a presence at the conference hoping to recruit Veterans.
Secretary McDonald provided an update on the agency priority goals during his address to the conference and offered a summary of VA transformations, many times citing private sector business practices as the model for implementation.
But to the room of student Veterans, he had a special message.
“Prepare yourself to lead, and lead to change,” he advised.
Boston University Research: Enemy's War Tactics Could Affect Soldiers' Risk For PTSD http://is.gd/nOFXDn Guerrilla warfare characterized by surprise attacks could put soldiers at higher risk for post- traumatic stress disorder, according to a new study.
The mental scars many soldiers bring back from war might have a lot to do with how the enemy fights.
A joint study by researchers with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University School of Medicine identified three separate phases of the Iraq War based on past reports.
They found male veterans who fought in the phase marked by enemy guerrilla combat tactics were almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder than those involved in the other two phases. (Video via U.S. Army)
In the other two phases of the war, enemy combatants used similar tactics as the U.S. military. But the guerrilla tactics phase was characterized by surprise attacks and bombings. (Video via U.S. Army)
Researchers found that phase didn't lead to increased PTSD rates for female veterans, 23 of 33 although it's not exactly clear why. Previous research reportedly shows women might have a different set of risk factors for PTSD. (Video via U.S. Army)
Boston University: Dr. Ann McKee, director of the CTE program at Boston University and chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System - Why the NFL doesn’t want you to see "Concussion" http://yhoo.it/1mwkQWU In the new movie “Concussion” starring Will Smith, the NFL is put under a microscope. Smith plays Dr. Bennet Omalu, the Nigerian-born forensic pathologist who linked football to the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
“We see this in individuals who have had repetitive head injuries, usually over a long period of time,” says Dr. Ann McKee, director of the CTE program at Boston University and chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System.
“Individuals with CTE usually experience cognitive problems — memory lapses or behavioral symptoms like depression and irritability,” she says.
Boston University: NFL backs away from funding BU brain study; NIH to fund it instead http://es.pn/1OYEba3 The NFL, which spent years criticizing researchers who warned about the dangers of football-related head trauma, has backed out of one of the most ambitious studies yet on the relationship between football and brain disease, sources familiar with the project told Outside the Lines.
The seven-year, $16 million initiative was to be funded out of a $30 million research grant the NFL gave the National Institutes of Health in 2012. The NFL has said repeatedly that it has no control over how that money is spent, but the league balked at this study, sources said, because the NIH awarded the project to a group led by Dr. Robert Stern, a prominent Boston University researcher who has been critical of the league.
In a news release announcing the study Tuesday morning, Boston University said the NIH would pay for the project but made no mention of the NFL. The study seeks to capture what has been described as the holy grail of concussion research: the ability to diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in living patients.
Bradley University/Illinois Central College listed as resources for veterans http://bit.ly/22G60hC Peoria Vet Center Peoria County Veterans Assistance Commission, Illinois Department of Employment Security Salvation Army Peoria Housing Authority Goodwill Illinois Valley Fuller Center for Housing Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Bob Michel VA Outpatient Clinic Bradley University
Emory University School of Medicine Research: elected Brain Injury Patients to Be Enrolled in HOPES Trial Through Emory and Grady Hospital Partnership http://bit.ly/22SsSKR Editor’s Note: We thank Tammy Crowder, Manager of the US Army Neurotrauma Program for this story.
24 of 33 Some traumatic brain injury patients admitted to Grady Memorial Hospital may be eligible to participate in the Hypothermia for Patients requiring Evacuation of Subdural Hematoma (HOPES) Trial. The trial is a collaboration between Grady and its faculty physicians at Emory University School of Medicine.
. . . The trial seeks to prove the benefit of induced hypothermia. Cold, iced saline will be administered to randomly-selected patients during surgical evaluation and continued for a minimum of 48 hours and up to five days. The patients will be followed for six months to track outcomes.
University of Helsinki in Finland Research: Traumatic brain injury recovery is possible, even for older seniors http://bit.ly/1nbz28F A new study from the University of Helsinki in Finland has found evidence indicating that older seniors may have a better chance of recovering from traumatic brain injury than initially thought.
