Kristina Derro
Veteran Advocate

The wars in Iraqa and Afghanistan have dragged on for over a decade now. Since 2001, the U.S. has sent more than 2.2 million troops to battle, more than 6,600 were killed, and 50,000 were injured. This is a dismal reality of war.

However, the strides that have been made in medicine as a result of the war are astounding. The signature wounds of both conflicts, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), have led the Department of Defense to apportion hundreds of millions of dollars for research studies and treatment.

In the past six years, the Department of Defense has invested a minimum of $2.7 billion in understanding psychological and neurological injuries. $700 million has been apportioned for TBI research which has included an effort to develop a portable diagnostic tool for TBIs. Additional funding has gone towards researching combat wounds that failed to heal, partly attributable to unique bacteria present in Afghanistan.

The VA has its own set of priorities when it comes to researching. The VA is currently faced with rehabilitating veterans who have suffered complex wounds and are considered “polytrauma”, those who have sustained injuries to more than one organ system, or have severe brain injuries, or are amputees, or were severely burned. VA has worked on improving how it coordinates care to this group of veterans. It’s also worked on developing hearing and vision implants as well as robotic prosthetic devices. It even has pioneered its own TBI program which explores different treatment modalities like personalized medicine and nerve regeneration.

There are challenges in coordinating massive research programs and implementing them for our troops and veterans. A January 2012 report by the Government Accountability Office found that the Department of Defense’s mental health and TBI research needed better quality control mechanisms to report financial data. However, despite these limitations, some of the world’s best researchers and massive amounts of money are being utilized in an attempt to assist our nation’s troops and veterans.

Jim Fausone
Veterans Disability Lawyer

Legislators in Missouri want a court created specifically for veterans.

Rep. Jay Barnes,R-JeffersonCity, has drafted legislation requesting thatMissouricircuit courts create a place specifically for current and former U.S.military who are struggling with substance abuse or mental illness issues. Barnes stated that the country owes it to the veterans to get them the treatment they need to get their lives back on track. The idea is supported by Rep. Charlie Davis,R-Webb City, who said the vet treatment court would run like a drug courts, where a judge would have the ability sentence a defendant to a rehabilitation facility or to perform some community service, without mandatory prison or jail time. Judges overseeing a veterans court can use the power of the court to force a vet to get treatment; proponents believe that recidivism rates for vets processed through a specialized vet court are lower than for those vets who do not go through a veterans court.

The court would be well-versed in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) issues as well as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) issues, two conditions which can lead to law-breaking behaviors among military vets back in civilian life. According to a study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, vets with PTSD or TBI were far more likely than vets without either condition to be arrested. The bill currently proposed would not only help vets get treatment while taking into count their specific circumstances, the court would also be able to more efficiently deal with the backlog of veterans with court issues.

Objections that were previously raised in the Senate when discussing a veterans court included concerns from some that it would be used for veterans accused of committing violent crimes.

The veteran’s court model includes veteran mentors who assist with the program.  While some systems vary, generally, a collaborative team made up of the judge, probation officers, a public defender, and a Veterans Administration representative get together to review cases to decide which veterans will be admitted to veterans court for a multi-phase, long-term system.

The first veterans court of this type was put into place in Buffalo, New York, in 2008.  As of 2011, there were no reports of recidivism among the vets who completed the Buffalo program. There are now more than 70 veterans courts in theU.S.

http://www.ncsc.org/Topics/Problem-Solving-Courts/Veterans-Court/Resource-Guide.aspx
http://ncsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/spcts/id/233
http://www.economist.com/node/18775315

Kristina Derro
Veteran Disability Lawyer

The U.S. Army is currently awaiting the delivery of 1,000 blast sensor packs to help specialists assess how soldiers are affected during and after exposure to explosions. The packs, called Soldier Body Units (SBU), consist of four sensors: the sensors collect data from the head and chest areas when soldiers are exposed to explosions to help determine if the blast could – or did – lead to a concussion or traumatic brain injury.

The SBU, which is worn like a small backpack, weighs a mere two pounds, and is always recording information, collecting data as part of a larger system, the Integrated Blast Effects Sensor Suite (I-BESS), which included sensors that are placed in vehicles for a wider range of blast environment assessment. Previous blast gauge systems recorded data only when sensing “overpressure.”

The sensors were developed in a joint project between the Georgia Tech Research Institute and the U.S. Army’s Rapid Equipping Force (REF). The goal is to have the new sensor system in place in time to deploy them with troops in Afghanistan before their scheduled withdraw in 2014. The data collected will then be processed by the Joint Trauma Analysis and Prevention of Injury in Combat, and the information examined by medical professionals to help assess when soldiers have had undetected head injuries.

