The
Veterans
Committee provides up-to-date information on the
Committee’s activities and on legislation it has considered.
It also includes links to many other sources of
information concerning veterans’ benefits
Online Resourses:
Click Here
News:
Statement of CSEA President Danny Donohue on signing of
Veterans Equality Act
ALBANY — “CSEA achieved a major legislative goal late last night
when Governor Cuomo signed the Veterans Equality Act (S. 7160 –
Larkin / A. 9531 – Paulin) into law.
This action addresses a long-standing inequity among military
veterans serving in the public service and recognizes the
importance of respecting all. I am proud that CSEA veterans were
in forefront of efforts to ensure this fairness. The unwavering
efforts of Senate Majority Leader John
Flanagan, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senator William Larkin
and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin were essential to this tremendous
benefit for our veterans becoming law.”
Congress discusses compromise for veterans bill
Links:
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Wounded warrior Rick Yarosh speaks at state
convention
Rick Yarosh’s life
changed forever when a roadside bomb in Iraq left him battered and
engulfed in flames.He lost a leg and the use of his hands. Badly burned,
he would never again look in a mirror and see the face of the man he
was. But he had hope, the former Army sergeant told the Annual
Department Convention held in Binghamton July 14-16. (Convention
photo gallery.)read
more »
The following tables show the 2016 VA compensation rates for
veterans with a disability rating 10 percent or higher. (Effective
Dec. 1, 2014)
Dependents Allowance:
In addition veterans entitled to compensation whose disability is
rated as 30 percent or more, shall be entitled to additional
compensation for dependents as follows (monthly amounts):
Without Children:
Disability Rating:
30% - 60%
Disability Rating:
70% - 100%
With Children:
10% - 20% (With or Without Dependents)
Percentage |
Rate |
10% |
$133.17 |
20% |
$263.23 |
Dependent Status |
30
|
40
|
50
|
60
|
Veteran Alone |
$407.75 |
$587.36 |
$836.13 |
$1,059.09 |
Veteran with Spouse Only |
$455.75 |
$651.36 |
$917.13 |
$1,156.09 |
Veteran with Spouse & One Parent |
$494.75 |
$703.36 |
$982.13 |
$1,234.09 |
Veteran with Spouse and Two Parents |
$533.74 |
$755.36 |
$1,047.13 |
$1,312.09 |
Veteran with One Parent |
$446.75 |
$639.36 |
$901.13 |
$1,137.09 |
Veteran with Two Parents |
$485.75 |
$691.36 |
$966.13 |
$1,215.09 |
Additional for A/A spouse (see footnote
b) |
$44.00 |
$59.00* |
$74.00 |
$89.00 |
Dependent Status |
70
|
80
|
90
|
100
|
Veteran Alone |
$1,334.71 |
$1,551.48 |
$1,743.48 |
$2,906.83 |
Veteran with Spouse Only |
$1,447.71 |
$1,680.48 |
$1,888.48 |
$3,068.90 |
Veteran with Spouse and One Parent |
$1,538.71 |
$1,784.48 |
$2,005.48 |
$3,198.96 |
Veteran with Spouse and Two Parents |
$1,629.71 |
$1,888.48 |
$2,122.48 |
$3,329.02 |
Veteran with One Parent |
$1,425.71 |
$1,655.48 |
$1,860.48 |
$3,036.89 |
Veteran with Two Parents |
$1,516.71 |
$1,759.48 |
$1,977.48 |
$3,166.95 |
Additional for A/A spouse (see footnote
b) |
$104.00 |
$118.00 |
$133.00 |
$148.64 |
Dependent Status |
30% |
40% |
50% |
60% |
Veteran with Spouse and Child |
$491.75 |
$699.36 |
$976.13 |
$1,227.09 |
Veteran with Child Only |
$439.75 |
$630.36 |
$890.13 |
$1,124.09 |
Veteran with Spouse, One Parent and
Child |
$530.75 |
$751.36 |
$1,041.13 |
$1,305.09 |
Veteran with Spouse, Two Parents and
Child |
$569.75 |
$803.36 |
$1,106.13 |
$1,383.09 |
Veteran with One Parent and Child |
$478.75 |
$682.36 |
$955.13 |
$,1202.09 |
Veteran with Two Parents and Child |
$517.75 |
$734.36 |
$1,020.13 |
$1,280.09 |
Add for Each Additional Child Under
Age 18 |
$24.00 |
$32.00 |
$40.00 |
$48.00 |
Each Additional Schoolchild Over Age
18 (see footnote
a) |
$78.00 |
$104.00 |
$130.00 |
$156.00 |
Additional for A/A spouse (see
footnote
b) |
$44.00 |
$59.00 |
$74.00 |
$89.00 |
Dependent Status |
70% |
80% |
90% |
100% |
Veteran with Spouse and Child |