These findings, if true, may challenge much of the existing knowledge pertaining to the relationship between age and brain injury.
Florida State University (FSU)/SVA: FSU grad named CEO of national veterans organization http://on.tdo.com/1PmlBsR Jared Lyon credits FSU for creating inclusive culture for veterans
Jared Lyon, a former U.S. Navy submariner and diver who graduated from Florida State University in 2011 following several deployments in support of the war on terrorism, has been named president and CEO of Student Veterans of America.
Lyon’s appointment was announced Monday by the SVA’s board of directors. He joined the professional staff of Student Veterans of America in November 2014 as chief development officer and executive vice president of operations. He has been acting president and CEO since October.
Johns Hopkins University Research: Injury careers after blast exposure among combat veterans deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan http://is.gd/nW745p Abstract
During the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, blasts were the most common cause of combat injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI). Prior to 2007, service members were not systematically screened for TBI, and estimates suggest that tens of thousands of mild TBIs went undiagnosed.
This study sought to understand post-acute “injury careers,” documenting the life- and health-related narratives of veterans who were at high risk of undocumented TBI due to being blast-exposed before 2007. Researchers conducted 38 in-depth interviews between May 2013 and August 2014 with Army veterans who served in combat-intense settings (n = 16) and their family members (n = 10).
Respondents detailed a series of experiences in the months and years following blast exposure.
We present this series as a model that draws upon the vernacular of participants who described veterans “downplaying” their injuries and later “detaching” themselves from friends, family, and communities, and “denying” or being “oblivious” to their circumstances until a “wake-up call” pushed them to “get help.”
Looking to the future, veterans grapple with uncertainties related to personal identity and
25 of 33 professional or social expectations.
This model is presented within a member-checked metaphor of an individual being hurled into – and emerging from – a canyon.
Policies and programs addressing veteran health, particularly among those exposed to multiple blasts prior to systematic TBI documentation, must consider the personal, social, and health system challenges faced by veterans and their families throughout their injury careers.
MIT Technology Review: Here’s What We Learned About Concussion Detection in 2015 (And What We Still Don’t Know) Better concussion diagnostics will give scientists and physicians a more detailed understanding of brain injury. http://bit.ly/1VNzhCl . . . The past year featured dramatic announcements from scientists studying the relationship between concussions and brain damage.
In September, researchers from the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University announced that they’d found evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE—a recently discovered neurodegenerative disease that impairs cognition—in the brain tissue of 87 out of 91 former NFL players they studied.
In December, researchers conducting an extensive brain imaging study at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center revealed that they’d observed “brain scars” in advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams of more than half of 834 soldiers who had been diagnosed with at least one mild traumatic brain injury, or concussion (see “Brain Scars Detected in Concussions”).
Findings like these deserve attention but should be taken with a grain of salt. Many of the former NFL players who donated their brains suspected they had a problem, so the results of that study don’t confirm the overall prevalence of the disease in football.
And researchers don’t yet have enough data to understand the medical significance of the abnormalities revealed by the advanced MRI exams on soldiers.
Purdue University Research: HEADING SOCCER BALL EQUALS FOOTBALL TACKLE FORCE, STUDY SHOWS http://es.pn/1OYCqto Heading a modern soccer ball can carry as much force as a tackle by an American football player, according to a study by Purdue University in Indiana.
The study, which focused on women's soccer, tested two high school teams and one collegiate-level squad during an entire season, monitoring the G-force impact of heading a ball through sensors and MRI scans which then tracked the changes in a player's brain.
Eric Nauman, the director of the Human Injury Research and Regenerative Technologies Laboratory at Purdue University, told The Guardian that the force of heading a goal kick came in between 50g and 100g.
Rose State College: Rose State honors eight generals for military service, relationship with college http://bit.ly/22G75Gm MIDWEST CITY, OK — Rose State College honored eight generals for their service to the country and their relationship with the college during the annual Regents' Christmas Dinner.
“Rose State College is proud to have one of the finest Air Force installations in the United States just right across the street and the unwavering dedication of our National Guard,” President Jeanie Webb said during the Dec. 15 ceremony. “The college shares a special relationship with each of them. To them we say thank you.”
