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

AUGUST 14, 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

4,022 providers of veterans’ services, just like you, nationwide, receive this newsletter directly. Another

10,000+ can see it on 5 social media sites. My blog has been viewed by 0ver 3,900 people in 48 countries.

Thank you for sharing!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOPIC PAGE TOPIC PAGE

FEATURED STORIES 1 DEPLOYMENT HEALTH NEWS*** 16

OPPORTUNITIES 4 COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES 18

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 4 GENERAL NEWS 20

OHIO 6 "VETERANS IN JUSTICE" LINKEDIN GROUP 25

VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS 8 OTHER LINKEDIN GROUPS 26

PTS/TBI/MST 12 VETERANS IN THE COURTS INITIATIVE BLOG 26

SUICIDE 16 HOW TO JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER 27

***DoD publishes Development Health News every other week.

FEATURED STORIES ABA President Linda Klein announces major initiative on legal services for veterans http://bit.ly/2bkGmNr

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 10, 2016 — American Bar Association President Linda Klein

has announced a major effort to mobilize lawyers on behalf of enhanced legal services

for the nation’s veterans.

Persistent combat exposure, redeployment and separations have meant that too many of

those who have served our country return from active duty to a variety of legal problem —

including evictions, child-custody disputes or wrongful denial of benefits, Klein said.

“These are men and women who have signed a piece of paper saying they would die for us,

for our country, in defense of our liberty,” she said in outlining her plans at the ABA Annual

Meeting that concluded here Tuesday. “When our justice system fails these people, we as a

profession must answer our own calls and oath on their behalf.”

Klein said that in order to expand on the outstanding work the ABA already does to help

active-duty military and veterans, she has launched a Veterans Legal Services Initiative, led

by a 20-member volunteer commission. The commission will be headed by Nanette

DeRenzi, a retired three-star vice admiral (for biography click here for biography), and

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Dwight Smith, a Tulsa attorney who has held key ABA leadership roles (for biography

click here).

The commission will use the vast expertise of ABA membership and extensive nationwide

relationships, Klein said, to build a comprehensive online resource that informs veterans of

legal issues that could affect them and directs them to relevant local resources and legal

providers.

Among the actions expected to be undertaken as part of the initiative:

Engaging with law schools and bar associations to promote legal-services incubators

to assist veterans while providing valuable training for new and underemployed

lawyers.

Promoting medical-legal partnerships that pair doctors with lawyers to solve clients’

underlying legal problems and encourage legal check-ups for veterans, their families

and caregivers.

Extending National Pro Bono Celebration week activities in late October to include

Veteran’s Day and sponsoring an additional volunteer activity around Memorial Day.

“As we lay the groundwork for this effort,” Klein said, “I hope we will create a legacy that

will help millions of veterans who so bravely served our nation.”

Please click here for a biography and photo of Linda Klein, president of the American Bar

Association.

GA: Chatham County Sheriff Wilcher extends helping hand to jail veterans http://bit.ly/2bqstx0

Nationally, about 8 percent of those in jails or prisons are military veterans.

In Chatham County, at least 30 veterans find home in the jail, most with few if any

resources available to assist them.

Sheriff John Wilcher, himself a veteran, wants to address the problem and provide veterans

in his jail with tools to cope. “We get these people in here and there’s nobody to help them,”

Wilcher said Thursday. “We need to look after them."

He is beginning a Veteran’s Pod and Program at the jail for 30 males – and three female

veterans housed elsewhere in the facility – to provide a seven-week program under the

direction of Christina L. Jackson-Davis, who will coordinate the program.

The capacity is for 72 male vets.

The goal of the program is to identify, intervene and advocate for veterans as early as

possible in the criminal justice system, Davis said. The key diversion feature is to reduce the

amount of time a veteran remains incarcerated by establishing programs and service, she

added.

Message up front

The message will be clear from the time a detainee hits the jail. Signs beginning at booking

will ask:

Have you ever served in the United States military?

If yes, which branch of service did you serve in?

What month and year did you enter, and what month and year did you exit?

What type of discharge did you receive?

Did you serve during a campaign or were you ever in combat?

Are you currently connected to Veterans Affairs for any type of benefits?

Are you currently receiving veteran compensation?

But officials will make it clear from the start the program will require discipline.

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“You will be expected to cooperate with all facility staff and with each other,” an introduction

letter says. “This is NOT a get-out-of-jail-free opportunity, but an opportunity to exercise

the honor, respect, integrity, personal initiative, and self-discipline you obtained and utilized

while serving our country in the United States military.

“This program will allow you to connect with other brothers and sisters in arms that

understand where you have been, and where you are trying to go after you discharge from

the (sheriff’s office).”

Davis said that curriculum will include:

Motivation for change – addressing criminal history, substance abuse, anger

management – to enhance the detainee’s motivation.

Re-entry skills building class – focusing on such areas as identifying barriers, going

back to school, social security disability benefits, money management and

budgeting, accessing credit reports, reintegrating with family and child support and

resume writing.

Problem-solving skills in action – providing effective skills to assist the detainee in

being able to stop and think, make choices and accept

consequences.

Davis said the same curriculum is taught in the state prison system so that skills

taught locally can transfer with the detainee should he or she get a prison term in

courts.

Veteran’s Treatment effort

Wilcher’s program will help to identify veterans in the system and work with Chatham

County Superior Court Judge Penny Haas Freesemann and her Veteran’s

Treatment and Mental Health courts programs already in operation.

“It’s like another building block,” said Freesemann, who has headed the Veteran’s

Treatment Court since she started it in 2011. “For me it’s just another piece of the Veteran’s

Treatment Court.”

She credited Wilcher and his staff for providing a vehicle to identify and assist veterans who

find themselves incarcerated.

“It’s a change that makes a lot of sense in a jail setting,” she said, adding that having

veterans in one pod will enable officials to identify veterans more quickly and bring to bear

a lot of what veterans are entitled and should get.

Her court has graduated 16 veterans in the past four years, but conceded, “It’s never grown

the way I thought it would.”

Adding to the problem is the fact that the Veterans Administration does not provide benefits

after 61 days for any veteran while in custody.

“We’re acting as a liaison,” Davis said.

Todd Freesemann, a retired Air Force colonel who is working as an adviser for the program,

said part of Wilcher’s motivation is that he wants to reduce re-arrests and stop the cycle by

providing veterans with resources.

“A lot of these folks find themselves in a difficult position,” Freesemann said, adding that

the responsibility obviously falls on the individual.

The program seeks to “re-ignite that spark” from the service of honor, respect and

integrity to assist the veteran.

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Davis, who served seven years in the Army before leaving in 2003, said that while the local

program “may accept all veterans, the VA does not.” She will be assisted by Brittany

Norman-Kirkland and Capt. Terry Boyles.

She said that in many cases, a lack of monetary resources may hamper a veteran’s re-entry

into civilian life. “You leave (the service) with no money and no benefits. You just wing it,”

she said.

EVENT: Service Member to Civilian International Summit, UA School of Social Work, Birmingham, AL, September 20th – 23rd http://bit.ly/2boeXdj

The 2nd annual Service Member to Civilian (S2C) Summit will be hosted by the University of

Alabama’s School of Social Work from September 21-23 2016.

A special Pre-Summit Session on Moral Injury and Faith-Based Approaches to Supporting

Veterans and Families will be held September 20, 2016.

S2C is an international summit addressing the current and emerging needs of service

members in their transition to civilian life.

The diverse team of academics, service providers, veterans, and government employees

presenting at the event will examine how service members from all branches of the military

transition to civilian life, focusing on how we can improve that process through translational

science and service.

Please consider attending! Learn more at http://servicetocivilian.ua.edu.

