VA to open post deployment clinic

Houston Chronicle:

Shane Linnell battled the Taliban in Afghanistan and insurgents in Iraq, earning a Bronze Star for valor in combat. But after leaving the Army in 2004, it took him four years to find the courage to walk into a VA hospital and ask for help.

The 30-year-old veteran from Crosby was always angry, and it was starting to hurt his relationship with family and friends. Linnell realized he had to do something, or risk losing them.

“For a lot of veterans, the thought of seeking help for certain things is a bridge they’re not ready to cross,” he said. “I know speaking from personal experience, it’s difficult to admit when you have a problem, and it’s very difficult, especially for a combat veteran, to seek outside help. I didn’t for a long time.”

Only about half of the estimated 13,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who live in the Houston area have enrolled in a special VA program designed to ease their transition to civilian life. The program provides free health care for five years at any VA hospital or clinic and includes physical and psychological screenings for everything from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury to substance abuse and risk of homelessness.

“It’s a specialized approach, a very holistic assessment and treatment program that we do have at the VA that they’re not going to get anywhere else,” said Toni Brown, program manager at Houston’s Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.

Brown and her team of case workers and patient advocates coordinate care for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans by guiding them to treatment programs and resources.

Like Linnell, many returning veterans initially hesitate to come to the VA, so Brown’s team is trying to bring the VA to them. Outreach efforts include Web sites, e-mail campaigns, focus groups, and family picnics that double as resource fairs.

“If we can provide them with an environment that’s more fitting with their specific needs, then they’ll feel more comfortable,” Brown said.

In August, the VA Medical Center plans to open a new Post-Deployment Clinic to cater solely to veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Staffed by a doctor, nurses, psychologist and case managers, the clinic will streamline the process for walk-in patients and enable some of the more intensive evaluations to be done the same day. A peer-support group will offer mentoring from fellow veterans.

“It’s one-stop shopping,” said Fern Taylor, program coordinator. “I say, just let us lay hands on you one time. If you never come back, that’s OK, but at least let us do the screenings.”

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When I got back from Vietnam, I spent several months in Bethesda Naval Hospital outside Washington, D.C. getting operations and recovering from shrapnel wounds. After I got out of the Marines I went to law school at UT where I naturally made friends with other returning veterans. I think the ability to swap stories with those who had similar experiences probably made the transition easier. Those who had not experienced war just did not have the same understanding. Certainly the anti war crowd had little understanding and I found most of what they said offensive.

Today's veterans have much to be proud of. They have done a good job of fighting a wicked enemy. They deserve everything the VA is offering in transitioning back to civilian life.