Returning Veterans and their Families Policy Academy

JULY 22, 2008 NO. 008-089



FOR MORE INFORMATION:



John Lee, Director, Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, 360-725-2152

Doug Allen, Director, Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, 360-725-3789

Richard Kellogg, Director, Mental Health Division, HRSA, DSHS, 360-902-0783

Veterans Affairs, DSHS selected to help nation design action plans that help returning veterans adjust to civilian life



OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Washington and nine other states have been selected to participate in a national strategic planning conference that is looking for ways to help combat veterans and their families address substance abuse and mental health issues as military personnel return from stressful and dangerous tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.



“Our veterans deserve every consideration after service on behalf of the entire nation,” said Gov. Chris Gregoire, noting that the Evergreen State and its strategic military bases have made it one of six states nationally that have a growing veterans population.



“Washington State is proud to join this effort and to help devise strategies that will help intervene in destructive cycles and bring veterans back to us.”



John Lee, director of the state’s Department of Veterans Administration (DVA), said the state’s efforts will include a unique partnership integrating veterans’ assistance expertise with existing medical assistance, alcohol and substance abuse services and mental health programs.



“Leaders in Washington state are committed to helping our returning veterans and their families access the benefits and services they so richly deserve,” said Lee. “It is essential that we form partnerships throughout all levels of federal, state and local government to ensure veterans or family members have access to their benefits.”



The Washington team, headed by Lee, will participate first in a work session in Bethesda, MD, on August 11-13. The team will include members from Lee’s DVA as well as representatives of the Health and Recovery Services Administration (HRSA) in the Department of Social and Health Services. HRSA houses the state’s Medicaid program, the Division of Mental Health and the Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. Other partners include the Governor’s Policy Office, the National Guard, Employment Security and Mothers of Military Support.



Studies show that many veterans face significant problems readjusting to society after combat to include, traumatic brain injuries, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and addiction issues. Addressing these problems will require access to effective mental health, substance abuse; family support and employment services coordinated between a variety of state, county, federal and private interests.



“Most Americans cannot really appreciate the extreme influence of military conflict on men and women who are citizen soldiers,” said Doug Allen, director of the Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, whose son is in the military. “This is a unique opportunity to pool resources and address these problems, finding ways that support our vets as they come home.”



The workgroup – called the Returning Veterans and their Families Policy Academy, will begin with strategizing on the issues that face veterans and their families. The object of the federal grant program is to encourage the states to develop interventions that will help deal with substance abuse or mental health consequences of their military service in the Mideast.



The federal sponsors of the Academy list four objectives:

Addressing mental health, substance abuse and co-occurring issues specific to returning veterans and their families.
Strengthening behavioral health systems through community collaboration.
Encouraging and fostering veteran-to-veteran peer support networks
Focusing on suicide prevention and mental health promotion


Ultimately, the multistate workgroup hopes to exchange ideas and pioneer treatment options and programs that will be effective in sorting out veterans’ complex needs.



Lee noted that Washington state has already been a national leader in helping the “Wounded Warriors” transition program, helping link up returning veterans with housing, financial assistance and employment and education programs as they return to the state.



“The Academy project is really just another step on this path, finding new and more effective ways to deal with the very real challenges our veterans face as they transition out of military life and return to their communities,” Lee said.



FOR ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND, CONTACT:

Heidi Audette, Communications, Department of Veterans Affairs, 360-725-2154
Jim Stevenson, Communications Director, HRSA, DSHS, 360-902-7604 (Pager: 360-971-4067).