OPPORTUNITIES

Marine Corps seeks ideas for iPhone and Android apps http://bit.ly/2bofNqy The Marine Corps wants to hear your ideas for mobile phone applications that could improve

how you live, work and fight.

Starting on Monday, Marines of all ranks can submit code for iPhone and Android apps as

part of the Marine Corps Mobile Application Competition, officials said. An upcoming

MARADMIN will include detailed information about how to enter the contest and a link to a

website that can answer Marines’ technical questions.

The types of apps the Marines are interested in fall into three broad categories: quality of

life, physical fitness and warfighting, said Daniel Corbin, the Marine Corps’ C4 chief

technology adviser. The apps are meant to be simple but useful, he said.

. . . Marines interested in taking part in the contest must submit their letters of intent by

Sept. 30 and their application package by Nov. 5, said Col. Kyle Dewar, enterprise data

center technologist for the Marine Corps. The application package must include source code,

instructions for building the mobile phone app, sample data files, if necessary, and a one-

minute video describing the app.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

EVENT: #ExploreVA Vet Center Video Tour and Facebook Chat, Aug. 17th http://bit.ly/2bkQrcY

Have you served in a combat zone, area of hostility, experienced a military sexual trauma,

or served as part of a drone crew? If so, you qualify for free community-based counseling at

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a VA Vet Center and you qualify whether you are active duty now, recently separated, or

served many years ago.

Join VA, representatives from Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and others in the Veteran

community for a video tour of a Vet Center and an opportunity to ask questions about

eligibility, services, and how to locate a Vet Center near you.

Participating is easy: Click the “Register for event reminders” button to receive an email

reminder the day of the event with a link to VFW’s Facebook page. You can also visit this

page on the day of the event for instructions on how to join. You will need a Facebook

account to participate.

During the event, you can:

Take a video tour of a Vet Center and ask VA and VFW experts your questions.

Learn about the free, confidential counseling services offered to eligible Veterans,

Servicemembers, and their families.

Learn how community-based, Veteran-to-Veteran counseling can make it easier for

Veterans and their families to readjust to civilian life.

Get connected directly to services at your local Vet Center when you type your zip

code into the chat window.

Please help VA spread the word about this event with Veterans in your life by sharing this

page on Facebook or Twitter. VA Secretary Addresses Accountability http://bit.ly/2bkVwlL

VA Secretary Robert McDonald, under continued fire from Capitol Hill—mostly, but not

exclusively, on a partisan basis—for failing to hold poorly performing or misbehaving

employees accountable, has reaffirmed his past statements that firing more people does not

necessarily make for better management.

“Our employees are good people. I’m proud of them. They care about us. They want to

serve us well. And we’re equipping them for success. They’re not all perfect, not by a long

shot. But it’s a gross misrepresentation to cherry-pick the worst and hold them up like they

represent VA employees,” he said in a recent speech.

. . . He said the VA has fired 3,750 employees over the two years he has led the

department–about 1 percent of the agency’s workforce, many of whom likely were removed

during their probationary periods—and cited the case of an employee’s conviction on

charges of falsifying patient records that could result in fines and prison time as evidence

that management is acting. VA leverages IT to fix scheduling deficiencies http://bit.ly/2bkF5Wz

. . . On the technology front, the Veteran Appointment Request app, which has been

developed and is currently being piloted by the VA, will enable users to directly schedule or

request primary care appointments, request mental health appointments, as well as view

appointment details, track the status of requests, send messages about the requested

appointments, get notifications about appointments, and cancel appointments. The app is

slated to be available to all veterans by early 2017.

David Shulkin, MD, the VA’s Under Secretary for Health. told a Senate committee in late

June that the VA is testing the Veteran Appointment Request app at two facilities—the VA

Connecticut Healthcare System (West Haven) and the VA Boston Healthcare System

(Jamaica Plain)—and that they are showing “positive” results.

VA Local Events & Other News VA Minneapolis Assistive Technology & Disability Services Fair, Aug. 15th

Ashtabula County Ohio Veteran Town Hall, Aug. 16th

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Tomah VA Medical Center Host a Veteran Benefit & Job Fair, Employer Workshop and

Veteran Town Hall Meeting, Aug 16th

Charleston VA Career Fair, Aug 18th

Chicago VAMC 2016 Welcome Home and Veteran's Resource Fair, Aug 23rd

Walla Walla VAMC Town Hall, Aug. 26th

Miami VAMC Key West Veteran Town Hall Meeting, Aug. 28th

Fargo VA plans Town Hall Sept. 7 in Wahpeton

Canandaigua VA Medical Center Quarterly Town Hall meeting. Sep. 14th

Marion VAMC Stand Down for Homeless Veterans, Sept. 29th

Francisco Vazquez, as the new Director of the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in

Houston, Texas.

Psychologist Led VA Team Responding to Shootings at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

Surprise Inspections Show VA Health Care Improvement Since Phoenix Scandal

Picket line stands against VA system privatization in Grand Island.

VA taps Lockheed Martin for $33 million modernization of health benefits program.

One-stop shop for veterans: Colorado Springs center with 'no wrong door' brings help.

Work begins on $14.3M complex in Minneapolis for chronically homeless vets | Star Tribune

New Truman VA director eyes off-site town hall meetings

MyVA Advisory Committee talks progress, future

New Veterans Affairs Clinic Planned For Mobile, AL

Outpatient Surgery Program at the U.S.A.F Academy

ECHCS Veterans Resource Guide

VA plans to expand benefits eligibility for Camp Lejeune #Veterans

Verbatim: New director of VA Northern Indiana Health Care System named

VA OIG Reports

Review of Alleged Waste of Funds at the VA Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan

Healthcare Inspection – Psychiatry Partial Hospitalization Program and Management

Concerns, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Healthcare Inspection – Reported Primary Care Staffing at St. Cloud VA Health Care

System, Veterans Integrated Service Network 23, Eagan, Minnesota

Media: VA Inspector General to review suicide of Wisconsin Dells native

Additional resources from my blog

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

OHIO

Attorney General DeWine Awards Grant to Ohio Military Legal Assistance Project http://bit.ly/2b9MdoA

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced that his office

has awarded a $50,000 grant to the Ohio Military Veterans Legal Assistance Project

(OMVLAP).

The grant funds are being awarded in part from funds seized from the former veterans’

charity scam artist known as Bobby Thompson.

“These funds were originally given by generous donors who thought their contributions were

going to help our veterans, but most of the money went to line the pockets of a con artist,”

said Attorney General DeWine. “As a result of the legal process that convicted Bobby

Thompson, my office received some of the remaining funds with the provision that they

assist veterans.

“This grant to the Ohio Military Veterans Legal Assistance Project will ensure the donations

serve their original purpose by helping veterans.”

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OMVLAP arranges legal services for low-income Ohio military veterans and active service

members who cannot afford an attorney.

OMVLAP maintains a network of Ohio lawyers who provide legal services pro bono or at a

substantially reduced fee.

Thompson, also known as John Donald Cody, ran a scam charity called the U.S. Navy

Veterans Association, which solicited funds nationwide but allowed Thompson to pocket as

much as $2 million in proceeds. A fugitive of the law, he was arrested in 2012 in Portland,

Ore. He was convicted in 2013 on 23 charges and sentenced to 28 years in prison. Money

seized during Thompson’s arrest was awarded to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for

distribution to legitimate veterans charities.

o ABC News: Money Stolen by Infamous Con Man 'Bobby Thompson' Finally

Goes to Vets

OPERATION LEGAL HELP OHIO AUGUST 2016 NEWSLETTER http://bit.ly/2bqr5KN What's Missing to Reduce the Wave of Veteran Homelessness? -- Lawyers!

