DoD/VA Offers Resources to Help Guard and Reserve Members

DCoE in Action Vol 3, No 7    July 2010

Approximately 1.1 million members of the Guard and Reserve protect our nation. With ongoing high-operations tempo overseas, guardsmen and re­servists across all services will continue to deploy.

Since September 11, 2001, nearly 775,000 Guard and Reserve members have served or are currently deployed. These deployments bring increased exposure to conditions that may affect psychological health, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In 2009, there were 17,538 hospitalizations for psychological health issues through­out the military compared to 11,156 for physical injuries and battle wounds.

The department is also focused on fam­ilies of all service members. Families are connected to important information through toll-free hotlines, such as the 24/7 DCoE Outreach Center and online resources.

Since DoD is aware that Guard and Reserve members face unique transition challenges, a director of psychological health has been appointed in every state. The director’s goal is to help provide con­sistent support to guardsmen, reservists and their families.  

Guardsmen and reservists can face additional stressors such as return­ing home from service without access to community support, living far from base without nearby unit camaraderie, or immediately transitioning from their military to civilian job.

A variety of resources and programs are available to assist those in the Na­tional Guard and Reserve:

• DCoE’s Real Warriors Campaign provides helpful information and resources on psychological care and treatment.
• The Rural Assistance Center provides numerous resources and information for those living in rural areas.
• For members with children, Sesame Street Family Connections provides resources for parents and children to manage deployment-related challenges.
• The Courage to Care Campaign, launched by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, provides tips and resources for those transitioning back to the civilian workforce.

To help service members separate from the military, the VA’s Vet Center program provides counseling, outreach and referral services to eligible veterans and their families, including those who served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). VA maintains a list of medical centers, Vet Centers, outpatient clinics and benefits offices in a handy state-by-state map. VA offers a broad range of psychological health services for veterans of all eras of service, includ­ing specialty PTSD clinics. Thousands of new healthcare providers have been hired by VA in the past several years to provide evidence-based treatment for psychological health conditions.

For service members, including Guard and Reserve members, DCoE collabo­rated with DoD Health Affairs and VA to develop in Transition. The program provides support for service members receiving psychological health treatment as they transition between health care systems or providers due to a change in status, relocation or return to civilian life. With the help of a Transition Support Coach, service members are success­fully connected with a new healthcare provider who allows them to continue care through their transition.

“In 2007 DCoE was created to ensure all service members, to include members of the Guard and Reserve, veterans and their families, have access to resources for psychological health and traumatic brain injury,” added Robinson. “DoD and VA continue to increase efforts to improve the support for Guard and Reserve mem­bers and to ensure they have access to the health care resources they need both in theater and at home as they continue to honorably serve our nation.”

For a full listing of National Guard and Reserve resources, go to http://www.dcoe.health.mil/ForWarriors/GuardReserve.aspx