Navy taking on PTSD with aid of chaplains

Chaplain Corps Hosts Operational Stress Control Course
Story Number: NNS090424-18
Release Date: 4/24/2009 3:30:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Eddie Harrison
NAPLES, Italy (NNS) --
The Chaplain Corps 2009 Professional Development and Training Course was held April 21-23 at Naval Support Activity Naples Capodichino Base for military chaplains and medical and religious specialists.

This year's course, "Combat Operational Stress Control for Caregivers: The Family Dynamic," was designed to give chaplains, counselors, medical and mental health providers and caregivers the knowledge and skills to better support military families, particularly through the challenges of operational deployments.

"Over the last couple of years, we have recognized throughout the military that families are as affected in some ways by the stress of military operations as much as the deployed active duty personnel," said Dr. William Nash, training course consultant. "The content of this course addresses the specific challenges families face, whether negative or positive and how caregivers can better promote family resilience and help the families recognize and overcome these challenges."

The seating arrangement consisted of small individual tables mixed with members ranging from chaplains to corpsman. This method of seating enabled all caregivers, to work together in small groups."We found that having such a mixture of all these different communities together at one table strengthens our understanding of each community so that we can work together as a whole," said Cmdr. David Gibson, director of professional development, Naval Chaplain School, Newport, R.I.

The course covered the basic knowledge of operational stress, combat operational stress, traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. The participants also learned the Stress Continuum Model, which addressed the many levels of stress ranging from green to red. The model also showed the caretakers which level of stress they are responsible for intervening.

Throughout the course, some of the activities consisted of watching video testimonies of various Navy and Marine Corps families about family circumstances and events dealing with deployments. "This course has showed me that there is different reaction for stress for each person," said Religious Program Specialist 1st Class Aundrea Travis. "Even though I am a RP this course has shown me that there are places I can go other than to the chaplain."Overall, the course offered participants tools to identify operational stress issues with service members, but particularly with the family. "This course enables us the caregivers to be knowledgeable about the topic," said Gibson. "We have learned from each other here the importance to make a referral to another caregiver that can pick up where our expertise stops."

The Combat Operational Stress Control course includes stops to several fleet concentration areas including Japan, Germany and 15 sites scattered across continental U.S. all with the intent to help caretakers identify and resolve stress within individuals and their families.
For more news from Chaplain Corps, visit www.navy.mil/local/crb/.