Making a Difference

New Face at OMVLAP

Support Comes to Ohio Military/Veterans Legal Assistance Project

July 2016 Stats By The Numbers

Have CLE, Will Travel

Scheduled CLE's in the near term will be presented in:

Veterans Legal Clinic at Starbucks

Are You Willing to Provide Representation to an Active Duty service member at a

Reduced Fee?

Other ways to help

For intake of low income veterans and active servicemembers: 1-877-759-6182

Are You a Lawyer Looking to Serve?

Operation Legal Help Ohio Starbucks Brief Advice Clinics (Columbus) http://bit.ly/2bojmNp

Are you a low-income veteran who has a legal question to ask an attorney? If so, please feel

free to sign up in one of the open slots listed below.

The brief advice clinic will run on the second Monday of each month from 5-8 p.m. at the

Starbucks at 1873 Henderson Road, Columbus, OH. You may sign up for ONE half hour

time slot. Please fill in all of the information. Someone from our staff may be in contact with

you to clarify any information. The information you provide will NOT be shown on the

website to the public. It will only show that the slot has been filled.

Verbatim: New director of VA Northern Indiana Health Care System named http://bit.ly/2bs4wpb

Editor’s note: VANIHCS is part of VISN 10 and supports veterans in parts of western Ohio.

The Department of Veterans Affairs issued this news release today: Fort Wayne and Marion,

Indiana -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is pleased to announce the appointment

of Michael E. Hershman as the new director of the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System

(VANIHCS) effective September 6, 2016.

Mr. Hershman will oversee delivery of health care to more than 45,000 unique Veterans

annually and an operating budget of over $274 million.

With over 1400 staff, VANIHCS is a two-division campus located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and

Marion, Indiana serving over 20 counties in Indiana with four community based outpatient

clinics (CBOC) located in South Bend, IN; Goshen, IN; Muncie, IN; Peru, IN.

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Mr. Hershman is a Veteran of the U.S. Army and recently retired at the rank of Colonel from

the Army’s Medical Service Corps after 28 years of distinguished service.

How the Cleveland VA is helping to heal our American heroes (Video) http://bit.ly/2bdEPJ2

CLEVELAND, Ohio-- FOX 8 is backing an incredible cause for this year's FOX 8 FOX Trot.

This year, we're supporting the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center in Cleveland. Today, we look

at the invisible wounds of war and how the Cleveland VA is healing our American heroes.

**Watch the video above for more**

The 4th annual FOX Trot, presented by your Northern Ohio Honda dealers, will be Sunday,

August 28, at the new location on Mall C, across from the Convention Center.

**CLICK HERE TO REGISTER**

Standard registration gets you into the 5K run or 1-mile walk and a free shirt. For premium

registration, you'll also receive a free American flag, made in Ohio, and a raffle entry to win

one of several flags flown overseas.

EVENT: Ashtabula County Veteran Town Hall - Meet Erie VAMC Leadership, Tuesday, August 16 from 5:30pm-6:30pm at the Ashtabula American Legion http://bit.ly/2bkBojE

Erie VA Medical Center (VAMC) invites Veterans, their families, and community stakeholders to

attend a Voice of the Veteran Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, August 16 at the Ashtabula

American Legion.

EVENT: Hiring Our Heroes, Cincinnati, August 29th – 30th http://bit.ly/2bkL4KQ Details in the flyer at the link above.

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

CA: EVENT: SAVE THE DATE: Veterans Legal Institute Veteran Summit Fall 2016, The Richard Nixon Library & Museum, Yorba Linda, CA, Nov. 2nd http://bit.ly/2boa5oz

Join Veterans Legal Institute, Rear Area Support Foundation, Richard Nixon Foundation and

the Orange County Veterans and Military Families Collaborative in hosting its second

Veteran Summit on November 2, 2016 from 10:30am to 12:30pm.

Registration is free but space is limited. Special prominent guest speakers will discuss

important veteran issues.

For more information or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Antoinette Balta (VLI) at

abalta@vetslegal.com or JR Nichols (RASF) at jr@rearareasupport.org.

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Veterans Legal Institute

Rear Area Support Foundation

Orange County Veterans and Military Families Collaborative

Richard Nixon Foundation

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Starbucks Coffee

GA: Circuit establishes veterans court http://bit.ly/2bdH6nB

The Atlantic Judicial Circuit has received funding to establish a Veterans Treatment Court.

Superior Court Judge Robert Russell III recently announced the $94,299 grant from the

Council of Accountability Court Judges and the state for 2016-17.

The circuit had its first session of Veterans Court last month in Hinesville. Russell is the

presiding judge. The court is supposed to identify veteran-offenders suffering from

addiction, mental illness or other disorders and divert them from jail into treatment and

services.

"We are rising to meet the needs of our military by ensuring that justice-involved veterans

receive the benefits and treatment they have earned in a Veterans Treatment Court," a

news release said.

The experience of combat calls for a unique solution, he said.

A news release said the court was created in response to a growing number of veterans

appearing on dockets who are addicted to drugs and alcohol, and suffering from mental

illness.

The court is a collaborative effort of the Atlantic Judicial Circuit which covers Liberty, Long,

Bryan, McIntosh, Evans and Tattnall counties, the District Attorney’s Office, the Public

Defender’s office, Recovery Place, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other

veteran services and support organizations.

HI: Judiciary Hosts Hawaii’s First Veterans Treatment Court Conference http://bit.ly/2bqtENh

The Big Island Veterans Treatment Court of the Third Circuit hosted the state’s first Big

Island Veterans Treatment Court Conference on August 12, 2016, for professionals who

work with veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain

injury, and substance use disorders (SUDs).

Judges, law enforcement officials, probation officers, attorneys, researchers, and substance

abuse treatment providers came to learn about the latest evidence-based best practices for

effectively dealing with veterans struggling to readjust to life outside the military.

First Big Island veterans treatment conference helps soldiers reintegrate

after war

LA: Special criminal court for North Shore military vets studied http://bit.ly/2bdHaU1

A specialty court that would direct some military veterans who have committed crimes to

drug, mental heath or other treatment programs instead of jail will be the focus of a study

to be conducted by North Shore District Attorney Warren Montgomery's office.

The study will be funded through a grant from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance in

partnership with the non-profit Justice for Veterans organization.

The initiative, spearheaded by Montgomery and District Judge Raymond S. Childress of the

22nd Judicial District, will bring together a team of local officials and volunteers for three

days of study and training, beginning Aug. 17.

The grant to fund the study was awarded through a competitive application process,

according to a news release from Montgomery's Office.

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MI: Man who made bomb, death threats against judge gets probation, no veterans treatment court http://on.freep.com/2bqtYeV

A Washington Township man accused of making bomb and death threats against a Macomb

County Circuit Court judge will serve three years of probation after spending nearly a year

in the county jail.

Keith Rebar, a former Marine who was denied entry into Veterans Treatment Court and

Mental Health Court, was sentenced today, with Judge Joseph Toia saying that part of

the probation terms included Rebar getting mental health treatment at the Veterans Affairs

hospital. Rebar also is to have no contact with Judge Kathryn Viviano, whom he threatened

last year.

Rebar, 56, pleaded no contest to false report or threat of terrorism last month. Viviano was

elected in November 2010. Her brother is Michigan Supreme Court Justice David Viviano.

. . . Rebar's attorney, Leon Weiss said he was disappointed that Rebar was denied entry

into Veterans Treatment Court because he didn't have drug problems or mental health

issues. But Weiss said Rebar previously had been treated for stresses related to the military

and divorce. NM: Commission to hear veterans court proposal http://bit.ly/2bdGKgt

LAS CRUCES – Doña Ana County commissioners on Tuesday will vote on a statement of

support for creating a veterans court locally.

