It has been a long time since I've posted anything from Veterans of America (VFA) to VCS, so thought I would lead off with follow-up on an OLD VCS post that I did WAYYYYYYYYYYYY back in January 2006. This is directly related to the Air Force trying to down play PTSD even BEFORE the invasion of Iraq by changin the name of their Mental Health Clinics to Life Skills Clinics back in 2001. What best way to deal with a problem than to deny it exists - STIGMA THAT IS!Both VETERANS for America and VETERANS for COMMON SENSE need to take a closer look at what really motivated the Air Force to do this and the implications of it for the entire ARMED FORCES going into COMBAT. It hurt overall Combat Readiness by down playing medical readiness of our troops to be able to handle the stress of combat. The role of the Air Force is leading the other services is significant because the Air Force has been asked to take the lead in developing a Joint Medical Command approach to the battlefield. It is the only service that opposed a combined medical community. If this is how the Air Force is preparing to treat its Airmen with PTSD and related problems by down playing the role American societal stigma plays. Their failed Life Skills Centers will have been the main part of the problem not the solution to dealing with societal stigma toward Veterans returning to America with PTSD. No service should be given a School Hall pass for what they view as such a minor  infraction in professional Mental Health care to our troops. Fortunately not many Airmen have been in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan to slip through the cracks but one with untreated PTSD due to misdiagnosis is too many.

AIR FORCE CHANGES NAME OF LIFE SKILLS CENTERS BACK TO MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS – REALLY! I had to dig to find this one, but way back in Jan 2006, I wrote about how jokingly serious the Air Force took the lead of the other services in what I could see here in Ohio was “down playing” PTSD as a serious threat to our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. (That was in actions the Air Force took as early as 2002 in changing the name of its Mental Health Clinics to take the Mental out of Illness BEFORE the invasion of Iraq with the EXCUSE being to deal with American Societal STIGMA RIGHT! Note Major Hanafin’s play on word, something our Military Services have become quite good at of late, especially when it comes to the need for more ground troops for Iraq.) Shades of Vietnam: PTSD takes yet another Veteran who fought both the War on Terror and his own government.

689 recommendation(s).
+Recommend this blog

 

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/index.cfm/page/weblog/subpage/day_blogs/d/19/m/1/y/2006

 

It was back at the beginning of 2006 that I wrote Congress and others complaining about the JOKE of the Air Force changing the name of its Mental Health Clinics to LIFE SKILLS SUPPORT CENTERS prior to the invasion of Iraq, and finally at least the AIR FORCE has NO CHOICE but to pay attention to REASON and change the name back again to Mental Health Clinics.

Mental health clinics get new name (Jan 2002).  

Lt. Gen. Paul K. Carlton, Jr. Air Force Surgeon General signed a memorandum recently changing the name of Air Force Mental Health clinics to Life Skills Support Centers. The renaming takes effect immediately (Jan 2002) and is at the direction of Air Force Chief of Staff General Michael E. Ryan. (DAH)

 

"Renaming Mental Health Clinics is an important first step in helping to reduce the stigma associated with mental health services," said Lt. Col. Wayne Talcott, who is the Air Force's Suicide Prevention program manager at the Air Force Medical Operations Agency. "Receiving 'mental health' services has been seen as career damaging by many airmen,' Talcott said.

 ”This perception exists despite the fact 97 percent of airmen who voluntarily seek help suffer no duty limitations." (THIS IS NOT TRUE IF ONE HAS A SECURITY CLEARANCE – YOU WILL LOSE IT. INDY THINKER)  

"Many clinics offer a variety of services aimed at helping people better cope with the stresses of daily life," Talcott said. "However, some people feel as though their problems have to be very serious before seeking help," he said. Stress management and conflict resolution classes are just two examples of the many services offered at some life skills support centers that could be beneficial to all. "The name change hopefully will be the first of many innovations by Life Skills Support Centers to further reduce barriers to seeking help," Talcott said.

 

Again, that was back around 2002. The Air Force still calls their former Mental Health Clinics "Life Skills Support Centers” in an attempt to overcome a perceived STIGMA with mental health in the military.

