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RETIRED JUSTICE EVELYN LUNDBERG STRATTON'S VETERANS' CRIMINAL JUSTICE & MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES NEWS

JUNE 26, 2016

Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, Retired Veterans in the Courts Initiative

Evelyn Lundberg Stratton retired from the Ohio Supreme Court at the end of 2012 so as to pursue more fully criminal justice reforms with a particular emphasis on veterans who become involved with the justice system. She

established the Veterans in the Courts Initiative in 2009. Video http://bit.ly/1glCXZ0

Subscribe to this free weekly, all volunteer-generated, news summary by joining our Veterans in The Courts Initiative Group http://bit.ly/1DZ3esD

3,800 providers of veterans’ services, just like you, nationwide and in 33 countries, receive this newsletter

directly. Another 10,000+ can see it on 5 social media sites. Thank you for sharing!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOPIC PAGE TOPIC PAGE

FEATURED STORIES 1 DEPLOYMENT HEALTH NEWS* 7

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES 11

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 2 GENERAL NEWS 24

OHIO 5 "VETERANS IN JUSTICE" LINKEDIN GROUP 28

VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS 7 OTHER LINKEDIN GROUPS 28

PTS/TBI/MST 11 VETERANS IN THE COURTS INITIATIVE BLOG 28

SUICIDE 16 HOW TO JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER 29

*DoD publishes Development Health News every other week.

FEATURED STORIES

Senators push to advance sweeping veterans bill before July 4 http://bit.ly/290sia5 As House Democrats staged a sit-in Wednesday to force their chamber’s leaders to move on

gun control legislation, on the Senate floor there was an attempt to jump-start sweeping

veterans’ legislation that has stalled.

. . . The measure contains a host of new accountability rules and a dramatic expansion of

caregiver support programs, but has been slowed in recent weeks by unidentified senators.

Isakson said he hopes to bring the measure to a full Senate vote in coming days, barring an

objection from his colleagues.

. . . The push has taken on new urgency in recent days after VA officials announced they

will not enforce fast-track firing rules put in place by Congress in 2014. That announcement

came after the Justice Department raised concerns about constitutionality. US Lawmakers Set to Reconcile Defense Policy Bills.

Dr. Kathy Platoni, COL U.S. Army (Ret.) and Ft. Hood Massacre Survivor: “Neglecting Fort Hood Survivors Is a National Disgrace” (Links below)

Editor’s Note: While the world’s media continues to focus its (and the public’s) attention on

the perpetrators of terrorist acts, the victims and survivors are quickly forgotten once the

violence stops and camera lights are turned off.

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To quote Dr. Platoni: “We cannot afford to endure in downplaying the dangers inherent in

these United States, as enemies rage within our borders and the escalating threat of radical

jihadism produces no significant response. Nor can we ignore those who live the warrior

ethos to protect and defend, and who make a solemn promise to willingly lay down their

lives for every citizen of this nation and the freedoms we once cherished. Failing to do so

constitutes a national disgrace.”

Dr. Kathy Platoni is a survivor of the Ft. Hood massacre. She is a COL, Ohio Military

Reserve, COL U.S. Army (ret), a veteran of three tours of duty to Iraq, Afghanistan and

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay (Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom), and

an extended stateside tour during the Gulf War. COL Platoni is also a nationally known

combat trauma expert.

Dr. Platoni has made it one of her life missions to keep the public’s attention on the plight of

her follow Ft. Hood survivors and the families of the deceased until they “have access to the

benefits to which they are fully entitled and that they desperately need.”

Dr. Platoni has such great credibility that the national media will (sometimes) listen when

she speaks. We wish to share with you three of her most recent publications/those articles

for which she was interviewed in order to promote public awareness of the terrible plight the

survivors of the Ft. Hood Massacre and which their families continue to face:

Time Magazine – Neglecting Fort Hood Survivors is a National Disgrace

USA Today – After the shooting stops another fear sets in: PTSD. This article was

written by Gregg Zoroya.) OEN.com – Fort Hood Survivors Still Struggle to Recover (This article was written by

Elayne Clift.)

Dr. Platoni spoke recently on the subject of Combat Trauma and PTSD at an Ohio

conference sponsored by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and the Vietnam Veterans of

America Buckeye State Council. The all-day conference was led by Justice Evelyn Lundberg

Stratton, Supreme Court of Ohio (ret.) and publisher of this newsletter.

Here’s my video of Dr. Platoni’s presentation. At the beginning, she describes her

harrowing story of surviving the Fort Hood Massacre and then, like countless other first

responders on scene, rushing towards the danger in desperation to save the lives of their

fellow Soldiers: http://bit.ly/1o3N5x3

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

VA’s McDonald: 2016 can be a turning point for department http://bit.ly/28Pg9RD Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald continued to stump for legislative and

fiscal support of his agency, as the countdown continues to tick toward congressional

summer recess.

Speaking to an audience gathered June 20 at the Brookings Institution, McDonald said the

“window of opportunity is closing fast” when it comes to passing a legislative reform

package and a budget for VA.

“If Congress doesn’t act on these transformational changes, VA will not be able to complete

its transformation and veterans will have to settle for a VA that is not as responsive to their

needs; there’s no question about that,” McDonald said. “If Congress acts, we’ll all look back

on this year as the year we turned the corner for veterans.”

. . . VA requested $78.7 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2017, including $7.2 billion

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in discretionary funding for veterans’ care in the community programs under the Veterans

Access, Choice and Accountability Act.

Shulkin outlines progress at the VA http://bit.ly/28QAPZv While an ongoing battle over how the Department of Veterans Affairs best holds its

employees accountable wages on Capitol Hill, VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. David

Shulkin sought to show what reform progress has already been made.

“In my view, VA has always had really excellent strategy,” he said. “Our problem has really

been in execution of the strategy, so that’s where our focus has been this past year.”

Shulkin appeared at the United Veterans Council’s VA health summit on June 21 and

outlined a series of initiatives and some silver linings that have resulted from a series of

scandals that have plagued the agency for the better part of two years.

The United Veterans Council, a component of the AFL-CIO, held the summit in partnership

with the Roosevelt Institute to examine what the future of the health system will ultimately

be. It also provided a counterpoint to the fierce criticism currently surrounding agency, as

well as efforts to privatize its medical care.

Brookings: Norman Eisen: Three keys to reforming government: Lessons from repairing the VA http://brook.gs/28T1oNK On June 20, I moderated a conversation on the future of the Department of Veterans Affairs with Secretary Robert McDonald. When he took office almost two years ago, Secretary McDonald inherited an organization in crisis: too many veterans faced shockingly long wait-times before they received care, VA officials had allegedly falsified records, and other allegations of mismanagement abounded. Since he was sworn into office, Secretary McDonald has led the VA through a period of ambitious reform, anchored by the MyVA program. He and his team have embraced three core strategies that are securing meaningful change. They are important insights for all government leaders, and private sector ones as well.

1. Set bold goals

2. Hybridize the best of public and private sectors

3. Data, data, data SENATE IDENTITY THEFT BILL TELLS VA TO STOP USING SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS http://bit.ly/28WfHor

The Veterans Affairs Department has come under fire repeatedly for failing to properly

secure agency laptops crammed with veteran data, including Social Security numbers,

mistakenly mailing forms to the wrong people and other mishandling of veterans’ personal

information.

A new bipartisan solution? Stop using Social Security numbers at VA.

The Veterans' Identity Theft Protection Act, introduced last week by Sens. Tammy

Baldwin, D-Wis., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., would require VA to discontinue the use of Social

Security numbers to identify veterans in all VA IT systems.

The bill calls for VA to phase out the use of Social Security numbers within two years for

veterans submitting new claims and five years for veterans currently in VA’s systems.

health.mil: DHA director outlines agency’s role in ‘global health engagement’ http://1.usa.gov/28WgJkn

Navy Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), provided a

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broader concept of how to use military medicine to further larger U.S. global engagement

goals to attendees of the Global Health Strategies for Security Course in downtown

Washington, D.C.

Global Health Strategies for Security is a graduate-level certificate course offered through

the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine/Department of Military and

Emergency Medicine of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

Bono highlighted how the DHA continues to expand its role in global health engagement as

it develops its capabilities as a combat support agency.

“The Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System (GEIS) conducts global

bio-surveillance of emerging public health and infectious disease threats through the

development and support of an integrated network of medical laboratories in the United

States and overseas,” she said.

“This allows the Military Health System and the Department of Defense to better support

the National Security Strategy and the U.S. government’s efforts to promote health security

and stability around the world.”

VA Partners with KaBOOM! To Support Veteran Families http://1.usa.gov/28VyTPp KaBOOM! to Provide Play Equipment for VA Hospitals and VA Fisher Houses

WASHINGTON – Sometimes play is the best medicine. The Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA) is announcing a partnership with the national non-profit organization KaBOOM! to

make play more accessible to children visiting VA Medical Centers and VA Fisher Houses.

KaBOOM! is one of a number of partnerships formed under the MyVAinitiative, the largest

transformation in VA’s history, which focuses squarely on the needs of Veterans through

customer service and strong community partnerships.

Under the agreement, KaBOOM! will provide their signature Imagination Playground™ and

Rigamajigs to VA locations across the nation. These portable, scalable play systems create

safe, fun-filled environments for children to play in. VA Local Facility Events & News

Veterans Journal: Providence VA Medical Center open house June 25th

Sanford VA clinic plans opening ceremony June 29th

VA Butler Town Hall, July 7th

VA New Orleans Town Hall, July 12th

@VAWallaWalla's 2nd annual JOB FAIR, July 19th

VA Mobile Vet Centers provide counseling to Veterans, community in Orlando

Durham VA Medical Center 'stands ready' for veterans in need

Minneapolis VA now offers “direct scheduling” for patients who need routine eye and ear

exams.