The proposal, promoted by 3rd Judicial District Attorney Mark D’Antonio, would be an

expansion of the district attorney’s “pre-prosecution diversion program,” according to

county documents.

Cases would be “heard by a judge and a team who better understand the issues that

veterans may be facing and link them to the benefits and services they have earned,”

according to the documents.

The effort aims to help veterans with mental illness keep from cycling through the criminal

justice system.

A group from the D.A.’s office has been meeting with organizations in Las Cruces and El

Paso who deal with veterans affairs to discuss the proposal.

TN: Davidson County Veterans Treatment Court, IDC announce partnership http://bit.ly/2bqtLbo

The Davidson County Veterans Treatment Court has announced a partnership with the

Interfaith Dental Clinic of Nashville to provide dental care services to military veterans

participating in the treatment court program.

Under the agreement, the court will subsidize emergency care and treatment for veterans

referred to Interfaith Dental as part of the broad based program to return Nashville’s

Veterans in crisis to full participation in the community.

“We are excited by this new program and thankful that our friends at Interfaith Dental

understand the need so many of the Veterans in our court have to address neglect of their

physical and emotional health,” Melissa Blackburn, presiding judge of the treatment court

said in a release. Interfaith Dental Clinic is led by CEO Dr. Rhonda Switzer-Nadasdi.

TX: Houston Bar Association Helping Veterans - A major challenge many veterans face is access to legal assistance. Low income vets in Greater Houston are getting help through the Veterans Legal Initiative. http://bit.ly/2bntExo

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. . . Despite a part-time job as a patient escort at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical

Center, Angel was unaware that free legal assistance is offered to veterans courtesy the

Houston Bar Association. Eventually she learned of the program through a social worker.

The Bar has been assisting veterans since 2008.

They hold free clinics at the VA Center every Friday afternoon. Andrew Lehmann oversees

the program.

“We have an ethos in the military that says, ‘Leave no man behind.’ So I feel like what I’m

doing is trying to follow through on that ethos and leave no man behind. Nobody that

struggles because of their service or is left behind because of it should go without legal

services, and that’s what I’m trying to provide,” he says.

An attorney and vet, Lehmann says the program has closed over 1,000 cases in the last

year. And more than 500 attorneys have provided over 15,000 hours of legal service.

. . . the fact the program has helped over 14,000 vets in eight years, shows there’s a need.

Angel Watkins’ reaction after attending a clinic highlights the relief a veteran can feel when

provided free legal assistance.

“I wish this would’ve been given back to me in April, but then I didn’t know. And I think that

things will probably lighten up and some of the stress will come up off of me.” she says.

TX: Military Veteran Peer Network (MVPN) awards community members supporting veterans http://bit.ly/2bscGxW

Seventy-one people showed appreciation for volunteers, peer mentors, and community

agencies who serve the veteran community throughout Montgomery, Walker, and Liberty

counties on Friday evening.

The Military Veteran Peer Network presented awards to say thank you to some of those

individuals and organizations at its end of the year banquet held at Fourteen 86 Events in

Magnolia.

The MVPN appreciation banquet featured guest speaker retired U.S. Army Command

Sergeant Major William J. Gainey, who marched to the top during his military career,

including serving as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff under

the U.S. Department of Defense,

. . . Now he leads a Post-traumatic Stress Disorder peer support group called “Bringing

Everyone in the Zone,” based in Killeen, for veterans who have struggled after returning to

the war zone. He is also a trainer for the support group.

. . . MVPN awarded Judge Kathleen Hamilton who presides over the new Veterans

Treatment Court in Conroe.

The designated court “aims to serve veterans and active service members who suffer from

mental illness, mental disorders, and substance use disorder due to military service, which

was a contributing factor in their misdemeanor or felony criminal offense.”

Hamilton said the court started out with two veterans in May 2015 and will have 20

participants by the end of this month.

“We have grown in a lot of ways and I hope we are still helping our veterans,” Hamilton

said. “It is an honor to preside in that court. Yes, they are defendants in court, but I would

not even have a court if it were not for their service.”

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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 EVENT: Webinar: Shared Decision-Making for PTSD, Aug 17th http://1.usa.gov/1qlRBI3

Research indicates that some Veterans desire family involvement in their treatment for PTSD,

due to impact on the quality of the Veteran’s family and social life.

This series will give an overview of Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD, an

evidence based approach for treating PTSD that includes a family member in treatment. Recent

evidence on how this therapy can help Veterans with PTSD will be shared.

Research: Women in combat, like men, at risk for PTSD http://reut.rs/2bkDDU0

(Reuters Health) - Women in the military who experience combat have a much greater risk

than those who don’t of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental

health issues, a U.S. study suggests.

Compared to their peers without any combat exposure, enlisted women who had just one

combat experience were over four times more likely to screen positive for PTSD in post-

deployment exams, the study found.

With three or more combat experiences, the PTSD risk was more than 20 times greater.

“The findings we have are quite similar to the findings of previous studies with largely male

samples, which found that men who experienced combat exposure were also more likely to

suffer from mental health problems when returning home,” said lead study author Rachel

Sayko Adams of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Malaria drug causes brain damage that mimics PTSD: case study http://bit.ly/2bn6AyR The case of a service member diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder but found

instead to have brain damage caused by a malaria drug raises questions about the origin of

similar symptoms in other post-9/11 veterans.

According to the case study published online in Drug Safety Case Reports in June, a U.S.

military member sought treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in

Bethesda, Maryland, for uncontrolled anger, insomnia, nightmares and memory loss.

. . . . It wasn’t until physicians took a hard look at his medical history, which included

vertigo that began two months after his Africa deployment, that they suspected mefloquine

poisoning: The medication once used widely by the U.S. armed forces to prevent and treat

malaria has been linked to brain stem lesions and psychiatric symptoms. VA PTSD Monthly Update Aug 2016 http://bit.ly/2bach2L

For Veterans

Talking to your Doctor about PTSD

A Word About Treatment

For Providers

PTSD 101 Courses

PTSD Lecture Series

Consult with PTSD Experts

PTSD in the News

Fireworks a Good Starting Point to Talk about PTSD

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Haelth.mil August 4th - 5th Stories http://bit.ly/2babIGc

Traumatic brain injury is an all-ages threat

MHS GENESIS to consolidate several systems together for one best for all in military health

care

Military medical officials say collaboration is key to success of new health records system

MHS GENESIS Fact Sheet

MHS GENESIS Electronic Health Record workshops held at Naval Hospital Bremerton

MHS partnering with Social Security Administration to improve electronic medical data

sharing

MHS GENESIS rolls out as name for new electronic health record Medical Education and Training Campus welcomes new commandant

Research: Navy SEAL-turned-scientist works to solve the puzzle of battlefield brain injuries http://bit.ly/2bkJA3x

Morgan Luttrell was a Navy SEAL like his more famous twin brother, Marcus, who went on

to write a bestseller, Lone Survivor, a first-person account of a harrowing battle in

Afghanistan, which was later made into a Hollywood film.

Morgan Luttrell, 40, fought his share of battles too during nine combat deployments in Iraq

and Afghanistan in 10 years. He is also drawing on his combat experience, but in a less

glamorous fashion than his brother.

He’s studying to become a cognitive scientist and is on a doctoral track at the University of

Texas at Dallas.

