More outreach needed for vets, officials say

Helping veterans reintegrate from the "kill, kill" mindset into being a "regular Joe Blow" must be a priority for all veterans' agencies.

"When you finish with the military, all you get is a pat on the back," Vietnam combat veteran Paul Atcitty, of Sanders, Ariz., said. "Our veterans deserve more than that, especially those that saw combat. Give them more integration assistance because they're coming from kill, kill training to being regular Joe Blow, family man."

Atcitty was among veterans and their families attending the one-day "Veterans' Family Honor Days" at the Red Rock State Park on June 12.

The honor day was hosted by the 15-member New Mexico Behavioral Health Collaborative, which includes the New Mexico Department of Veterans' Services and the Presbyterian Medical Services.

According to a June 9 press release announcing the honor day, the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs reported that nearly a quarter of all soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which has been labeled by health and medical experts as the "signature" disability of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Atcitty, who served in Vietnam in the Marines and Navy from 1972 to 1981, said he came to the event "because Native Americans in the area, mostly Navajos, are not really getting the full scope of (PTSD) assistance, particularly Navajo veterans suffering from alcoholism and other addictions.

"I've seen too many of my Native veterans getting on the wrong road because of no outreach programs or not enough outreach staff," he said.

"A lot of it has to do with the isolation of the reservation from the rest of mainstream society," he said. "That isolation makes it difficult for veterans to receive any type of help. Hopefully this (event) gives empowerment to Native American veterans in need."

He recalled when he returned to the reservation from the military in 1989, "There wasn't any sort of intervention for veterans. The local chapters tried but their hands were tied by bureaucracy. But I see now that they're trying to spread the word and be more communicative of what they're offering."

Atcitty said a mobile Veterans Center and outreach programs, such as the honor day, came too late for him but not for the younger veterans.

But Christopher Burmeister, administrator for Veterans and Family Support Services, part of the 15-member Behavioral Health Collaborative, noted that the services of the collaborative are for anyone that wore or wears a military uniform.

"The Veterans Administration and Vets Center can't do it by themselves," Burmeister said.

The collaborative established its first clinic in Rio Rancho, N.M., (184 Unser Blvd.) in 2007 and opened clinics in Farmington (608 Reilly Ave.) and in Gallup (2025 East Aztec Rd.).

Burmeister noted that at the request of tribal leaders and in recognition of traditional Native healing, the Gallup clinic, which opened in February, had a sweat lodge built and will be offering ceremonies.

Hoyt E. Roberson, Presbyterian Medical Services' clinical supervisor, said that for counseling to be more effective it must involve the entire community, especially spouses and children.

"Children don't know how to express their feelings," Roberson explained. "They're afraid their dad or mom will be killed. They don't understand why their dad or mom is going away. Maybe they think it's their fault that their parent is leaving. And they worry that the other parent may leave. Kids get heavily impacted."

Roberson said the clinics have sessions for children and also programs to prepare families and friends for the deployment and return of their loved one.

"A veteran returns and thinks that everything will be all happy and great and then his four-year-old doesn't want to be picked up by him," Roberson said. "That soldier needs to understand that his kid still loves him but he doesn't know him."

He added that the collaborative resulted from an initiative from Gov. Bill Richardson to "make sure veterans returning get the support they deserve and earned."

Information: New Mexico Veterans and Family Support Services, 1-877-929-9797.

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