 THE RETIRED MAJOR ASKS YOU WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE. ANY MILITARY OFFICER ON ACTIVE DUTY, ESPECIALLY IN THE MEDICAL CAREER FIELD MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR SUCH A PISS-POOR DECISION, AND THEIR OFFICER EFFICIENCY REPORT (OER) SHOULD REFLECT SUCH VIEWS. OFFICERS NAMED ABOVE AND ALL OTHER OFFICERS HAVING ANYTHING TO DO WITH DECISIONS TO DOWNGRADE OR DOWN PLAY THE SERIOUSNESS OR ADDRESS SOCIETAL STIGMA BY HIDING IT OR CHANGING THE NAME “MENTAL ILLNESS” THIS WAY MUST BE INVESTIGATED AS TO MOTIVATION FOR DOING SO. WHY? The rest of American society, (which the AIR FORCE will eventually ADMIT) including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Psychiatric, and Medical Communities either has not endorsed the Air Forces (Stolen Valor inspired) “IDEA” or everybody outside the Pentagon DOES NOT view Mental Health or Mental Illness as a STIGMA? Which is highly unlikely? BECAUSE the VA has not changed the name of its Mental Health facilities to LIFE SKILLS SUPPORT CENTERS to humor the Air Force nor has any private or commercial Hospital or Clinic outside the military system. Kind of tells one something. What were the Generals of the Air Force thinking at the time? Their heads or their behinds?  You can tell a Navigator by his ass. Military Mental Health professionals should not be navigators of the mind, should have spoken out about this travesty, instead of being more interested in promotion and their careers.  The stigma is maintained and retained only within military society- YAWOOH? THE ABOVE WAS WRITTEN BETWEEN JANUARY 2002 AND 2006 – THAT WAS THEN – THIS IS NOW. WHAT A DIFFERENCE A FEW YEARS AND AN UNPOPULAR WAR THE AIR FORCE DOES NOT WANT TO FIGHT ON THE GROUND MAKES.  

Unfortunately, I am most likely not going to get as many recommendations on this Blog as the one above (689), because it seems as if folks are getting accustomed to being USED and ABUSED by our government leaders, to now include so-called Medical Professionals in the Armed Forces. At least those who never wore a uniform have a half azz EXCUSE for being IGNORANT and abusing the troops under their command.

 That’s RIGHT All Air Force life skills support centers will (AGAIN) be renamed mental health clinics effective immediately = 8 June 2007. 

After a poll of subject matter experts, first sergeants, command chief master sergeants and mental health patients, it was determined that the name “life skills” was confusing

and did not appropriately reflect the mission of providing mental health services. (D A H)

“To most people, and particularly to professionals,  (OUTSIDE THE ARMED FORCES) ‘life skills’ refers to youth programs and services for the developmentally disabled,” said Lt. Col. Steven Pflanz, the senior psychiatry policy analyst for the

Air Force surgeon general.

 

“Traditionally, ‘life skills’ refers to teaching people how to get dressed, prepare

meals or balance a checkbook, not psychotherapy, so Airmen seeking counseling wouldn’t necessarily think to go to the life skills support center.”

 

He also said the name was confusing to off-base mental health professionals who wanted to speak with their on-base counterpart and were referred to the life skills support

center instead of mental health.

 Major Hanafin’s comment: Keep in mind that the Air Force has yet to have a significant number of Airmen turned into Soldiers (YET), then the incentive to discourage off-base mental health professionals from assisting troops needed for combat in Iraq and Afghanistan is not YET there as it is so desperately needed in the Army and Marine corps.  

In fact, close monitoring of Air Force and Naval relationships with off-base Mental Health Professionals by Congress, Veterans Services Organizations (however defined), but those with most to loose, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans groups, and Department of Veterans Affairs is paramount as our government leaders come to depend more on Airmen and Sailors to be Soldiers instead of implementing THE DRAFT.

 

Mark my words regardless which party runs Congress or who sits in the White House from what party = that is what our leaders who have not served in uniform WILL DO!!! THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND.

 WE HAVE GOT TO HAVE THE DRAFT OR REPEAL SELECTIVE SERVICE!!! Back to the Air Force, the name “mental health” was used prior to 2001, (to coincide with the Bush Presidency and NEOCON take over of Congress =  OH, WHAT A COINCIDENCE, and NEOCON infestation of the Air Force JUST my humble opinion) but was changed to “life skills” to combat the stigma associated with seeking and receiving mental health care, Col. Pflanz said. (If YOU say so Colonel.) “But changing the name alone doesn’t eliminate the stigma,” he said. “Stigma is best addressed through ongoing education efforts. Changing deeply held societal beliefs about mental heath care takes time.” (Stigma is also changed by purging the leadership of the Navy and Air Force WINK from those pushing a Stolen Valor view of Mental Health treatment, especially if they are Mental Health Professionals, but particularly if they ARE NOT. In both cases they have abused and misused their authority to command for political reasons and gain. )  Contrary to popular belief, only a small percentage of Airmen who seek mental health care actually experience adverse career outcomes or even unit notification of

treatment, Col. Pflanz said. (This is debateable depending on AFSC, MOS, etc…and Security Clearance level of the individual plus other variables. How essential they are to combat readiness of a unit, etc…)

 

Major Hanafin’s comment: Note the “or even unit notification of treatment (DAH). We must assume the Colonel is referring to “patient/doctor confidentiality, but tell that to any Airmen called to a Court Martial offense where “personality disorder” is no protection from having his medical records called into question. But more important, there are only so many ways the Retired Major could have said, I told ya so.