His goal is to treat veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress

disorder, the most prevalent combat injuries from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Art helps veterans heal from war wounds at La Jolla exhibit http://goo.gl/erXud6

Retired Marine Aaron Raher, who twice deployed to Iraq, was introduced to art through the

Navy’s OASIS (Overcoming Adversity and Stress Injury Support) program in 2012. On

Thursday, Aug. 4 he shared how his art has helped him work through post-combat stress as

a member of the kick-off panel for the ArtOasis Show at the Museum of Contemporary Art

San Diego (MCASD) in La Jolla.

“Art was a way for me to put things on the canvas without having to talk about them,

because you get sick of talking about things all the time ... and a way to slow down my

thinking, focus on one task, and enjoy it. There’s something really refreshing to it,” Raher

said, adding that his favorite art medium is acrylic paint on canvas. “I also like to collect art

on my body,” he laughed, pointing at his many tattoos. The invisible wounds of war: Service dogs can heal veterans suffering with PTSD http://bit.ly/2bkFdVQ

. . . According to a RAND Corp. study, 50 percent of those with PTSD do not seek out

treatment; among those who do, only half receive “minimally adequate” care. And for

others, like me, traditional treatment methods — even when administered through credible

and competent providers — just don’t seem to work.

I*** tried everything, from individual therapy to medication to veterans support groups, but

it was a German shepherd named Axel that finally turned my life around.

***Jason Haag is a retired U.S. Marine Corps captain and national director of the Lois

Pope LIFE Center for Military Affairs at American Humane Association.

Saltwater therapy: Fishing off Southwest Florida helps mend war-weary souls

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http://bit.ly/2bsdaUL FORT MYERS BEACH -- For Sean Simmonds, there’s the good silence and there is the bad

silence.

“I missed this quiet,” he said while the 22-foot Lake and Bay skiff he was aboard ran along

the shoreline in pursuit of bait as the sun began to rise over Estero Bay. The only sounds

that could be heard were the low whir of the electric trolling motor and the steady lapping of

waves against the partially submerged skeleton of a cypress tree.

That’s the good sort of silence.

Simmonds was one of 20 combat-wounded veterans of the Armed Forces who

experienced the peaceful quiet of a day on the backwaters of Southwest Florida on Friday

morning.

The trips, guided by local volunteer captains, were made possible through a partnership

between this weekend's Grouper Grapple Offshore Fishing Tournament and the Freedom

Alliance Foundation.

All proceeds from the tournament, which is in its fourth year, go to provide soldiers an all-

expenses paid weekend of food, fishing and fun among fellow veterans. DCoE Blog: Sending Your Child Back to School after Concussion http://bit.ly/2b9LW4X

Although summer isn’t quite over, many kids are shifting attention to the upcoming school

year. If you are a parent, you’ve most likely started back-to-school prep: shopping for new

clothes, buying school supplies and organizing new daily routines.

While you’re thinking ahead, don’t forget to plan for any special needs for your child who

may have experienced a summer head injury. A common injury that affects school

performance is concussion.

A concussion is a jolt or blow to the head that disrupts the normal function of the brain.

Children often get them by falling down, running into things, getting struck by objects or

playing sports.

A concussion can cause cognitive, emotional and physical symptoms. Your child might

report symptoms like headaches, dizziness, blurry vision or trouble paying attention. If you

have any concerns, seek medical attention promptly.

DCoE Blog: DCoE Webinar Rewind: TBI Patients Can Benefit from Performance Triad Plan http://bit.ly/2b9MFmF

Most clinicians know that patients achieve optimum physical health by eating healthy

nutrient-based foods, staying active and consistently getting at least eight hours of quality

sleep every night. But for patients with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), these tasks may be

challenging.

“Regardless of the mechanism of injury, TBI can result in significant neurological

impairment, acute clinical symptoms and functional disturbances,” said Gary McKinney,

chief, office of clinical practice and clinical recommendations at Defense and Veterans

Brain Injury Center (DVBIC).

McKinney and other experts from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in

Bethesda, Maryland, spoke about how primary care providers can apply the key focus

areas of the ArmyPerformance Triad (sleep, activity and nutrition) to boost patient

recovery from TBI during a Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and

Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) webinar July 14.

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Servicemembers' pushups raise awareness of veteran suicide, PTSD (Video, Stars & Stripes) http://bit.ly/2boi3OH

Servicemembers worldwide are cranking out millions of pushups and posting videos of their

efforts online to raise awareness about military suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder, a

campaign that has crossed over into the civilian community.

Texas-based veterans organization 22Kill is asking people to video themselves doing 22

pushups a day for 22 days and nominate others to do the same. The goal is to reach 22

million pushups in honor of the 22 U.S. veterans who commit suicide each day, says the

organization’s website.

Research: Continuous electroencephalography in pediatric traumatic brain injury: Seizure characteristics and outcomes http://bit.ly/2bquo4K

. . . Conclusion: Continuous electroencephalography demonstrated a pattern that associated

seizures and poor outcomes in patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury,

particularly in a subgroup of patients with nonaccidental trauma.

Best practice should include institution-based TBI cEEG protocols, which may detect seizure

activity early and promote outcomes. Future studies should include examination of

individual cEEG characteristics to help improve outcomes in pediatric TBI.

MST Attack survivor inspires female veterans in Colorado http://bit.ly/2bsbIlg Dana Liesegang was 19 years old and had only been enlisted for a few months when she

was sexually assaulted by a fellow Navy sailor, thrown off a cliff and left to die.

Thus began her life journey to prove everyone wrong and show others that they could

recover, heal and even thrive after the odds were stacked against them.

On Saturday morning, she told her story to a group of female veterans, who gathered at an

event hosted by the Palisade American Legion Auxiliary Unit No. 50 and the Grand Junction

Veteran Health Care System.

The workshop featured resources for female veterans, including information on housing, job

searches, health services and understanding the complicated world of benefits.

But Liesegang’s inspirational keynote address touched a personal note for those who had

experience with sexual assault during their service.

MST CA legislature OK's bill to help female veterans who were sexually abused http://bit.ly/2bsd4N0

State Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, is hoping Gov. Jerry Brown will sign a bill he authored

calling for affordable veterans housing specifically for women. The goal, he said, is to

provide an environment where female veterans who have suffered sexual trauma feel safer.

The bill passed both the Senate and Assembly without any opposition and was sent to the

governor on Thursday, Aug. 11.

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 & SUICIDE NEWS IS POSTED IN THE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SECTION BELOW

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SUICIDE

KY: A safe haven: Major Dads Military Surplus hosts veteran based suicide prevention class and training http://bit.ly/2bdIiY0

Major Dads Military Surplus and Supplies recently moved across the street on Bypass Road

to its new home at 927 Bypass Road, sandwiched between Woody’s Sports Bar and Rural

King.

Years ago and two locations ago, Major Dads owner Greg Yates had a vision.

“When we opened our store downtown I wanted to do this,” Yates said. “I came up with an

idea for a place for veterans to come and meet. We had to move some stuff around and

squeeze a little table in, but it just wasn’t right. At our other location we didn’t have a good

space but when we decided to move here and set this place up, we said we’re going to set

aside a place."

That place, which Veterans of Foreign Wars District 10/Post 2728 Chaplain and Honor Flight

Kentucky Chaplain George Thacker referred to as ‘The bunker’ is a place for all veterans to

come visit, relax, get a cup of coffee and talk.

On Saturday, ‘The bunker’ also served as a makeshift meeting area as Heather Nichols, a

Winchester native who is a case manager for the VA suicide prevention program at the

Lexington VA Medical Center, visited to conduct a class and training about an ongoing

epidemic of veteran suicide. The Weekly Spark (SPRC), Australia: 'Help Keep Our People Alive': Veterans Welcome Suicide Prevention Plan Turnbull launches review of mental health services for veteran soldiers. http://huff.to/2bkB18z

CANBERRA -- Veterans' support group Soldier On has urged the Turnbull Government to

deliver on its pledge to do more to save the lives of Australian veterans.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced the government is taking on the "taboo" of

suicide and self-harm amongst veterans by launching a review of suicide prevention

services and named the defence town of Townsville as the site for a dedicated suicide

prevention trial.

