RETIRED JUSTICE EVELYN LUNDBERG STRATTON'S VETERANS' CRIMINAL JUSTICE & MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES NEWS

May 15, 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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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOPIC PAGE TOPIC PAGE FEATURED STORIES 1 DEPLOYMENT HEALTH NEWS* 21 OPPORTUNITIES 2 COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES 23 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 4 GENERAL NEWS 29 OHIO 7 "VETERANS IN JUSTICE" LINKEDIN GROUP 30 VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS 8 OTHER LINKEDIN GROUPS 31 PTS/TBI/MST 12 VETERANS IN THE COURTS INITIATIVE BLOG 31 SUICIDE 19 HOW TO JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER 32 *DoD publishes Development Health News every other week. SPECIAL TEAM USX UPDATES: 2

FEATURED STORIES

Defying Stereotypes, Number Of Incarcerated Veterans In U.S. Drops http://n.pr/21VSKFk Editor’s Note: Thanks to attorney Fred Stratmann for this article.

The number of military veterans in the country's jails and prisons continues to drop, a new report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics shows.

It's the first government report that includes significant numbers of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — and the findings defy stereotypes that returning war veterans are prone to crime.

The data show that veterans are less likely to be behind bars than nonveterans. The study tracked an estimated 181,500 incarcerated veterans in 2011-2012, 99 percent of whom were male. During that period, veterans made up 8 percent of inmates in local jails and in state and federal prisons, excluding military facilities.

. . . The decline in the veterans prison population tracks national demographics. Across the country, the number of veterans is shrinking fast as the millions of vets from World War II and Korea reach their 80s and 90s, and Vietnam vets reach their 70s.

1 of 32 Advocates for veterans also credit the lower incarceration rate partly to increased services for returning veterans. For example, most states now have "veterans courts," where veterans can get treatment for PTSD and drug abuse in lieu of jail time for certain crimes.

Prince Harry Closes 2016 Invictus Games: 'Never Stop Fighting' (ABC Video) http://abcn.ws/27oNxbZ “You are all Invictus,” Harry told service members and veterans from around the world who gathered at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, over the past week to compete in dozens of athletic competitions.

“You are now ambassadors for the spirit of these games. Spread the word. Never stop fighting and do all you can to lift up everyone around you,” Harry said before adding, “I’ll see you in Toronto.”  Prince Harry Wraps His 'Unbelievable' Invictus Games: 'This Has Never Been About the Medals' (People Magazine) http://bit.ly/27oNNYp  Prince Harry's speech at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Orlando Invictus Games (YouTube) http://bit.ly/27oNTiD

Update: Team USX Everest Climb http://www.usx.vet/index.html While resting in the village, USX President Harold and Base Camp Manager Tommy spent 4 hours in a local rice field. From there they were able to send us some awesome new pictures. #TeamUSX is back at #Everest base camp today. They will be climbing it again fairly soon as they trek back up the mountain.

Editor’s Note: You can follow Tean USX on Twitter and Facebook

OPPORTUNITIES

SAMHSA-HRSA Collaborative Grants: 2016 Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training for Paraprofessionals and Professionals Program, Applications due July 1, 2016 http://bit.ly/1TbOQUc 2016 Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) for Paraprofessionals and Professionals Program is a collaborative grant that will provide funding during federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2016.

The BHWET program funds eligible behavioral health paraprofessional and professional training programs to develop and expand the substance use and mental health workforce.

Special emphasis is on training to meet the needs of children, adolescents, and transitional- age youth at risk for developing or who have a recognized behavioral health disorder.

SAMSHA up to $50 Million Available for Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma Grants The purpose of this program is to assist high-risk youth and families and promote resilience and equity in communities that have recently faced civil unrest through implementation of evidence-based, violence prevention, and community youth engagement programs.

SAMHSA up to $800,000 Available for Statewide Peer Networks for Recovery and Resiliency Grants The purpose of this program is to provide a 1-year developmental period to promote cross- system collaboration, expand the peer workforce, build infrastructure, and enhance capacity among community behavioral health programs across the nation.

FedEx Launches 4th Annual Small Business Grant, Accepting Applications now. Entry 2 of 32 Period Ends May 30th http://smallbusinessgrant.fedex.com/ FedEx has asked us to help them get the information out about their 4th annual small business grant, especially in the minority and veteran communities. The Small Business Grant Contest is now accepting applications for a total prize pool of $100,000.

This year, the contest is offering grants to ten small businesses, with the largest sum since its inception, of $100,000. Among them, one Grand Prize winner of $25,000, one $15,000 winner and eight $7,500 winners will be awarded.

The contest is designed to help small business owners take their business to the next level and achieve growth and success. It also offers the opportunity for small business owners to share their stories and achieve national recognition while simultaneously rallying support from local communities to grow their businesses.

Voting is open to anyone and can be conducted online at fedex.com/grantcontest or via a social media platform of the entrant’s choice.

The FedEx Small Business Grant Contest is open US based for-profit small businesses that have less than 50 employees and have been operating for six months or more.

Last year’s winner was In Blue Handmade, which specializes in hand-made, customized leather goods. Through the $25,000 grant and support of FedEx shipping services, In Blue Handmade has grown from a one-woman operation, to an 11-person company that ships products all over the world that even has its own e-commerce site, and is in more than 300 boutiques and shops nationwide.

The Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University MFRI announces new women veteran's fellowship http://bit.ly/1TbMS6c The Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University on Tuesday (May 10) announced a new fellowship program that aims to help build skills, leadership and a sense of community among female student veterans.

The Focus Forward Fellowship program is designed for rising military-affiliated sophomores and juniors who are enrolled in four-year institutions and have an interest in professional, scientific or technology careers. The program will be held Aug. 11-14 in Indianapolis, Indiana, with additional web-based activities scheduled throughout the 2016-2017 academic year.

Women veterans are invited to apply for the free, weekend-long residency program where they will connect with each other, increase personal effectiveness and build a potentially transformative community experience that can translate to their home campus and continue to impact them throughout their academic and professional careers.

The program will engage military-connected women and build skills and confidence through interactions with other successful students, faculty members and advocates. Fellows also will learn and improve their academic skills so that they can thrive in the university setting.

The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund to help more students in need in 2017. Application deadline of April 20, 2017 http://bit.ly/1TbOYTs . . . But last week at Spring Meetings in Indianapolis, the National Executive Committee approved a very important change to the Legacy Scholarship Fund that will expand the roster of those receiving assistance. In simple terms, the Legion is increasing the pool of scholarship applicants to include children of post 9/11 veterans with disability ratings of 50 percent or higher.

Make no mistake: the children of post 9/11 veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice will remain the top priority for Legacy Scholarship aid. But by expanding the eligibility 3 of 32 requirements, the Legion will continue to provide for the children of the men and women who face the harsh realities of war wounds every day of their lives.

While the changes are immediate, in practical terms, they will not take place until the 2017 scholarship year. The 2016 Legacy Scholarship winners were selected at the recent Spring Meetings. Those who qualify under the new rules have until the application deadline of April 20, 2017, to apply.

Dare to Lead on June 18! Scholarship for Women Veterans & Spouses. Are you a woman veteran or spouse who wants to be more engaged as a civic leader--or even run for office? We've partnered with VoteRunLead open up DARE TO LEAD, VRL's daylong women’s leadership conference, to women who have served in any branch of the military, as well as women who are spouses (or widows) of a military member or veteran.

Full Scholarships are available for NYC, Atlanta, Austin, Denver, Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Nashville. Apply today!

New York City Veterans Alliance Volunteer with Us! We have new volunteer positions posted on Idealist for a Policy & Legislative Coordinator, Membership Engagement Coordinator,Community Outreach Coordinator, “Get Ready to Run” Program Coordinator , and “Super Tuesdays” Voter Registration Coordinator.

Positions are unpaid, but a modest monthly stipend is available. Apply today!

Request for Proposal: California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission: Stakeholder Education, Advocacy, and Outreach RFP 16MHSOAC006 Veterans Bidders’ Conference May 20th, Proposal Deadline June 24th http://bit.ly/1qlR60P The Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC or Commission) is seeking an experienced Contractor to work with Veterans to enhance statewide participation, voice, and empowerment through advocacy, education, and outreach efforts to ensure that Veterans have a major role in the development and implementation of local and state level policies and programs and access to quality services and supports.

Veterans include Veterans of any age or service branch who have been discharged (either honorably or dishonorably) who are experiencing, sought treatment for, or are at risk of developing mental health issues or diagnoses.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

MHS partnering with Social Security Administration to improve electronic medical data sharing http://1.usa.gov/1spvKS2 Military Health System (MHS) is working on an enhanced solution to share medical data electronically with the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Over the past decade, DoD and SSA have made substantial progress toward enhancing benefit support to all Service members, Veterans, and most notably to our Wounded Warriors.

While MHS has shared electronic patient data securely with SSA since 2011, this latest effort streamlines the way medical data are shared with SSA to support disability benefit claims adjudication.

VA Secretary McDonald Wants Agency To Be Run Like 'The Very Best Customer Service Organization' http://bit.ly/23EAA93 4 of 32 . . . “[Veterans Affairs] has got the best mission in the country, maybe in the world, taking care of people who have preserved our freedom,” McDonald says. “We’ve got a great set of values...and obviously those were being violated.”

McDonald worked with the VA program to completely overhaul the system in order to better accommodate and treat veterans by incorporating not just medical care, but focusing on job training and housing guidance.

Retraining current employees, implementing 12 new leaders with varied industry experiences to positions within the VA, and hiring an IT expert who could find and implement the best replacements for the outdated computer programs used at the VA were all imperative to redirecting the department’s vision.

“We’re trying to run it like the very best customer service organizations in the world, and that’s our vision: to be the best customer service organization in government,” says McDonald.