 

AND, more important than that WHAT are the implications of Air Force findings on societal stigma for the rest of the Armed Forces and patients in the Armed Forces with PTSD who file VA claims when it comes to dealing with societal stigma. THE COLLECTIVE WE would say that it makes an extremely strong argument to say that for those who experience the trauma of combat and related mental illness stigma alone warrants compensation for trauma exposed to that most in our society are not EXPECT to voluntarily or involuntarily. Guarantee returning Veterans no societal stigma then the nation can guarantee them NO VA COMPENSATION for PTSD.

 

“The Air Force medical service must constantly work to overcome barriers associated with seeking treatment for behavioral and emotional problems,” said Dr. (Maj. Gen.) Charles Bruce Green, the Air Force deputy surgeon general. “To address the concerns of Airmen about seeking treatment for mental health issues, it should be clear that privacy is the norm when their issue does not represent a danger to themselves, the mission or others.”

 

Major Hanafin’s comment: Not only must the Air Force, but ALL SERVICES must constantly work, especially during wartime, and especially IF THEY ARE PART OF OUR TOTAL FORCE, to overcome ALL SOCIETAL BARRIERS associated with seeking treatment for behavioral and emotional problems be a military members seeking help on-base or off-base. In all probability military members, especially given the STIGIMA created BY THE ARMED FORCES toward those they need for combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, will seek treatment at civilian Health Care Professionals off base, and when they do Military Mental Health Care Professionals will not accept off base findings. This is both UNCONSTITUTIONAL and ILLEGAL, especially in the case of National Guard members who are not in a active duty status when seeking treatment. All medical documentation must be and should be considered by the Armed Forces or the military member must be allowed legal alternatives if they are in a civilian status when they seek treatment. This pertains only to National Guard troops to blaze the way for Regulars who have had enough back to back deployments or are tired of being MERCS.

 

Back to the Air Force: the name change will be accomplished at Air Force installations

within a few months, Col. Pflanz said. Although the change is immediate, practical details, such as posting signs and updating regulations, will take some time.

*** END OF ARTICLE *** 

Regardless, could it be that with an increasing number of Airmen NOW serving as Soldiers “on the ground” in the combat zone that the Air Force has so quickly changed its tune and realized that what any “reasonable” person could EXPECT how American society deals with STIGMA is true, especially when only 1 percent of our society has the potential of serving in combat, thus only a very small percentage is expose to battlefield trauma, and everyone exposed to it handles it differently?  While some in our society adhere violence and killing there are of course others that thrive on it. Some are cut out to be ultimate killing machines and some are not.

 The blunt question is that out of that 1 percent how many are Airmen? Even the Chief of Staff of the Air Force has concerns about the number of Airmen being used as Soldier, because it is one thing to drop bombs from the Air at several thousand feet or other distant locations one has been trained for but quite another to aim at and actually kill another human being at the end of the cross hairs of your weapon and watch they fall. Airmen and Sailors, with a few exceptions in Security Police and Special Forces Units, are just not trained for the kind of warfare being asked of them. The recruiting efforts of both the Air Force and Navy, that have not had the same drawbacks as our ground forces because of Iraq, WILL SUFFER once our government starts turning Airmen and Sailors into Soldiers as fodder for Iraq, because THE TRUTH be told Airmen and Sailors families will eventually say, “We did not join the Air Force or Navy to become Soldiers and die or become wounded in Iraq for the Army or Marine Corps. 

Once again, I am being blunt but the truth is that there has been a significant increase in the number of fallen Airmen in Ohio alone this past month and now the Air Force has announced that it is changing the name of its “LIFE SKILLS SUPPORT CENTERS” back to “MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS.”

I only hope and pray NOW that the services will also STOP blackballing those patients with PTSD that believe that the nations continued involvement in Iraq contributes to our collective national MENTAL ILLNESS and THEIRS.

 

Robert L. Hanafin

Specialist-5, U.S. Army (69-76)

Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired (77-94)

Military Families Speak Out – Ohio

I speak for MYSELF when I’m pissed!