Mental illness is a major problem in Australia, particularly with veterans. Soldier On

estimates one veteran a day commits suicide.

Deployment Health News 9 August 2016

DCoE Summit Registration is Open!

“Health care professionals and academics from around the globe are invited to take part in

the "2016 Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain

Injury Summit – State of the Science: Advances, Current Diagnostics and Treatments of

Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury in Military Health Care" Sep. 13-15.

Learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaKzAUiHNTo

Register: http://dcoe.adobeconnect.com/dcoesummit2016/event/event_info.html”

Combat exposure may affect post-deployment behavioral health of Army women

News Medical, 2 August 2016

“In a recent study, combat exposure among Army enlisted women was associated with an

increased likelihood of developing behavioral health problems post-deployment, including

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post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and at-risk drinking.”

Civilian Life, Not Combat, May Drive Many Veterans to Drink

MedicineNet.com, 31 July 2016

“Difficulties in civilian life, rather than war experiences, are a source of drinking problems

among U.S. National Guard soldiers back at home, a new study suggests. Setbacks such as

job loss, divorce and financial problems -- all common for returning vets -- may make as

many as 13 percent of vets turn to drink, researchers found.”

Could a Blood Test Predict Suicide Risk?

MedicineNet.com, 30 July 2016

“Clues to whether a person is at risk for suicide could lie in a simple blood test, a new study

suggests. Chemical changes to a gene involved in the brain's response to stress hormones

may help spur suicidal thoughts and behaviors, the study's authors explained. Spotting

those changes in a blood sample might help alert doctors to a patient's risk for suicide, they

said.”

Blood biomarkers in psychiatry

The Lancet Psychiatry, August 2016

“A pinprick. A meter reading. Then injection of a carefully calibrated dose of a

pharmacological compound that will restore the body's natural balance. For millions of

people living with diabetes, this is now part of their daily routine. For psychiatric disorders,

such tests are just a dream. What would it take to realise this dream?”

Army secretary touts importance of mental health

MySanAntonio.com, 28 July 2016

“Army Secretary Eric Fanning says the Army is paying more attention to behavioral health

and making sure anyone who's injured while defending the nation gets the treatment they

need. The Army and other military branches are conducting research into how military

deployment affects anger, and they are encouraging mental health treatment before

deployment to mitigate the effects of anger after soldiers return, he said.”

PTSD more likely to affect people in affluent countries, scientists say

The Guardian, 27 July 2016

“People living in affluent countries are more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress

disorder than those in poorer nations, according to the results of a study that have

surprised researchers. The scientists, from the Netherlands, Australia and London, say they

appear to have uncovered a paradox. They expected to find that countries with higher

vulnerability to tragic events – because of factors such as malnutrition, poor sanitation and

low incomes – would experience higher levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Instead, they found that the highest levels were in countries that were far better off.”

VA secretary: Same-day primary care, mental health appointments coming

Air Force Times, 26 July 2016

“Veterans will have same-day access to primary care appointments and mental health

services at Veterans Affairs facilities by December, VA Secretary Bob McDonald

promised Tuesday. Addressing the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention in

Charlotte, North Carolina, McDonald said veterans wait an average of five days for primary

care, six days for specialty care and two for mental health services, but VA plans to reduce

those further by the end of the year.”

Americans think more than half of vets have mental problems, survey says

Military Times, 25 July 2016

“The general public vastly overestimates the number of post-9/11 veterans with mental

health conditions, a misconception veterans advocates say threatens the overall well-being

and employment prospects of former troops. A survey of more than 1,000 adults in the

U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom found that roughly 40 percent believed more than

half the 2.8 million veterans who have served since 2001 have a mental health condition.”

A good NAPP is key to better sleep

Health.mil, 25 July 2016

“Warfighters getting enough rest is no game, but a new app will address sleep issues using

gaming technology. Nighttime Alleviation Play and Practice (NAPP) is a sleep app currently

being developed by the Military Health System.”

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

Health Clinical Center's PDHealth.mil website.

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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

New VA partnership expands power of peer support among student Veterans - PAVE Program to reach more than 40 campuses over the next year http://goo.gl/EXUhBp

Today in Ann Arbor, Michigan, representatives from more than 40 colleges and universities

have come together to learn ways to support student Veterans that face two significant

changes simultaneously: transitioning from the military to civilian life and the transition

from the military to academia. Neither of these is easy and both are often complicated by a

reluctance to ask for help.

This was the rationale behind the development of Peer Advisors for Veteran Education

(PAVE), a peer-to-peer program developed at the University of Michigan Health System.

PAVE links trained student Veterans at participating schools with incoming student Veterans

to create a campus community where support and resources can be easily accessed. The

group assembled in Ann Arbor will receive PAVE training that covers a variety of topics,

including effective outreach, communications skills, warm handoffs to resources, healthy

boundaries and self-care, and strategies for program sustainability. PAVE also shares best

practices for engaging student Veterans and collaborating with relevant campus

departments.

PAVE began as a partnership between University of Michigan Health System and Student

Veterans of America. To date, the program has been fully implemented on 12 and will be

expanding to 30 additional sites over the next year. Plans are already underway for a full

national roll-out.

PAVE is proud to recognize VA as one of its new strategic partners. Through this new

relationship, VA can work with PAVE to align VA outreach efforts on campuses in order to

provide as many avenues of support for student Veterans. This partnership is exciting on a

national level because of the opportunity to collaboratively address gaps in services; and on

a local and community level, because it increases awareness of and access to VA resources.

EVENT: Service Member to Civilian International Summit, UA School of Social Work, Birmingham, AL, September 20th – 23rd http://bit.ly/2boeXdj

The 2nd annual Service Member to Civilian (S2C) Summit will be hosted by the University of

Alabama’s School of Social Work from September 21-23 2016.

A special Pre-Summit Session on Moral Injury and Faith-Based Approaches to Supporting

Veterans and Families will be held September 20, 2016.

S2C is an international summit addressing the current and emerging needs of service

members in their transition to civilian life.

The diverse team of academics, service providers, veterans, and government employees

presenting at the event will examine how service members from all branches of the military

transition to civilian life, focusing on how we can improve that process through translational

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science and service.

Please consider attending! Learn more at http://servicetocivilian.ua.edu. EVENT: Albright College: Albright & Lebanon VA to hold college fair for service members & veterans, Aug 18th https://t.co/HapMvyXvvq

Reading, Pa. – Albright College, in partnership with the Lebanon VA Medical Center, will

present a Back to School College Fair for service members, veterans and their families

on Thursday, Aug. 18, at the Lebanon VA in Lebanon, Pa.

The inaugural program, which will be held from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., in the new Center for

Veterans Enterprise, Building 37, will include more than a dozen colleges and universities

from eastern and central Pennsylvania that offer certificate, associate, bachelors, graduate

and online military-friendly degree programs for service members and veterans.

The fair is sponsored by the Lebanon VA and Albright’s Joining Forces Program, which

works to increase awareness of the education benefits available to veterans and their

families. Ashford University: Ashford U. edges closer to losing GI Bill certification for thousands of vets http://bit.ly/2bdJmLu

SAN ANTONIO — Ashford University withdrew its request to receive GI Bill certification in

California, further endangering benefits for more than 6,000 veterans attending their mostly

online program, according to a report filed Tuesday.

Bridgepoint Education, the university’s parent company, withdrew its request for

certification from the state of California on June 30, according to a Securities and Exchange

Commission report.