VA clinic opens in South Charleston

Veterans Affairs names interim director for Montana

Loma Linda Veteran's Affairs Medical Center Hospital opens Palliative Unit

Report: SLVHCS hosts town halls for New Orleans and Bogalu

VA Deploys Mental Health Staff in Orlando After Mass Shooting

Watchdog: Phoenix VA needs system to cut down on long ER wait times.

Veterans: Report validates wait-time allegations at Houston VA.

VBA improves the Veterans experience: goes electronic on claims, reduces backlog and

improves accuracy

VA OIG Reports

Community Based Outpatient Clinics Summary Report – Evaluation of Alcohol Use

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Disorder Care at Community Based Outpatient Clinics and Other Outpatient Clinics

Combined Assessment Program Review of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West

Haven, Connecticut

ADMINISTRATIVE SUMMARY OF INVESTIGATION BY THE VA OFFICE OF INSPECTOR

GENERAL IN RESPONSE TO ALLEGATIONS REGARDING PATIENT WAIT TIMES at VA

Medical Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico

All Administrative Summaries of Investigation Regarding Wait Time (Posted by the VA To

date) Additional resources from my blog

LIST OF VA TOWN HALLS & OTHER MEETINGS NATIONWIDE: http://bit.ly/1Gg1DN6

OHIO

Ohio Attorney General’s Task Force on Criminal Justice and Mental Illness Veterans Courts & Military Affairs Subcommittee (VCMAS) http://bit.ly/1A4PoOQ

Membership open to professionals working with Veterans involved in Ohio’s

justice system

It is the mission of the VCMAS to assist the justice system in dealing with the civil

and criminal justice needs of military and veterans, with emphasis on the physical

and emotional causes that led to involvement in the criminal justice system.

With special focus on: development of veterans treatment courts; raising awareness

of various community programming for veterans; creating political and legal

environments to best serve veterans through the V.A. and community partners;

fostering pro-bono programming for civil needs of veterans; and supplying a forum

for Ohio courts and agencies to exchange ideas, resources, and best practices for

serving veterans.

Bi-monthly meetings are held via telephone on the 3rd Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.

The next meeting is Wednesday, July 20, 2016, at 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Tammy Puff (North Central Ohio Regional Director of Veterans

Outreach—Ohio Attorney General’s Office) at

Tammy.Puff@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov if you are interested in joining this

committee. Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) Announces Collaboration with The Ohio State University http://bit.ly/28SYk4h

The Brain Injury Association of America is proud to collaborate with selected TBI Model

System sites to share research findings about brain injury.

The most recent research update is from Ohio State University and is about the use of Deep

Brain Stimulation to address problems with executive functioning following a traumatic brain

injury. You can see more of the research abstracts on our website.

Educator License Fees Eliminated for Veterans and Active Duty Service Members and their Spouses in Ohio http://1.usa.gov/28Wiv59

The Ohio Department of Education has eliminated fees for educator licenses to recognize

the contributions of military families.

The fees for any initial Ohio educator license, permit or certificate – or for a renewal – will

be waived for candidates who are veterans with honorable discharges or current service

members of all branches of the United States Armed Forces; the National Guard or Reserve;

and the Ohio Military Reserve or Ohio Naval Militia (under the Ohio Adjutant General).

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Spouses of active duty service members also may receive a license free of charge.

Stark County Honor Court celebrates fifth anniversary http://bit.ly/28JpG0t

CANTON Stark County Common Pleas Court recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of its

Veterans Treatment Court.

Honor Court is a specialized docket that provides increased management to veterans and

active duty military personnel involved in the criminal justice system.

Individualized judicial oversight with regular court appearances before a treatment team

and peer volunteers helps foster successful completion of probation and draw upon the

codes of honor and service instilled in the participants during their military service to our

nation.

The Honor Court treatment team consists of court employees, community partners, and

Veteran Administration staff. The mentoring program utilizes volunteer veterans from the

community to provide increased emotional support. The program has successfully graduated

61 Stark County veterans, a 70 percent success rate over five years.

Judge Taryn L. Heath and Honor Court Director Lisa M. Williams hosted an appreciation

breakfast on May 27 at the V.F.W. Post 3747

Former Pickaway County Veterans Services chief pleads not guilty http://bit.ly/28W9dpr Rebecca J. Lee will appear in court on July 8 for a pretrial hearing now that she has pled not

guilty to charges that include theft in office.

Lee, 52, is the former executive director of the Pickaway County Veterans Service

Commission (PCVSC).

She appeared in Pickaway County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday and signed a

personal recognizance bond promising to appear for the upcoming hearing.

A special prosecutor has been appointed by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to handle the

case.

Four Days to June 30th deadline to Nominate Veterans for the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame http://1.usa.gov/1POKbZn

COLUMBUS – Don’t miss the last chance to honor veterans who have served their

communities following military service – the deadline for nominations for the Ohio Veterans

Hall of Fame Class of 2016 is June 30.

The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame was established in 1992 to recognize the achievements of

veterans in community service after their military service ended. Charter members of the

Hall’s Class of 1993 included the six Ohio military veterans who were elected President of

the United States and all Medal of Honor recipients from Ohio. Honorees include astronauts,

government officials, police officers, community leaders, and veterans’ advocates.

The Hall of Fame Executive Committee, made up of veterans, selects not more than 20

inductees annually. Men and women chosen for induction into the Hall come from all eras,

all branches of service and all walks of life.

Please help us honor veterans who have served their communities following military service

– the deadline for nominations for the Class of 2016 is June 30. Nomination guidelines and

forms are available at the link above.

Calling all Veteran and Currently Serving Artists http://bit.ly/28UL82q

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Calling all Veteran and Currently Serving Artists. Please send digital samples of your work to

Vetsvcs@dvs.ohio.gov by no later than August 31, 2016.

Please be aware that the Riffe Gallery has certain stipulations:

1) Works under consideration must be family friendly.

2) Works under consideration must be framed. Maximum size for the frame area of artwork

is 16” x 20.”

3) Works under consideration may be in any medium that is two dimensional.

Certain exceptions can be made for hanging 3D art.

4) If selected, your work(s) will be on display for approximately 30 days.

The American Heritage Center at the Dayton VA http://www.americanveteransheritage.org/

The American Veterans Heritage Center (AVHC), is a non-profit corporation with an exciting

mission. We honor the accomplishments of veterans while preserving a priceless piece of

national and local history - the Soldiers Home located at the VA Medical Center in Dayton,

Ohio.

Federal Judge Walter Rice presides over this group.

We invite you to take your place in history by helping us make this venture a success.

The scope of our activities include historic preservation projects, events, tours, and our

annual Memorial Day event, the Patriot Freedom Festival. Click on EVENTS for the latest

information, or read the latest edition of our quarterly newsletter, The Patriot.

EVENT: NAMIWalks Summit County, October 22nd http://bit.ly/1UK1abX Every journey begins with that first step! As NAMIWalks celebrates our 14th Anniversary in

2016, we are proud to be NAMI’s largest and most successful mental health awareness and

fundraising event in the country!

Through NAMIWalks public display of support for people with mental health challenges, we

are changing how Americans view mental illness. Please join us as we improve lives and

our communities one step at a time.

Additional resources from my blog

OPERATION LEGAL HELP OHIO http://bit.ly/1Gg0HbK

RESOURCES FOR VETERANS http://bit.ly/1Gg21LH

OHIO JOBS FOR VETERANS http://bit.ly/1CL3Ay0

RESURRECTING LIVES FOUNDATION http://bit.ly/1R9toOV EVENTS FOR OHIO VETERANS http://bit.ly/1Tx7tix

VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS

Justice for Vets: What is a Veterans Treatment Court? http://bit.ly/28W6xYZ . . . The Veterans Treatment Court model requires regular court appearances (a bi-weekly

minimum in the early phases of the program), as well as mandatory attendance at

treatment sessions and frequent and random testing for substance use (drug and/or

alcohol).

Veterans respond favorably to this structured environment given their past experiences in

the Armed Forces. However, a few will struggle and it is exactly those veterans who need a

Veterans Treatment Court program the most. Without this structure, these veterans will

reoffend and remain in the criminal justice system.

The Veterans Treatment Court is able to ensure they meet their obligations to themselves,

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the court, and their community. . .

CA: Veteran's Treatment Court expands to Lompoc http://bit.ly/1V2RtFw

The Lompoc Veteran's Treatment Court opened its doors Wednesday.

The court is a joint effort between the court, district attorney, public defender, mental

health, the VA, and the treatment community to help those veterans who are in need of

justice intervention.

The program was originally started in Santa Maria by Judge Rogelio Flores. Judge Flores is

now assigned to Lompoc Superior Court where he introduced the program.

ID: Veterans to graduate Canyon County’s veterans treatment court, June 27th http://bit.ly/28UOezO

CALDWELL — Four veterans are graduating this year from Canyon County’s veterans

treatment court, according to a press release from the county. . . This year’s guest speaker

is Norma Jaeger, former director of problem solving courts for the Idaho Supreme Court.

. . . The veterans treatment court is designed similarly to a diversion program, according to

county spokesman Joe Decker. Decker said the court is for combat veterans who are facing

mental health or alcohol-related issues.

KY: Veterans Treatment Court Offers Help Instead of Jail http://bit.ly/28TA7Lf

Kentucky Educational Television (KET): To help these wounded warriors, Kentucky has

joined a number of other states to create what’s known as veterans treatment courts, which

are designed to help vets in the criminal justice system get help for an addiction or mental

health problem rather than go to jail.

