thedrifter
03-31-09, 10:56 AM
Military minds get needed attention
UNF conference teaches civilian caregivers how best to help those returning from war.
By Timothy J. Gibbons
Story updated at 3:34 AM on Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2009
A former Marine turned Navy senior chief, Bob Page isn't the type of guy to show weakness.
And when he looked for help in dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder after fighting in Iraq, he wasn't showing weakness. He was just getting better so he could get back to fight. "I want to get fixed and get out of here," he remembered telling the first psychologist he sat down with.
The senior chief said Monday that being ready for the mindset he took into that session is vital for mental-health professionals who want to work with service members.
"We need the civilian caregivers to have an understanding going in," he said. "You can't demand them opening up. You have to let them give it to you."
Page was one of the speakers during a two-day conference on "Serving Those Who Have Served" that began Monday at the University of North Florida.
Sponsored by Jacksonville Naval Hospital, the course was designed to help civilian mental-health service providers treat military-related patients, particularly those dealing with combat-related issues.
Civilian service providers are used by veterans and the families of military members, as well as some active-duty troops.
The symposium focused on providing usable information, including hands-on clinical tools, said Tracy Hejmanowski, director of the Deployment Health Center at the Navy hospital and one of the coordinators of the symposium.
"If they'll be providing the care, we should be providing the training," she said.
Among the information provided was triggers that might affect a combat veteran's mental state - such as sudden noises or the smell of diesel fuel - as well as more mundane things, such as how service members' families deal with deployment stress.
"There's a different culture and they're dealing with different situations," said Zoe Pfaffman, who works with marriage and family issues in private practice in Jacksonville.
The symposium, she said, will make her more sensitive to nuances when seeing military-related patients.
All branches of the service have placed a greater emphasis on mental health over the past few years, particularly aimed at dealing with post-deployment situations.
Around 20 percent of troops returning from combat have reported having mental-health problems, according to the Department of Defense.
Still, the stigma of asking for help remains, something the military's medical community has been striving to erase.
"These are normal people who have experienced abnormal things," said Heidi Kraft, a former Navy psychologist who still works with Marines.
Kraft, now in California, remembers her own experience coming back to Jacksonville after being deployed to Falujah, Iraq.
Shortly after coming back, she was sitting in her office when there was a loud crash on the floor above.
"I hit the deck," she said. "I dove under my desk."
As she stood looking out into the hallway, a petty officer third class asked if she was OK. Kraft said she was - but broke down when he replied, "It's OK if you're not OK."
Now Kraft says those words to Marines and sailors, hoping they won't keep their mental wounds hidden.
timothy.gibbons@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4103
Ellie
UNF conference teaches civilian caregivers how best to help those returning from war.
By Timothy J. Gibbons
Story updated at 3:34 AM on Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2009
A former Marine turned Navy senior chief, Bob Page isn't the type of guy to show weakness.
And when he looked for help in dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder after fighting in Iraq, he wasn't showing weakness. He was just getting better so he could get back to fight. "I want to get fixed and get out of here," he remembered telling the first psychologist he sat down with.
The senior chief said Monday that being ready for the mindset he took into that session is vital for mental-health professionals who want to work with service members.
"We need the civilian caregivers to have an understanding going in," he said. "You can't demand them opening up. You have to let them give it to you."
Page was one of the speakers during a two-day conference on "Serving Those Who Have Served" that began Monday at the University of North Florida.
Sponsored by Jacksonville Naval Hospital, the course was designed to help civilian mental-health service providers treat military-related patients, particularly those dealing with combat-related issues.
Civilian service providers are used by veterans and the families of military members, as well as some active-duty troops.
The symposium focused on providing usable information, including hands-on clinical tools, said Tracy Hejmanowski, director of the Deployment Health Center at the Navy hospital and one of the coordinators of the symposium.
"If they'll be providing the care, we should be providing the training," she said.
Among the information provided was triggers that might affect a combat veteran's mental state - such as sudden noises or the smell of diesel fuel - as well as more mundane things, such as how service members' families deal with deployment stress.
"There's a different culture and they're dealing with different situations," said Zoe Pfaffman, who works with marriage and family issues in private practice in Jacksonville.
The symposium, she said, will make her more sensitive to nuances when seeing military-related patients.
All branches of the service have placed a greater emphasis on mental health over the past few years, particularly aimed at dealing with post-deployment situations.
Around 20 percent of troops returning from combat have reported having mental-health problems, according to the Department of Defense.
Still, the stigma of asking for help remains, something the military's medical community has been striving to erase.
"These are normal people who have experienced abnormal things," said Heidi Kraft, a former Navy psychologist who still works with Marines.
Kraft, now in California, remembers her own experience coming back to Jacksonville after being deployed to Falujah, Iraq.
Shortly after coming back, she was sitting in her office when there was a loud crash on the floor above.
"I hit the deck," she said. "I dove under my desk."
As she stood looking out into the hallway, a petty officer third class asked if she was OK. Kraft said she was - but broke down when he replied, "It's OK if you're not OK."
Now Kraft says those words to Marines and sailors, hoping they won't keep their mental wounds hidden.
timothy.gibbons@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4103
Ellie