Committee, i appreciate the opportunity to discuss Va Mental Health care, and i certainly want to acknowledge the loss and the courage of these family membe members, ensuring that this wasnt in vain, and i struggle with the severity of the stories. As an infantryman who lost so many in the iraq war and injured and struggled with the loss of suicide from chronic pain and other injuries, i just thank you all for being here. My experience with the Va Health Care system began in 2008. Sorry. Its okay, youve got plenty of time. After i was medically retired from the army due to severe injuries from a mortar blast in iraq excuse me. Ive been a patient but im also an advocate for other warriors who are struggling with deploymentrelated traumas. For a period of about 12 months, i did receive excellent Mental Health care at a va facility. It provided easy onestop access through Deployment Health models staffed by Mental Health, pharmacy and social work providers. Unfortunately, though, hospital
Warrior program where they have that, the actual battalion where when somebodys got a problem, they go into that system there. I just want to get your feelings. Maybe im going down the wrong road because i think they need somebody that has a problem, they need an ombudsman, somebody thats going to look out for their interests. That if they have a particular hospital, that they can go to the administrator. They can go to anybody and say, hey, wait a minute. This is an immediate situation. This is general quarters and we need to have a meeting right now or somebody is going to die on your watch. Can you comment a little bit more on that . Its pretty much what you were talking about, buddytobuddy, the same things over and over and over again, but to cut through the red tape right then and there with individuals that understand severity of the problem. Yes, sir. This is a crucial element is to have somebody to come alongside of these severely injured, cut through that red tape and get trea
Part of what i do through the ministry im in is providing support groups through the chaplains channels. So ideal with this very closely on both sides. Medication is no longer being used as a tool to subdue the symptoms while we work on the deeper issues. No. What does the va do . The va specifically utilizes medication to control it and keep them, suppress the symptoms without working on the deeper issues. Thank you. Please. Brian was never put on any medication. Only for his back when he had that problem. Okay. Yes. Clay was on quite a bit of medication. As i said, he felt like a guinea pig, constantly being begin something different. Do you think they chose medications in lieu of therapy . Sure. Oneonone therapy . Yes. The only oneonone therapy that he spoke of that seemed to be effective at a certain point in l. A. He went to a vet center and had a counselor there that he really liked and felt he finally found somebody he to talk with. Okay. From Daniels Point of view, i think part
Focused on the cost, societal cost to our country and to the population. These extraordinary young men and the promise that they held going to haiti and making a difference right here. I want to focus in because i think from your experience you can really help the va and the dod to understand what could make a difference. I want to commend you all with the specificity of your recommendations. In particular, ive been trying to understand best practices, and whether there is any effort or known groups or the types of medications that are helpful, have any of you in any of your discussions, whether within the va or since then, the experience you had meeting with people, have any of you come across any effort to share best practices with the transition, particularly around pts and tbi and just the trauma, how we can help people coming back from this level of trauma . Maybe we can start with the sergeant, if youre aware of any types of programs that are effective. Thank you, maam. There are