McDonald: The future of Veterans health care is essential to our national security - MyVA Transformation Update highlights progress, plans for 2016 http://1.usa.gov/1TaUiqr Last July in the MyVA Integrated Plan and overview, we laid out the focus, approach, and outcomes for MyVA. Today, we are releasing our MyVA Transformation Update that highlights our progress and our plan for the rest of calendar year 2016.

. . . We’re taking advantage of the greatest opportunity for change in the history of our department so we can deliver better outcomes for Veterans and families. Our vision is a Veterans Affairs that is the #1 customer-service agency in the federal government. We want Veterans to see us as a VA they’re proud of. That’s why we call it MyVA.

Community Care is becoming a bigger part of how VA cares for Veterans (VHA Youtube video) http://bit.ly/1TbC5ch This is the first video in a series to let people know what we are currently doing in VA Community Care, what we plan to do, and what it means to our staff and the Veterans that we serve.

VHA GeriPACTs – Specialized Care for Older Veterans http://1.usa.gov/1s35j3J The VA “has your six” – a military term that means I’ve got your back*. Indeed, the VA has got the back of every Veteran who receives care at VA. Each one has a primary care provider, and that provider has a whole team working with them.

This team model of care is called PACT (Patient Aligned Care Team) and it provides continuous and coordinated care throughout a patient’s lifetime. Veterans receive primary care in PACT clinics, so you may know them by color names, like silver, or military alphabet names, like Bravo.

The fastest growing age group of Veterans VA serves is those age 65 and older. By 2017 almost 10 million of our 21.7 million Veterans (46%) will be over 65. VA is responding with PACT teams customized for older Veterans.

GeriPACTS – Customized Care for Older Veterans

A GeriPACT (Geriatric Patient Aligned Care Team) is a PACT team designed for our older and chronically ill Veterans – those who have complicated health problems made even more challenging by social factors and mental health issues. Watch this GeriPACT video to learn more.

VA WANTS TO PROTECT THE MEDICAL INTERNET OF THINGS http://bit.ly/1s5HLLB 5 of 32 It’s unclear whether hacked pacemakers are a real threat, but the Veterans Affairs Department wants to make sure its patients never find out.

VA is gathering information about ways to protect the digitally-enabled medical devices that make up the Internet of Things -- the devices used for the treatment, diagnosis and monitoring of patients -- from outside intruders.

The department wants a “comprehensive, defense-in-depth” plan that would secure the devices on a hospital system’s network, according to a new request for information.

Rosemary Williams Appointed as VA Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs http://1.usa.gov/1qiVai6 WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald today welcomed the appointment of Rosemary Freitas Williams as Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Public Affairs.

In this post, Williams will oversee public affairs, media relations, consumer affairs, community outreach and engagement including Veteran homelessness and six national rehabilitative sports events. She also represents VA on the executive committee of the National Alliance for Suicide Prevention, on behalf of Veterans, their families and survivors. She will play a critical role in guiding VA’s public engagement to implement Secretary McDonald’s vision to transform VA into a Veteran-centric, high-performing and responsive organization.

VA Local Facility Events & News  Providence VAMC & VBA Regional Office joint Veterans town hall 5:30-7pm Wed., May 18  FHCC town hall in Evanston on May 19  VA Loma Linda Healthcare System Women Veterans Community Resource Fair, May 20th  VA Houston 5th Annual Veteran Family Fun & Resource Day in Lufkin on May 21st  Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System and the Muskogee VA Regional Benefits Office hall meeting May 24  VA Charleston @SCNationalGuard Military Career & Resource Fair, May 24  Veterans Health Administration Mental Health Month Twitter town hall (#Step4ward) May 25th  Veterans Job Fair at Minneapolis VA, June 1  Fargo VA Veterans Town Hall & Claims Clinic June 3 in Dickinson  Pittsburgh VA Free Dental Clinic, June 3rd & 4th  Columbus, OH & Columbus State Community College Veteran Employment Event July 12th  VA New Orleans Virtual Town Hall with Director Fernando O. Rivera Tuesday, June 14  The Teachers College Resilience Center for Veterans and Families, located at Teachers College, Columbia University, and VA New York Harbor Healthcare System (VANYHHS) have created a partnership to assist hundreds of student Veterans and their family members within the many institutions at Columbia University  Bay Pines VA HCS Newly renovated Veteran-centric unit to feature private and semi-private rooms  Tucson VA: PTSD sufferers claim long wait times  SFVAHCS Partners with Purusha Yoga to Benefit Vets  Dr. Drew Moghanaki of McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center is co-chairing a $25.2 million clinical trial that will help determine whether surgery or a stereotactic radiation treatment is the most efficient way to treat lung cancer.  Amarillo V.A. Offers Multisensory Therapy  Brevard Veterans Memorial Center nears completion  VA Maryland Volunteers Needed to Transportation Veterans to VA Clinic Appointments

VA OIG Reports  Review of Alleged Manipulation of Quality Review Results at VA Regional Office San Diego, CA 6 of 32  Review of Community Based Outpatient Clinics and Other Outpatient Clinics of Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, Indiana  Healthcare Inspection – Quality of Care Concerns in the Management of a Hepatitis C Patient, Grand Junction Veterans Health Care System, Grand Junction, Colorado  Review of Community Based Outpatient Clinics and Other Outpatient Clinics of VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California  Combined Assessment Program Review of the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California  Review of Community Based Outpatient Clinics and Other Outpatient Clinics of James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Mountain Home, Tennessee  Review of Community Based Outpatient Clinics and Other Outpatient Clinics of Carl Vinson VA Medical Center, Dublin, Georgia  Combined Assessment Program Review of the Northern Arizona VA Health Care System, Prescott, Arizona  Review of VA’s Compliance With the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act for FY 2015

Additional resources from my blog LIST OF VA TOWN HALLS & OTHER MEETINGS NATIONWIDE: http://bit.ly/1Gg1DN6

OHIO

Lorain County: Lawyers say meds to blame for Veterans Service Commission board member’s erratic behavior http://bit.ly/27p6H1j ELYRIA — Lawyers for the Lorain County Veterans Service Commission board member, whose fellow members are trying to have him remove because of his “abusive, demeaning and confrontational” behavior, blamed his change in attitude on an anti-seizure medication he was taking in court documents filed last week.

Robert Mackin no longer is taking the medication, Keppra, that he was prescribed during an 11-day hospital stay after collapsing after a board meeting Sept. 15, attorneys Laura Rubadue and Avery Friedman wrote in the documents.

“Following his recovery from the hospital, (Mackin) began to attend Commission meetings,” Rubadue and Friedman wrote. “These meetings became divisive. Throughout the course of approximately six months, while (Mackin) was taking Keppra, he became agitated and argumentative.”

After he realized that the medication could cause that sort of behavior, Mackin talked to his doctor, who began to wean him off the drug.

The other four members of the Veterans Service Commission board asked county Common Pleas Judge Mark Betleski, who as General Division administrative judge is responsible for appointing board members, to remove Mackin earlier this year.

Pittsburgh VA Free Dental Clinic, June 3rd & 4th http://bit.ly/1rM3msF The MOM-n-PA mission is a large-scale dental clinic where dental treatment is provided at no cost to individuals who cannot afford dental care. Treatment is provided on a first-come, first-served basis and it is expected that several hundred individuals will be attending this year's event, so please come early! Patients do not preregister.

Akron veteran battling PTSD creates UTusk, mobile fitness app http://bit.ly/1OpyEj4 AKRON, OH (WOIO) - A local veteran is hoping to help his fellow military members and others battle wars on the home front.

7 of 32 Steve Downey says he's not ashamed to talk about his own personal demons. "I had somebody that I listen to very closely tell me a real man looks for help when he needs help," he said.

The 29-year-old veteran battled Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also know as PTSD, after deploying to Iraq in 2006.

He says the death of his mother and other things sank him into depression and he didn't feel good about himself so he ate to cope. He got some help, got in shape and now he wants to give that back to others.

With the help of mentors at The Bit Factory, he created UTusk, a mobile fitness app. Downey says the app will pair you with fitness and nutrition coaches of your choosing

Nominations open for 2016 Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame - Deadline is June 30th http://bit.ly/23EB7Id The deadline is June 30 for nominations to the hall honoring veterans who have served their communities after military service.

The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame was established in 1992. Charter members include the six Ohio military veterans elected U.S. president and all of Ohio's Medal of Honor recipients. Honorees have included astronauts and community leaders, among others.

The hall's executive committee selects not more than 20 inductees annually. Men and woman are chosen from all eras, branches of service and walks of life.

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 http://bit.ly/1Tx7tix

VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS

Chart: Free Legal Clinics in VA Facilities, Update April 2016 http://1.usa.gov/1TdVZVe A PDF file listing free legal clinics at VA facilities by state, facility, contact information, legal services provider(s), type of providers, types of cases accepted, walk-in or appointment and hours of operation.

SAMHSA DATA: Characteristics of Criminal Justice System Referrals Discharged From Substance Abuse Treatment and Facilities With Specially Designed Criminal Justice Programs In 2011, there were 1.7 million discharges from substance abuse treatment programs; of these, 34.4 percent came to treatment through a referral from the criminal justice system.

CA: Assemblyman Devon Mathis commentary: Time to expand reach of Veterans’ Courts http://bit.ly/1WwFVRo . . . Research has shown that veterans’ courts are, in fact, working. Nationally, veterans’ treatment courts have shown a 98 percent success rate, helping veterans return home and reunite with their families and society.

One of the most remarkable veterans’ courts happens to be right here in Tulare County. Since its inception in 2010, the Tulare County Veterans’ Court has celebrated 31 veteran graduates and a zero percent recidivism rate! I salute Tulare Superior Court Judge Darryl Ferguson, who retired last month and is responsible for launching this invaluable court, and 8 of 32 all those involved with this exemplary court.