Elton Terry, recovery coordinator, and Kathy Vasquez, veterans justice outreach specialist,

from Lexington’s Veterans Affairs Medical Center discussed the Fayette County Veterans

Treatment Court on KET’s Connections. Their conversation is part of KET’s Inside Opioid

Addiction initiative. MI: Macomb to ask voters for more money for vets http://detne.ws/28JFFJv

Voters in Macomb County will be asked in August whether to support a property tax hike

that would benefit thousands of local veterans, many of whom are homeless or in need of

health care.

The county is asking for a 0.04-mill renewal and a 0.029-mill increase of the Macomb

County veterans millage which has levied funding for veterans since 2008, county officials

say.

. . . Rios said the proposal would fund transportation services for the veterans in

wheelchairs or with oxygen tanks; a boot camp to help veterans get jobs; a treatment

court for veterans who get arrested; and wage increases for employees that help veterans.

MI: Veterans Court to hold open house in Southgate. Veterans Court operates in private. http://bit.ly/290AQ0P

A new type of court opened in Southgate in January, and now the public is invited to learn

more about it as it continues to grow.

Twenty-eighth District Court is home to Downriver’s first Veterans Court, a program to help

members from any branch of the military who have committed misdemeanors get their lives

back on track.

The official name of the program is the Downriver Regional Veterans Treatment Court. The

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open house is scheduled for 11 a.m. June 29 at the courthouse.

Veterans who get referred to the new program are afforded privacy in the court hearings

as their case proceeds. After an arraignment in a regular court, the rest of the proceedings

are private according to court coordinator Kevin VanBoxell.

He said it’s not to hide anything from the public, but to instill trust between the court and

the veteran.

NV: Don’t mess with the veterans court system http://bit.ly/28JqYbI

In 2008, then-Gov. Jim Gibbons signed a bill creating veterans courts, intended to help

veterans facing various misdemeanor charges. They began operating in 2011 in various

municipal and justice courts.

But recently, the Clark County district attorney and Henderson city attorney have taken the

position that the law gives only the District Courts the authority to hold such proceedings.

Respectfully, they are taking positions contrary to both the law and the intent of our

Legislature.

I take this stand as a lawyer and former captain in the U.S. Army who has represented

countless numbers of our men and women in uniform who have returned home from

combat with emotional scars and trouble adapting to their civilian lives.

Nevada Revised Statute 176A.280 authorized the creation of a program for treatment of

veterans and members of the military who have been arrested if they suffer from mental

illness, alcohol, drug abuse or post-traumatic stress disorder. These are common conditions

faced by our veterans from all conflicts, including Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and

others.

. . . The law creating our veterans courts could certainly be worded better and it could be

argued that my interpretation of the law is “friendly” toward veterans. In a 1948 decision,

however, the U.S. Supreme Court made it very clear that if there is ambiguity in a law

about veterans rights, that law should be read “with an eye friendly to those who dropped

their affairs to answer their country’s call.”

I am not taking the position that our prosecutors are “anti-veteran.” The reality is, however,

that they are apparently the only ones who are taking steps to try to eliminate our

extremely successful veterans court programs. Veterans courts are not a free pass and

instead are intensive programs whereby veterans can right their wrongs and move on with

their lives.

NV: Mentor Coordinator for the Lake Havasu Veterans Treatment Court Chosen for Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame http://bit.ly/28W9Qj6

Lake Havasu City is adding to its “Most Patriotic City” reputation by the addition of two more

veterans into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame.

Last year Havasu resident Lee Borgen was inducted, and this year two more Lake Havasu

veterans have been selected. They will be inducted in a ceremony in Phoenix in October.

Joan McDermott, past Commander of the VFW Post 9401, and Joe Little, retired counselor

with Lake Havasu’s Vet Center, were recently notified that they have been selected for the

Hall of Fame.

. . . McDermott continues her legacy of service by currently serving as the Mentor

Coordinator for the Lake Havasu Veterans Treatment Court. She trains veterans to work

with other veterans involved in the justice system to help them get the counseling and

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classes they need to successfully complete their treatment and become productive members

of the community. Joan also presents Medicare classes to veterans in the Veterans

Treatment Court program.

McDermott has given much to help others throughout her life and Lake Havasu is proud of

her for being inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame.

“Volunteering to help veterans is deeply rewarding. As a veteran myself, I understand what

these men and women sacrificed for our country,” she said.

NY: Newburgh Drug Court graduates complete successful (veterans’ track) program http://bit.ly/28W8Knp

. . . This year’s graduation was also the second one for Newburgh’s newly adopted veterans’

track program which has had huge success rates.

Colton Flores, a graduate and U.S. Air Force veteran, said initially, he wasn’t giving the

program the attention it deserved, just as he had done in prior treatment endeavors;

however, the support he received through the Newburgh veterans’ track grounded him and

changed his perspective.

“I didn’t do any work on myself,” Flores said. “I was doing the work I had to do, but I was

doing the bare, bare minimum of what I had to do, and as time went on, it got easier and I

realized I have to do this anyway, I might as well make it worth my while.

I started to like the programs that I was in. I like going to groups every week and individual

sessions, and I like coming here and talking to the judge and calling Melissa [Ortquist] and

just everyone here was so helpful and supportive.”

Flores said he wanted to especially thank Derek Brown and the Orange Veteran’s Equity and

Empowerment Team for helping him do some intense self-reflection, which ended up being

a huge factor in his success. He said he likes the person he has become, and with a nephew

coming, he is proud he can now be a role model for him.

Newburgh City Court Judge E Loren Williams said the program exists to get those

individuals who have the potential to contribute in the community back on the right path.

TX: Nine graduate from Denton County's Veterans Court program http://bit.ly/28W8yUY DENTON -- In Denton County Criminal Courtroom No. 3, Antonio Cosme waited on a second

chance Wednesday.

"It seems surreal," he said. The Army veteran wore a crisp, blue dress shirt and a smile

during his Veterans Treatment Court Program graduation. "I have all the things I should

have had before," Cosme said.

It's a stark contrast from more than a year ago, when he was sitting in a jail cell.

"I was using a lot of alcohol and drugs," he said. "I didn't know how to deal with some of

the things I brought back from Afghanistan."

Cosme was joined by eight other veterans with similar stories. "They've overcome a lot to

be here today," Judge David Garcia said.

The nine veterans make up the graduating class of this year’s Veterans Court program.

Mentors, like Ginger Simonson, helped them rehabilitate and avoid jail time after they were

arrested for various crimes.

"Now they are the resilient warriors that they once were when they served," Simonson said.

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TX: Galveston County Veterans Treatment Court gets state grant (subscription) http://bit.ly/28JuuhY

The Galveston County Veterans Treatment Court, a specialty court aimed at rehabilitating

military service members facing criminal charges, is receiving state grant funding for the

first time since it began three years ago.

The Texas Veterans Commission awarded the court $150,000 for one year, starting July 1st.

Additional resources from my blog

LIST OF NATIONAL AND STATE LEGAL ASSISTANCE RESOURCES FOR VETERANS http://bit.ly/19DC5zu

U.S. VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS LOCATIONS http://bit.ly/1Lf1VX5

PTS/TBI/MST

San Diego: Some military veterans eligible for new brain exams (News Video) http://bit.ly/28WsgfW

SAN DIEGO - Nearly 1,400 military veterans within the jurisdiction of the San Diego VA

Regional Office could be eligible for a new Traumatic Brain Injury examination.

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert McDonald, has granted equitable relief to more

than 24,000 veterans following a national review of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) disability

compensation examinations conducted between 2007 and 2015.

. . . Statement by the Director of the San Diego VA Regional Office:

“Equitable relief affords affected Veterans an opportunity to have their claim

reconsidered.

Where an exam was not conducted by the appropriate specialist, VA will be able to

act on the results of the new examination without the submission of another claim.

If additional benefits are due, VA will award an effective date as early as the date of

the initial claim. T

his decision could potentially affect 1,394 Veterans within the jurisdiction of the San

Diego VA Regional Office; this number reflects both our local casework and our

national mission which includes claims filed prior to a Veteran’s military discharge.”

Senators Get Update on DoD, VA Treatment for TBI, PTSD http://bit.ly/28Jt2QJ . . . Amy Street, PhD, deputy director of the VHA National Center for Post-traumatic Stress

Disorder Women’s Health Sciences Division and Navy Capt. Mike Colston, MD, director of

the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury were

among the officials who spoke at a Senate committee hearing on the current state of

research, diagnosis and treatment for PTSD and TBI. Lawmakers were seeking an update on

the agencies’ efforts in these areas.

“With a significant impact that both PTS[D] and TBI have made on our servicemembers and

veterans it is vitally important that we better understand through well-developed medical

research the causes of PTS[D] and TBI and develop appropriate measures to treat and

eventually prevent [them],” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), chairman of the Senate

Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel.

Colston told lawmakers that the centerpiece of DoD’s mental health research efforts is the

National Research Action Plan (NRAP), which also involves the VA, Department of Health

and Human Services and Department of Education.

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The initiative has improved understanding of PTSD and TBI, according to Colston, who

added that unanswered questions remain.

“One challenge is ascertaining why PTSD, TBI, depression, substance use disorders and

chronic pain all present together,” he said.

Longitudinal research efforts, such as the Millennium Cohort Study and a 15-year study on

TBI that is underway, should aid understanding, Colston added.

When it comes to programs addressing mental health, DCoE estimates more than 200

programs receive DoD funding to provide both clinical and nonclinical psychological health

or TBI services for troops and family members.

