Update on PTSD Help for Veterans

As a member of the Department of Defense's Bloggers' Roundtable, I participated in a presentation in honor of Veterans Day featuring three speakers, including retired U.S. Army Major Ed Pulido, whose story is told in the above six-minute video.

The good news is that the VA and numerous other organizations are making available more and more resources for veterans suffering from PTSD and their families.

The bad news is that getting the information to those in need of it still lags.

One concern brought up by another blogger is that veterans, when they realize there might be something wrong, are unsure where to start the process of getting help for possible PTSD.

One such place is RealWarriors.net -- which lists this information on the website's home page:

DCoE Outreach Center
For Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Information and Resources

866-966-1020

Military Crisis Line
For Crisis Intervention for Service Members, Veterans and Families

1-800-273-8255, Press "1"

When I asked about services for veterans who need help with possible PTSD, I was told about a new VA program called "Coaching Into Care."

Here is a statement from the program:

Coaching Into Care provides a “coaching” service for family and friends of Veterans who see that their Veteran needs help. Coaching involves helping the caller figure out how to motivate their Veteran to seek services. The service is free and provided by licensed clinical social workers and psychologists. The goal of the service is to help the Veteran and family members find the appropriate services in their community.

Click here for more information on the "Coaching Into Care" program.

And finally, because of a mention two episodes in a row on the USA Network's show COVERT AFFAIRS, I learned about Operation Proper Exit, which takes wounded veterans back to Iraq in order to help the healing process.

Here is the followup interview of a soldier suffering from PTSD who went back to Iraq on Operation Proper Exit.

And here is the longer video, a segment of CBS's 60 MINUTES, on an Operation Proper Exit trip to Iraq.

P.S. I just published on Kindle a cozy mystery, CAST THE FIRST STONE. I was able to weave into the story a subplot about PTSD in the hope that people suffering from PTSD not brought on by combat would be encouraged to seek help.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the eBook technothriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company Miller Mosaic LLC, which works with clients to attract more business. Read her posts at the company's social media marketing blog.