A National Reserve soldier returns from Afghanistan suffering symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, but his small, rural town doesn't have a Veterans Affairs facility with clinicians trained in military medicine. Instead, he sees a civilian therapist who doesn't understand military culture — or how to help unearth his despair. The patient leaves without adequate treatment.
Such scenarios happen all too often, says psychologist Brian Baird, PhD, a former Democratic congressman from Washington state.
"We've done a lot in the social service and mental health realms to talk about cultural diversity, but we've done virtually nothing to train health-care and social service providers in understanding military culture," Baird says. Yet more than 2 million Americans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan alone, putting themselves and their families at risk for mental health issues stemming from the stress of deployment.
Now, Baird is part of a movement aimed at improving training in military issues for health-care providers outside of traditional veteran treatment programs. Recently, for example, he and others worked with the National Board of Medical Examiners to include questions about military care on the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam. Because of this change, more medical schools are likely to add military care to their curricula (only half taught military health in 2012, according to a survey by the Association of American Medical Colleges).
Baird also supports efforts to have state licensing boards require continuing education in military and deployment issues for all health providers.
APA is also working to improve clinician training and military care, says Heather O'Beirne Kelly, PhD, head of APA's Military and Veterans Policy team. In its efforts, APA is:
- Supporting the "Ask the Question" movement that encourages — if not mandates — health-care professionals to routinely ask patients whether they have served or are part of a family with a service member.
- Partnering since 2012 with the White House Joining Forces Initiative to improve care for military members and families. As part of this effort, APA garnered pledges from more than 140 educational institutions to offer more training in military medicine to psychology students; produced a webinar to help educate psychologists in military health issues; and gathered a list of resources for psychology education and training programs.
- Developing continuing education resources on military topics through APA's Office of Continuing Education in Psychology.
APA also developed the Center for Deployment Psychologyopens in new window, a program now run by the U.S. Department of Defense that offers a variety of training options, including free online training for civilian psychologists in military culture and care.
— Lorna Collier
