GIVING BACK TO OUR MILITARY FAMILIES:
THE SOLDIERS PROJECT ARRIVES ON LONG ISLAND:

During the past five years over 7,000 troops from Long Island have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). Of those who have returned home, the prevalence rates for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and related psychiatric problems are at least 30%.

Literally thousands of traumatized individuals, many of them in their 20’s, will be presenting with a wide range of serious behavioral and emotional problems creating a serious community mental health challenge.

Returning home from being in combat in a country at war presents real challenges made even greater when a soldier has been deployed multiple times.  The ethos of the military is to survive and endure, not to seek out help, which makes our efforts all the more critical. Families are adjusting to a shifting dynamic, and need marital, educational, and occupational guidance as well. Veterans, wives, husbands, children, parents, and other loved ones are all affected by the separation that is part of serving in the military.

The children of our dedicated military men and women are especially vulnerable to the impact of these separations imposed by war as their parents are away serving out their tours of duty. As if this were not difficult enough, there are those who must bear permanent loss due to a parent’s service related combat death or even suicide.

THE SOLDIERS PROJECT is a private, non-profit group of volunteer licensed psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, mental health nurses, and marriage and family therapists that was established to provide free confidential counseling to military personnel who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and their loved ones (including girlfriends, boyfriends, spouses, children, parents and grandparents). The SOLDIERS PROJECT is outside the military; it operates on a private practice model, with free counseling sessions offered in private offices, with no red tape, a flexible schedule, and no limit to the number of sessions.

While we have made strides in our awareness of the need to support our military, there is much more work to be done. The project needs therapists and community volunteers. We encourage those seeking help as well as those wishing to volunteer to visit www.thesoldiersproject.org on the internet, or call Susan R. Cohen PH.D, RN, CS, THE SOLDIERS PROJECT of NY at (516) 284-7531, or email SRC1031@aol.com.