Tragically, though, in California there are only 28 courts such as the one in Tulare County that are equipped to provide such services and alternatives exclusively to our veterans population. This means that veterans in 30 of our 58 counties are left without any form or resources of a veterans’ court.

That is why I realized we cannot ignore and underserve our veterans any longer, and why I am encouraging my colleagues in the Legislature and Governor Brown to support AB 1672, my legislation that will commission a one-year study by the Judicial Council of California to look at the potential impact of expanding veterans’ courts across all of the Golden State.

This study will also assess the utility of a community court serving in place of a veterans’ court and evaluate the feasibility of using technology, such as video conferencing, to allow counties without these courts to utilize counties with them. With the use of technology, veterans can reach out to neighboring counties with veterans’ courts without being forced to make long commutes.

FL: Army veteran accused of killing mom on Mother's Day http://bit.ly/1TaTmCp An Army veteran has been arrested and charged with homicide for the death of his mother after Santa Rosa County Sheriff deputies responded to a distress call and discovered a woman lying in a pool of blood on the front porch, covered in bruises and lacerations.

The victim's son, Christopher Reed Lynch, was taken into custody after a brief struggle and has been charged in the death of his mother, Cheryl Lynch.

Christopher suffered a severe traumatic brain injury on July 13, 2000, while on training exercises in France with the Army. Once Christopher returned home, Cheryl assumed the role of his caregiver.

In 2009 Cheryl wrote a letter to the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs, and stated: "I am a 54-year-old mother — if something were to happen to me, who will know enough about my son’s individual difficulties and medical needs to continue to manage his care?

Who will be able to act in his best interest or defense to assure he receives his entitled benefits? Who would be able to put the proper supports in place for my son to not end up on the streets, institutionalized, or even worse?"  Pace man accused of killing his mother held on $1.2 mil bond  Man accused of killing mom was candidate for troubled veterans program

FL: Editorial: Veterans need help, not punishment: They've been there already http://bit.ly/1TbKKv6 St. Johns County commissioners this week directed staff to give them a budget item for the coming fiscal year that would fund, or at least partially so, a Veteran’s Treatment Court.

The idea isn’t new. There are hundreds up and running across the nation. As many as 11,000 vets are currently in the program. But, according to one study, about 700,000 vets are currently caught in the criminal justice system, either heading to jail or in there. We’ve got a long way to go.

. . . The cost to county taxpayers is projected to be about $100,000 annually. Seventh Judicial Court Judge Howard McGillin looks to be the point man for the program. He told commissioners that he’d had five veterans’ files come across his desk for first appearances that week.

Incarceration in our county jail costs about $22,000 annually. And it is not insignificant that 20,000 of our county taxpayers are veterans themselves. Some will be participants. Vets 9 of 32 have to volunteer for the program, admit responsibility, ask for help, and use the services correctly and willingly — only those with honorable discharges are allowed in.

If it does “take a village,” this program is on solid ground, with participation by the Sheriff’s Office, the county Veterans Services Office and the State Attorney, Public Defender and judges of our Seventh Judicial Circuit.

. . . Bottom line is, if there is an alternative to incarceration, we should try it. Punishment seems especially crass for veterans whose service may have caused the first wrong step. Commissioners voted unanimously to support the program. So should we all. It will likely save money. It will save families.

And it has a track record of returning lost soldiers to a quality of life equal to what they tried to protect for the rest of us. Fair is fair.

HI: Hawaii Veterans Treatment Court Celebrates 15 Successful Graduates http://bit.ly/1WwGkmS The Veterans Treatment Court of the First Circuit (Oahu) held its third graduation ceremony on May 13, 2016. More than 100 people gathered in the Supreme Court courtroom to congratulate the 5 U.S. veterans who completed the intensive two-year program.

Fifteen veterans have now successfully completed the First Circuit program since it was initiated by Judge Edward Kubo in 2013.

Over the past three years an increasing number of attorneys have heard about the Veterans Treatment Court and submitted applications for their clients to be referred to the program.

Hawaii now has Veterans Treatment Courts on both Oahu and Hawaii Island (Third Circuit).

IN: A man who went undercover in a jail for 2 months discovered a disturbing truth about veterans who are locked up http://read.bi/1TbtXZ5 It's all too common for veterans in the US to wind up in jail. And behind bars, many of them don't have access to the services they need to get their lives back on track.

That's what the participants on the A&E documentary series "60 Days In" learned during their stay at Clark County Jail in southern Indiana.

The show follows seven people who go undercover as inmates for two months to expose problems within the system.

IN: Our Opinion: New court (in Monre County) will help repay veterans for their service (subscription) http://bit.ly/1TdUHJQ The idea of having a district veterans court recognizes the needs of men and women to whom our system of justice owes a great debt of gratitude. Military veterans deserve the best shot our court system can give them to solving any problems they might have that led them to be in court in the first place.

IN: Grant approved to help satrt a veterans court http://bit.ly/1TbM7ds The Vigo County Council approved grants of $30,500 to help start a veterans court and $25,000 to start family court fund, used to pay for mediation for low-income or indigent; and to establish a $20 fee from dissolution, legal separation and paternity filings to be used to fund mediation.

IN: Special court gives veterans a second chance http://bit.ly/1s3300D CROWN POINT — After serving two tours of duty in Iraq with the U.S. Army, Reid Narjes came back home and was arrested in 2008 on suspicion of driving while drunk.

10 of 32

By 2013, he picked up a second charge accusing him of driving while intoxicated. This time, Narjes enrolled in the Lake County Veterans Treatment Court. On Wednesday, he along with nine other men graduated from the program that lasted 18 to 24 months.

Lake County officials were on hand to recognize the 10 men who were the first group to graduate from the specialized court program that was started in 2014. The ceremony included traditions associated with the military such as posting of colors and a bag piper.

. . . While Narjes' case was pending, he completed a CNA certificate at Ivy Tech Community College and is pursing a master's degree. His goal is to treat soldiers and veterans.

He attended the ceremony after working a midnight shift at an area hospital, and he had to return to work Wednesday night.

He said the graduation marked a new beginning for him. "I managed all the stuff I went through instead of self-medicating," Narjes said.

MT: Vet court seeking female mentors http://gftrib.com/27oYVVg Officials with the 8th Judicial District Veterans Court are seeking more mentors, specifically female veterans.

Joe Parsetich said the program is down to one female mentor for the four female veterans currently in the vet court program.

“We always need mentors, but we’re in dire need of female mentors,” Parsetich said.

Mentors must have been honorably discharged from the military or be on active duty, be able to pass a background check and be free of any substance abuse issues.

“They have to be a great listener, just be a caring individual,” Parsetich said.

Parsetich and other vet court officials, including Judge Greg Pinski, talk with the prospective mentors to make sure they aren’t in treatment themselves and are able to commit to the 18-month program, which can last longer depending on the veteran participant in vet court.

They also work to match participants and mentors with similar backgrounds and interests.

NE: Editorial, 5/3: Veterans court has potential http://bit.ly/1TtgWaJ Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly deserves a salute for pushing ahead with a plan to set up a veterans court similar to the successful drug courts that have been set up across the nation.

The Lancaster County Board approved the request earlier this month. The proposal now goes to the Nebraska Supreme Court.

. . . Kelly said he plans to use services from the Veterans Administration “almost exclusively” with some assistance from the county community correction program. He said he believes the veterans court can be created and operated within the existing budget.

He estimated that the court would handle only five to 10 people a year during the trial phase.

Kelly said the idea met with an enthusiastic response from personnel at the Veterans Affairs office in Lincoln when he, Lancaster County District Judge John Colborn and others met with them last week.

11 of 32 The proposed local veterans court differs from one that the officials hope to set up in Douglas County. The legislature this year approved the expenditure of more than $450,000 to set up with court for a three-year pilot program, pending approval of the state supreme court. That court would utilize the state probation office.

Kelly said that if both courts are approved as expected, the state Supreme Court would be able to evaluate the two different concepts.

The new veterans court has the potential to be better for taxpayers, veterans who are charged with crimes and society as a whole. We hope it succeeds.

TX: Extra vet help (VJO) to be offered soon in Guadalupe County http://bit.ly/27p65J6 The Guadalupe County Justice Center is making way for an additional resource to help veterans.

During the regularly-scheduled Tuesday meeting, Guadalupe County Commissioners Court approved San Antonio veteran justice outreach specialist, Candace Shepard to share offices with Bill MacAllister, the county’s veterans service officer.

“Ms. Sheppard will use Bill MacAllister’s office two days a week on the days he’s not here,” County Judge Kyle Kutscher said at the meeting.

“She’s a closer resource to the veterans that we have coming in.”

Shepard explained she will not only assist Veterans Courts in this county but will also work out of Comal.

“I work on the veterans treatment court, treatment teams in Comal and Guadalupe,” she said. “And what I’m wanting to do is be more accessible, to veterans during court. So I’m working with Comal now, to get two days a week there, and two days a week here and hopefully one day in San Antonio.”

. . . the commissioner’s court expressed its gratitude toward her efforts working with area veterans.

“I know you’ve been a tremendous help to Guadalupe County, to the Veteran’s Court,” Kutscher said. “It’s definitely an asset to have there.”

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

VA: Aging Veterans and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms http://1.usa.gov/1Tb4q2c Many older Veterans find they have PTSD symptoms even 50 or more years after their wartime experience.

Some symptoms of PTSD include having nightmares or feeling like you are reliving the event, avoiding situations that remind you of the event, being easily startled, and loss of interest in activities.

