Veterans have their own culture and rich life experiences that can present unique challenges and opportunities to civilian community mental health care providers. It is crucial to be informed on culturally humble practices and have a basic understanding of co-occurring disorders that are seen when working with this population, as well as resources available to mental health clinicians. This interactive training will provide an overview of what makes the Veteran population truly unique including the impact of rank, enlistment, branch of service and potential deployments. Special populations will be discussed along with the impact of Military Sexual Trauma, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders. This training will assist community providers in making an effort to understand key aspects of the Veteran experience which may help to establish a connection, build trust and inform treatment planning.
Objectives:
- Identify the factors that contribute to military culture and that lead to the development of Veteran identity and the camaraderie among this population.
- Acquire knowledge regarding the potential higher risk of suicide among Veterans.
- Increase understanding of co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders that are commonly treated among Veterans.
- Gain awareness of resources available to civilian mental health clinicians.
- Increase knowledge of frequently used interventions, including CBT, MI, and safety planning