I posted last week about the importance of the work that Representative Bob Filner (D-CA) would be doing as the new Chairman of the Committee for Veteran's Affairs; it appears that not only is Representative Filner replacing the staff director, but he seems to be replacing all of the senior staff on the Democratic side of the committee. The wisdom of this, when the Republicans will have an experienced senior staff, escapes me. Here's more info about what's at stake in combating Representative Buyer (R-IN) and his Republican staff [to clarify, the Navy provides counseling and mental health care to the Marines]:
- An experienced Navy psychologist warns that the U.S. military does not have enough mental health professionals to meet the growing number of emotionally damaged war veterans.
Moreover, Navy Cmdr. Mark Russell says, many of the mental health professionals on staff lack formal training in core therapies for post-traumatic stress syndrome. Russell predicts a "perfect storm" of dire health care consequences.
...
Military mental health officials downplay Russell's grim assessment, noting that training is increasing, aggressive mental health programs are being created, and civilian mental health professionals are being hired to provide additional resources.
"Mark really has a tremendous amount of compassion and a real desire to make sure that everyone gets what they need," says Navy Capt. Warren Klam, a psychiatrist and senior medical officer for mental health at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego and a member of the Mental Health Task Force. "I just think if you look at the bigger picture, it's not nearly as much of a concern as it might sound. I think DOD (Department of Defense) is very sensitive to this issue and is trying to work very hard."
In my opinion yes, the military cares about this problem, but I also think they could use some help prioritizing this issue in the grand scheme of things that they have on their collective plate. Both the military and the nation's track record of caring for veterans (particularly those suffering from PTSD) could be better:
- ...the VA estimates that nearly 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. And nearly 400,000 experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one out of every three homeless men who is sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served this country. According to the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Urban Institute, 1999), veterans account for 23% of all homeless people in America.
We need to do better this time. And Representative Filner needs to keep that foremost in his mind. It's too early to say whether his firing of the senior staff was a mistake, but he's stumbling a bit getting out of the blocks.