Currently, the sensors cost approximately $2,500 each to produce – a steep climb from just $75 per unit to manufacture the old blast gauges, but the hope is that the cost will drop as SBUs are mass produced and the design is streamlined. The Army also is working to install floor-and seat-mounted accelerometers in more than 40 vehicles, to measure blast impact on soldiers who are inside vehicles when hit by improvised explosive devices. Engineers plan to install I-BESS sensors into vehicles currently in Afghanistan, rather than ship new vehicles there.

http://www.dailytech.com/US+Military+Receiving+Updated+Blast+Sensor+for+Head+Injuries/article25286.htm

James G. Fausone

Veterans Disability Lawyer

Modern science is finding out traumatic brain injuries may age the brain faster.

Many of the veterans returning home from the war have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, as a result of being exposed to concussive shock waves from IEDs. Like football players, and other athletes that sustain multiple concussions, war veterans are at risk of facing long-term cognitive difficulties as a result of being in combat.

University of Michigan researches are finding differences in electrical activity in the brains of college students who had suffered concussions prior to the testing. Their control group had not sustained head injuries. Along with the differences in electric activity, researchers also found a change in balance and gait. The interesting thing is that the research team was still able to identify differences for up to six years after a concussion, or concussions, had occurred.

The observed changes were subtle, meaning the study participants did not look or act differently, yet the changes were still detectable. However, this does not mean the individuals had Alzheimer’s or would suffer from early onset dementia, just that the changes were a possible portent of things to come later in life. The results of this study are still being correlated, but are exciting, as earlier detection of brain anomalies would help veterans returning from overseas.

The researchers also suggest their findings are predicated on a “dose dependent response”. The more head injuries a person sustains over their lifetime, the higher their risk of aging the brain faster, along with the slow disintegration of the brain’s signaling pathways. For those who had a few minor head impacts and one diagnosed concussion, the risks may be low. If you play football or hockey, or have done several tours of duty in the war in Iraq or Afghanistan, your risks are infinitely higher, with the cumulative effect of multiple concussions taking a toll on the brain.

Mild concussions may manifest symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness and difficulty concentrating, for up to a year in children. No one is absolutely certain how long the effects of mild concussion will last in adults. The real question is how to effectively identify traumatic brain injury in athletes and military personnel, and from there, determine how they may be treated. If electrical abnormalities are a precursor to more significant damage if brain trauma is repetitive, and those changes may be caught at an early stage to commence treatment, this can only bode well for veterans.

Brig. General Carol Ann Fausone (Ret)

In the coming years, veterans suffering from PTSD, TBI, and other unseen war wounds can expect 3 million more helping hands in their fight towards normalcy. White House Officials announced in early April that a coalition of nursing schools and medical organizations will begin to train their nurses on how to recognize and respond to veterans, and their specialized needs.

Although the veteran-savvy nursing infusion reported at 3 million strong, might be a couple years off, chief nursing officer of the American Nurses Association, Amy Garcia, views the announcement as having an immediate positive impact. Garcia believes that with this news, medical officials will be able to introduce lessons into professional development courses and medical journals, which can be published in weeks, not years. Garcia also noted that many nurses are already working with veterans in their communities and can put their new knowledge into practice immediately.

“Our goal is to raise awareness of these issues, teach nurses to recognize the signs and symptoms, and help reduce the stigma of seeking care,” Garcia stated.

The announcement comes in the midst of multiple events marking the first anniversary of the White House’s Joining Forces campaign, launched to bring attention to the sacrifices and struggles of returning veterans.

As officials from the campaign estimate that roughly one in six veterans returning from duty suffers from PTSD or TBI, the importance of these pro-educational steps cannot be understated. The American Psychiatric Nurses Association has already developed online continuing education courses that focus on PTSD, pain management, sleep disturbances, and issues related specifically to female veterans.

To learn more and see the original article, please visit: http://www.stripes.com/blogs/the-ruptured-duck/the-ruptured-duck-1.160117/nursing-groups-promise-ptsd-tbi-training-1.174103#.T5yaalTophQ.email.

If you have questions on VA disability claims, contact Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC at 800-693-4800.

by Jim Fausone
Veterans Disability Lawyer

VA has initiated a new program to help veterans with TBI. DOD has proven that cognitive rehab helps servicemen with TBI.  VA is now conducting a pilot program pushing that rehab out to recent veterans using the private sector.   The program helps veterans with moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries who need long-term residential care by placing them in high-quality rehabilitation facilities that are closer to their homes and families.  This avoids the cost and trauma of an institutional or hospital setting.