The school’s request withdrawal comes after Iowa postponed a decision to pull GI Bill

certification on June 20, giving Ashford until September to seek and receive approval in

California.

Iowa pulled Ashford’s approval for GI Bill funding when the university announced their

operations would leave the state and move west.

Now, Iowa could be Ashford’s only option for certification.

“It may be more likely that they will lose the ability to accept GI Bill benefits,” said James

Schmeling, executive vice president of strategic engagement at Student Veterans of

America, a national veterans advocacy group.

Brandeis University Research: Women in combat, like men, at risk for PTSD http://reut.rs/2bkDDU0

(Reuters Health) - Women in the military who experience combat have a much greater risk

than those who don’t of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental

health issues, a U.S. study suggests.

Compared to their peers without any combat exposure, enlisted women who had just one

combat experience were over four times more likely to screen positive for PTSD in post-

deployment exams, the study found.

With three or more combat experiences, the PTSD risk was more than 20 times greater.

“The findings we have are quite similar to the findings of previous studies with largely male

samples, which found that men who experienced combat exposure were also more likely to

suffer from mental health problems when returning home,” said lead study author Rachel

Sayko Adams of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.

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Dartmouth College Research: Large VA trial seeks critical answers on colorectal cancer screening http://goo.gl/1nUcCp

. . . VA has embarked on a landmark study to understand which test is best for colorectal

cancer screening. TheCONFIRM trial is a large randomized study directly evaluating the two

most commonly used approaches to colorectal cancer screening in the United States.

Specifically, the study will compare an annual stool-based fecal immunochemical test (or

FIT to a one-time screening colonoscopy. The study is intended to provide a definitive

answer to the question of which test is best by studying an outcome that really matters to

practitioners and patients— colorectal cancer mortality. However, to study such an

important outcome requires many, many trial participants. In fact, the target recruitment

for the trial is 50,000 Veterans.

. . . Jason A. Dominitz, M.D., M.H.S., is VA’s national program director for gastroenterology

and gastroenterology section chief at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System. He is also a

professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Douglas J. Robertson, M.D., M.P.H., is chief of gastroenterology at the White River Junction

VA Medical Center in Vermont, and an associate professor of medicine at the Geisel School

of Medicine at Dartmouth and the Dartmouth Institute.

Together, they serve as co-chairs of the CONFIRM trial.

Southern Mississippi University: Southern Miss Veterans Center unveils Textbooks for Troops program http://bit.ly/2bnlXXP

As part of its continuing mission to make higher education accessible and affordable for

military veterans, The University of Southern Mississippi is initiating a new program for the

fall 2016 semester entitled: “Textbooks for Troops.”

Administered through the University’s Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and

Families, the program is open to all military connected students, regardless of GI

Educational Bill status.

The program is designed to make available (at no cost on a loan basis) a variety of

classroom textbooks and professional development books for student-veterans, service

members, and military family members.

GENERAL NEWS

Creative North Orange County California Vet Center Poster Says It All (From Facebook) http://bit.ly/2bn9PGq

Not that veterans are predisposed to anger but, if you have that one 'friend' that could use

the support the North Orange County Vet Center is there. 12453 Lewis St, STE 101, Garden

Grove 714-776-0161 always FREE for LIFE and Confidential. (From Facebook)

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Wounded Warrior Project CEO to focus less on events, more on long-term care http://bit.ly/2bkFqsb

The Wounded Warrior Project is about to get more low-key, but more effective, for

veterans, said its new CEO, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Linnington.

"We are shifting a bit," said Linnington, who came onboard after the charity's previous CEO

was criticized for spending too much on fundraising and lavish retreats instead of on

services for veterans.

"As I go through my assessment, one of the areas we know we have to shift to, is not just

delivery of programs for delivery sake," he said in a recent interview with The Hill. "We have

to look at the programs that have maximum impact on the long-term wellbeing of the

service member."

For example, he said, "In terms of physical health and wellness, we can't just do a bunch of

sporting events with the warriors because that may not be what helps our warriors."

Linnington said his top three priorities were improving mental fitness, long-term support for

veterans and helping veterans connect with each other in their communities.

Another priority, he said, is being transparent and fiscally responsible with donors' funds "to

maintain the trust of the American people."

Service members for life: building a productive workforce http://bit.ly/2boiUib For many service members, the military is their first nonpart-time job. As such, many

service members don’t have much experience in writing resumes, nor do they have a large

network of professional associates outside their military peers.

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The Service Member For Life – Transition Assistance Program and the Washington State

Military Transition Council are striving to change this by creating opportunities for those

leaving the military to gain technical certifications civilian employers may require, and by

providing them with a chance to network with civilian employers.

“The (Washington State Military Transition Council) is an executive council that Washington

Governor Jay Inslee created with the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs and Joint

Base Lewis-McChord in an effort to decrease the unemployment rate of veterans and grow

the communities’ capabilities by helping service members bridge any gap there may be from

military education, as well as certifications needed in the civilian sector,” said Robin Baker,

transition service manager of the Bud Hawk Transition Center on JBLM.

Texas kids of homeless veterans gifted school supplies through backpack drive - 232 San Antonio children will start school with full backpacks http://bit.ly/2bsdGC7

SAN ANTONIO - Hundreds of veterans and their children are now ready for the upcoming

school year.

The U.S Department of Veterans Affairs and its homeless veterans program were able to

give a total of 232 children school supplies.

The kids who received assistance are in grades pre-kindergarten to high school.

"We went to the website for that school district and just filled the backpacks with everything

they had on the list," said Ingrid Bethel-Constable, with the VA's homeless veterans

program.

Fleet Week Announces Star-Spangled Roster of Events to Honor San Diego’s Military http://bit.ly/2bqri0v

The men and women that defend the land of the free and the home of the brave are

honored each year by San Diego’s Fleet Week military tribute. This year’s roster of

events includes festivities exclusively for the military, as well as some spectacular events

open to the public that members of the community will not want to miss.

City of San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer pledged to serve as the pilot city for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation's new Hidden Heroes Cities campaign http://bit.ly/2bqsIby

City of San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer pledged to serve as the pilot city for the Elizabeth

Dole Foundation's new Hidden Heroes Cities campaign, which is organizing caregiver

support on a local level.

The Mayor called together this great committee of civic leaders yesterday to begin their

work! Dole Fellow Nikki Stephens was there to represent caregivers. If you think your city is

ready to help caregivers in your community, comment with their name below (Facebook)

. . . As part of its continuing mission to raise awareness and sustainable impact for our

military and veteran caregivers, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation recently announced Tom

Hanks as Chair of the Hidden Heroes Campaign, a national campaign that will launch this

fall to shed light on the issues facing America’s Hidden Heroes.

Alongside the Hidden Heroes Campaign, we have established the Hidden Heroes Fund, with

a goal to raise $10 million to better serve and support military and veteran caregivers

across the country.

At our campaign launch this September, the Foundation will proudly announce Colonel (IL)

Jennifer N. Pritzker, ARNG IL (Retired), President and Founder of the Tawani Foundation, as

Vice Chair of the Hidden Heroes Campaign.

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OPERATION CODE http://bit.ly/2boing4 Operation Code is a coding nonprofit that helps active military, guard & reserve citizen-

soldiers, veterans and military spouses learn to code.

SAMHSA Approaches in Implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act: Best Practices From the States http://bit.ly/2bdGJsY

In March, President Obama created the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder

Parity Task Force in an effort to ensure that coverage for behavioral health conditions is

comparable to medical and surgical benefits. In support of the White House's goals of

identifying and promoting best practices in parity compliance and implementation, SAMHSA,

together with its partners across the federal government, has developed a resource for

states and other stakeholders, Approaches in Implementing the Mental Health Parity

and Addiction Equity Act: Best Practices From the States.