$1,530.71 |
$1,775.48 |
$1,995.48 |
$3,187.60 |
Veteran with Child Only |
$1409.71 |
$1,637.48 |
$1,840.48 |
$3,015.22 |
Veteran with Spouse, One Parent and
Child |
$1,621.71 |
$1,879.48 |
$2,112.48 |
$3,317.66 |
Veteran with Spouse, Two Parents and
Child |
$1,712.71 |
$1,983.48 |
$2,229.48 |
$3,447.72 |
Veteran with One Parent and Child |
$1,500.71 |
$1,741.48 |
$1,957.48 |
$3145.28 |
Veteran with Two Parents and Child |
$1,591.71 |
$1,845.48 |
$2,074.48 |
$3,275.34 |
Add for Each Additional Child Under
Age 18 |
$56.00 |
$64.00 |
$72.00 |
$80.52 |
Each Additional Schoolchild Over Age
18 (see footnote
a) |
$182.00 |
$208.00 |
$234.00 |
$260.13 |
Additional for A/A spouse (see
footnote
b) |
$104.00 |
$118.00 |
$133.00 |
$148.64 |
FOOTNOTES:
- A. Rates for each school
child are shown separately. They are not included with any other
compensation rates. All other entries on this chart reflecting a
rate for children show the rate payable for children under 18 or
helpless. To find the amount payable to a 70% disabled Veteran
with a spouse and four children, one of whom is over 18 and
attending school, take the 70% rate for a veteran with a spouse
and 3 children, $ 1,642.71, and add the rate for one school
child, $182.00. The total amount payable is $1,824.71.
- B. Where the veteran has
a spouse who is determined to require A/A, add the figure shown
as "additional for A/A spouse" to the amount shown for the
proper dependency code. For example, veteran has A/A spouse and
2 minor children and is 70% disabled. Add $104.00, additional
for A/A spouse, to the rate for a 70% veteran with dependency
code 12, $1,586.71. The total amount payable is $1,690.71.
These rates were provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The original copies can be found on
the Department of Veterans Affairs website.
VA Travel Reimbursement
Reimbursement for mileage or public transportation may be paid to
the following:
- Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated at 30% or
more;
- Veterans traveling for treatment of a service-connected
condition;
- Veterans receiving a VA pension;
- Veterans traveling for scheduled compensation or pension
examinations;
- Veterans whose income does not exceed the maximum VA pension
rate;
Mileage Reimbursement is at the rate of 41.5 cents per mile.
These milieage subject to a deductible of $3 for a one way trip, $6
for a round trip, with a maximum of $18 per or the amount after six
one-way trips (whichever occurs first) per calendar month. However,
these deductibles can be waived if they cause a financial hardship
to the veteran.
The deductible is also waived for veterans traveling
for scheduled compensation or pension examinations.
The White House and Senate FY 2016 budget proposals include a 1.3
percent increase in military pay for 2016. But,the U.S. House of
Representatives has proposed a 2.3 percent increase in their FY 2016
defense budget. One of the two proposed increase in military monthly
pay, once agreed to by Congress and signed into law by the
President, would go into effect on January 1, 2016.
To see the two proposed 2016 pay rates, visit the
Military.com Pay Chart page, which also includes current pay
rates for 2015.
To calculate your military pay for this year, visit the
Military.com Pay Calculator page.
Download Military.com's Pay App for
Andorid or
iOS.
Veterans Now Eligible for Resident Tuition
Nationwide
Nov 13, 2015
| by Jim
Absher
Veterans who have been discharged in the last 3 years are now
eligible for in-state tuition rates at public schools in all 50
states.
On Veterans Day the Whitehouse announced that all 50 states
are compliant with the Veterans Access, Choice, and
Accountability Act that the President signed into law last
August. The law mandates that all veterans and their eligible
dependents must be charged the in-state tuition at public
schools or the schools will lose GI Bill funding. This law
applies to the
Post-9/11 GI Bill,
Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty, and the
GySgt John D. Fry Scholarship.
