Q&A
Transition process and mental health support for veterans
0:40:54
·
5 min
The discussion focuses on the transition process for veterans leaving active duty and the challenges in providing mental health support during this period. Various aspects of the transition, including VA registration and disability ratings, are explored.
- Cultural stigma against help-seeking behavior in the military is identified as a major barrier
- Veterans are encouraged to register with the VA and apply for disability ratings during transition
- The transition period often comes with optimism, which can mask underlying mental health issues
- Continuous assessment using tools like PHQ-9 and GAD-7 is emphasized to track veterans' mental health over time
James Hendon
0:40:54
I'm gonna defer to Ellen and Lauren to go a little further on this, but I'll just say my experience, it's You gotta deal with the stigma first of, you know, do I wanna answer that question that said that something did happen and then have to go through whatever additional traps, etcetera.
0:41:08
So you've got folks who are missing at the gate with that when it comes to the transition point and trying to reach out to anyone to to normalize help seeking behavior.
0:41:15
I think that's lacking on the defense side of things.
0:41:17
And so I think that when we, you know, you have the transition assistance program, but you really you've got to put that hand up and say, I need help.
0:41:24
But it's a culture that does not promote that as far as on the defense side before they even become veterans.
0:41:31
And so I think that we're dealing with that as well, but I wanna defer to Ellen Lauren to add anything to that.
Ellen Greeley
0:41:37
Hi.
0:41:38
So a couple of things that happen is that veterans are being encouraged to sign up with the VA as soon as possible.
0:41:50
I think that's a little bit of a difference, but during their transition assistance program, they are being very, very much encouraged to do that now, I would say that one of the one of the ways to maximize that is to encourage veterans to get their disability ratings because that translates into real dollars and cents for the veteran.
0:42:17
And that's another way to go about in terms of diagnosis and, obviously, the higher the rating, the more money that you get.
0:42:25
So I think that that's an important piece.
0:42:28
And in sentiment for veterans to register with the VA.
0:42:34
And what they were also being encouraged to do is even if they are not going to take advantage of VA benefits EPFRAT, AT LEAST IN THE LONG TERM, THEY MAY VERY MUCH NEED TO DO THAT AGAIN FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS IN THE LONG TERM FOR THEIR HEALTH CONDITIONS.
Robert F. Holden
0:42:55
BUT IF YOU COULD TELL ME, I DON'T KNOW, AGAIN, WE I would love to have the VA here.
0:43:01
But if you can tell me what what let's say the army, you I I was in combat, and I I get it.
0:43:09
There's somebody there's do you sit with a a mental health National when you leave the service.
James Hendon
0:43:15
You'll be asked questions.
Robert F. Holden
0:43:17
You'll be asked questions.
James Hendon
0:43:17
Are you gonna are you gonna answer the question?
0:43:19
So you'll be at it's
Robert F. Holden
0:43:20
not you're probably not gonna
James Hendon
0:43:21
it does not you know, it's it's that's the issue.
0:43:23
You know, when we go when we when we're talking out on the Veterans side, we're talking on the actual service members side of the army, I've been in Iraq, Afghanistan, You know, you have those questions, but are you gonna answer that stuff in that junction?
0:43:32
No.
Robert F. Holden
0:43:33
I get I get it because it's sticking.
0:43:35
Is there an attempt, I'm saying, from whether it's the, you know, the service organization or the VA.
0:43:43
Is there an attempt to to really sit down with a medical professional?
0:43:48
I mean, that shouldn't be prerequisite for leaving the service, shouldn't it?
0:43:52
Where if you were in combat and use you've seen.
0:43:55
And it doesn't even have to be combat.
0:43:57
It could be training, but you're you're being discharged.
0:44:00
You were in the service years, and you worked through some stressful situations, let's say.
0:44:09
Shouldn't that be automatic that not just filling out a form, you know, not answer because you said they're not gonna they may not wanna admit it or they they may not even know it.
0:44:18
How many people who with post traumatic stress disorder know that they have it?
James Hendon
0:44:25
And I I somebody answered that.
0:44:27
Yeah.
0:44:27
Yeah.
0:44:28
Somebody all I can say is that it there's the the whatever the precision of policy we try to put in place, but then there's the the brass tax if there's a a culture that does not promote help seeking behavior.
0:44:39
So in this culture, even if I put you in front of someone, you're gonna, you know, maybe check the, you know, hey.
0:44:44
Everything's okay.
0:44:45
You're gonna say whatever you gotta say to kinda get out of having a real conversation.
0:44:48
Like, that's that's at play here.
0:44:50
But at that's you know, just might take just as someone who's gone through this.
0:44:54
We had
Robert F. Holden
0:44:54
to Again,
James Hendon
0:44:55
I know yeah.
0:44:55
You wanna add anything else, Jason.
Jason Loughran
0:44:56
Yeah.
0:44:57
Thanks, commissioner.
0:44:58
Thanks, Sharon, for the question.
0:44:59
I just wanna add to the commissioner's point, to your specific time frame for what you're framing the question.
0:45:06
As a service member, they are some are are really eager to get out.
0:45:11
They're kind of excited.
0:45:12
They're on Cloud 9 that they're starting this new chapter of their life.
0:45:16
So just like us all.
0:45:18
You know, our mental health challenges comes in waves.
0:45:22
Sometimes I'm feeling my best, sometimes I'm not.
0:45:25
During that period where they are transitioning out, I I think there's a lot of optimism in that moment in that transition period.
0:45:32
So that's why it's so important for our staff and for our operations to continuously ask the PHQ 9 and GAD 7.
0:45:40
So no matter what engagement or time frame we're speaking to somebody, These questions come up or so we can gauge their anxiety and depression levels.
0:45:48
So even if they don't necessarily think it themselves, but the results of the of those assessments gives us a greater idea of, like, is this person dealing with minor depression right now?
0:45:59
Maybe they don't even know that they're dealing with major depression, and this is just a coping mechanisms that they've been using to keep going.
0:46:08
So to your question, Jared, when you're asking these questions, when you're when we are engaging with these service members to give them these resources to inform them of what options they have to serve themselves.
0:46:21
We have to continuously keep pushing because you never know when that person is going to actually opt into having that discussion as the commissioner just said, But at the time of transition, it's a little bit difficult because there is so much optimism around getting out of the military.
