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Re-integration into Civilian Life – Difficult issues being faced by returning troops

Re-integration into Civilian Life – Difficult issues being faced by returning troops. Ron Teichman, MD, MPH, FACP, FACOEM. The War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) at the NJ VAMC.

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Re-integration into Civilian Life – Difficult issues being faced by returning troops

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  1. Re-integration into Civilian Life – Difficult issues being faced by returning troops Ron Teichman, MD, MPH, FACP, FACOEM

  2. The War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) at the NJ VAMC • Executive-Health style examinations, including a history and physical examination, mental health screening, environmental exposure assessment, social work evaluation and more • Over 600 conducted to date • We have learned a lot…

  3. We have learned… • Soldiers do not come home from war… • Soldiers come home with war.

  4. We have learned… • Veterans need help learning to access the VA system • What services are available • How to register • VA not only for the seriously wounded • Who can help

  5. We have learned… • The VA needs help understanding this cohort of Veterans • Very consumer savvy population – Think Nordstrom’s not K-Mart • Print is out – texting, podcasting, YouTube, Facebook are in

  6. We have learned… • There is still a huge stigma attached to asking for mental health evaluations and services • Difficulties with concentration and memory are common • Young and beginning life and careers, including law enforcement • Tough to ask for help in the best of circumstances • Including a MH evaluation removes the stigma

  7. We have learned… • Most returning Veterans have concerns about something they might have been exposed to and it’s potential to cause them future harm • Weapons concerns • Environmental exposures • Disease prophylaxis • Occupational exposures • Few actually raise the issue of mTBI

  8. We have learned… • New Veterans don’t know what they are entitled to and they don’t/won’t read large stacks of print material • They were given information at a time and in a setting that was not conducive to their receiving the information • They weren’t told via their mediaof choice

  9. We have learned… • REINTEGRATION is a tremendous issue for these Veterans and many are struggling mightily with it. • Physical and mental health • Support systems • Communications • Financial and employment issues • Educational options • Legal problems • Driving difficulties

  10. We have learned… • Our multi-disciplinary comprehensive clinical evaluation, which focuses on the individual Veteran can be: • Rehabilitative • Normalizing • Reassuring • Therapeutic

  11. The bottom line… • The DoD spends a great deal of time and effort on training these men and women to behave a certain way in order to survive in a combat theater. They are then returned to their civilian lives with no training on how to transition back into a setting where many of those same life saving behaviors, impulses and reflexes are inappropriate, illegal or even hazardous.

  12. Think about driving skills… • Think about walking down the street and noticing people watching you… • Think about being in class and remaining focused on the same task for a protracted period of time without allowing peripheral events to distract you…

  13. 1-800-248-8005 Thank you 

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