Readjustment Counseling Service/Vet Centers, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, District of Columbia.
VISN 2 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, District of Columbia.
J Clin Psychol. 2020 May;76(5):831-840. doi: 10.1002/jclp.22918. Epub 2020 Jan 11.
For generations, veterans have answered the call to service and served their country honorably and with distinction. Unfortunately, the consequences of combat cause many veterans to struggle with life after the military and with readjustment/reintegration into civilian life. Today more than ever, there are a multitude of resources, education, and treatment options for combat veterans. For mental and physical health providers, business leaders, and other professionals who work with veterans, it is of the upmost importance that they learn about programs around them that are successful in treating veterans. The current article reviews two U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs nationwide programs-the Readjustment Counseling Service/Vet Center and Veteran Cultural Competence Training-designed to decrease mental health stigma for veterans and to increase veteran engagement with mental health services. These programs highlight the importance of being aware of the culture within military systems, being aware of personal biases, and fostering an environment of genuineness, safety, and nonjudgmental empathy. In doing so, these programs are successful in reducing the unspoken power of stigmatization; they effectively reach out to veterans in need, providing a lifeline in the dark.
几代人以来，退伍军人响应号召，光荣而出色地为国家服务。不幸的是，战斗的后果使许多退伍军人在军队生活后和重新适应/融入平民生活中挣扎。如今，比以往任何时候都有更多的资源、教育和治疗选择可供战斗退伍军人使用。对于与退伍军人合作的心理健康服务提供者、企业领导人和其他专业人员来说，了解周围成功治疗退伍军人的项目至关重要。本文回顾了美国退伍军人事务部的两个全国性项目——调整咨询服务/退伍军人中心和退伍军人文化能力培训——旨在减少退伍军人的心理健康污名，并增加退伍军人对心理健康服务的参与度。这些项目强调了了解军事系统内部文化、了解个人偏见以及培养真诚、安全和非评判性同理心环境的重要性。通过这样做，这些项目成功地减少了污名化的无声力量；它们有效地接触到有需要的退伍军人，在黑暗中提供了生命线。