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Webb made a presentation to each of the honorees: • Lt. Gen. Lee K. Levy II is commander of the U.S. Air Force Sustainment Center at Tinker Air Force Base. • Lt. Gen. Bruce Litchfield retired from the U.S. Air Force in August as commander of the Air Force Sustainment Center. • Maj. Gen. Myles Deering retired from the U.S. Army National Guard in January as adjutant general of Oklahoma National Guard. Gov. Mary Fallin appointed him to serve as the state secretary of veterans affairs. • Maj. Gen. William “Billy” Bowden retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1989 as commander of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center. He is active with the Rose State College Foundation. • Maj. Gen. Rita Aragon retired from the U.S. Air National Guard as assistant to the deputy chief of staff manpower and personnel at the Pentagon. Aragon served as the state secretary of veterans affairs and now is the governor's liaison for veterans affairs. • Maj. Gen. P. David Gillett Jr. retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2012 as commander of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center. • Brig. Gen. Richard Hefton retired in 1990 from the U.S. Air Force as commanding general, Oklahoma Air National Guard. He serves on the Rose State College Board of Regents. • Brig. Gen. Ben T. Robison retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2002 as commander of the 552nd Air Control Wing.
Syracuse University: National Complex at SU Could be Transformative for Veterans, CNY Community http://bit.ly/1nbwrvg Excitement is building at Syracuse University over the potential of the proposed National Veterans Resource Complex. SU officials want to make such a statement that, for the first time in years, they’ve launched a national design competition to select an architect for the project.
Mike Haynie is Vice Chancellor and Director of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at SU. He says the rapid growth and success of the programs at IVMF has presented some infrastructure barriers that keep them from having a local impact.
. . . Haynie says IVMF is the fastest growing academic entity at the university. Just a few years ago, they began with a staff of five. Now they’re approaching 60 full-time staff.
In that short time, he says the institute has put 35,000 transitioning service members, veterans, and their families through a full portfolio of vocational and skills training.
Most of them have had to go off-campus or even outside of the region due to a lack of space. That’s what Haynie hopes will change with the building of the new complex.
But he says it goes beyond physical space. It’s also about bridging a gap between the half of one percent who’ve worn the uniform since 9-11…and everyone else…
Syracuse University: Syracuse U. launches competition to design veterans complex http://bit.ly/1Rfvr5Q SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Syracuse University has launched an international competition aimed at finding a partner to design and construct a national resource complex for veterans.
The university plans to invite 30 of the world’s leading architecture firms to submit their qualifications to be considered for the architectural, landscape, and engineering design of the complex.
The facility will house state-of-the-art vocational and educational programs designed to 27 of 33 advance the economic opportunities of the nation’s veterans and their families as they transition back into the workforce.
The facility is the first of its kind in the United States. The proposal to build it was one of three selected to receive $500 million as part of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Upstate Revitalization Initiative.
The winning proposal and firm will be announced in May 2016.
The Ohio State University: OSU Ranked #1 in the Country in "Top Colleges for Veterans" by USA Today http://bit.ly/22SzGbn and http://veterans.osu.edu/ November 18, 2015 USA Today & College Factual have ranked The Ohio State University the #1 College for Veterans in the Country! See the entire rankings and read more Here
USA Today: “Standing #1 overall on our ranking of the Best Colleges For Veterans, Ohio State University - Main Campus is a good choice if you are interested in a quality education coupled with factors we think are important to veterans.”
University of Southern Florida (USF): Update: VA Secretary requests meeting with USF President over former student with PTSD http://bit.ly/1UFq263 TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)– U.S. Army Green Beret Clay Allred’s fight to be reinstated as a student at the University of South Florida is now gaining the attention of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C.
Allred was disqualified for enrollment at the University after a violent episode in 2014, triggered by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Earlier this month, his house arrest order was terminated, but he still has not been granted entry to the University to complete the 17 credits he needs to get his degree.