To develop the guide, SAMHSA consulted with insurance commissioners and other officials

from seven states with robust parity implementation efforts. The states identified five

primary components that they considered essential for the successful implementation and

monitoring of parity: open channels of communication; standardization of materials;

creation of templates, workbooks, and other tools; implementation of market conduct

exams and network adequacy assessments; and collaboration with multiple state and

federal agencies, health insurance carriers, and stakeholder groups.

States and other stakeholders can use the approaches described in the publication to

promote implementation and compliance, ensuring parity for all Americans.

Download the Publication

SAMHSA Announces New Chief Medical Officer http://bit.ly/2bkQ02q SAMHSA's Principal Deputy Administrator Kana Enomoto has announced the hiring of

SAMHSA's new Chief Medical Officer, Anita Everett, M.D. Dr. Everett will bring a wealth of

behavioral health expertise and experience from the psychiatric field to SAMHSA when she

assumes this new role.

Dr. Everett will lead the newly created Office of the Chief Medical Officer (OCMO). This office

will have five dedicated staff, including an additional medical doctor, and will greatly expand

SAMHSA's ability to provide effective, state-of-the-art, evidence-based approaches to

promote the nation's behavioral health services.

Working with SAMHSA leadership and staff, the OCMO will provide valuable input into

strategic initiatives, policy directions, and legislative issues to ensure that medically

researched and clinically approved practices are incorporated in the development and

implementation of SAMHSA programs and activities.

NIH Launches Moms’ Mental Health Matters http://bit.ly/2blqhHa The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

(NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has launched Moms’ Mental

Health Matters, a new initiative to raise awareness among pregnant and postpartum

mothers, their families, and health care providers about depression and anxiety during

pregnancy and after the baby is born.

An Alternative Form of Mental Health Care Gains a Foothold (NYT) http://nyti.ms/2bogTCJ

. . . At a time when Congress is debating measures to extend the reach of mainstream

psychiatry — particularly to the severely psychotic, who often end up in prison or homeless

— an alternative kind of mental health care is taking root that is very much anti-

mainstream.

It is largely nonmedical, focused on holistic recovery rather than symptom treatment, and

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increasingly accessible through an assortment of in-home services, residential centers and

groups like the voices network Ms. White turned to, in which members help one another

understand each voice, as a metaphor, rather than try to extinguish it.

For the first time in this country, experts say, psychiatry’s critics are mounting a sustained,

broadly based effort to provide people with practical options, rather than solely alleging

abuses like overmedication and involuntary restraint.

“The reason these programs are proliferating now is society’s shameful neglect of the

severely ill, which creates a vacuum of great need,” said Dr. Allen Frances, a professor

emeritus of psychiatry at Duke University.

This N.J. County Has Housed All Of Its Homeless Veterans http://huff.to/2bdNlra If a veteran becomes homeless, he’ll get temporary housing within 30 days and permanent

housing within three months.

Veterans from New Jersey have good reason to feel pride for the Garden State.

Bergen County became the first county in New Jersey to end chronic veteran homelessness,

according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. That means that if a

veteran becomes homeless, he’ll get temporary housing within 30 days and permanent

housing within three months.

That’s a marked improvement from what veterans faced just a few years ago.

Cracker Barrel to donate rocking chairs to military families http://bit.ly/2bsBeXC Cracker Barrel’s mission of connecting families around the dinner table has expanded to

strengthening military families, too.

The Southern country restaurant has partnered with Operation Homefront to provide

Cracker Barrel’s iconic rocking chairs to families in the Homes on the Homefront program.

The program donates homes to military families and helps them save money to eventually

own the house.

Operation Rocker adds an extra element to the family receiving a home, a Cracker Barrel

official said.

“A lot of times, [the military family has] moved around a lot ... in their lives,” said Sloane

Lucas, corporate citizenship manager at Cracker Barrel. “This might be their first home

during the transitioning to civilian life, and we want to make the house a home for them.”

Every time a Cracker Barrel customer purchases one of the rockers online, the store

donates one to a military family. Rocker cushions are also available for purchase and

donation through the program. Hundreds of Marine Corps vets descend on Tulsa for annual national convention http://bit.ly/2bqyDgW

Drawing several hundred Marine Corps veterans from around the country, the 93rd annual

Marine Corps League National Convention began Monday in downtown Tulsa and will

continue through Saturday, August 13th.

EVENT: Upcoming hiring event at Fort Sill for military members and veterans, Sept. 8th http://bit.ly/2blqhH2

FORT SILL, OK – The Armed Forces Reserve Center at 3955 Cannoneer Field Road will host

a hiring event for veterans, transitioning military members, Guards, Reserves and their

family members on September 8 from 10:30 a.m.to 2:30 p.m.

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"We're very fortunate to have so many military-supportive employers in Oklahoma," said

Oklahoma National Guard Employment Coordination Program Director Col. Warren Griffis.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Oklahoma Military Connection has held an event

on Fort Sill. Last year's event was attended by over 300 career seekers and 40 local

employers.

Employers and career seekers interested in attending this free event should register

atwww.okmilitaryconnection.com as early as possible. Online registration allows the

Oklahoma Military Connection team to pre-match career seekers and employers based on

interest and available positions. Online registration closes on August 31st. EVENT: The Longest Road (Film Documentary) Premiere Weekend, Orange, CA, Sept 10th – 11th http://bit.ly/2bkOhdz

(Editor’s Note: This item comes from a news clips reader and colleague in California. Please

contact me if you would like further information. Thank you.)

This event is the movie premiere of a documentary feature: The Longest Road. Here's a

blurb from the FB site:

"Filmed over the span of three years, this inspirational and informative documentary feature

film follows American veteran Richard Campos as he returns to his former battleground of

Northern Iraq. Journey with Richard and his team of humanitarians as they witness the

atrocities committed by ISIS and come face to face with the lives that have been forever

altered from religious persecution."

My purpose in pushing this along is to generate interest in screenings around the nation,

particularly by Veterans-related groups who are able to bring a compassionate,

understanding audience into contact with some difficult subject matter.

Additional resources from my blog

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS http://bit.ly/1Gg21LH

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

New DOD investigative unit to focus on sexual assault-related reprisals

The United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims vacated and remanded a case in

which the Board of Veterans Appeals denied a claim for service connection due to exposure

to herbicide.

Webcentric Marketing and Public Relations for the Common Good

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SAMHSA News: Mental Illness in the Workplace - Accommodations

A Veteran Spent Last Night in Jail

Law & Order Generation: The Injustice of Indifference

VA Benefits and discharge types

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

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 for that information.

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: USMC 1stLt Andrew T. Bolla, PIO at the USMC Wounded Warrior Regiment, publisher of WWR In the News, DoD

Morning News of Note 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) U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.) Wayne Gatewood, of Quality Support Inc. Wayne disseminates a daily Veterans News

e-mail to an international audience Dr. Ingrid Herrera-Yee, Project Manager, Military Spouse Mental Health Pipeline, 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.

U.S Army Colonel (Ret.) James Hutton, Director of Media Relations at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Justice for Vets, Justice For Vets is a professional services division of the National Association of Drug Court

professionals, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Alexandria, VA. Justice for Vets believes that no veteran or military service member should suffer from gaps in service, or the judicial system when they return to their

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communities. As the stewards of the Veterans Treatment Court movement Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren, Pioneer, America's first mental health court dedicated to the decriminalization of

people with mental illness

Mary Ellen Salzano, founder facilitator of the CA Statewide Collaborative for our Military and Families

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 News Daily