The law was originally slated to take effect on July 1 of
this year, but due to slow action by some state legislatures VA
Secretary Bob McDonald issued a waiver in May giving states
until December 31 of this year to comply with the law. As of
Veterans Day, the VA says that all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, and territories are compliant with the law. Only the
Northern Marianas Islands have been granted a waiver from the VA
and intend to comply with the law at a later date.
This means that a veteran using the Post-9/11 GI Bill, their
dependent using transferred benefits, or the orphan or a veteran
who died on active duty will have their full tuition and fees
paid at any public school in the United States or territories.
There are no longer any residency requirements, or higher
non-resident tuition charges for veterans or their dependents
using the covered GI Bill programs.
Of course, as with any government program there are lots of
exceptions to the rule:
- This only applies to veterans who enroll in school
within 3 years of discharge, or their dependents.
- For Fry Scholarship recipients, they must enroll in
school within 3 years of their parent's date of death.
- Some totally online programs at public schools may
charge the higher non-resident rate if the GI Bill recipient
doesn't live in-state.
- GI Bill recipients who originally enroll in school
within 3 years of discharge, then stop using their GI Bill
for at least a semester (not a summer semester), or transfer
schools and lose more than 12 credit hours in the transfer
will lose eligibility if their second or subsequent
enrollment is more than 3 year from the date of discharge
- GI Bill recipients who were originally within the 3 year
time period when they started school before July 2, 2015 but
are now past their 3 year eligibility are not covered or
"grandfathered" with this program, they will still have to
pay the higher non-resident rate at their school, unless
their school makes an exception
- This also doesn't apply to active duty servicemember or
their dependents, the law only applies to veterans or their
dependents
Prior to this law, the Post-9/11 GI Bill only covered
in-state tuition at public schools. Out-of-state, or
non-resident, tuition can be more than $10,000 per year higher
than in-state tuition.
American Legion Debuts Newsletter
Week of February 16, 2015
The American Legion recently debuted its
new Honor and Remembrance electronic newsletter, dedicated to
honoring and remembering those who served. The free, monthly
e-newsletter features news stories, personal memories, videos and
photo galleries that pay tribute to servicemembers who protected our
freedoms from World War I through the current war era. Stories are
taken from staff members and voluntary submissions from readers. To
subscribe to the Honor and Remembrance e-newsletter, visit the
American Legion website atwww.legion.org/newsletters.
To share a story about your family's military legacy, your service,
a post or community memorial, or other item related to honor and
remembrance, visit the Legiontown website at www.legiontown.org.
Veteran's Benefits Explained
In addition to the pensions and benefits to
which you may be entitled because of both public and private employment,
you may also be eligible for certain benefits based on your military
service. Click for more
Information
Same Sex Marriage Benefits Info
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides guidance to same-sex
married couples on the benefits and services to which they are
entitled under current laws and regulations. For more information,
visit VA's Important Information About Marriage webpage at
http://www.va.gov/opa/marriage.
For more veterans benefits info and updates, visit the Military
Advantage blog.
Bill Aims to Reform Vocational Rehab
and Training
A new bipartisan bill focused on giving wounded warriors improved
rehabilitation and employment training was announced this week by Rep.
Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) and Rep. Markwayne Mullin (OK-02). The
Wounded Warrior Employment Improvement Act (H.R.
5032), with support by the Wounded Warrior Project, DAV and
VetsFirst, would reform the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA)
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program, and require VA
to reduce caseloads, increase education program enrollment, and create a
new training program for staff working with wounded warriors.
"The sacrifices of our nation's disabled service members are simply
unmatched. These sacrifices come at an extremely hard price to these
individuals, which is why we must do everything we can to ensure the
best access to our Veterans' assistance services. I'm proud to have
helped introduce legislation that would make positive reforms to these
programs, and help our Wounded Warriors get back into the workforce,"
said Mullin.
"After our brave men and women have dedicated their lives in service to
our country, far too many of our wounded warriors face challenges in
finding meaningful careers, added Maloney. "We can make commonsense
reforms to VA's key employment program to help our heroes and ensure our
highly skilled veterans secure employment upon their return to civilian
life."
