> Help From the Home Front continued
worry that getting help will affect their careers ,” Lt . Gen . Jones says . “ At one time there was something of a stigma attached to seeking mental health services . This program has helped open the door to military families , making it okay to get help .”
Other critical elements , says Ms . Kehrer , are that the services are anonymous , free and unlimited . “ There is no stigma that could threaten or discriminate against a military career or a security clearance . There ’ s no religious affiliation , and the program takes a wellness approach , serving normal , healthy families facing great stress ,” she says . “ Unlimited sessions are especially important . I need support for the duration of my husband ’ s deployment .”
Operation Home Front includes “ boot camps ,” offered in communities with a large number of returning personnel to help families adjust after long separations .
Experience in Action Dr . Kotrla brings extensive experience to the program through her work with the Veterans ’ Administration ( VA ) on posttraumatic stress disorder and other challenges faced by soldiers and their families . “ We ’ ve incorporated lessons learned by the Department of Defense and the VA into our primary care clinic in Killeen . Our mental health professionals offer state-of-the-art treatments shown to be effective .”
For Operation Home Front , Scott &
“ Our soldiers and their families need support not just when they get home , but for many years .”
— Kathryn J . Kotrla , MD
White provides social workers and mental health professionals at its Killeen clinic free of charge . Soldiers and families are referred through their primary care physician , located across the hall in the clinic , says Maxine Trent , a Scott & White child and adolescent psychotherapist and coordinator of the program . The only criterion for referral is to be a service member who has been to Iraq or Afghanistan — active duty , retired , or discharged — or a member of one ’ s family .
The Strain of Separation Fort Hood is the only U . S . military base with two divisions deployed at once , which means that a tremendous number of families in the community are dealing with the absence of a loved one , Ms . Trent says . “ The majority of our patients are not active-duty personnel , because the military is doing a great job of helping them cope with the stress . They are spouses and children . Some are experiencing the third or fourth deployment in five years . There are 97,000 children in the state of Texas with one or both parents deployed . It is really hard on those kids .”
One mother reported to Lt . Gen . Jones that her four-year-old son , upon learning that his father was leaving again , went next door and said he was looking for a new family . “ They have a difficult time relating at that age ,” the retired general says . “ A 15- month tour seems like forever to a kid .” In addition to taking care of children , school , the house and the car , spouses carry the burden of worrying about the safety of their loved one , he says .
20 THE CATALYST Winter 09