Category Archives: Veterans for Common Sense News

New name for PTSD could mean less stigma

From the Washington Post By Greg Jaffe, Published: May 5 It has been called shell shock, battle fatigue, soldier’s heart and, most recently, post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.Now, military officers and psychiatrists are embroiled in a heated debate over whether to change the … Continue reading

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Returning troops put strain on VA

  WASHINGTON, May 3 (UPI) – U.S. troops returning from Afghanistan are providing a challenge for veterans-affairs organizations straining to meet the needs of veterans, analysts said. There are currently 91,000 troops in Afghanistan and 23,000 will return to the United … Continue reading

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VA mental health hiring is flawed, critic says

  From the Army Times By Patricia Kime – Staff writer A representative of a major mental health organization blasted the Veterans Affairs Department for failing to hire therapists whom he says could ease VA staffing shortages and eliminate prolonged waiting periods … Continue reading

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Army Will Reshape Training, With Lessons From Special Forces

From the NYTIMES.com By THOM SHANKER Published: May 2, 2012 WASHINGTON — The Army is reshaping the way many soldiers are trained and deployed, with some conventional units to be placed officially under Special Operations commanders and others assigned to regions … Continue reading

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New VA hires to include marriage therapists, professional counselors

  From Stars and Striples by Leo Shane WASHINGTON – The 1,900 new mental health staffers to be added to the Department of Veterans Affairs workforce in coming months will include two new types of specialists: marriage and family therapists, and licensed … Continue reading

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Military families and mental health: Understanding the issues and available resources

From the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel By (ARA) Today’s service men and women are facing particularly challenging circumstances. Many soldiers have been deployed several times to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, often serving in prolonged combat operations. Army Secretary John McHugh … Continue reading

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Times: VA hospitals improve performance by changing rules

Just another case of VA cooking the books to make things look better. Don’t let them get away with it. Tampa Bay Business Journal Date: Monday, April 30, 2012, 6:20am EDT An investigation by the Tampa Bay Timesindicates that the region’s … Continue reading

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National Guard Members’ Next Battle: The Job Hunt

From NPR TOM DREISBACH and RACHEL MARTIN Before the soldiers of the 182nd Regiment of the Army National Guard came home, they were asked how many were unemployed or looking for work. The answer: about one in three. As more soldiers return … Continue reading

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VCS ED on BBC News Hour

This weekend in addition to a Friday live interview VCS ED Patrick Bellon was featured in an interview on the BBC Newshour. This interview was only the latest round in our efforts to bring attention to the plight facing our … Continue reading

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VCS Spring Membership and Fundraising

Thank you for visiting our website.  Please feel free to look around. Perhaps you heard or saw one of our recent  interviews on NPR, the BBC or in the New York Times, regarding veterans mental health.  Were you wondering how … Continue reading

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