There are a number of reasons why symptoms of PTSD may increase with age:  Having retired from work may make your symptoms feel worse, because you have more time to think and fewer things to distract you from your memories. 12 of 32  Having medical problems and feeling like you are not as strong as you used to be also can increase symptoms.  You may find that bad news on the television and scenes from current wars bring back bad memories.  You may have tried in the past to cope with stress by using alcohol or other substances. Then if you stop drinking late in life, without another, healthier way of coping, this can make PTSD symptoms seem worse.

Chicago startup raises $1.8M for virtual mental health consultations http://trib.in/1Tb4Fub Chicago-based telehealth startup Regroup Therapy, which provides virtual mental health consultations to treat depression and a wide range of other issues, has raised more than $1.8 million in funding.

Regroup, founded in 2011, has a network of more than 2,000 mental health professionals, including psychologists, counselors, therapists, psychiatrists and others. Regroup connects those professionals to health care organizations and their patients via a web-based video platform.

The Series Seed round closed in mid-April. It was led by Hyde Park Angels and included Chicago investor Lon Chow and Wasson Enterprise, the family investment firm of former Walgreen Boots Alliance CEO Greg Wasson.

Regroup says its goal is to fill gaps in mental health services.

“There’s just this really deep shortage of providers” in mental health, founder and CEO David Cohn said. “Fifty-five percent of counties (nationwide) don’t have any behavioral health providers in them. Not a social worker, not a psychiatrist, nothing. It’s a huge problem.”

Michigan Veterans encouraged to start conversation about mental health with online tool http://bit.ly/1TdVeLS In conjunction with Screening for Mental Health, a nonprofit organization providing innovative mental health and substance abuse resources, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency MVAA created the free online mental health and substance abuse screening tool in October. Encouraging veterans to get a “checkup from your neck up,” the anonymous online screening is available 24/7 at MichiganVeterans.com/Mental-Health-Screening.

“Mental health is key to overall health, and MVAA wants to make sure all Michigan veterans have the tools they need to care for themselves both mentally and physically,” MVAA Director James Robert Redford said. “With this online tool, veterans can complete a quick and easy mental health screening and get the help and information they need when necessary.”

How To Answer That Awful Question, ‘Do You Have PTSD?’ http://bit.ly/1qlOHD6 Vets are often asked this question inappropriately, but there’s a smart way to answer that can change the stereotype.

Research: Occupational outcomes following mild traumatic brain injury in Canadian military personnel deployed in support of the mission in Afghanistan: a retrospective cohort study http://bit.ly/1qlQat3 . . . Conclusions: Deployment-related MTBI was associated with adverse occupational outcome but mental disorders and musculoskeletal conditions primarily drove subsequent medical unfitness.

These findings support a diagnostic and treatment approach focusing on these comorbidities

13 of 32 as the most promising strategy to minimise the burden of disability in MTBI-exposed military personnel.

Research: Gut Feeling: ONR Research Examines Link Between Gut Bacteria, PTSD http://1.usa.gov/1TbCgnL ARLINGTON, Va.—Could bacteria in your gut be used to cure or prevent neurological conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety or even depression? Two researchers sponsored by the Office of Naval Research(ONR) think that’s a strong possibility.

Dr. John Bienenstock and Dr. Paul Forsythe—who work in The Brain-Body Institute at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada—are investigating intestinal bacteria and their effect on the human brain and mood.

“This is extremely important work for U.S. warfighters because it suggests that gut microbes play a strong role in the body’s response to stressful situations, as well as in who might be susceptible to conditions like PTSD,” said Dr. Linda Chrisey, a program officer in ONR’s Warfighter Performance Department, which sponsors the research.

The trillions of microbes in the intestinal tract, collectively known as the gut microbiome, profoundly impact human biology—digesting food, regulating the immune system and even transmitting signals to the brain that alter mood and behavior. ONR is supporting research that’s anticipated to increase warfighters’ mental and physical resilience in situations involving dietary changes, sleep loss or disrupted circadian rhythms from shifting time zones or living in submarines.

Through research on laboratory mice, Bienenstock and Forsythe have shown that gut bacteria seriously affect mood and demeanor. They also were able to control the moods of anxious mice by feeding them healthy microbes from fecal material collected from calm mice.

DCoE: Webinar Rewind: Experts Explain New Clinical Guideline for Concussion Headaches http://bit.ly/1Opak0T Experts from the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) and the Department of Veterans Affairs provided an overview of a new clinical recommendation for headaches associated with concussion during a recent Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury webinar.

Health.mil: Take the first step toward better mental health http://1.usa.gov/27p7j6Y By: Navy Capt. Mike Colston, director, Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury

When a colleague has the flu or breaks a bone you naturally expect them to take time off from work to get medical attention and recover.

It may be harder to detect a mental health concern in a colleague or even in ourselves.

However, when a mental health concern impacts daily functioning it is imperative to get help. We should expect – and in fact encourage – someone with a mental health concern to seek medical attention with the same no-nonsense, practical attitude with which we would advise a colleague with a physical injury to go to the doctor.

Because of perceived stigma surrounding mental health issues and treatment I know that many of our beneficiaries fail to get help or won’t talk openly about seeking mental health care.

You should know that seeking care can actually strengthen and protect your career by 14 of 32 minimizing the impact of symptoms on your performance. Not seeking care worsens your health and increases the likelihood of an adverse event (e.g., anger, outbursts, driving under the influence, fights, being late to work) that could lead to loss of rank, personal relationships or leadership positions.

In recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month in the Military Health System (MHS), I want to call attention to the importance of mental wellness and resilience of our service members, retirees and their families. A top priority is making sure all beneficiaries know how to access the many valuable mental health resources available to them.

VA Webinar: Chain Analysis: An Assessment Strategy for Targeting Trauma-Related Therapy, May 18th, http://1.usa.gov/1qlRBI3 Veterans, and other non-Veteran populations, with PTSD often have additional difficulties or skills deficits that can make it difficult to target treatment, especially before or after trauma- focused treatment. For example, for a patient new to treatment, it can be difficult to determine what is causing the most difficulty.

Focused assessment can be helpful in guiding providers and patients to target treatment. One such type of assessment is chain analysis, a way of conducting functional assessment.

The purpose of this live webinar is to present information about chain analysis, a type of functional assessment that is also a strategy in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT); discuss when and how providers may want to use chain analysis with patients with PTSD; and present examples of how to do chain analysis clinically with patients with PTSD in both VA and non-VA settings.

Webinar Invitation - May 18 at 12pm ET - Cohen Veterans Bioscience http://bit.ly/1TbRQji Clinical symptoms of PTSD result from neurophysiological dysfunction in specific neural circuits of the human brain. Significant progress has been made in delineating brain regions and identifying molecular factors involved in disease etiology. However, obtaining a mechanistic understanding of how the dynamic activity in specific neural circuits gives rise to mental dysfunction remains challenging. This is in part due to the lack of technologies for measuring and manipulating neural circuits in animal models with high resolution and precision.

We addressed this need by developing and validating novel, nanotechnology-based devices for electrical, optical, and fludic interfacing with the brain. Devices include high-density electrode arrays for large-scale electrophysiological recordings and ultracompact optoprobes for simultaneous electrophysiological recording and optogenetic stimulation.

Since many fundamental neural coding schemes, such as reinforcement learning, are conserved from animals to humans, we believe that identifying specific neural coding deficits will increase the predictive value of preclinical models. This webinar will explore how technologies that combine fluid injection and electrophysiological recording will allow for probing the effect of candidate treatments on neural activity and thereby facilitate discovery of novel cures.

SAMHSA's National Prevention Week 2016, May 15–21, 2016 http://bit.ly/1OphhK0 SAMHSA's fifth annual National Prevention Week (NPW) is dedicated to increasing public awareness of, and action around, prevention of mental and/or substance use disorders.

During NPW, community organizations across the country host health fairs, block parties, educational assemblies, town hall meetings, memorial walks, social media campaigns, outdoor events, and more.

15 of 32 The 2016 theme—Strong as One, Stronger Together—recognizes that one person can make a positive difference in his or her community, but when we all unite together we can achieve even more.

DCoE Webinar: Program Evaluation Can Help You Achieve Outcomes: Empowerment Evaluation, May 17th http://bit.ly/1Ku7pya This webinar supports the efforts of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) to improve the psychological health and traumatic brain injury (TBI) system of prevention and care.

This series is provided to enhance the program evaluation capabilities of attendees. The content is intended primarily for a general audience in order to better inform those who may be unfamiliar with evaluation methods.

This webinar will provide guidance on understanding the basics about empowerment evaluation—putting the logic and tools of evaluation into the hands of program evaluation practitioners, so that they can plan more systematically, implement with quality, better self- evaluate and use continuous quality improvement.

At the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be able to:  Uncover program evaluation procedures  Understand basic concepts and practices that form the core of empowerment evaluation  Introduce the Getting To Outcomes approach to empowerment evaluation

DCoE Psychological Health Webinar: Facilitating Help-seeking Behavior for Psychological Health Concerns in Service Members, May 26th http://bit.ly/1Ku7pya Service members are often susceptible to increased rates of diagnosable psychological health concerns. This is particularly true in service members who have experienced multiple deployments and/or served in combat roles.

Data suggest that relatively few service members with psychological health concerns seek help, which may increase the risk of ongoing symptoms, diminished readiness, and career implications.

These barriers to care are present across all service branches, including the National Guard and reserve components, who face additional challenges and potentially reduced access to psychological health care or resources.

This review presents research findings about the barriers to care for service members, along with systematic efforts to reduce stigma and facilitate help-seeking behavior.

Additionally, the presentation will discuss strategies that health care providers and line leaders can implement to reduce stigma and facilitate help-seeking behavior..

At the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be able to:  Identify the major barriers in seeking help for psychological health concerns for service members.  Recognize systematic efforts to increase access to care, reduce stigma, and encourage help-seeking behavior.  Apply strategies to dispel stigma and facilitate help-seeking for psychological health concerns in service members.

