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MHA Vet2Vet Program: Leading the Way in Peer Support
Mental Health Association in Orange County, Inc. (MHA) is pleased to provide Orange County’s only Vet2Vet Peer Networking Program, also known as the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Project. The program is named in honor of Private First Class Joseph P. Dwyer, an Army Medic who served in Iraq,...
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New York State Tailors Treatment Services for Veterans with Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders
New York State and the country at large face formidable challenges in meeting the behavioral health needs of veterans returning from active duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries. The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS) and its treatment provider...
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Point of View: Improving American Mental Health Policy
We mental health advocates all agree that America’s mental health system should be better. We do not all agree about how to make it better. That’s a problem. Our differences have contributed to a political standoff in Washington where efforts to bring about major changes in the nation’s...
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Responding to First Responders: Even Superheroes Need Help Sometimes
As we contemplated writing about the job-related behavioral health needs of first responders, we were reminded of the post 9/11 poster showing two swaggering 6-year-old boys wearing blankets as capes with the tagline “Even Superheroes Need Help Sometime.” This poster was part of an advertising...
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Returning Veterans and Readjustment
While most individuals successfully transition from military to civilian life, a certain number do not – often leading to confrontations with clinicians, law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Understanding these individuals goes a long way towards preventing encounters from...
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Saying Thanks to Those Who Have Served
The weather report was that the temperature would be in the mid-80s, but on the golf course it seemed as if it had reached about 90 degrees, with high humidity. It turned out to be the hottest day of the year; which further explained why it was a challenge to walk the 9 holes on this hilly course....
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Soldiers at Increased Suicide Risk After Leaving Hospital
United States Army soldiers hospitalized with a psychiatric disorder have a significantly elevated suicide risk in the year following discharge from the hospital, according to research from the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS). The yearly suicide rate for...
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The NYSPA Report: Community Based Extended Inpatient Care
A cohort of persons with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) will continue to require extended inpatient psychiatric treatment beyond 2015, the year during which NYS will enroll virtually all of its Medicaid insured into managed care. Where their care will be provided remains to be...
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The Veterans Mental Health Primary Care Training Initiative: Training a Healthcare Workforce to Meet the Mental Health Needs of Returning Veterans
The New York State Psychiatric Association (NYSPA) is taking a lead role in working to meet the mental health needs of veterans returning from combat duty through its Veterans Mental Health Primary Care Training Initiative (VMH-PCTI). The VMH-PCTI, which provides educational programs on mental...
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War Impacts Us All: Minding the Gap Among Veterans and Civilians
Much has been made of the many issues facing veterans in our country and the myriad of services and organizations addressing their needs. In fact, veterans returning from war have all faced similar issues through the centuries. These are the common dynamics of adjusting to civilian life, reengaging...