Michigan has great rehab facilities because of its long history of supplying health care to automobile accident victims under its unique no fault insurance programs.  Origami Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center, a Mason Michigan facility, was selected by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to take part in a cutting-edge pilot program.   Origami is one of 21 facilities in the nation to launch the Assisted Living for Veterans with TBI pilot program.

This is a great idea of using existing resources to medically service our veterans.  VA does not have to re-invent the wheel and more people can be helped by the private sector’s ability to scale up or down as needed.  Read more at:

http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2011/09/greater_lansing_facility_treat.html

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans disability attorney, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com

by Kristina Derro
Veterans Disability Lawyer

The staff at Legal Help for Veterans had some phenomenal visitors this past week! Members of Stiggy’s Dogs came to visit!

Stiggy’s Dogs was created in memory of Benjamin Phillip (“Doc Stiggy”) Castiglione, a Marine who dedicated his life to preserving and improving the physical and emotional health of those serving in his unit. He gave his life working as a Corpsman in Helmand Province in Southern Afghanistan, taking care of “his Marines” until September 3, 2009.

Stiggy’s Dogs is an extraordinary non-profit organization aimed at assisting veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The organization takes shelter dogs and rehabilitates them, training them and turning them into Psychiatric Service Dogs for veterans who suffer from PTSD and/or TBI. The dogs are ADA compliant and as service dogs, are able to go with their veteran into any building!

The Psychiatric Service Dogs are each individually trained to meet their veteran’s specific needs. They are taught to perform tasks ranging from reminding veterans to take their medicine, waking them up from a nightmare, and directing them through a crowd. Research has shown that 82% of veterans with PTSD who were assigned a dog had a decrease in his/her symptoms, and 40% of the veterans had a decrease in the amount of medications that they had to take!

Speaking with a veteran who was given a Psychiatric Service Dog, he discussed how he is now able to leave his house with his dog without constantly fearing panic attacks, and even recently rode on an airplane—a task he previously thought impossible due to his severe psychiatric symptomatology.

It is estimated that there are currently 5 million dogs sitting in shelters across America waiting to be euthanized. Stiggy’s Dogs goal is to rescue shelter dogs, train them to be Psychiatric Service Dogs, and pair them with a well-deserving veteran! By uniting the military hero and the shelter dog, Stiggy’s Dogs is “rescuing one to help rescue another”.

Please visit Stiggy’s Dogs’ website to learn more about the non-profit organization: http://stiggysdogs.org/ Although based in Michigan, they pair both veterans and dogs from around the nation.

As a non-profit, Stiggy’s Dogs relies solely on donations in order to keep its program running. A local news channel recently profiled Stiggy’s Dogs and discussed the need for donations. View that video here: http://www.clickondetroit.com/video/28175414/index.html If you can donate money, dog toys, dog bedding, dog crates, dog food, or even your time, it would be much appreciated.

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans disability attorney, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com

by Jim Fausone
Veteran Disability Lawyer

There are two important points here:  (1) you are entitled to a Purple Heart if you suffered a TBI as a result of enemy action and (2) because Purple Heart status entitles you to special treatment by VA, it is important to receive the Purple Heart.  Military Uniform Regulations currently call for awarding Purple Heart medals for “concussion injuries caused as a result of enemy-generated explosions”.  At the start of these wars, a decade ago, confusion existed about TBI and Purple Hearts but DOD has made it clear that TBI’s are eligible. 

Read  http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2011-03-17-purpleheart17_ST_N.htm

The VA gives special status to Purple Heart recipients. Veterans who have earned the Purple Heart medal now receive faster service and save money when they access Department of Veterans Affairs health care.  So don’t just walk away from this medal.  It may be important decades from now when you need to access VA health care.

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans disability attorney, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com

by Kristina Derro

Cooperative efforts between the VA and several local state courts have allowed for the implementation of a specialty court. These specialty courts around the state of Michigan (with many others in different states as well) give service members from World War II up through the recent Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts rehabilitation from drug addition, alcohol abuse, theft, vagrancy, and other nonviolent crimes that stem from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), or other war-related symptoms.

It is up to the local court, through its judges, staff, and probation department, to adjust their dockets to allow for the program. However, the treatment itself is paid for entirely by the VA. It is a unique way of handling non-violent crimes instead of the usual jail-time or probation. It allows the veteran to be treated for the underlying conditions leading to the commission of these crimes in the first instance.