UPDATE Team USX: Dispatches from Everest: Team of soldier-climbers begin history- making trek to shed light on PTS http://www.usx.vet/ Editor’s Note: Team USX is made up of both men and women, and West Point graduates.

16 of 32 USX is posting updates on both Facebook and Twitter.

USX is sending a team of Soldiers to Mount Everest. The expedition will attempt to place the first ever combat wounded Veteran and the first active duty Soldier atop the world.

Most importantly, we will raise awareness and funds for Soldier Mental Health. We have partnered with GovX, a large e-commerce website to promote a national campaign to raise awareness to more than 1.7 million people.

Sports-Related Brain Injury: Lessons from the NFL http://bit.ly/1ZEnGpI Editor’s Note: This is a very detailed article worth at least scanning.

. . . In summary, much is yet to be defined about the long-term effects of concussion in sports at all levels, and from repeated brain injuries in general. Public awareness of traumatic brain injury has skyrocketed in the last decade, and with that comes many questions.

Importantly, role model organizations must take the lead in developing safer practices, safer equipment, educational offerings, rules refinement and enforcement, and objective research in this important area. Because of our education, training, and experience, neurosurgeons are uniquely poised to lead many of these efforts.

Editor’s Note: This piece represents the start of a new blog feature called “Hard Knocks,” which will focus on neurosurgeons in the field of sports-related injury. Stay tuned for more valuable information.

SAMHSA DATA: Adolescent Mental Health Service Use and Reasons for Using Services in Specialty, Educational, and General Medical Settings Of the 24.9 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the United States in 2014, 3.4 million received mental health services in a specialty setting (i.e., inpatient or outpatient mental health setting), 3.2 million received services in an educational setting, and 700,000 received services in a general medical setting.

Beyond the NFL: A New Plan to Treat Brain Injuries For Women Escaping Abuse http://bit.ly/24ZoQnD Unlike players in the NFL, women who struggle with lifelong effects of concussions from abuse are rarely diagnosed. In Phoenix, scientists and advocates are working to change that.

. . . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly a quarter of American women experience extreme physical violence from intimate partners during their lives. Suffering repeated blows to the head, strangulation, and being violently shaken or slammed against the wall puts them at risk for TBI. But the lack of adequate screening and identification systems means that brain injuries often go unrecognized.

That’s something advocates and researchers in Phoenix hope soon to change. The Sojourner Center, one of the largest and oldest domestic violence shelters in the United States, is partnering with the Central Arizona Center for Therapy and Imaging Services (CACTIS) Foundation, a medical research institution, to pilot the Sojourner Center BRAIN (Brain Recovery and Inter-Professional Neuroscience) Program.

Through their research—starting with a study planned for May—the organizations hope to create a model for appropriate neurological care for domestic violence survivors and to document the process so that other doctors and practitioners can access data about the long- and short-term effects of TBI in women and children.

17 of 32 “Very little has been documented on what works and what doesn’t work,” explained Maria E. Garay, CEO of the Sojourner Center. She said the Sojourner BRAIN Program will bring to light an underreported public health epidemic and can guide best practices nationwide by producing quantifiable outcomes.

Webinar: Army One Source: EXPERIENCES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT & SEXUAL ASSAULT DURING MILITARY SERVICE: PREVALENCE, IMPACT & RECOVERY, MAY 18TH http://bit.ly/1qlPkwp Register: http://bit.ly/1WfZixb Join Army OneSource on Wednesday, May 18 at 2 p.m. EDT for a national web event, moderated by Chaplain (LTC) Robert Morris and presented by Dr. Melissa Ming Foynes.

Among users of VA healthcare, approximately one in four women and one in one hundred men have told their providers that they experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault during Military service. Service members and Veterans of all age groups, genders, sexual orientations, physical sizes and strengths, ranks, branches and eras of services, racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, report experiences of sexual trauma.

While experiences of sexual trauma are associated with a range of physical and mental health difficulties, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the most common mental health diagnosis.

Human Rights Watch Dispatches: Victim Protection Key to Ending US Military Sexual Assaults http://bit.ly/1OpeReg For those who work on combatting sexual assault in the United States military, last Thursday should have been a day to celebrate. Hours after two US senators introduced new legislation aimed at preventing and criminalizing retaliation against sexual assault survivors in the military, the Department of Defense unveiled its own strategy to confront the problem.

Much of the Defense Department strategy is encouraging: it recognizes the scope of the problem, aims to gather and share more information about how cases are handled, and emphasizes a range of options for commanders to address retaliation against victims of sexual harassment and assault.

But both the Senate and the Pentagon efforts fall short on two key issues. Neither adequately confronts reprisals – the harm done to service members’ careers in retaliation for reporting sexual assault or harassment.

. . . Second, many victims we met lost their careers because when they reported their assault they revealed minor misconduct – such as underage drinking - that led to their own investigation and discharge. The military does not consider this retaliation and says, in any case, punishment for such offenses is usually minor. But even minor disciplinary action can end a military career, especially in an era of downsizing. Rapists exploit this by sometimes threatening to report victims for misconduct if they report the assault.

Air Force's new sexual assault prevention program aims to change the culture http://bit.ly/24ZpJg2 Raising awareness of sexual assault — or telling airmen to intercede when they see a bad situation develop — won't, by themselves, do enough to stop the violence. Only a profound change in the culture, sparked by tens of thousands of seemingly small acts, can do that.

A new training regimen, adopted by the Air Force late last year, is designed to give airmen and their leaders the skills they need to begin making a difference. The Green Dot initiative, founded by psychologist Dr. Dorothy Edwards, specifically aims to empower people to demonstrate, in ways large and small, their individual commitment to ending sexual violence.

18 of 32 Additional resources from my blog  RESURRECTING LIVES FOUNDATION http://bit.ly/1R9toOV  EVENTS FOR VETERANS & VETERAN SERVICE PROVIDERS http://bit.ly/1Gg1nOi ------

ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH NEWS IS POSTED IN THE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SECTION BELOW

SUICIDE

Accurate veterans suicide data not expected for months http://bit.ly/1Op6CEq The Veterans Affairs Department expects to have data this summer that could erase the questionable statistic that 22 veterans die by suicide each day.

Dr. Maureen McCarthy, a VA assistant deputy undersecretary, told the House Veterans' Affairs Committee on Thursday that the department has received statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and the Defense Department that should provide VA a clearer picture of the number of suicides among veterans.

VA analysts are poring over death records for all personnel who served from 1979 to 2015, according to McCarthy.

MA House approves help for veterans - Bills would halt excise taxes, help suicidal vets http://bit.ly/1WwI6Ek METHUEN — When military men and women return home from overseas service, they are often met with large tax bills on cars they haven't used in months.

But a bill filed by state Rep. Diana DiZoglio may soon relieve Massachusetts service men and women from paying the state's excise tax on motor vehicles while they are off protecting their country.

House Bill 4073 was passed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday and will now go before the Senate for a vote. If it passes in the Senate, Gov. Charlie Baker will then review the bill and decide whether to sign it.

Another bill filed by DiZoglio, D-Methuen, also passed in the House Wednesday. It would aim to reduce the suicide rate among returning military veterans, a number which has grown rapidly across the country during the last several years.

. . . DiZoglio's other legislation, House Bill 3136, was first heard at a public hearing before the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs on Nov. 18.

The goal of the bill was to look at ways to improve mental health services of returning veterans to reduce the rate of veteran suicides and effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.

U.S. Representative (California) Judy Chu's nephew took his own life after military hazing. Now she's seeking justice for him and other families http://lat.ms/1TbNuIV U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Harry Lew fell asleep on watch his first night with a new infantry squad.

. . . He was found sleeping on watch twice more over the next two weeks. On April 2, the fourth time he was found sleeping, a sergeant told his comrades that "peers should correct peers.”

19 of 32

. . . For 3 ½ hours that night, Lew did push-ups and crunches in full body armor with a boot on his back, according to a military investigation report obtained by the Marine Corps Times and reported in 2011. He was allegedly kicked, stomped and punched, and was ordered to dig a 6-foot-deep foxhole so he could serve watch standing up. At one point, a bag of sand was poured over his nose and mouth, military juries were later told.

A 3:43 a.m. on April 3 — 22 minutes after the violent hazing ended — Lew crawled into the foxhole his fellow Marines reportedly forced him to dig and scrawled a message on his arm. “May hate me now, but in the long run this was the right choice," it read. "I'm sorry my mom deserves the truth."

Then he put the muzzle of his machine gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger. He was scheduled to return home just a few months later.

. . . Unsatisfied by the result of the trials and dismayed by the number of people calling her office to report similar incidents, Chu began working on legislation to push the U.S. Department of Defense to change how it tracks and prosecutes hazing.

Illinois Veterans Task force on veteran suicides to hold meeting May 16 in Belleville http://bit.ly/1TbNZ5N The Illinois Veterans Suicide Task Force is scheduled to hold its first regional meeting at 10 a.m., May 16 in room 1370 of the Liberal Arts Building at Southwestern Illinois College, 2500 Carlyle Ave., Belleville.

The task force is gathering information from the public on the the causes and potential solutions to the tragedy of veterans suicide. Attendees will be allowed to address the task force in a public forum.  We must stop our veterans from committing suicide

VA: Facts about Veteran suicide - Suicide prevention is everyone’s business http://1.usa.gov/1s37ggw VA relies on multiple sources of information to identify deaths that potentially are due to suicide. This includes VA’s own Beneficiary Identification and Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) and data compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics in its National Death Index. In addition, we request current information directly from each State and maintain our own databases of known events and completions.

These sources give us specific indications about Veteran vulnerability to suicide: . . .