According to a recent
GAO report, it often takes six years or more for veterans to achieve
success in the VR&E program. A Wounded Warrior Project survey found that
the unemployment rate among wounded service members is 17.8%. In New
York, the average veterans unemployment rate was at 8.2% throughout
2013.
"Our disabled veterans deserve our utmost support when returning from
combat. The changes to the VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment
program proposed in this legislation will allow for a streamlined
approach to training and educating our wounded warriors which will
assist them in securing viable employment and allow them to successfully
transition back to civilian life," said New York State Senator Bill
Larkin.
In the current VR&E program, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs)
and Employment Coordinators (ECs) help veterans who have
service-connected disabilities find sustainable careers. VRCs provide
job counseling, direct veterans to VA services specific to their needs,
and connect veterans with training or other opportunities to help them
reach employment goals.
For more on current vocational rehabilitation
programs, visit the
Military.com Vocational Rehabilitation page. For more on legislation
that affects service members and veterans, and to connect with your
local representatives, visit the Military.com
Legislative Center.
Crisis Management
National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255
Help for Alcoholism, Drug Abuse, Problem Gambling
1-877-8-HOPENY
Veterans Crisis Line 1-800-273-8255, press 1
Federal Veterans Legislation
-
Monthly Report
PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder can occur following a
life-threatening event like military combat, natural disasters,
terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults
like rape. Most survivors of trauma return to normal given a little
time. However, some people have stress reactions that don't go away
on their own, or may even get worse over time. These individuals may
develop PTSD.
People who suffer from PTSD often suffer from nightmares,
flashbacks, difficulty sleeping, and feeling emotionally numb. These
symptoms can significantly impair a person's daily life.
PTSD is marked by clear physical and psychological symptoms. It
often has symptoms like depression, substance abuse, problems of
memory and cognition, and other physical and mental health problems.
The disorder is also associated with difficulties in social or
family life, including occupational instability, marital problems,
family discord, and difficulties in parenting.
If you are suffering from PTSD, or know someone who is, the
following list of resources and information will help you find help
in dealing with PTSD and related conditions.
Each VA medical center has PTSD specialists who provide treatment
for Veterans with PTSD. Plus, the VA provides nearly 200 specialized
PTSD treatment programs. A referral is usually needed to access the
specialty programs. You can use this
VA PTSD Program Locator to see if there is a specialized program
near you.
NOTE: If you are in
crisis dial 911 or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
PTSD Treatment Options
As a new generation of service members returns from
deployment, the Department of Defense (DoD) is faced with the
challenge of identifying the most effective methods of treatment
to address posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Prevalence
estimates of PTSD symptoms based on self-report surveys among
warriors in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan vary, but it
has clearly been shown to be a significant problem, especially
for those exposed to sustained ground combat.
There are several treatment options that health professionals
and clinicians can use to effectively treat service members with
PTSD. Since there are a number of factors to consider in
treating PTSD (e.g., access to services, availability, safety,
patient preferences, etc.), it is important to understand the
different types of treatments available to service members.
Prevention
As with all disorders successful prevention of PTSD may be
more desirable than even the most effective treatment. To the
extent that traumatic experiences themselves may be avoided,
PTSD may also be prevented. In the immediate aftermath of
traumatic exposures preventive interventions are available,
including psychoeducation, brief counseling and prophylactic
medication. Although some of these are promising, none have yet
been proven to prevent PTSD. A number of early interventions
have been utilized for the prevention of PTSD. The most
promising of these are public health or population-based
interventions informed by the evidence supporting cognitive
behavioral therapy for PTSD. Psychological First Aid
(ncptsd.org) is one example of a promising early
intervention. Similarly, a growing number of well controlled
studies have demonstrated the efficacy of early CBT and
Exposure-based treatments as an early
intervention. Interventions such as these may decrease the
likelihood of persons developing PTSD after traumatic exposures;
however, additional research is needed to demonstrate
this. Conversely, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)
administered in compulsory groups has been shown to be
ineffective for the prevention of PTSD following trauma exposure
and is not recommended in the current VA/DoD CPG.