California Congressman Announces No Hero Left Untreated Act To Help Veterans http://bit.ly/290Dkft

Congressman Steven Knight, R-Palmdale, is introducing new legislation that would fund a

pilot program aimed at treating PTSD, trauma, chronic pain and addiction experienced by

U.S. military veterans

The No Hero Left Untreated Act would pay for a pilot program at five Veterans Association

Hospital aimed at treating PTSD, TBI, trauma, military sexual trauma, chronic pain and

opiate addiction experienced by veterans through Magnetic eResonance Therapy

technology, or MeRT technology.

MeRT technology is a therapy used to treat PTSD, TBI, military sexual trauma, chronic pain,

and opiate addiction pioneered by an interdisciplinary clinic based in Southern California

called the Brain Treatment Center.

NPR: New Mental Health Clinic Aims To Help Veterans Struggling With Coming Home http://bit.ly/28Y8swi

The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at MetroCare in Addison, TX is the third clinic of

its kind to open in the country. There are plans for at least 20 more.

. . . The new Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic in Addison, though, serves veterans and

their friends and families no matter what they did in the military or what their discharge

status was. And it's all free.

There are only two other clinics like this around the country – one in San Antonio and the

other in New York City. Eventually, there will be more than 20. The goal? Eliminate barriers

that keep vets from ever getting help.

Research: Enhanced Primary Care Aids Vets with PTSD, Depression http://bit.ly/291ovtj Collaborative primary care that incorporates trained care managers and telephone therapy

options provides veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder anddepression, a new, and

perhaps better, option for care.

A new study found military members who visited a primary care clinic while suffering from

post-traumatic stress disorder and depression reported fewer symptoms and better mental

health functioning a year after enrolling in a treatment program than those who received

traditional care.

Researchers believe care from a primary clinic is a way of combating the stigma many

service members feel about going directly to a mental health specialist.

The intervention assigns patients to nurse care managers with special training to help

patients remain in care and follow treatment recommendations. The nurse managers also

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coordinate patients’ status with the health care team, and help patients to access

telephone-based therapy.

Researchers found that the approach resulted in significant improvements in recovery after

one year, as compared to peers assigned to care managers without the added training and

teletherapy options.

The findings are published online by the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

This Is Your Brain On War http://bit.ly/28PQqJ3

Task & Purpose teamed up with former West Point psychology professor and author Lt. Col.

Dave Grossman to produce this visual guide to what happens to the mind and body before,

during, and after combat.

. . . Task & Purpose joined forces with Grossman to do just that. In a series of animated

graphics created by our own Matt Battaglia, we’ll walk you through what happens to a

person’s brain and body before, during, and after battle.

Over the decades, Grossman has interviewed thousands of combat veterans and law

enforcement officials to develop the theories presented here. But consider this a primer.

For a more in-depth understanding of the psychology and physiologically of warfare, we

recommend reading “On Combat” and “On Killing.”

As if PTSD, CTE, and Moral Injury Weren’t Enough - Turns out soldiers are subject to yet another, separate form of brain trauma from blast effects. http://bit.ly/28WjAd3

. . . Turns out that, as if PTSD and CTE weren’t enough, yet another syndrome causes the

same symptoms. In the New York Times, Robert Worth reports that “soldiers exposed to

blasts often had memory and focus problems that did not go away and that seemed distinct

from battlefield trauma.”

If the blasts were repeated, the lapses sometimes devolved into career-ending mental and

behavioral struggles. [A research team] shared a gut-level belief that a blast wave’s effects

on the body were far more extreme, and more complex, than the concussion model could

account for. [Emphasis added.]

Working for the Pentagon, neuropathologist Daniel Perl and his colleagues “recognized that

the injury that they were looking at was nothing like concussion.”

The hallmark of C.T.E. is an abnormal protein called tau, which builds up, usually over

years, throughout the cerebral cortex but especially in the temporal lobes, visible across the

stained tissue like brown mold.

What they found in these traumatic-brain-injury cases was totally different: a dustlike

scarring, often at the border between gray matter (where synapses reside) and the white

matter that interconnects it.

Editorial: Military becomes proactive on PTSD http://bit.ly/28Wa89J . . . Now Dr. Daniel Perl, a neuropathologist and leading CTE researcher, has shed light on

post-traumatic stress disorder among members of the military exposed to blasts.

. . . Writing in the scientific journal Lancet Neurology, Perl, who was given access to brains

by the Pentagon in 2010, has helped settle the debate about brain injuries suffered after

exposure to explosions. The damage is distinctly different from CTE.

Just as CTE is a variation of dementia pugilistica found in “punch-drunk” boxers, Perl’s

findings cast new light on what was termed “shell shock” beginning in World War I and

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PTSD during the Vietnam War.

What was perceived as a psychological impairment is now considered physical in many

cases.

VHA: PTSD Help with Cognitive Processing Therapy http://1.usa.gov/28Xqb6Y In observance of PTSD Awareness Month, June 2016, VA’s National Center for PTSD

presents the following profile of a Veteran who is living with PTSD and has turned his life

around with treatment.

. . . Identifying Negative Thoughts Called “Stuck Points” Finally, eight years after leaving the

military, Tyler sought help from the VA.

He was diagnosed with PTSD and decided to enter a residential treatment program where

he began Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). In CPT, patients are taught how the way they

think can negatively affect the way they live, and how to recognize the thoughts that are

making life difficult.

Tyler would spend the course of his therapy learning how to reframe those thoughts.

Research: Surfing helps veterans cope with PTSD http://bit.ly/28VyooK Surfing often conjures up images of freewheeling hippies, but now military veterans

are turning to the waves to help them deal with the traumatic legacy of war. They say it

gives them a wonderful “freeing” feeling, and helps them manage the psychological turmoil

of their everyday lives.

Our research is among the first to document the positive influence surfing can have for

veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

So how could surfing help? In our research we asked British war veterans about their

experiences. Their stories – collected over a series of in-depth interviews and observations –

reveal the strong emotional benefits that surfing brings. According to the veterans, surfing

is like having PTSD “pummelled out” of their system by the force of the waves.

The mental state veterans report when surfing has many parallels with what psychologists

call “flow”, where a person becomes fully and completely involved in an activity to the

exclusion of everything else. Their minds are emptied of the traumatic memories that

continually cycle through them. They become immersed in the activity, much like a moving

form of mindfulness or meditation.

When surfing, veterans are rooted in the present moment and experience it with a renewed

sense of intensity and pleasure. There’s also a connection with nature that helps to bolster

veterans’ sense of mental well-being. When surfing, veterans are immersed in the natural

environment, which has mental health benefits according to a growing body of research.

As studies conducted with veterans in California suggest, it also helps build resilience, and

alleviates the troubling symptoms associated with PTSD and depression.

Research: Fox News: Scientists find possible PTSD relief in retooled muscle relaxant http://fxn.ws/28WdSYL

An already-approved muscle relaxant may offer relief for U.S. military veterans and first

responders suffering from combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Phase 2 trials of the drug, TNX-102 SL, which contains the same chemical property as

Flexeril, identified a dose and administration method that statistically improved participants’

PTSD symptoms among several mental health indices.

The findings were announced this month at the American Society of Clinical

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Psychopharmacology Annual Meeting (ASCP), and could eventually lead doctors to unroll the

first PTSD drug in more than a decade, said Dr. Harry Croft, Chief of CNS Studies at Clinical

Trials of Texas.

Croft, who has also headed the investigation of 60 similar clinical trials over the last 25

years, said current PTSD treatments either don’t address every individual’s range of PTSD

symptoms, pose unwanted side effects, or have poor adherence rates. Thus, scientists have

continued searching for new PTSD treatments.

Resources: DoD Releases Sexual Assault Resources to Enhance Care for Patients http://bit.ly/28VFNrR

. . . Now available on the Military Health System website, the sexual assault and

harassment resources include:

Algorithms for Response Procedures

Algorithms that outline the process for health care management of patients who

disclose sexual assault or sexual harassment and are specific to the unique

environment of care and beneficiary type

Environment of Care Quick Reference Charts

Charts with quick reference guidance specific to the unique environment of care for

providers to use in the health care management of patients who disclose sexual

assault

Sexual Assault: What to Expect Next

A patient handout that explains what will happen after a patient discloses a sexual

assault to a health care provider

Sexual Assault Health Care Support for Patients

A patient resource that explains health care resources, eligibility and reporting

options; reviews healthy coping strategies; defines common terms and support

specialist roles; and provides crisis hotlines and sexual assault resources

Defense Department Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment Safety Assessment

Worksheet: Health Care Provider Version

A worksheet to help providers conduct a brief safety assessment and develop a

safety plan for patients who disclose sexual assault or sexual harassment

Defense Department Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment Safety Plan

A prioritized list of resources and coping strategies for a patient’s use

Defense Department Brief Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment Safety Plan

An abbreviated list of resources and coping strategies for a patient’s use

NC: Assemblywoman Russell’s bill to support veterans who endured sexual trauma passes Assembly http://bit.ly/28Wp2c8

Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell (D-Theresa) announced that legislation she authored

requiring the state Division of Veterans’ Affairs to provide assistance to veterans who

experienced military sexual trauma (MST) during their military service (A.7260A) has

passed the Assembly on Wednesday.

. . . This marks the fifth consecutive year the bill has passed the state Assembly. It has yet

to gain the support of the New York State Senate,

. . . This bill would require the state Division of Veterans’ Affairs to develop a plan to provide

assistance and benefits for veterans who experienced sexual trauma while on active duty or

during military training.

The legislation would also require county and city veterans service agencies, including the

Jefferson County Veterans Service Agency and the St. Lawrence County Veterans

Department, to assist members of the armed forces by reporting information on MST.

LOOK3 2016: Interview with photojournalist Mary Calvert re her project: “Sexual Assault in America’s Military.” http://bit.ly/28Wpszd

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Photojournalist Mary F. Calvert is committed to using photography to affect meaningful

social change and is known for producing work on gender based, human rights issues.