The Weekly Spark: Friday, May 13, 2016 http://bit.ly/1OpcsWl Announcements  Webinar: Advancing Student Emotional Health by 2020  Webinar: The Power of One: The Role of Peer Support in Suicide Prevention  Public Comments Sought on Advancing Research to Prevent Youth Suicide Panel Draft Report  Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change  Webinar: Identifying and Preventing Suicide among At-risk Adolescents Involved in the Juvenile Justice System Research  Suicide Risk among Emergency Department Patients News National News  Why suicide prevention is part of population health strategy State News  HAWAII: How these Hawai’i youth work to prevent suicide 20 of 32 International News  GREENLAND: National Public Radio series on suicide in Greenland

’22Kill For 22′ Aims To Raise Awareness About Veteran Suicide http://cbsloc.al/1WwGCKy MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Members of the State Patrol dropped and did 22 Friday afternoon. It wasn’t an order, but part of an important challenge.

Trooper trainees did 22 push-ups for 22 days straight. The challenge, called “22Kill for 22” raises awareness for military and verteran suicides.

On average, 22 military members take their lives a day. As part of the challenge, the Trooper cadets raised more than $3,000 for Fisher House on the Minneapolis VA campus.

EVENT: Illinois lawmakers to host hearing in Belleville on veterans suicide, May 16th http://bit.ly/1WwHgHT State Reps. Jerry Costello, D-Smithton, Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea and Stephanie Kifowit, D- Oswego, are inviting veterans and their families to meet with members of the Task Force on Veterans’ Suicide on Monday in Belleville.

The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Liberal Arts Theater, inside the Liberal Arts Complex Room 1370 at Southwestern Illinois College, 2500 Carlyle Ave., Belleville.

Costello, Hoffman and Kifowit sponsored legislation creating a Task Force on Veteran Suicide. The task force has already met once in Springfield and is now meeting at locations across the state to allow veterans and those affected by veterans’ suicide to personally share their views.

The full list of task force members and the upcoming meetings scheduled across the state are available at http://illinoisjoining forces.org/1161-2/.

SAMHSA Twitter Chat: Understanding and Preventing Suicide, MAY 20TH In observance of the fifth annual National Prevention Week (NPW), join SAMHSA and Torrey DeVitto, this year's NPW ambassador, in a Twitter chat to discuss suicide prevention. Participate in the conversation with the hashtag #NPW2016, and follow @samhsagov and @torreydevitto on Twitter.

Research: Suicide Mortality Among Retired National Football League Players Who Played 5 or More Seasons http://1.usa.gov/1qlRXi2 Conclusion: There is no indication of elevated suicide risk in this cohort of professional football players with 5 or more credited seasons of play. Because of the unique nature of this cohort, these study results may not be applicable to professional football players who played fewer than 5 years or to college or high school players.

DEPLOYMENT HEALTH NEWS, 13 MAY 2016

Take the first step toward better mental health Health.mil, 2 May 2016 “When a colleague has the flu or breaks a bone you naturally expect them to take time off from work to get medical attention and recover. It may be harder to detect a mental health concern in a colleague or even in ourselves. However, when a mental health concern impacts daily functioning it is imperative to get help. We should expect – and in fact encourage – someone with a mental health concern to seek medical attention with the same 21 of 32 no-nonsense, practical attitude with which we would advise a colleague with a physical injury to go to the doctor. Because of perceived stigma surrounding mental health issues and treatment I know that many of our beneficiaries fail to get help or won’t talk openly about seeking mental health care.” Stigma debilitates some Marines The Daily News, 2 May 2016 “Lance Cpl. James Nuzzolillo knew he needed to seek help after he had a breakdown, crying and hyperventilating in an office at Camp Lejeune. Nuzzolillo hesitated to seek help. He didn't want to be labeled as ‘that guy,’ he said. He added that no one wants to be ‘that guy’ who falls out of a hike, or ‘that guy’ who can't complete a run.” Mental health disorders, care increase among military children in US Healio, 2 May 2016 “Mental health diagnoses and care significantly increased among military-connected children within the last 15 years, according to data presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting. To determine trends in the prevalence of diagnosed mental health conditions and treatment among military children, Elizabeth J. Hisle-Gorman, MSW, PhD, of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md., and colleagues analyzed data for all children aged 2 to 18 years who received care in the Military Healthcare System from October 2001 through September 2015. The study cohort included children who had at least one inpatient or outpatient visit in the Military Healthcare System in a given year.” Stand up to stigma! It takes courage, but you got that Afterdeployment Blog, 4 May 2016 “Stigma. It may seem like a simple term to define, but it's really a complex, multi-layered concept. As someone who has faced stigma personally and written about it professionally, I believe understanding its complexity is the single most important first step toward finding the courage to overcome it. For today's purposes - and since May is Mental Health Month - I'm talking about the stigma that current and former service members (and even their families) often face when deciding whether to seek mental health care.” Military Sexual Assault Reports Level Off, but Pentagon Officials Remain Concerned ABC News, 5 May 2016 “This story has been updated from the original version and includes some revised statistics. The 6,083 reports of sexual assault in the U.S. military last year remained almost level with the previous year, according to the Pentagon's annual report on sexual assault in the military, but Pentagon officials who released the latest statistics remain concerned that service members continue to report sexual assault at a high rate.” Pentagon lowers estimate of retaliation for reporting sexual assault The Hill, 5 May 2016 “The military has lowered its estimate of people it believes have faced retaliation by commanders and peers for making claims of sexual assault, stating some cases of revenge might have been attempts to help. The Pentagon now estimates that 38 percent of victims — or nearly 4 in 10 service members — have faced retaliation for reporting sexual assault, as first reported by The Associated Press.” Pentagon perpetuates stigma of mental health counseling, study says USA Today, 5 May 2016 “Even as troop suicides remain at record levels, the Pentagon has failed to persuade servicemembers to seek counseling without fears that they'll damage their careers, a stinging government review concludes. Despite six major Pentagon or independent studies from 2007 through 2014 that urged action to end the persistent stigma linked to mental health counseling, little has changed, analysts said in the April report by the Government Accountability Office.” The key to using terabytes of data to predict soldier suicide NextGov, 5 May 2016 “The Army STARRS program is one of the most important mental health efforts ever undertaken by the U.S. military, bringing a big data approach to understanding why suicide rates increased among active duty soldiers in recent years.” New DOD Mobile App Helps Diffuse Nightmares for Better Sleep DCoE News, 5 May 2016 “Being ambushed in a firefight but can’t escape to safety. Being chased and can’t find safe 22 of 32 shelter. Flying through the air after an explosion flips your vehicle. From reliving our worst experiences to playing on our deepest fears, bad dreams – nightmares – can not only interrupt our rest, they can make us afraid to even go to sleep.” Can 'How You Think' Protect Against PTSD American Council on Science and Health, 6 May 2016 “By now everyone has heard of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, especially with regard to military personnel returning from war-ravaged areas. Traumatic experiences can interfere with how people think, behave, cope, sleep, work, and interact with others. It can become debilitating for some.” Find help for mental health challenges – big or small Health.mil, 9 May 2016 “Life would be easier with super powers – lightning speed to bypass long commutes; super strength to keep from needing help; bullet-proof suits to keep us safe. But sadly, we are mere humans. Some of us are masters of resilience and the rest of us are still learning and need the extra help – and that’s OK. To help tackle what life throws at us, we need good mental health.” George W. Bush, Prince Harry call for mental health stigma to end The Military Times, 9 May 2016 “Before the star-studded opening of the Invictus Games in Orlando on Sunday night, former President George W. Bush and Prince Harry tackled the issue of mental health, calling for an end to the stigma surrounding diagnosis and treatment of these medical conditions. At the Symposium of Invisible Wounds sponsored by the George W. Bush Institute, Prince Harry urged the public to reject any notion that veterans are ‘ticking time bombs’ and instead embrace them in the workplace and communities.” What to Expect from a Primary Care Internal Behavioral Health Consultant DCoE Blog, 9 May 2016 “ As a service member, retiree or military family member, you probably rely on your primary care manager to treat a wide range of medical problems, whether it’s a cough that just won’t go away, a twisted ankle from a game of basketball or trouble sleeping that started after a deployment. Your primary care manager may have referred you to see a medical specialist in a separate clinic for some of your health concerns. Now there is a team member within your team of providers (your patient-centered medical home) who can help with a wide range of behavioral health concerns as well as medical conditions affected by health behaviors.” For more deployment health-related information, click here to go to the DoD Deployment Health Clinical Center's PDHealth.mil website.

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.

New York Times: How and Why You Diversify Colleges http://nyti.ms/1TdZ9IA THERE’S a whole lot wrong with the conversation about including more low-income students at elite colleges, but let’s start here: The effort is too often framed as some do-gooder favor to those kids.

Hardly. It’s a favor to us all. It’s a plus for richer students, who are then exposed to a breadth of perspectives that lies at the heart of the truest, best education. With the right coaxing and mixing on campus, they become more fluent in diversity, which has professional benefits as well as the obvious civic and moral ones.

It’s a win for America and its imperiled promise of social mobility.

“Opportunity for people from every conceivable background is essential to a functioning 23 of 32 democracy, and in this country we’re not providing enough of it,” Biddy Martin, the president of Amherst College, told me last week. “I also think it’s a waste not to develop talent in young people wherever it exists, and it exists everywhere.”

So what’s Amherst doing?

. . . The college’s president told me that one of her current passions is to admit more military veterans, who bring to the campus abilities, experiences and outlooks that other students don’t possess.

She wasn’t talking about doing them a kindness. She wasn’t outlining a social experiment or anything gimmicky. She was embracing the reality that real learning and a real preparation for citizenship demand the intersection of different life stories and different sensibilities. Colleges should be making that happen.