Now, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald is urging the University to reconsider, requesting a sit-down meeting with University President Dr. Judy Genshaft to discuss the ways the VA and the University can work together to educate veterans who have completed veteran’s treatment court programs.
University of Texas at Arlington: UTA Bioengineering Chair Wins $1.24M Grant To Research Brain Injuries In Veterans http://cbsloc.al/1OSCA5x University of Texas at Arlington Bio Engineering Chair, Dr. Michael Cho is leading research efforts on the forefront of understanding brain injuries in hundreds of thousands of military veterans .
It’s all thanks to a $1.24 million dollar grant recently awarded by the office of Naval Research .
The specific injuries he is looking into are caused by shockwaves from explosions that create energy bubbles in a person’s brain. Those bubbles are so small they can’t be detected by modern technology. However, their effect is very destructive when those energy packed bubbles pop — killing surrounding brain cells. The side effects, Dr. Cho said include headaches, memory loss, deterioration of brain mass and even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Dr. Cho said, “If we are successful we should have a clear understanding of the physiological mechanisms that are responsible for causing this micro-sized damage to the brain.”
Research: University of Texas at Austin: Military Spouse Survey http://bit.ly/1S6Z7Ci The purpose of this form is to provide you information that may affect your decision to
28 of 33 participate in this research survey. If you choose to participate, this form will also be used to record your consent. You are being invited to participate in this survey because you are a spouse of U.S. military service member or U.S. military veteran.
. . . If you have any questions about this survey you may contact Dr. Elisa Borah, Ph.D., at the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health at the University of Texas, by phone: (512) 639-8989 or email: [email protected].
This study has been processed by the Office of Research Support at the University of Texas at Austin. If you have questions about your rights as a study participant, or are dissatisfied at any time with any aspect of this study, you may contact - anonymously, if you wish - the Office of Research Support by phone at (512) 471-8871 or email at [email protected].
Research: Trondheim University Hospital in Norway: Exploring Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury http://bit.ly/1UFraGT Recent research suggests that survivors of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) are at risk of long-term cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems.
Dr. Torun Gangaune Finnanger and colleagues at Trondheim University Hospital in Norway looked at self-reported problems among 67 individuals two to five years after moderate or severe TBI.
Compared to healthy similar individuals, those with TBI suffered significantly more attentional, emotional regulation, and psychological difficulties. Their backgrounds were examined, and it was found that fewer years of education and depressive symptoms were linked to greater psychological problems. Younger age at the time of injury predicted more aggressive and rule-breaking behavior.
Traumatic axonal injury, that is, extensive damage to white matter, was linked to “internalizing problems and greater executive dysfunction.”
The team concludes in the journal Behavioural Neurology that, “Age, education, traumatic axonal injury, and depression appear to elevate risk for poor long-term outcome, emphasizing the need for long-term follow-up of patients presenting with risk factors.”
Research: Vanderbilt University Medical Center: Veterans, civilian patients at risk of ICU-related PTSD up to a year post discharge http://bit.ly/1Zh6DiC One in ten patients is at risk of having new post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to their ICU experience up to a year post-discharge.
This was the finding from a multicenter, prospective cohort research study of veterans and civilians. The research was published online ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. VA Learning University: Don't miss out! January and February courses are almost full http://www.valu.va.gov/Home/Index Spaces are filling fast! Take advantage of January and February’s all-employee competency courses. Sign up now!
There are only a few seats left in each of the courses listed below. Learn the necessary skills needed to take your career at VA to the next level. Understand how to better communicate with both customers and executives, and invest in yourself by developing your professional writing skills. Advocating For Your Customer. Communicating With Executives Formal Writing Using Plain Language: Course 4- Responding to Congressional Inquiries Formal Writing Using Plain Language: Course 7- Writing Grants. 29 of 33 Understanding Customer Service.
GENERAL NEWS
EVENT/OPPORTUNITY/DESERT STORM VETERANS WANTED TO MARCH IN THE 2016 Memorial Day Parade Washington DC, MAY 29-30 http://bit.ly/1mwmLen There will be a group of 250 Desert Storm Veterans marching in the 2016 Memorial Day Parade in Washington DC. Each branch of the Military will have 50 representatives. If you meet the Criteria (link) and would like to participate, please get in contact with us.
