The Veteran’s Program at BRC
I think sometimes it’s helpful to all of us to stop and take a moment to reflect on the “Why” portion of our lives. Why do we work where we work, why do we believe what we believe, and why are we passionate about the things we are passionate about? When I stop and really think, I often find myself reflecting on my childhood experiences, my family, and the people who make up my “tribe” today. Reflection for me is often bittersweet as life isn’t made up of all bad or all good. What I can say, is that memories of my family are almost all good and they were always filled with stories told by my dad, my uncles, my grandpa, my cousins, and my extended family about traveling the world during their time in the military. These stories came with pictures of my dad’s pet monkey when he was in Guam, photos of my grandfather next to the planes he flew over Italy, and pictures of my uncles in Army helmets in the jungles of Vietnam. We toured a Navy battleship in San Diego before my cousin deployed with it to the Persian Gulf, and we always stood for the national anthem even if it was on television. Those were happy memories.
But if I am honest, there were moments of darkness in these stories. There were times when my grandfather couldn’t come to the July 4th fireworks, or times when my dad and his brother would tell stories of war that weren’t glamourous or happy. Stories where their eyes would see something I couldn’t, vacations that were road trips because my grandfather wouldn’t fly in a plane, or times when adults had nightmares that woke the entire house up. As I child, I didn’t understand. As an adult working in behavioral healthcare, I now see more clearly. The “1000 yard stares”, the earplugs and curtains drawn for fireworks celebrations, and the refusal of some of my family to watch movies like “Born on the Fourth of July” or “Good Morning Vietnam” have come into sharper focus. Serving in the military, whether in times of combat or times of peace, exacts a price whether those wounds are visible or quietly tucked away in the solitude of an individual’s mind.
In his second inaugural address as the Civil War was ending, President Abraham Lincoln committed the United States to “care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan”. This phrase became the motto of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs in 1959, and was recently updated to be more inclusive of the all those who have served, their families, caregivers, and survivors. Despite this call to action that has been imbedded in the fabric of our country since 1865, Veteran’s and their families continue to remain an under-served population, particularly in the mental health service space. I have seen this in my family, and I suspect many of you have seen it in your families, in your friends, in your work colleagues, or even in casual conversation with strangers on a plane or in a restaurant who are Veterans or the families of those who served.
This year at BRC, we have decided to lean into Lincoln’s call to action, and to do our small part to honor those men and women who chose to serve and the families that support them. We are excited to announce a new line in our services for mental health, substance use, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) that is built specifically for Veteran’s. Over the past months, we have been working with a committed group of men and women from multiple branches of the military who are advocates for their peers in this space. We have entered into a partnership with the Veteran’s Health and Wellness Foundation (myvhwf.org) to make sure that we understand the unique needs of this population and that our staff have the best training they can receive as they deliver care. Lastly, we have modeled a program that we believe will best meet the needs of our men and women who have served and their families.
Our recent credentialing with TRICARE (all plans), and our upcoming credentialing with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs as a Community Partner have made these efforts real. We are committing ourselves to a course of action that we hope will move the needle in access to quality care for our Nation’s Warriors. Additionally, we are looking to work with partners in fundraising efforts to make sure that any Veteran that seeks our services can get help for substance use disorder, TBI, and other co-occurring conditions.
For me the “Why?” is simple…BRC has expertise and understanding in the space that can help Veteran’s and active-duty service members. I hope that each of you will support BRC in whatever way makes sense to you as we embark upon this new line of programming to help those who are underserved in the behavioral healthcare space. After all, “Why Not?”