University of California San Diego School of Medicine: UCSD Study Links Higher PTSD Risk To Genetics http://bit.ly/1OpifGf A wide-ranging study published Wednesday identifies possible genetic links to an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Scientists from UC San Diego School of Medicine, the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System and other institutions analyzed DNA samples from more than 13,000 U.S. soldiers and discovered two statistically significant genetic variants that might be associated with PTSD.

Columbia University Medical Center Research: Size of brain region is associated with response to PTSD treatment http://bit.ly/1OsiWOZ NEW YORK, NY (May 12, 2016) - A study has found that PTSD patients with a larger hippocampus--a region of the brain key to distinguishing between safety and threat--are more likely to respond to exposure-based therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The study, from researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), was published online in Psychiatry Research: Neuroimagingon May 4, 2016.

Previous research has shown that having a smaller hippocampus is associated with increased risk of PTSD. In this study, the researchers examined the relationship between hippocampus volume, measured with MRI, and response to treatment in 50 participants with PTSD and 36 trauma-exposed healthy controls.

The participants were evaluated at baseline and after 10 weeks, during which time the PTSD group had prolonged exposure therapy, a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that has been shown to help patients with PTSD discriminate between real and imagined trauma.

The study found that patients with PTSD who responded to treatment had greater hippocampal volume at the beginning of the study than non-responders to treatment.

The findings add to growing evidence that the hippocampus is key to distinguishing between cues that signal safety and those that signal threat.

Columbia University partners with VANYHHS http://1.usa.gov/1TbSw8j The Teachers College Resilience Center for Veterans and Families, located at Teachers College, Columbia University, and VA New York Harbor Healthcare System (VANYHHS) have created a partnership to assist hundreds of student Veterans and their family members within the many institutions at Columbia University.

24 of 32 Columbus (OH) State Community College: Columbus, OH & Columbus State Community College Veteran Employment Event July 12th https://goo.gl/NbLuVZ Please see flyer for additonal information.

Glasgow University Research: Early exit from army 'increases mental health risks' http://bit.ly/23EAka2 Likelihood of problems reduces with the length of service of each veteran, study finds.

The risk of developing mental health problems among armed forces personnel is greatest in veterans who have served for the shortest period of time, a study has found.

Glasgow University researchers found recruits who left before their training was complete were at a higher risk of mental health issues than those who served for several years.

University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry: Naperville dentistry student gives smiles to veterans http://trib.in/1OspmOb More than 70 Chicago area veterans are getting much-needed dental care as the result of a dental student being assigned a Vietnam War vet as a patient.

Nisha Garg was searching for community service project that would be an extension of her graduate studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry when one of the patients she was assigned spoke about the challenges veterans have finding affordable dental care.

That chance encounter motivated the alumna from Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville to teach monthly oral care seminars for veterans and offer a special dental screening day for them.

Before her final year of grad school, Garg said she wanted to find an outlet outside of school, yet still in the dental field, to channel her energy.

Webinar: University of Leuven (Belgium)- May 18 at 12pm ET - Cohen Veterans Bioscience http://bit.ly/1TbRQji Clinical symptoms of PTSD result from neurophysiological dysfunction in specific neural circuits of the human brain. Significant progress has been made in delineating brain regions and identifying molecular factors involved in disease etiology. However, obtaining a mechanistic understanding of how the dynamic activity in specific neural circuits gives rise to mental dysfunction remains challenging. This is in part due to the lack of technologies for measuring and manipulating neural circuits in animal models with high resolution and precision.

We addressed this need by developing and validating novel, nanotechnology-based devices for electrical, optical, and fludic interfacing with the brain. Devices include high-density electrode arrays for large-scale electrophysiological recordings and ultracompact optoprobes for simultaneous electrophysiological recording and optogenetic stimulation.

Since many fundamental neural coding schemes, such as reinforcement learning, are conserved from animals to humans, we believe that identifying specific neural coding deficits will increase the predictive value of preclinical models. This webinar will explore how technologies that combine fluid injection and electrophysiological recording will allow for probing the effect of candidate treatments on neural activity and thereby facilitate discovery of novel cures.

University of Maryland School of Medicine Research: Ketamine Lifts Depression via a Byproduct of its Metabolism http://1.usa.gov/1qlPG6n NIH-funded team finds rapid-acting, non-addicting agent in mouse study 25 of 32

A chemical byproduct, or metabolite, created as the body breaks downketamine likely holds the secret to its rapid antidepressant action, National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists and grantees have discovered.

This metabolite singularly reversed depression-like behaviors in mice without triggering any of the anesthetic, dissociative, or addictive side effects associated with ketamine.

University of Pennsylvania/Springside School: From acting to activism for Springside grad http://bit.ly/27oZApy “I was really spoiled after being part of ‘The West Wing,’ which was so beautifully written,” Chestnut Hill native Melissa Fitzgerald once told us. . . . On “The West Wing” she played a staff person, Carol Fitzpatrick, for seven years in 101 episodes.

. . . In November, 2013, Melissa Fitzgerald joined a non-profit organization called Justice For Vets in Washington, D.C., as its Senior Director.

Purdue University: The Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University MFRI announces new women veteran's fellowship http://bit.ly/1TbMS6c The Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University on Tuesday (May 10) announced a new fellowship program that aims to help build skills, leadership and a sense of community among female student veterans.

The Focus Forward Fellowship program is designed for rising military-affiliated sophomores and juniors who are enrolled in four-year institutions and have an interest in professional, scientific or technology careers. The program will be held Aug. 11-14 in Indianapolis, Indiana, with additional web-based activities scheduled throughout the 2016-2017 academic year.

Women veterans are invited to apply for the free, weekend-long residency program where they will connect with each other, increase personal effectiveness and build a potentially transformative community experience that can translate to their home campus and continue to impact them throughout their academic and professional careers.

The program will engage military-connected women and build skills and confidence through interactions with other successful students, faculty members and advocates. Fellows also will learn and improve their academic skills so that they can thrive in the university setting.

Quinnipiac University: Bridging the gap together: Veterans, drama students create theater, therapy http://1.usa.gov/1s37Ril I spent some time over the past few months talking with Quinnipiac University’s professor of drama Crystal Brian, and sitting in on her Theater for Community class. Brian partnered this term with Mary Lou Lauricella,a drama therapist at the West Haven VA.

For the past 20 years, Lauricella has worked through VA Connecticut to facilitate a PTSD drama therapy group called the Veterans’ Homefront Theater Group. Over the semester, they guided the students in the class and Veteran volunteers got to know one another and created an improvisational performance piece which they presented together at the end of the term.

San Diego State University Research: Could flies help us understand brain injuries? http://bit.ly/1spwczy Using fruit flies as a traumatic brain injury model may hold the key to identifying important genes and pathways that promote the repair of and minimize damage to the nervous system, new research suggests.

26 of 32 San Jacinto College/ Lee College: Walmart donates $10,000 to San Jacinto College Veteran Centers http://bit.ly/1OsgKqJ Walmart donated $10,000 to the San Jacinto College Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success, as well as an additional $10,000 to Lee College’s veteran student programs, as part of its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment program. The announcement and donation came on Monday, May 9, 2016.

Stanford University: Stanford Library Leads Collaborative Grant To Use Linked Data http://bit.ly/1OpxPXC Several of the Ivy League libraries and the Library of Congress are upgrading current infrastructure to use linked open data to enhance information.

Stanford Libraries has received a $1.5 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation “to support library initiatives that develop and advance the use of linked open data,” according to information released by Stanford Libraries.

Stanford Libraries will lead a team representing Columbia, Cornell, Harvard,Princeton and the Library of Congress. The new grant comes after a 2014 award from the foundation to the same group to define the issues involved in libraries shifting to data standards that are compatible to the semantic web.

Syracuse University College of Law: Two Veterans Legal Clinic Students Win Scholarships to Court of Appeals for Veteran’s Claims Judicial Conference http://bit.ly/27p6Th4 Polene Ghazarian L3 and Camille Daley 3L won student scholarships to attend the Court of Appeals for Veteran’s Claims (CAVC) 13th Judicial Conference in Washington, D.C. The scholarships were given by the CAVC Bar Association to ten law students from across the country based on a written essay or community service in the field of veterans law.

The CAVC conference attracts judges, lawyers and those interested in veterans law from across the country. The conference theme was "A New Generation of Veterans, A New Generation of Challenges."

The program addressed many of the challenging issues faced by veterans’ law practitioners as veterans of the current conflict pursue claims for benefits from VA.

The program focused on the changing landscape of veterans law and will offer sessions that appeal to all who practice or have an interest in veterans law.

EVENT: University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee: Military & Veteran Populations Conference, May 19th – 20th http://bit.ly/1s47MLW There are still openings for veterans and students to get a full scholarship to attend the Veterans Trauma-Informed Care conference at UWM May 19/20. Please message Patricia Clason on facebook for details.

Please share this information so we can help as many veterans as possible and their service providers!!

EVENT: WEARABLE TECH + DIGITAL HEALTH NYC June 7, 2016 http://wearabletech.nyc/ The use of sensors to monitor, adapt, diagnose, gamify, and improve health is exploding. We have been empowered to quantify — and take control of — our selves. Lifestyle and medical devices are increasingly similar as sensors become better and cheaper, and signal processing becomes more sophisticated.

The result is highly accurate monitoring, diagnostics, and treatment. 27 of 32

Consumers continue to hear about brainwave headbands , heartbeat detecting watches, sleep monitoring gadgets, measuring babies’ vital signs, helping seniors age in place, and correcting posture, mood, and eating habits, through technology.

This intersection of science + technology + digital health is the focus of the 2nd annual Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC conference, which will take place on June 7, 2016 and be immediately followed by NeuroTech NYC 2016, on June 8th.