Calvert believes that journalists have a duty to shine a light into the deepest recesses of the

human experience and provide a mirror for society to examine itself.

Calvert is the 2015 recipient of the National Press Photographers Association, Cliff Edom

New America Award, the 2014 recipient of the Alexia Foundation Women’s Initiative Grant

and in 2013 was awarded the Canon Female Photojournalist Award at Visa PourL’Image in

Perpignan, France for her ongoing project “The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s

Military.”

. . . “I specialize in under-reported or neglected gender-based human rights issues and that

work had taken me around the world.

Six years ago I was laid off from my newspaper job and suddenly had to re-invent myself

because I no longer had the financial assistance to produce the kind of work I had been

doing. Three years ago I was looking for a project to do in the United States and my

husband, Joe Eddins (who is also a photographer), suggested that I look into sexual assault

in the US military, that it was a terrible problem and no one was doing anything about it.

This really surprised me because I had walked the halls of various military installations over

18 years, in my role as an instructor at the DOD Worldwide Military Photographers

Workshop. I passed items on bulletin boards offering counseling for sexual assault victims

and 24-hour hotline numbers for those seeking assistance.

I used to think, “surely that is not happening here,” and as I began my research it became

clear that those bulletins were, in fact, a response to an epidemic of abuse in the military. I

was so angry and shocked when I read that there were an estimated 26,000 sexual assaults

each year in the US military.

It was those statistics and the thought of all my friends who serve in the military that gave

me the resolve to tell this story.” Additional resources from my blog

RESURRECTING LIVES FOUNDATION http://bit.ly/1R9toOV

EVENTS FOR VETERANS & VETERAN SERVICE PROVIDERS http://bit.ly/1Gg1nOi ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------

ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH NEWS IS POSTED IN THE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SECTION BELOW

SUICIDE

USA Today: Experts worry high military suicide rates are 'new normal http://usat.ly/28WqIT2

Veteran suicide rates remain high seven years after the rate of suicides by soldiers more

than doubled and the Army's effort to reduce the tragic pace. Experts worry the problem is

a "new normal."

. . . "Seven years of relative stability at these profoundly higher rates may well be the new

normal," said David Rudd, president of the University of Memphis, who served on a panel of

scientists that reviewed military mental health programs and issued a critical report in 2014.

Rudd worries that a sense of heightened concern that gripped Congress and the Army when

military suicides spiked has dissipated. "You don't see any significant outrage about it now,"

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he said.

The Army used to post suicide statistics promptly each month, but data is now published by

the Pentagon each quarter and often is delayed for months.

"I do think there is a sort of creeping mind-set of, 'Well, this is just how it is now,' "

said Craig Bryan, executive director of the National Center for Veterans Studies at

the University of Utah.

"The sense of urgency about this problem has started to fade away."

Deaths, however, persist at only too regular intervals. California U.S. Rep. Brownley’s bill to help prevent suicide among female veterans moves to president’s desk http://bit.ly/28Qw0iL

WASHINGTON — The House passed a measure Tuesday evening aimed at finding and

implementing the best ways to prevent suicide by female military veterans. It is now

headed to President Barack Obama to be signed into law.

The House version of the measure was introduced last June by U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley, D-

Westlake Village. The Senate bill introduced by Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., passed on June 7.

Female veterans are six times as likely to commit suicide as nonveteran women, according

to studies undertaken by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The National Institute on Mental Health has also noted the trend. VA researchers found that

women aged 18 to 29, many of them veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, are 12 times more

likely than their non-veteran counterparts to commit suicide.

. . . The bill adds women-specific references to the U.S. Code regarding veterans benefits

and establishes ways of measuring the effectiveness of suicide-prevention efforts for women

veterans.

In an interview in February, Caitlin Thompson, director of suicide prevention and community

engagement at the Department of Veterans Affairs, said a variety of efforts are already

underway to prevent suicide, including flagging medical records if a veteran mentions

thinking of committing suicide.

Colorado: Governor Hickenlooper signs 'zero suicide' bill into law http://noconow.co/28TzDot

As suicide prevention advocates shed tears, Gov. John Hickenlooper signed into law Friday a

bill crafted to curb Colorado's soaring suicide rate.

. . . What is zero suicide? Zero suicide focuses on eliminating suicides among at-risk

individuals receiving health or mental health care. More than 30 percent of those who died

by suicide from 2009 to 2013 were receiving some form of mental health treatment when

they died, according to the Colorado Violent Death Reporting System. According to a

national study, 45 percent of those who die by suicide have seen a primary-care physician

within a month of their death.

Marine vet in Indiana develops Facebook group to instantly reach suicidal vets http://bit.ly/28UPh2M

. . . Having realized the importance of quick, direct contact and the effect of support from a

fellow veteran who can empathize and understand, Meyer created that better way.

So, that same day — hours after finding the despondent vet — Meyer set up a Facebook

page called My Brother's Keepers.

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"The Facebook group is about making those connections faster and getting somebody on

scene immediately,” Meyer said. “It cuts that time down.”

Garnering almost immediate attention and support, the Facebook page has since gained

over 2,900 members — a network of civilians and former veterans dedicated to help

veterans in need of support. Needless to say, Meyer believes it proved its value within its

first few days of existence.

"The very following Friday we had a guy in South Carolina, and we got to him fast through

the page,” he said. “So I knew this could work.”

Once a local person makes contact and ensures that the troubled vet is safe and calm, he or

she helps the servicemember connect with the VA, a veterans' organization, hotline or

counselor, and follow up as needed. New York: Russell bill to help military victims of sexual assault passes Assembly http://bit.ly/28VzIIg

A bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, to assist veterans who

were victims of sexual assault or harassment during their service passed the Assembly last

week.

Mrs. Russell’s bill requires that the New York State Division of Veterans’ Affairs provide

support and benefits to veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma.

. . . The legislation would also require county and city veterans service agencies to assist

members of the armed forces by reporting information on sexual assaults in the military.

Upcoming film to bring the realities of veteran suicide to the big screen http://bit.ly/28WozXp

. . . Less than a year after her husband’s death, Amelia “Ami” Little is now advocating for

veteran suicide prevention and awareness. She took to the Internet, searching for different

activists, when she found Steve Moon, director and writer of the film “Out of the Fight.”

Learning about her situation, Moon brought her on board as a consult. He said it’s eerie how

her story is parallel to the one he wrote for the film.

“We got into contact and he needed someone with the perspective that I’ve had,” she said,

going on to explain that she would be helping with script writing, to make it as realistic as

possible.

The film portrays the story of a 25-year-old Marine who struggles between belonging at

home and his duty to his country, Moon said.

“There’s an incredible desire…to see this movie out there,” he said. “You don’t see any

movies about the struggles they have once they come back to the states.”

Canada: Children of military suicide victims to get scholarships after charity reconsiders http://bit.ly/28Y86FV

A military charity pilloried last spring for denying scholarships to the children of a soldier

who died by suicide has overhauled its eligibility rules and will now consider such

applications as long as the deaths can be attributed to military service.

CBC News has learned that Canada Company's rewritten policy will be unveiled at an event

later today with a $500,000 increase to its post-secondary education fund.

The additional cash, which comes from the organization's board of directors and four big

banks, brings the total size of the scholarship program to over $3 million.

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Canadian military members more likely to attempt suicide: study

PTSD therapy turns Canadian veteran into 2-sport Invictus Games athlete

Soldier found hanged in cell was a 'different young man' after Afghanistan

The Weekly Spark: Friday, June 24, 2016 http://bit.ly/28TfH4V Announcements

Webinar: Suicide Surveillance Success Stories

Webinar: Recognizing Suicidal Ideation and Behavior in Individuals with First Episode

Psychosis

Webinar: Tribal Injury Prevention: Successes and Challenges from the Tribal Injury

Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program (TIPCAP)

Research

Patient and Clinician Age and Suicide Risk Assessment

News

National News

1 in 13 Young U.S. Adults Considered Suicide

State News

Relying on Each Other: Yurok Tribe Responds to Youth Suicide Crisis

International News

CANADA: Social Workers Adopt New National Policy on Suicide Prevention Thanks to

Waterloo Students

Deployment Health News 24 June 2016

DoD Releases Sexual Assault Resources to Enhance Care for Patients

DCoE News, 23 June 2016

“The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury

offers new resources for both patients and providers to help ensure consistent,

compassionate health care for patients who were sexually assaulted or harassed. The

provider resources educate Military Health System (MHS) providers in all health care

settings about Defense Department sexual assault policies and help them navigate legal,

ethical and privacy considerations for patients who disclose sexual assault. The resources

also include assessment and planning guidance for patient safety following an assault.”

Scientists find possible PTSD relief in retooled muscle relaxant

Fox News Health, 21 June 2016

“An already-approved muscle relaxant may offer relief for U.S. military veterans and first

responders suffering from combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Phase

2 trials of the drug, TNX-102 SL, which contains the same chemical property as Flexeril,

identified a dose and administration method that statistically improved participants’ PTSD

symptoms among several mental health indices.”

Insomnia symptoms common among female veterans

Healio, 21 June 2016

“Insomnia symptoms were significantly prevalent among female veterans and most

commonly occurred among other mental health symptoms, according to data presented at

the SLEEP 2016 annual meeting.”