Treatment Options for PTSD
The main treatments for people with PTSD are counseling
(known as "talk"
therapy or psychotherapy), medications, or both. Although there
are a number of treatment options for PTSD, and patient response
to treatment varies, some treatments have been shown to have
more benefit in general.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one type of
counseling. With CBT, a therapist helps the service member
dealing with PTSD understand and change how thoughts and beliefs
about the trauma, and about the world, cause stress and maintain
current symptoms. The table below describes several types of
CBT:
Type of CBT |
Overview / Components |
Goal |
Prolonged Exposure Therapy
|
- Imaginal exposure: Repeated and prolonged
recounting of the traumatic experience
- In vivo exposure: Systematic confrontation of
trauma-related situations that are feared and
avoided, despite being safe
|
Increase emotional processing of the
traumatic event, so that memories or situations no
longer result in:
- Anxious arousal to trauma
- Escape and avoidance behaviors
|
Cognitive Therapy
|
- Modify the relationships between thoughts and
feelings
- Identify and challenge inaccurate or extreme
automatic negative thoughts
- Develop alternative, more logical or helpful
thoughts
|
- Help the individual recognize and adjust
trauma-related thoughts and beliefs
- Help the individual modify his/her appraisals of
self and the world
|
Cognitive Processing Therapy
|
Includes elements of Cognitive Therapy
and Prolonged Exposure Therapy, including:
- Identifying and challenging problematic thoughts
and beliefs (as noted above)
- Particular attention is paid to "Stuck Points":
feelings, beliefs, and thoughts that stem from the
traumatic events or are hard to accept
- Writing and reading aloud a detailed account of
the traumatic event
|
- Help the individual modify beliefs about safety,
trust, power/control, esteem, and intimacy
- Help the individual identify and modify "stuck
points"
|
Stress Inoculation Training
|
- Provide a variety of coping skills that are
useful in managing anxiety, including muscle
relaxation, breathing retraining, and role playing,
as well as cognitive techniques, such as guided
self-talk
- May also include graduated in vivo exposure
|
- Decrease avoidance and anxious responding
related to the trauma-related memories, thoughts,
and feelings
|
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
|
- Intensive two-day workshop provides detailed
education about sleep and sleep disturbances which
includes:
- Training on in-depth assessment of sleep
disorders and empirically supported treatments
for common sleep disorders seen in service
members
- CBT-I
- Imagery rehearsal therapy for nightmares
- Treatment for sleep disordered breathing
- Pharmacotherapy for insomnia and nightmares.
|
- Increase knowledge about the prevalence and
kinds of sleep problems experienced by service
members
- Review clinical strategies and interventions to
assist service members with sleep problems
- Provide research to support specific sleep
interventions
|
CBT has been shown to be successful in treating PTSD in a
number of well controlled studies.5 However, there are a handful
of service members for whom certain interventions may be
inappropriate or for whom other treatment problems (e.g.,
co-occurring conditions) may also need to be addressed. Visit
this fact
sheet from the VA National Center for PTSD for more
information on cautions regarding cognitive behavioral
interventions within the first month of trauma.
In addition to cognitive behavioral therapy, eye
movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is another
type of therapy for PTSD. EMDR uses a combination of talk
therapy with specific eye movements. Like the CBTs listed above,
EMDR has also been shown to be effective in treating PTSD. In
general, it appears that the talk therapy component is helpful,
but most evidence suggests that the eye movement component does
not add much, if any, benefit. Like other kinds of
psychotherapy, the talk therapy component of EMDR can help
change the reactions to memories service members experience as a
result of their trauma(s).
Additional Types of Counseling
In addition to the treatments described above, other types of
counseling may be helpful in treating PTSD.
Through group therapy, service members can
talk about their trauma or learn skills to manage symptoms of
PTSD (depending on the focus of the group). Many groups are
effective and popular among those who have had similar traumatic
experiences. Group therapy can help those with PTSD by giving
them a chance to share their stories with others, feel more
comfortable talking about their own trauma, and by connecting
with others who have experienced similar problems or feelings.
Some types of cognitive behavioral therapy can also be provided
in a group setting.
Family and couples therapy are methods of
counseling that include the service member's family members. A
therapist helps all of those involved communicate, maintain good
relationships, and cope with tough emotions. PTSD can sometimes
have a significant negative impact on relationships, making this
mode of therapy particularly helpful in some cases.