Join us at the New York Academy of Sciences to discuss innovations in brain technology, wearables, and monitoring the lungs, heart, diabetes, sleep, seniors, babies, and fitness. Brought to you by ApplySci, curators of the Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco conference and the ApplySci discoveries blog.

Speakers include:

 Cornell Tech's Deborah Estrin on Small Data in healthcare  Draper's Philip Parks on sensation restoring neural interfaces and deep brain stimulation  Mount Sinai's Joel Dudley on digital health, genomics, and data science based precision wellness  UnitedHealth's Vidya Raman-Tangella on enabling technologies for wellness  DARPA's Biological Technologies Office Director Justin Sanchez on human-machine symbiosis  Takeda's Daniel J. Gandor on the pharma giant's patient-centered, outcomes focused, digital healthcare evolution  Resonate Health's Wen Dombrowski on tools to help seniors age in place, and support caregivers  Harvard, MGH, and Brain Power's Arshya Vahabzadeh on the (digital) future of psychiatry  Harvard, Brigham & Women's and JMIR Mental Health's John Torous on the adoption and effectiveness of mental health apps  Brain Power's Ned Sahin on wearables to help autistic kids learn and interact  UNYQ's Eythor Bender on customized, 3D printed, connected exoskeletons  NYU's David Sontag on machine learning in healthcare  Columbia's C. Gustavo de Moraes on smart contact lenses to monitor glaucoma and other diseases  Trauma Surgeon Rafael Grossmann on mixed reality in the operating room, and advanced technology for enhanced patient care  Olympic Cyclist Sky Christopherson on how wearables were used to win Olympic medals  Tel Aviv University & Neurosteer's Nathan Intrator on tuning the brain with wearables, not drugs  NeuroVigil, NASA & MIT's Philip Low on communication and function enabling BCI  MIT, Empatica, & Affectiva's Rosalind Picard on emotion tracking wearables  StartUp Health's Unity Stoakes, Norwest Venture Partners' Robert Mittendorff, Lux Capital's Adam Goulburn, and dRx Capital's Aaron Nelson on digital health investing  MIT's Adam Marblestone on the Synthetic Biology Group's Neurotech Roadmap  Washington University's Wilson Zachary Ray on self-dissolving brain monitoring implants  Harvard and MGH's Doo Yeon Kim on a 3D neural cell culture model of Alzheimer's disease  OpenBCI's Conor Russomanno on the democratization of neurotechnology

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GENERAL NEWS

For military widows, the law protecting their benefits discourages finding love again http://bit.ly/1WwHGy1 After her husband was killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan in 2012, Heather Gray never imagined that the biggest obstacle to falling in love again would be financial penalties from the government.

But that extra level of stress and heartache are what faces the 37-year-old war widow as she looks at getting remarried this year.

“I am a Christian, and I believe very strongly in the sanctity of marriage,” Gray said. “But you’re being forced to give up the [widow] benefits you have if you do.”

. . . “There’s a generation of [military] kids that will grow up in non-traditional families because their parents were forced to make these decisions based on economic realities,” she said.

Gray was among a group of widows whose hopes for help were dashed by Congress, after a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee panel cast aside a proposal to end financial penalties for military widows and widowers who remarry.

AMVETS Names Afghanistan, Iraq Veteran Executive Director http://bit.ly/27p1nea WASHINGTON – AMVETS (American Veterans) has tapped one of the veterans’ community’s top grassroots organizers to take over as national executive director of the nonprofit organization.

Marine Corps combat veteran Joseph R. Chenelly will oversee AMVETS, one of the nation’s largest Congressionally-chartered veterans service organization, working to better serve veterans of all eras in both Washington, D.C., and in communities nationwide.

Chenelly is a veteran of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait, the Horn of Africa and East Timor. After his time in uniform, Chenelly became a veterans’ advocate, a journalist and a political adviser, organizing nationally at the grassroots levels and advising on veterans and military matters.

In his new role, Chenelly is charged with using that experience to inspire and organize AMVETS’ 250,000 members in 1,400 posts to educate the public on the challenges facing those currently serving in the active/guard/reserve components, veterans and their families.

“We are in a very challenging time, one of the most important for the future of veterans health care. We have every confidence that 2016 has the potential to be one of the most decisive, pivotal years in AMVETS history,” said Chenelly.

Health IT SmartBrief  HIMSS concerned over January MIPS deadline  Joint Commission adds members to quality advisory panel  Biden urges cooperation, greater access to medical data  Epic's EHR to be integrated with Zocdoc's online scheduling platform  CAQH Index Report: Health care could save $8B using electronic transactions  Health-sensing smartphone tool measures lung function  Health data exchange interoperability could benefit from cloud technologies

AMSUS SmartBrief – The Society of Federal Health Professionals  New Defense Health Agency director puts focus on patients 29 of 32  Senate bill would increase military pay, Tricare budget  VA health leader forges ties with veterans, civilian health care system  Studies link BRCA mutations to higher prostate cancer risk  Indian Health Service seeks proposals for telehealth expansion  Experimental gel restores blood flow to limbs in mice with vascular disease  May Special Issue of AMSUS' Military Medicine Read about the proceedings of the 2014 Health System Research Symposium in the recently released May Special Issue of Military Medicine. The MHSRS continues to provide an academic-based venue to convey the results of Department of Defense- sponsored research while simultaneously serving as a collaborative forum for the planning and development of research studies aimed at optimizing care for service members in operational settings.

Non-VA Events  2016 Women Veterans Retreat, Tassajara, CA, May 15th – 20th CALIFORNIA...Due to cancellations new spaces have opened up for the 2016 Women Veterans Retreat ~ May 15 - 20, 2016. If you are interested and able to attend, contact Lee directly at 415-307-6043  VetJobs VeteransCONNECT Virtual Career Fair, May 16th – 20th  Hiring Event for Military Veterans, Houston, May 19th – Workshop, May 17th  Women Veterans Networking Event Focusing on Women’sWellness, Fontana, CA, May 19th  Annual AZ High Country Stand Down event helps area veterans get needed services and assistance May 20th  Veteran Affairs Outreach Event, Elma, NY, June 5th  PG&E and Sonoma Raceway Partner For Second Military Career Day, June 24th  Philadelphia 'Hug A Vet' tribute dispenses advice, much support  Women Veterans Of America National Convention, Souith Haven, MS, Sept. 16-18, 2016  Indiana Military Appreciation Day and Information Fair, November 19th  Helena Hospital Opens “Smudging” Room For Native Americans Healing

Job Fairs: Accenture will hire 5,000 U.S. veterans and military spouses by 2020. Job Fairs May 18th (Virginia Beach), June 16th (Sprringfield, VA), June 24th (Linthicum Heights, MD) http://bit.ly/27p0vGu Corporate Gray Military-Friendly Job Fairs will be held on the dates above in different locations. Follow the link for more information and to register.

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 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 - 1,324 Professionals in VIJ Group

30 of 32 Active Topics  VA Benefits and discharge types  Webinar: Military Sexual Trauma: Survivors & VA Disability Benefits (Tues, May 17th, 2:00- 3:30pm Central)  Another American Hero Discarded, SSG Lewis Foutch  Veterans Treatment Court Webinar Series  Addiction treatment connected to jail?  Judge sentences veteran to 24 hours in jail, then joins him behind bars  I would like to start a telphonic Justice Veterans Counselors Supervision Group.  Your goals right now should be to prove yourself as a trustworthy and skilled employee, and to develop a steady employment history.  VET COURT SYMPOSIUM 2016, National Steinbeck Center, Salinas, CA (May 13, 2016)

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  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 MILITARY MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS POST DEPLOYMENT FOR PROVIDERS, COMBAT VETERANS & THEIR FAMILIES http://bit.ly/1RVPLFl 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)

VETERANS IN THE COURTS INITIATIVE BLOG estrattonconsulting.wordpress.com

Editor's Note: To focus 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

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, project manager for the military spouse mental health professional network at the National Military Family Association. 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

31 of 32 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 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.

HOW TO JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER

There are three ways to join my newsletter:  Join my Veterans In The Courts Initiative Google Group at http://bit.ly/1DZ3esD or,  Subscribe to my Veterans In The Courts Initiative Blog for immediate news and for my weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/1DP1TCi or,  Please contact my editor Pete Miller at [email protected] and request to be added.

1. Please send us a little info about yourselves as we like to introduce our new sign-ups to others for networking purposes. (See our transmittal email page for examples.) If you do NOT wish to be recognized, please let Pete know, otherwise we will list you.

2. We provide these news clips summaries as a way to share information of a general nature and it is not intended as a substitute for professional consultation and advice in a particular matter. The opinions and interpretations expressed within are those of the author of the individual news stories only and may not reflect those of other identified parties.

3. We do not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of these news clips, nor do we endorse or make any representations about their content. We only pass them through to our readers and rely on you to check out their content. We don't intend to make any editorial judgment about their content or politics.

4. In no event will I, EStratton Consulting, or my Editor Pete Miller, be liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of the use of or reliance on the contents of this news clips summary. How you chose to use them is strictly up to you.

5. Please fell free to pass the news clips on to any of your networks, so that we may get the word out as far as possible. You may also send in information similar in content to what we pass on. While we may occasionally pass on such information, we don't intend to promote commercial or for profit products nor be a substitute for your own efforts to promote your own entity or website. We especially welcome information about national funding or training opportunities.

6. If you pass on our clips, please also pass on our Disclaimer. EDITOR/CONTACT Pete Miller, [email protected], @OHCircuitRider Ohio Attorney General's Task Force on Criminal Justice & Mental Illness Veterans In The Courts Initiative Editor/Publisher - Veterans Treatment Court News Daily Editor/Publisher - Traumatic Brain Injury Nes Daily

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