Yoga Helps Me Manage PTSD

DCoE Blog, 20 June 2016

“As our medical understanding of the brain continues to grow, treatment options for brain-

related issues continue to expand. Service members with a psychological condition or

traumatic brain injury now have a variety of clinical treatment options as well as

supplemental care options. These choices for care can feel overwhelming or confusing at

times. This series will feature stories by service members and veterans sharing how a

particular treatment, either clinically recommended or complementary, helped them cope

and heal. In the first post, retired Air Force Master Sgt. Chris Eder describes how yoga

helped him with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”

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Researchers Study New Ways to Treat Suicide Risk

The Wall Street Journal, 20 June 2016

“Scientists are developing new ways to directly target the suicidal thoughts and behaviors of

people at risk. Researchers are finding that certain medications, like ketamine, clozapine

and lithium, may alleviate suicidal thinking. Scientists are also tweaking existing

psychological treatments, like cognitive behavioral therapy, and coming up with new ones to

combat the desire for self-harm.”

Fear factor: New genetic candidate for treating PTSD

ScienceDaily, 20 June 2016

“Researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles have

identified a new genetic candidate for testing therapies that might affect fear learning in

people with PTSD or other conditions. Results of the study have been published in the

Journal of Neuroscience.”

Experts worry high military suicide rates are 'new normal'

USA Today, 18 June 2016

“Seven years after the rate of suicides by soldiers more than doubled, the Army has failed

to reduce the tragic pace of self-destruction, and experts worry the problem is a ‘new

normal.’ ‘It's very clear that nothing that the Army has done has resulted in the suicide

rates coming down,’ said Carl Castro, a psychologist who retired from the Army in 2013,

when he was a colonel overseeing behavioral health research programs.”

Why the Navy is making a major change in its approach to PTSD

PBS News Hour, 16 June 2016

“JUDY WOODRUFF: Now to a major change being made by the U.S. Navy that will affect

servicemen suffering from one of the unseen wounds of war. John Yang has that.

JOHN YANG: The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have killed thousands of American

servicemen and maimed and injured tens of thousands more, but some wounds are not as

easily seen or identified. Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD afflicts as much as one-

fifth of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in any given year. Compounding the affliction,

personnel who were kicked out of the military because of erratic behavior caused by PTSD,

by traumatic brain injury, called TBI, or by other mental health conditions often lose their

benefits, including access to veterans health care. But that will now change for at least one

of the services, navy personnel, sailors and Marines, under a new policy enacted by Navy

Secretary Ray Mabus.”

Choose a PTSD Treatment That Works for You

T2 AfterDeployment Blog, 15 June 2016

“A severely traumatic experience affects a person in many ways-physically, mentally,

emotionally, socially and spiritually. In many cases, these effects subside within a few

weeks, but when they continue, this can result in the changes associated with posttraumatic

stress disorder, or PTSD.”

Review calls for more research on suicide prevention methods

Healio, 15 June 2016

Results from a 10-year systematic review found sufficient evidence supporting effective

methods of suicide prevention, though none stood out as superior. ‘Over 800,000 people

worldwide die each year by suicide, accounting for 1.4% of deaths worldwide. Suicide can

occur at any point in the lifespan, and is the second most frequent, and in some countries

the leading, cause of death among young people aged 15 to 24 years. In addition, around

20 to 30 times as many suicide attempts occur,’ Gil Zalsman, MD, of Tel Aviv University,

Israel, and colleagues wrote.”

When the War Comes Home: Trauma in Military Families

Rhode Island College News, 15 June 2016

“In the last decade, the number of veterans suffering from trauma has become greater than

among pre-9/11 vets because of repeated deployments, said RIC Professor of Social Work

E. Belle Evans. About 10 percent of soldiers who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan were

deployed three times or more, exposing them for longer periods to the problems that affect

all service members – combat-related brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder

(Military.com).”

PTSD: What's Working, What's Ahead?

The San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 June 2016

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“As U.S. troops continue to come home with invisible wounds, research -- including a big

chunk being conducted in San Diego -- continues to change the understanding and

treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. UC San Diego scientists recently showed that

genes make some people more likely to get the condition, which is also known as PTSD.

More than 90 other PTSD studies are underway at clinics for the U.S. Department of

Veterans Affairs in this region.”

PTSD, Depression Patients Benefit from Collaborative Care Model

DCoE News, 14 June 2016

“When it comes to depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment, patients

do better when their primary care is augmented by nurse care managers, effective use of

data registries and additional offsite support, according to a new study published this week

in ‘JAMA Internal Medicine.’ The enhanced care model can increase the uptake of mental

health care, more efficiently match care based on patient symptom severity, and improve

PTSD and depression outcomes.”

Military members with PTSD/depression can be treated successfully in primary care settings

Medical Xpress, 13 June 2015

“Military members who visited a primary care clinic while suffering from post-traumatic

stress disorder and depression reported fewer symptoms and better mental health

functioning a year after enrolling in a treatment program that included specially trained care

managers and telephone therapy options, according to a new study.”

Enlisted soldiers at highest risk of suicide soon after joining

Stars and Stripes, 9 June 2016

“Active-duty enlisted soldiers were at greatest risk of attempting suicide two months after

joining up, according to a recent study of nearly 10,000 soldiers who made suicide attempts

between 2004 and 2009. The study, published in May by JAMA Psychiatry as part of a joint

project of the National Institutes of Health and the Defense Department, also found that the

majority of the Army’s 9,650 troops who made a suicide attempt over those years, as

documented in medical records, had never deployed. The never-deployed troops comprised

40 percent of 153,528 soldiers on active duty in that period but 61 percent of those who

attempted suicide.”

For more deployment health-related information, click here to go to the DoD Deployment

Health Clinical Center's PDHealth.mil website.

Disclaimer: These published news articles are offered as a service to DoD health care

beneficiaries and their health care providers. Articles are selected for dissemination solely

based on the military health relevance of the topic. Provision of these articles is intended to

rapidly inform clinicians of information that is publicly available to patients, because that

information sometimes causes patients to seek medical advice and care. A wide-range of

views, positions, and publications are represented in these articles. These views, positions,

and publications are not endorsed by nor do they necessarily represent the views of the

Deployment Health Clinical Center or any other US government agency or department.

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

Editor’s Note: Retired Justice Stratton invites all educational organizations to share their veterans-

related activities and news with our readers. Thank you for your support of our veterans and

military personnel.

UC San Diego Research: PTSD: What's working, what's ahead? As VA researchers and other scientists pursue better treatments, one goal is to customize therapy http://bit.ly/291qQEr

As U.S. troops continue to come home with invisible wounds, research — including a big

chunk being conducted in San Diego — continues to change the understanding and

treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.

UC San Diego scientists recently showed that genes make some people more likely to get

the condition, which is also known as PTSD. More than 90 other PTSD studies are underway

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at clinics for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in this region.

. . . A UC San Diego study published last month in the Journal of the American Medical

Association Psychiatry found that two gene markers are related to a higher risk of PTSD.

The study involved DNA samples from 13,000 U.S. Army troops and was done in

conjunction with the Uniformed Services University and several other academic institutions.

“We knew before this study that there was a genetic basis for PTSD. Of course, that doesn’t

mean it is caused entirely by genes. What it means is that some people are more

susceptible than others,” said Dr. Murray Stein, a UC San Diego psychiatry professor who

was a co-principal investigator on the study. Columbia State Community College: Gardner sees success as veterans succeed in class http://bit.ly/28QsNA6

Veterans success coach Daniala Gardner has spent her first year at Columbia State

Community College helping with anything vets may need to make their college experience

more positive.

"We have completed two sessions of Green Zone; a cross-cultural learning experience to

educate faculty and staff about the military experience," Gardner said. "We discuss PTSD/

TBI (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder/Traumatic Brain Injury) and injuries sustained while in

service and how those can display in the classroom.

So for example; if a TBI is sustained a student may not be able to take notes effectively in

class and so I would help them coordinate a note taker through disability services here at

Columbia State." University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine: Meeting the Needs of a Vulnerable Population http://bit.ly/28Qtp8B

In February 2016, The United States Veteran Affairs (VA) Department convened a Summit

to discuss recommendations for improving suicide prevention, highlighting the urgency of

addressing the unique needs of suicidal veterans.1

This population is vulnerable due to a variety of factors including posttraumatic stress

syndrome (PTSD) and/or traumatic brain injuries (TBI) sustained in combat. However, “it is

important not to assume that all veterans are damaged and suicidal,” according to Peter

Gutierrez, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver

School of Medicine. What is important is identifying those at risk and engaging in prevention

and ongoing interventions, he told Psychiatry Advisor.

Assessing risk involves understanding “where the person served and the nature of the

service, as a starting point,” said Gutierrez, who is also Clinical Research Psychologist,

Denver VA Medical Center. This can provide clues to inform the assessment and place it in

broader context.

Georgia Tech: Veterans Education Training and Transition Program VET2) http://b.gatech.edu/1QbWCiT

Georgia Tech launches a one-of-a-kind training and transition program for active duty

service members and veterans that translates military values into a successful civilian

career.

The Veterans Education Training and Transition Program (VET2) is a four-week

program offered by Georgia Tech at no cost to service members.

Research New Jersey Institute of Technology: High Ca2+ Influx During Traumatic Brain

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Injury Leads to Caspase-1-Dependent Neuroinflammation and Cell Death http://bit.ly/28SZZqr

We investigated the hypothesis that high Ca2+ influx during traumatic brain injury induces

the activation of the caspase-1 enzyme, which triggers neuroinflammation and cell

apoptosis in a cell culture model of neuronal stretch injury and an in vivo model of fluid

percussion injury (FPI).

. . . Our data suggest that neuronal injury/traumatic brain injury (TBI) can induce a high

influx of Ca2+ to the cells that cause neuroinflammation and cell death by activating

caspase-1, IL-1β, and intrinsic apoptotic pathways. We conclude that excess IL-1β

production and cell death may contribute to neuronal dysfunction and cognitive impairment

associated with TBI. Syracuse University: SU's new veterans complex will be designed by architect behind Brooklyn's Barclays Center http://bit.ly/28SY4G5

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse has selected SHoP Architects, the New York City firm behind

the Barclays Center, to design its new National Veterans Resource Complex.

