Friday, July 06, 2007
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Landmark program for Illinois veterans with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder

First-in-the-nation program to provide TBI screening for state's returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, mandatory screening for returning Guard members and 24-hour PTSD line          Send a link to a friend

[July 06, 2007]  CHICAGO -- On the eve of Independence Day, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich was joined by Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, to announce a first-of-its-kind program to screen every returning Illinois National Guard member for traumatic brain injury, offer traumatic brain injury screening to Illinois veterans and provide 24-hour, toll-free psychological assistance for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The program increases health care benefits for veterans and will later become part of the governor's Illinois Covered insurance plan.

The program will work in two parts. The traumatic brain injury portion will mandate screening for all Illinois National Guard members returning from deployment and offer free screening to all Illinois veterans, especially those returning from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The post-traumatic stress disorder portion will offer 24-hour, toll-free psychological assistance to give veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder a place to turn for help, day or night.

"As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue, we're seeing what a serious toll combat can take on the mental health of the brave men and women fighting on our behalf," Blagojevich said. "Every day our troops are encountering danger, violence and tragedy that most of us can't even imagine. After they've given so much to protect our freedom, we should do everything we can to help them live productive and stable lives when they return home. We can't wait for the federal government to catch up with the new and growing mental health needs associated with combat, or for Illinois lawmakers to approve the comprehensive Illinois Covered program. Too many returning soldiers and veterans need help now."

The announcement makes Illinois the first state in the nation to establish a statewide traumatic brain injury program offering screenings for all veterans and mandatory screening for Illinois Army National Guard members. The new post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury program will later become part of the governor's Illinois Covered plan to provide access to affordable health coverage for every Illinoisan.

"As this war continues, and more of our troops are being deployed multiple times into combat, the number of veterans suffering from TBI and battling post-traumatic stress disorder will only grow as these brave men and women return home," said Tammy Duckworth, Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs director. "The time is now to help our heroes who have fought for our freedoms, who have sacrificed their lives for us. We must, at the very least, make sure they all have access to the health and psychological care they deserve. I am proud to see Illinois set an example of how to care for and treat those who have served this country by establishing this post-traumatic stress disorder and TBI program."

On June 15, the Pentagon Task Force on Mental Health released a report declaring that the military "falls significantly short" in providing adequate psychological care to service members. The report stated that mental illness has become a major issue because of the system's lack of fiscal resources and trained personnel, the prejudices towards mental illness, and the long exposure to combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. The report found that there is a stigma attached to mental health problems among service members that interferes with access to care, quality of care and continuity of care. The report also stated that service members who were deployed multiple times were more likely to screen positive for a mental health issue.

The use of improvised explosive devices in Iraq has led to a sudden rise in traumatic brain injuries. The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services will be working with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago to implement the screening tool for traumatic brain injuries. The tool was created by Dr. Elliot Roth, senior vice president and medical director, and Dr. Felise Zollman of the Brain Injury Program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. The screening will take approximately 20-30 minutes. The program will offer mandatory screenings for Illinois Army National Guard and the option for all returning Illinois veterans, especially those returning from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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"Traumatic brain injury is one of the most complicated injuries to treat," said Zollman, medical director for the institute's Brain Injury Medicine and Rehabilitation Program. "The brain is the human body's most complex organ; its injuries can manifest in ways that are not readily apparent; and the process of detecting and determining the extent of injury can be highly complex. RIC stands ready and eager to serve our nation's injured servicemen and women by lending our expertise and providing the best clinical care in rehabilitation that our country has to offer."

Because traumatic brain injury shares many of the same symptoms as post-traumatic stress disorder, health care professionals often misdiagnose mild traumatic brain injuries for post-traumatic stress disorder, especially when visible wounds are lacking. This misdiagnosis becomes problematic because traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder are treated differently. The screening will assist clinicians in diagnosing service members, who will be referred for further traumatic brain injury screening if needed.

According to numbers reported by The Associated Press on June 23, "only an estimated 2,000 cases of brain injury have been treated, but doctors think many less obvious cases have gone undetected. One small study found that more than half of one group of wounded troops arriving at Walter Reed Army Medical Center had brain injuries."

On the federal level, earlier this year Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin authored legislation in the Senate to require the departments of Defense and Veteran Affairs to implement a comprehensive program to diagnose, treat and rehabilitate service members and veterans who have suffered a service-related traumatic brain injury.

"TBI and PTSD are signature wounds of this war," Durbin said. "We need to improve care at the federal level so veterans across this country have all the resources they deserve. I applaud Governor Blagojevich and Director Duckworth for stepping in and taking action on behalf of Illinois veterans."

The post-traumatic stress disorder portion of the program will include a 24-hour, toll-free psychological assistance service to all Illinois veterans. The toll-free number will ring into a call center staffed by trained clinicians or nurses, with at least one trained psychiatrist at the center and on call at all times. The psychiatrists and staff will be trained in the area of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological issues facing veterans. When a veteran calls the toll-free line, a clinician will perform an initial over-the-phone screening and determination for the next steps.

The post-traumatic stress disorder program will help Illinois veterans in many ways, which include:

  • Offering 24-hour, toll-free assistance that will be available for veterans to call at the very time they need support, day or night.

  • Assisting with the resistance to seek help due to the stigma that is often associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. The 24-hour, toll-free number enables veterans to simply pick up the phone at any time and receive immediate care without having to wait the days and weeks that they would typically experience when trying to access care through the federal VA system.

  • Traveling long distances often deters many veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who are not able to go the distance to obtain the necessary help. The governor's post-traumatic stress disorder program allows all veterans to access help regardless of their proximity to a VA facility.

[Text from file received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]

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