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PRESS INQUIRIES:
Judith Broder
818.761.7438
Gap in Mental Health Care for Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan
The Soldiers Project helping soldiers readjust to civilian life and rebuilding relationships
Los Angeles – May 7, 2008 – More than half of the estimated 300,000 military service members who are suffering from depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, and traumatic brain injury are going without treatment because of the gaps in mental health care and stigma issues, according to RAND Corporation’s 500-page independent study on the prevalence of psychological injuries.
"The gap widens every day when you consider the barriers to access, including the red tape, long waiting lists, proximity of VA facilities to client’s homes, and the escalating need due to continued high intensity combat, longer term and multiple deployments, and the lack of therapists trained in treating combat trauma,” says Dr. Judith Broder, director of The Soldiers Project, a volunteer group of licensed mental health professionals offering free and confidential counseling to service members of Iraq/Afghanistan conflicts and their families. “We narrow the gap by breaking down the hurdles to care. Appointments are made within 24 to 48 hours of a call and with a therapist who lives close to the client’s home. There is no paperwork or reporting (within the law) and services are confidential, so clients feel fewer stigmas about seeking and receiving therapy. Our counselors are trained in combat trauma and have a peer support network. Services are offered for free and for as long as our clients need therapy."
The RAND report appropriately cites The Soldiers Project as a private response to addressing the surge of need for psychosocial services. "We are an additional resource of over 100 licensed psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists in Southern California who feel a moral obligation as mental health professionals to help our service men and women readjust to civilian life and rebuild their relationships." The Soldiers Project has spawned similar groups in New York, Chicago and Seattle. With the determination to close the growing gap for mental health care across the United States, The Soldiers Project is organizing a training conference, Hidden Wounds of War: Pathways to Healing in Los Angeles on May 16 to 18, 2008, with the aim of encouraging and training more mental health professionals to initiate projects in their locales.
"As we mark yet another Memorial Day on May 26, we will honor those who have died in service, but the national debate should focus on how America is caring for the hundreds of thousands of service personnel who have returned home or will be returning home suffering from psychological war trauma, along with their loved ones who are also impacted," states Dr. Broder. Therapists help clients deal with depression, PTSD, addictive behaviors, suicidal tendencies, and homelessness. They focus on repairing relationships, mending marriages, and parenting better, so that we can lessen the negative consequences and costs on the next generations."
"We need to let active-duty soldiers and veterans who fall through the bureaucratic cracks, and their families know they can access our free and confidential services. Early treatment will help save lives and restore the hope and dignity of these people," concludes Dr. Broder.
TO ARRANGE FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. BRODER, OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKERS,
CONGRESSMAN BOB FILNER AND DR. JONATHAN SHAY,
PLEASE CALL, Lorna Chiu at (310) 200-8388
The Soldiers Project
HIDDEN WOUNDS OF WAR: PATHWAYS TO HEALING
CONFERENCE – MAY 16 - 18, 2008
Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles
Join keynote speakers, Congressman Bob Filner and Jonathan Shay, MD, PhD
at The Soldiers Project's first annual national conference to dialogue with experts
who provide mental health services to military service members and their families.
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FRIDAY – 6:30pm-8:30pm
Performance: The Sand Storm: Stories From The Front
Written by Iraq veteran, Sean Huze, and based on his combat experiences as a marine fighting in Iraq, the play is composed of 10 chilling monologues which speak of the courage, commitment, fear, and psychological aftermath of war. Sean Huze will be performing along with other veterans. www.thesandstorm.com
SATURDAY – 8:30am-5:00pm
Impact of War on the Soldier
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Military Sexual Trauma
- Spiritual Issues
- Addictive Behaviors
Impact of War on the Family
- Building Resilience - Inside and Out
- Coming Home - Fantasies/Realities
- When a Family Member Goes to War
SUNDAY – 9:30am-3:00pm
Challenges for the Therapist
- How to Set-Up and Run a Pro Bono Mental Health Project
- Peer Consultation - The Experience of The Soldiers Project
- Transference/Counter-transference Issues
- Traumatic Brain Injury
For the full schedule click here