The university today released a set of conceptual drawings for the new complex, slated for

construction on the corner of Waverly and South Crouse Avenues. The modern design fits

into the architecture of nearby buildings, such as the newer additions to the Newhouse

Complex across the street.

Officials emphasized that the designs are still in the early planning stages. The images are

not exact specifications for the proposed veterans center. The location and timeline for

construction are also subject to change, officials said.

Still, the drawings show an open, transparent facade that would serve as a "front door" to

the campus.

Temple University: For Fox School junior Alexis Werner, social justice and support of veterans collide through her program Seeds of Hope http://bit.ly/28XoJ4E

. . . Last autumn, the Entrepreneurship major (Alexis Werner) won the Pennsylvania Council

of Social Studies Future Leader Award through the Pennsylvania Bar Association, for her

work with Seeds of Hope, which provides fresh-grown produce to veterans and their

families.

She also was a finalist for the Peace First Prize, a national award that recognizes youths

between the ages of 8 and 22 for their compassion, courage, and ability to create

collaborative change in their communities.

Werner founded Seeds of Hope in 2011, when she was a student at Shaler Area High

School, in Glenshaw, Pa. She credits her stepfather, Gregory Zottola, as her inspiration.

Zottola had returned from active duty in Afghanistan with the United States Army in 2011

suffering with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences/University of Colorado School of Medicine Research: Invisible Wounds of War Now Able to be Seen http://bit.ly/291oTrC

Summary: Researchers have discovered a unique pattern of scarring in the brains of those

who were exposed to blast brain injuries that differs from those exposed to other types of

head injury. Source: USU.

Study identifies biological changes in the brain due to blast related TBI. Scientists

have discovered a unique pattern of scarring in the brains of deceased service members

who were exposed to blast injury that differs from those exposed to other types of head

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injury. This new research was published online June 9 in Lancet Neurology,

“Characterization of Interface Astroglial Scarring in the Human Brain after Blast Exposure: a

Post-mortem Case Series.”

“Our findings revealed those with blast exposure showed a distinct and previously unseen

pattern of scarring, which involved the portion of brain tissue immediately beneath the

superficial lining of the cerebral cortex – the junction between the gray and white matter –

and the vital structures that are adjacent to the cavities within the brain that are filled with

cerebrospinal fluid.

Those areas of the brain, damaged by blast, suggest that they may be correlated with the

symptoms displayed by those who sustained a traumatic brain injury, or TBI,” said Dr.

Daniel Perl, study senior author and professor of Neuropathology at the Uniformed Services

University of the Health Sciences.

“This scarring pattern also suggests the brain has attempted to repair brain damage from a

blast injury.” VA Learning University: Now Available: Customer Focus Webinars http://1.usa.gov/1O3blcV

New webinars focusing on the knowledge, skills, and abilities under the Customer Focus

competency are now available. The webinars below will equip you with the skills needed to

provide outstanding customer service, aligning with Secretary McDonald’s breakthrough

priority of "Improving the Veteran Experience".

Emotional Intelligence for Leaders Webinar (NFED* 3998431) - 3.5 hours (Live

Webinar) - Max # - 15

Customer Focus (NFED 3380972) - 3.5 hours (Live Webinar) - Max # - 15

Leading Virtual Teams (NFED 1371067) - 2 hours (Live Webinar) - Max # - 50

Dilemma Management (NFED 3181987) - 3.5 hours (Live Webinar) - Max # - 15

Meetings That Move Things Forward (NFED 1341047) - 2 hours (Live Webinar) - Max

# - 50

Winning People Over (NFED 1341053) - 2 hours (Live Webinar) - Max # - 50

Shortcut to Creativity (NFED 1322013) - 2 hours (Live Webinar) - Max # - 50

Release the Pressure (NFED 1322012) - 2 hours (Live Webinar) - Max # - 50

Building Agreement Out of Conflict (NFED 1341046) - 2 hours (Live Webinar) - Max

# - 50

*NFED refers to non-federal courses; employees can search by the NFED

course number in TMS

You can view all of the available dates and times under the link for each course or on

the Open Enrollment Calendar on SharePoint. Stay tuned; more webinar trainings will be

available throughout the year!

Questions about the Customer Focus webinars can be entered at VALUSponsorMe. Requests

for a specific topic of class can be sent to Vickie Nitschke at Vickie.Nitschke@va.gov.

GENERAL NEWS

NON-VA EVENTS FOR VETERANS Texas Veterans Commission gives $50,000 to Meals on Wheels

MGM Resorts International Veterans Career Fair, Las Vegas, NV, June 30th

GreenPath Financial Wellness receives $300,000 grant from the Texas Veterans Commission

10 CAN Annual Banquet, Gainesville, FL., Sept. 17th

Veterans Economic Communities Initiative and Colton-Redlands-Yucaipa ROP: Women

Veterans Networking Event, Redlands, CA, July21st

4th Annual Veterans' Economic Summit, Los Angeles, August 4th

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New center for homeless female veterans coming to Pennsylvania http://bit.ly/28JfaWN

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Homeless female veterans will soon get a helping hand from

other women who served in the military.

A home at 1338 State Street has a rusted roof and tattered patio, but what’s inside is

getting a major makeover to transform the lives of homeless women who fought for our

nation’s freedom.

A new journey for homeless female veterans gets closer to reality with each box moved and

every new coat of plaster on the wall.

“We have a lot of women, over 150,000 women, across this country that are veterans, who

are homeless, and have been experiencing chronic homelessness,” said Jolanda Woods, CEO

and founder of the Women’s Wisdom House.

The State Street home will house three female veterans and a house mother. The veterans

can stay from 12 to 24 months. They’ll get shelter, learn job and life skills, and get help

with job placement.

As Homelessness Worsens, the Number of Women on the Streets Soars in Los Angeles http://bit.ly/28WjPog

DTLA - Angelenos were abuzz in May when the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority

released the results of its 2016 homeless count. It found that, following a 12% jump from

2013 to 2015, the city saw another 11% increase in homelessness in the last year, with a

5.7% boost countywide. The number of tent encampments had doubled in three years.

Lost amidst the consternation of the rising numbers is another shocking statistic: Since

2013, there has been a 55% spike in homeless women in the county, compared to an

18.8% increase in the overall homeless population, according to LAHSA.

Bill Requiring Women to Register for the Draft Passes Senate http://bit.ly/28WhJF4 A provision that would require women to register for the military draft alongside men for the

first time in American history was included as part of the massive 2017 National Defense

Authorization Act that passed the Senate handily on Tuesday with an 85-13 vote.

The language requiring the draft for women was added in committee and received little

debate on the Senate floor, but has created a firestorm of controversy on and off Capitol

Hill. It comes as the military services welcome women into previously closed ground combat

units in keeping with a mandate from Defense Secretary Ash Carter given late last year.

VA: Women Vets: We see you. We hear you. We thank you. http://1.usa.gov/28SZe0M

. . . Our Nation has a great capacity to do so much good through the outpouring of support

and care, at times. But, the (parking spot) note that Hayes received on her car, in Concord,

demonstrates loud and clear that there’s much work to do in order to create cultural change

for our women Veterans.

Unfortunately, many women Veterans are invisible to some.

A recent study shows that, only 37% of women Veterans indicated they felt “recognized,

respected and valued as Veterans in civilian life.”

Both in deployment and at home, women Veterans continue to face challenges their male

counterparts don’t. While we must continue our efforts to address the needs of women

Veterans, we must also ensure women Veterans are valued, respected and feel safe.

Lieutenant Commander Hayes, this is my personal thank you for not being invisible, for

standing up and saying something. We see you. We appreciate your service and the service

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of all our women Veterans.

As a result the VA’s Women’s Health Services (WHS) is sponsoring the “I’m

One” campaign to raise awareness of VA benefits available for women Veterans.

The campaign is designed to increase knowledge about what it means to be a Veteran and

to help women Veterans who served in the United States Uniformed Services.

What Can You Do to Help?

Please share the blog to help raise awareness for greater visibility and better treatment of

our women Veterans.

Visit and read Culture Change page then print out or post one of the Culture Change

posters.

Retired Air Force General Becomes DACOWITS Chairperson http://1.usa.gov/28Z0yTt WASHINGTON, June 15, 2016 — Retired Air Force Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger takes office

today as the chairperson of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services,

also known as DACOWITS, Pentagon officials announced.

Historically, officials said, DACOWITS' recommendations have been instrumental in effecting

changes to laws and policies pertaining to military women.

DACOWITS members include prominent civilian women and men representing a distribution

of demography, academia, industry, public service and other professions, officials noted,

adding that selection is on the basis of experience in the military or with women's-related

workforce issues.

The committee’s 2016 charter authorizes a total of 20 members who are selected for a four-

year term without compensation. Members perform a variety of duties, including visiting

military installations each year, conducting a review and evaluation of current research on

military women, and developing an annual report with recommendations on these issues for

service leadership and the secretary of defense.

Air Force Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger served as commander of Air Force Materiel

Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Wolfenbarger became the first

woman to achieve four-star general rank in the Air Force. She retired from military service

in 2015.

Event: 10 CAN Annual Banquet, Gainesville, FL., Sept. 17th Join the 10 CAN family, as we celebrate Military and First Responder families, recognize the

contributions of team members, volunteers, and partners, and showcase future endeavors.

All funds raised through ticket sales, auction, and donations will benefit Children of our

Heroes.