EVENT Napa County California VET CONNECT, January 14th http://on.fb.me/1S6ZCMA VET CONNECT: Have you or someone you know served in the military? You might be eligible for benefits you didn't even know existed.
The next Napa County Vet Connect event is from 9 a.m. to noon, Jan. 14, at 650 Imperial Way in Napa. All services are available at no cost and no appointment is needed. For more information, please call the Veterans Service Office at 253-6072.
The next step: Clovis horse therapy ranch in California looks to make a special place for veterans http://bit.ly/22G5S1E The Heart of the Horse Therapy Ranch raising money for a veterans home and mental health facility Project has support of Clovis Veterans Memorial District and E.&J. Gallo Winery Horses being used to help veterans heal, working through illness like post-traumatic stress disorder
10 Illinois organizations that offer help for veterans http://bit.ly/22G60hC Peoria Vet Center Peoria County Veterans Assistance Commission, Illinois Department of Employment Security Salvation Army Peoria Housing Authority Goodwill Illinois Valley Fuller Center for Housing Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Bob Michel VA Outpatient Clinic Bradley University
NRPA/Coca-Cola Troops for Fitness http://is.gd/wqnv9j National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) NRPA is proud to partner with The Coca-Cola Foundation to help build stronger communities by supporting individuals, families and neighborhoods to live active, healthy lifestyles. The Coca-Cola Troops for Fitness program employs the talents and expertise of our nation's veterans to lead fitness workouts and serve as role models for healthy living.
Florida Rep. Van Zant wants to single out veterans for Housing http://bit.ly/1VNxD3y KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – A bill proposed in the Florida House of Representatives by Rep. Charles Van Zant Sr. (R-Keystone Heights) would single out military personnel for special treatment when applying for housing.
Van Zant wants to eliminate background checks that accompany housing applications, which are typically credit checks and criminal background checks. Local leaders of veterans groups doubt the necessity of such special treatment.
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LA County approves $7 million to help homeless — especially women, veterans http://bit.ly/1Zh7mA9 The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved $7 million in funding to help get homeless individuals — particularly women and veterans — off the street and into housing quickly.
Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas recommended transferring $2 million to Housing for Health, a program run by the Department of Health Services that he said has a proven track record of quickly sourcing supportive housing.
“It is urgent that we move homeless people, particularly women, off the streets and out of harm’s way as El Niño approaches,” Ridley-Thomas said, adding that women are particularly vulnerable to violence and sexual predators.
Ridley-Thomas said an estimated 5,000 homeless women live in the Second District, which he represents.
USAA Donates Over $2 Million to Help Fight Veteran Homelessness in San Antonio http://bit.ly/22Ss48R Financial services giant USAA, which serves veterans and their families, announced it would donate $2.1 million to three local social service organizations for veterans: the American GI Forum National Veterans Outreach Program, the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless (SARAH) and Family Endeavors.
The effort in San Antonio is part of the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness, a federal program that began in 2014. San Antonio accepted the challenge a year ago, joining over 600 other cities and communities. The goal is to reach functional zero — meaning every veteran has access to permanent housing, and that any veteran who's at risk of become homeless can be stabilized — by March 31, 2016.
Mayor Ivy Taylor, flanked by most members of the San Antonio City Council, said that the city's status as Military City U.S.A. makes it "even more urgent" to hit the goal at today's announcement.
HUD, VA to award $5.9 million to 26 tribes to provide permanent homes for Native American Veterans experiencing homelessness http://1.usa.gov/1Zh71xn For the first time, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and VA today awarded $5.9 million in grants to 26 tribes to offer a permanent home and supportive services to Native American Veterans who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
The Tribal HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (Tribal HUD-VASH) Program is a demonstration program that will combine $5.9 million in rental assistance from HUD with case management and clinical services provided by VA to serve 500 Native American Veterans.
HUD Secretary Julián Castro announced the winners in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the winter meeting of the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes.