Pharmacological Approaches
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a type of
antidepressant medication. SSRIs include citalopram (Celexa),
fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), fluvoxamine (Luvox),
and sertraline (Zoloft). Many, if not most, patients with PTSD
will achieve some symptom relief with an SSRI, although the
evidence of effectiveness is less convincing in combat PTSD
compared to PTSD due to other traumas. Additional medications
have been used for specific symptoms with some success (see
VA/DoD PTSD Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) link below for
additional information). Prazosin may be promising for
trauma-related nightmares. In addition, short-term use of a
medication for sleep can be helpful for those who have
significant difficulty sleeping immediately after a traumatic
event. Longer-term use of sedative/hypnotic medications, such as
benzodiazepines, however, has not been shown to be of benefit,
and there is some evidence that long-term use of benzodiazepines
in PTSD may interfere with psychotherapy.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) approaches to
the treatment of many medical and mental health diagnoses,
including PTSD, are in use; the research base to support their
effectiveness is improving, but not complete. Acupuncture,
a component of traditional Chinese medicine, has been examined
for PTSD in a limited number of small Randomized Controlled
Trials (RCTs). Although early results are promising, replication
of these results in larger studies is needed. Yoga Nidra,
a relaxation and meditative form of yoga, has also been used as
an adjunctive treatment for PTSD. Formal studies demonstrating
its effectiveness for PTSD are currently being conducted, and
further research is needed on Yoga Nidra for PTSD before its
effectiveness can be commented on. Herbal or dietary
supplements have also been used for the treatment of
PTSD. Although there have been some studies of their
effectiveness, the results of these small RCTs provide
insufficient evidence to draw firm conclusions about their
effectiveness for PTSD. In addition, the quality and purity of
herbals and dietary supplements available in the United
States varies widely, further complicating their use. Revisions
of the VA/DoD CPGs are currently underway to include a
comprehensive review of the evidence for all treatments,
including CAM.
Guidelines and Resources
The DoD collaborated with the VA to develop an evidence-based
guideline to assist health professionals with the Management of
Post-Traumatic Stress. The guideline is available here.
PTSD 101, made available by the VA's National Center for
PTSD, is a Web-based educational resource that is designed for
practitioners who provide services to military men and women and
their families as they recover from combat stress or other
traumatic events.
Sources
1. Tyler C. Smith: New onset and persistent symptoms of
post-traumatic stress disorder self reported after deployment
and combat exposures: prospective population based US military
cohort study. British Medical Journal 2007.
2. Hoge CW, Castro CA, Messer SC, McGurk D, Cotting DI,
Koffman RL: Combat Duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mental Health
Problems, and Barriers to Care. New England Journal of Medicine
2004.
3. Hoge CW, Terhakopian A, Castro CA, Messer SC, Engel CC:
Association of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Somatic
Symptoms, Health Care Visits, and Absenteeism Among Iraq War
Veterans. American Journal of Psychiatry 2007.
4. Sundin J, Fear NT, Iversen A, Rona RJ, Wessly S: PTSD
after deployment to Iraq: conflicting rates, conflicting claims.
Psychological Medicine 2010, 40, 367–382.
5.
National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Treatment of
PTSD.
Veterans’ Employment Act Signed Into Law
The Veterans’ Employment Act has been signed into law. The law will give
military veterans preference for temporary state jobs that the state
normally fills with employees from for-profit temporary service
companies. The bill was written and introduced by CSEA and sponsored by
Senator Greg Ball (R-Putnam County) and Assemblyman Michael Benedetto
(D-Bronx).
New York is home to more than 900,000 veterans, including 90,000 that
served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Upon returning home, these heroes are
facing unemployment rates that far surpass that of the general public.
This legislation will help alleviate some of the unemployment problems
facing our military veterans and may help to usher in the next
generation of the state’s workforce.
Traditional PTSD Therapies Favored
Week of June 23, 2014
Native American veterans battling Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) find relief and healing through an
alternative treatment called the Sweat Lodge ceremony offered at the
Spokane Veterans Administration Hospital. In the Arizona desert,
wounded warriors from the Hopi Nation can join in a ceremony called
Wiping Away the Tears. The traditional cleansing ritual helps dispel
a chronic "ghost sickness" that can haunt survivors of battle. These
and other traditional healing therapies are the treatment of choice
for many Native American veterans according to a recent survey being
conducted at Washington State University. The findings will be
presented at the American Psychological Association conference in
Washington D.C. This August. The survey questions for Native
American veterans are available online.
For more on PTSD,
visit the PTSD
section
.