. . . 10 CAN, Inc. is a not-for-profit Christian Adventure Network that focuses on family

fitness through outdoor adventures. Our motto is Faith and Family first. Mission: Honor,

Revive, and Grow families of First Responders and Veterans KIA, wounded, or injured in the

line of duty through nature.

We are headquartered on a 10-acre farm in Newberry, FL. Here we teach

veteran's farming and sustainable living skills, and offer Agra-therapy to Wounded Warriors.

We educate children on land use, outdoor survival skills, and self-defense. Additionally, we

coordinate therapeutic retreats for Wounded First Responders

SAMHSA: Accommodating Mental Illness in the Workplace http://1.usa.gov/28UwHLP

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Not every person experiencing mental illness will have difficulty at work, but some will.

“Hidden” disabilities such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),

schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, traumatic brain injury, and intellectual and

learning disabilities (e.g., attention deficit disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity

disorder) can affect a person’s ability to perform his or her job.

Also, unlike a physical disability that may be permanent, shifts in mental health can trigger

and recede without warning. When someone experiences a cognitive challenge, it can be

difficult to focus, process, think clearly, remember details, organize thoughts and tasks, and

stop and start activities.

For these individuals, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of

2008 (ADAAA) requires employers to make “reasonable accommodations” to help people

with mental health conditions do their jobs. The ADAAA does not list medical conditions that

are disabilities, but rather gives a general definition of disability. A doctor may be required

to validate the need for accommodation.

Research: Americans spent $30.2 billion out-of-pocket on complementary health approaches http://1.usa.gov/28QzG4e

Americans spent $30.2 billion — $28.3 billion for adults and $1.9 billion for children — out-

of-pocket on complementary health approaches, according to a nationwide survey.

These approaches include a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices,

and products such as herbal supplements, meditation, chiropractic, and yoga.

This amount represents 9.2 percent of all out-of-pocket spending by Americans on health

care and 1.1 percent of total health care spending.

LAPD orders officers to show 'compassion and empathy' to homeless people http://lat.ms/28Whvhg

Encounters with the city’s homeless population have long been among the most sensitive

and legally fraught parts of being a Los Angeles police officer.

Police have taken a leading role over the last decade helping clean up the streets of a

rapidly gentrifying downtown L.A., resulting in historic legal battles over the rights of

homeless people and the limits of law enforcement. Last year, two of the most controversial

L.A. Police Department use-of-force cases involved homeless men fatally shot by officers.

These interactions are often complicated by mental health and substance abuse issues

suffered by homeless people, a problem that some advocates said the LAPD has struggled

to effectively address.

On Tuesday, the LAPD moved to reset this relationship. The Los Angeles Police Commission

approved a new policy directing LAPD officers to treat homeless people with “compassion

and empathy.”

VA: Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay http://1.usa.gov/28SWpgf Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell

your Veteran they are special to you? You’re in luck! VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media

feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much

of the information as you can put together. At the link above is an overview of how to put

together a great #VeteranOfTheDay package.

Additional resources from my blog

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS http://bit.ly/1Gg21LH

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EVENTS FOR VETERANS & VETERANS SERVICE PROVIDERS http://bit.ly/1Gg1nOi

VETERANS JOB LISTINGS AND HIRING FAIRS WEBSITES http://bit.ly/19Dz2ay NEWSLETTERS & BLOG FOR VETERANS http://bit.ly/1GQzKjf

"VETERANS IN JUSTICE" LinkedIn Professional Group (VIJ)

Please join us on LinkedIn or Facebook for networking and discussions on the issues regarding

veterans in the criminal justice system. This group's mission is to connect professionals and

advocates who work with and for justice-involved veterans and to share ideas and practices for

assisting those veterans -- from the conditions that lead to justice involvement, through initial

police contact, arrest, criminal case processing, conviction, sentencing, incarceration, and

release. Access our group at http://linkd.in/1947vfS Facebook:

www.facebook.com/veteransinjustice

Join The National Discussion - 1,326 Professionals in VIJ Group

Active Topics

A Veteran Spent Last Night in Jail

Law & Order Generation: The Injustice of Indifference

VA Benefits and discharge types

Another American Hero Discarded, SSG Lewis Foutch

Veterans Treatment Court Webinar Series

Addiction treatment connected to jail?

More . . .

LINKEDIN GROUPS

Military and Veteran Benefit Forum Veteran Mentor Network http://linkd.in/1fOlgOt 28,933 members Institute for Veteran Cultural Studies http://linkd.in/1cz3gq1 NAMI http://linkd.in/1cz3Gg7 BI-IFEA (Brain injury-Ideas for Education & Advocacy) http://linkd.in/1cz4e5V Military-Civilian: Hot Jobs and Careers for Veterans and Their Families http://linkd.in/1c59DkM

VETERANS IN JUSTICE GROUP http://linkd.in/12APdMS Four subgroups created:

Veterans Treatment Courts http://linkd.in/145DdHc Mental Health http://linkd.in/12QFCjI Female Veterans http://linkd.in/145CTbn Peer Support & Mentoring http://linkd.in/145D32G

Cuyahoga County Ohio Veterans and Supporters (Bryan A. McGown "Gunny") http://linkd.in/Zxwx1f Veteran Employment Representatives http://linkd.in/ZxwUcc MILITARY MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS POST DEPLOYMENT FOR PROVIDERS, COMBAT VETERANS & THEIR FAMILIES http://bit.ly/1RVPLFl Midwest Military Outreach, Inc. http://linkd.in/1eiMTkJ Military Veteran Job Fairs & Hiring Conferences http://linkd.in/Zxx4jS Wounded Warrior Resources http://linkd.in/17TMNhJ The Value of a Veteran http://linkd.in/15vD7H4 MILITARY MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS POST DEPLOYMENT FOR PROVIDERS, COMBAT VETERANS & THEIR FAMILIES http://linkd.in/1fkQLA8 (Please email us other groups that you find and think would be informative and useful for our audience)

VETERANS IN THE COURTS INITIATIVE BLOG estrattonconsulting.wordpress.com

Editor's Note: To focus this newsletter on veterans-related criminal justice and mental illness issues and to shorten it

to a more manageable size, we have moved our tables & lists of reference materials and other longer term information to retired Justice Stratton's blog. Please follow the links below.

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Operation Legal Help Ohio http://bit.ly/1Gg0HbK

National Legal Assistance http://bit.ly/19DC5zu

VA Town Halls & Events http://bit.ly/1Gg1DN6

Jobs & Hiring Fairs Listings http://bit.ly/19Dz2ay

Events: Conferences, Webinars, etc.

http://bit.ly/1Gg1nOi

Additional Resources http://bit.ly/1Gg21LH

Current Newsletter http://bit.ly/19ovER5

2015 Newsletters http://bit.ly/1FKASAC

Ohio Resources For Veterans http://bit.ly/19ouWn0

Editor's Note: Thank you to all of the individuals and organizations that provide articles for these news clips every week. I would especially like to thank and urge you to follow: Mary Ellen Salzano, founder facilitator of the CA Statewide Collaborative for our Military and Families, Dr. Ingrid Herrera-Yee, project manager for

the military spouse mental health professional network at the National Military Family Association. Dr. Herrera-Yee is currently a Board Member for the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), Military Spouses of Strength, Military Mental Health Project and the National Guard Suicide and Resiliency Council among others. She has also been a special contributor to NBC News, Military Times, Air Force Times, Military Spouse Magazine and BuzzFeed. She spends her free time mentoring spouses through eMentor and Joining Forces. Dr. Herrera-Yee received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and was a Clinical Fellow at Harvard

University. Lily Casura, journalist, author and founder of Healing Combat Trauma - the award-winning, first

website to address the issue of combat veterans and PTSD (established February 2006), and USMC 1stLt Andrew T. Bolla, PIO at the USMC Wounded Warrior Regiment, publisher of WWR In the News, DoD Morning News of Note and USA Colonel (Ret.) James Hutton, Director of Media Relations at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

HOW TO JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER

There are three ways to join my newsletter:

Join my Veterans In The Courts Initiative Google Group at http://bit.ly/1DZ3esD or,

Subscribe to my Veterans In The Courts Initiative Blog for immediate news and for my weekly newsletter

at http://bit.ly/1DP1TCi or,

Please contact my editor Pete Miller at cruzzen@gmail.com and request to be added.

1. Please send us a little info about yourselves as we like to introduce our new sign-ups to others for networking purposes. (See our transmittal email page for examples.) If you do NOT wish to be recognized, please let Pete know, otherwise we will list you. 2. We provide these news clips summaries as a way to share information of a general nature and it is not intended as a substitute for professional consultation and advice in a particular matter. The opinions and interpretations expressed within are those of the author of the individual news stories only and may not reflect those of other identified parties. 3. We do not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of these news clips, nor do we endorse or make any representations about their content. We only pass them through to our readers and rely on you to check out their content. We don't intend to make any editorial judgment about their content or politics. 4. In no event will I, EStratton Consulting, or my Editor Pete Miller, be liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of the use of or reliance on the contents of this news clips summary. How you chose to use them is strictly up to you. 5. Please fell free to pass the news clips on to any of your networks, so that we may get the word out as far as possible. You may also send in information similar in content to what we pass on. While we may occasionally pass on such information, we don't intend to promote commercial or for profit products nor be a substitute for your own efforts to promote your own entity or website. We especially welcome information about national funding or training opportunities. 6. If you pass on our clips, please also pass on our Disclaimer.

EDITOR/CONTACT

Pete Miller, cruzzen@gmail.com, @OHCircuitRider

Ohio Attorney General's Task Force on Criminal Justice & Mental Illness

Veterans In The Courts Initiative

Editor/Publisher - Veterans Treatment Court News Daily

Editor/Publisher - Traumatic Brain Injury Nes Daily