Belfast Telegraph Editorial: We must do our duty for veterans http://bit.ly/1VNym4V . . . In Northern Ireland ex-service personnel are even more disadvantaged, with less access to medical services, social housing and help with their rates. That is a disgraceful state of affairs.
Northern Ireland has a disproportionately large number of ex-service personnel and they deserve to be given exactly the same privileges and assistance as offered to their counterparts in other UK regions. 31 of 33
How can we as a society ask young men and women to put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms and then turn our back - at least partially - on them after they complete the job?
Many of those fortunate enough to survive combat are left scarred physically and, more insidiously, mentally. They have given nearly their all for their country. How can it be too much to expect the country to give something back - medical care a home, prospects of a job in civvy street - when they need it?
They did their duty, and it is up to society to do its, and care for veterans like James Burns.
Additional resources from my blog ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS http://bit.ly/1Gg21LH VETERANS JOB LISTINGS AND HIRING FAIRS WEBSITES http://bit.ly/19Dz2ay EVENTS FOR VETERANS & VETERANS SERVICE PROVIDERS http://bit.ly/1Gg1nOi NATIONWIDE LIST OF CONFERENCES & STAND-DOWNS RELATED TO HOMELESS VETERANS http://bit.ly/1LahaTK NEWSLETTERS & BLOG FOR VETERANS http://bit.ly/1GQzKjf
"Veterans in Justice" -- LinkedIn Professional Group (VIJ)
Please join us on LinkedIn or Facebook for networking and discussions on the issues regarding veterans in the criminal justice system. This group's mission is to connect professionals and advocates who work with and for justice-involved veterans and to share ideas and practices for assisting those veterans -- from the conditions that lead to justice involvement, through initial police contact, arrest, criminal case processing, conviction, sentencing, incarceration, and release. Access our group at http://linkd.in/1947vfS Facebook: www.facebook.com/veteransinjustice
Join The National Discussion - 1,269 Professionals in VIJ
Active Topics Army launches review of soldier misconduct discharges Army doctor fights to clear his name New Survey Report: Veterans In Prison And Jail, 2011–2012 Supporting the Uniformed Services and Justice Advocacy Group (USJAG) Toby Keith Haven’s Military Services Division Provides Education on Treating Military Sexual Trauma (MST). Two Army Veterans, From Germany, seek to start Veterans Law Office, to help veterans with benefits, Mike Tanner Good, Innovative Stuff In Our Federal Courts Question for Veterans and/or their family members YOUNGSTOWN JUDGE & WIFE ENDOW YSU SCHOLARSHIP FOR GRADUATE OF ANY OHIO VETERANS TREATMENT COURT More . . .
LINKEDIN GROUPS
Military and Veteran Benefit Forum Veteran Mentor Network http://linkd.in/1fOlgOt 28,933 members Institute for Veteran Cultural Studies http://linkd.in/1cz3gq1 NAMI http://linkd.in/1cz3Gg7 BI-IFEA (Brain injury-Ideas for Education & Advocacy) http://linkd.in/1cz4e5V Military-Civilian: Hot Jobs and Careers for Veterans and Their Families http://linkd.in/1c59DkM VETERANS IN JUSTICE GROUP http://linkd.in/12APdMS Four subgroups created: Veterans Treatment Courts http://linkd.in/145DdHc 32 of 33 Mental Health http://linkd.in/12QFCjI Female Veterans http://linkd.in/145CTbn Peer Support & Mentoring http://linkd.in/145D32G Cuyahoga County Ohio Veterans and Supporters (Bryan A. McGown "Gunny") http://linkd.in/Zxwx1f Veteran Employment Representatives http://linkd.in/ZxwUcc Midwest Military Outreach, Inc. http://linkd.in/1eiMTkJ Military Veteran Job Fairs & Hiring Conferences http://linkd.in/Zxx4jS Wounded Warrior Resources http://linkd.in/17TMNhJ The Value of a Veteran http://linkd.in/15vD7H4 MILITARY MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS POST DEPLOYMENT FOR PROVIDERS, COMBAT VETERANS & THEIR FAMILIES http://linkd.in/1fkQLA8 (Please email us other groups that you find and think would be informative and useful for our audience)
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