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SECRETARY PEAKE QUESTIONS WHETHER VA IS
OVERDIAGNOSING PTSD -- James Peake says vets
"might need a little counseling" and that
"doesn't mean
they need the PTSD label their whole lives."
Secretary called
"out of touch" and lacking in "understanding of
PTSD."
VA Secretary James Peake
Let's connect the dots here.
Peake says the VA may be overdiagnosing PTSD and
vets might just need "a little counseling."
That would mean: Let's not diagnose them
with PTSD.
VA psychologist Norma J. Perez feels the same and
told her staff in Temple, TX to stop diagnosing PTSD.
It now seems that Perez's directions to her staff
may have come from a higher source. Perez story (with backlinks) is
here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfMAY08/nf052408-1.htm
Then, there's Dr. Sally Satel who feels that vets
should get "treatment first" and compensation later when it comes to PTSD.
Many in Congress and the VA support this plan. That story here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfMAY08/nf052208-6.htm
So, all the dots connect. Fewer PTSD
diagnoses will save the VA money...and, that's what it's all about.
We have two stories...the first has the Peake
comments and the second is response from Alaska politician Mark Begich.
First story here...
http://newsminer.com/new
s/2008/may/25/stevens-focuses-gi-bill-during-visit/
Story below:
-------------------------
Stevens focuses on GI Bill during visit
By Chris Freiberg
Sen. Ted Stevens warned of a “mass exodus” from the military Saturday if
the so-called 21st Century GI Bill goes into law without major changes.
The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 passed the
Senate on Thursday with wide bipartisan support, but with many differences
from the version earlier passed by the House of Representatives.
While visiting Fairbanks with Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake,
Stevens took issue with the bill giving benefits to veterans after only
three years of military service.
“There are worries that people who are already in for two years will serve
one more and leave, and there’s really no incentive to stay,” Stevens said
while speaking at the Disabled American Veterans’ 19th Annual Department
Convention at the Fairbanks Regency.
Stevens, who served in the military in the ’40s, said that in the final
form of the bill, he would like to see an option for veterans to transfer
money for college to spouses or their children.
“Transferability is probably the most important thing in my opinion,” he
said. “As a father of six, I would have liked to have had some of that
around.”
Because of the differences in the bill between the House and Senate
versions, it is expected to be several weeks before a final version
reaches President Bush’s desk.
Stevens and Peake fielded questions about several veterans’ issues at
Saturday’s convention. Alaska veterans face unique issues in getting
medical care because they make up a higher portion of the population than
other states, and many live in areas where it is difficult to receive
health care.
 Peake
touted plans to build new VA clinics in Wasilla and Palmer, as well as
strides that have been made in telemedicine, which allows patients in
rural Alaska to get live health advice from a professional over the
Internet.
“I think telemedicine is an important tool because it enables people to
keep in contact when they can’t make it to a hospital,” Peake said.
One concern of the veterans in attendance was the higher rates of suicide
and post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans returning from the wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Peake noted the number of veterans committing suicide is likely lower than
has been reported in the media, and he said VA is doing more to make sure
those who leave the military are aware of the services available to them
and is also increasing the number of suicide prevention coordinators.
“We want to avert some of the things we learned in my generation, the
Vietnam generation,” he said.
On the topic of PTSD, Peake questioned if the condition is being
overdiagnosed, considering the mental health services available to those
in the armed forces.
“I worry about labeling all these kids coming back,” he said. “Just
because someone might need a little counseling when they get back, doesn’t
mean they need the PTSD label their whole lives.”
Peake and Stevens are visiting Bethel and Quinhagak today and Anchorage on
Monday.
-------------------------
Second story here...
http://www.alaskarep
ort.com/news58/x61282_veterans_comments.htm
Story below:
-------------------------
Begich outraged by Memorial Day Veterans comments
from Stevens, Peake
Stevens Joined By Bush Administration Official in
Criticizing Updated GI Bill and Mental Health of Recently Returning
Veterans
Mayor and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Begich today expressed outrage at
comments made this weekend by Senator Ted Stevens and Veterans Affairs
(VA) Secretary James Peake. At events in Alaska over Memorial Day weekend,
Stevens warned of a "mass exodus" from the military if the 21st Century GI
Bill goes into law without major changes. In addition, Peake spoke of the
over diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), attaching a
stigma to PTSD that the mental health and veterans community have worked
hard to remove.
"What Stevens and the Bush Administration said this weekend was unfounded
and disappointing," Begich said. "While Stevens had his college education
fully paid for after serving in WWII, he now wants to hold today’s
veterans hostage by not offering them full college benefits. Our veterans
deserve care and support for their service, but Stevens and the Bush
administration prefer to deny them those benefits."
Begich supports the G.I. Bill sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb and 57 other
senators that extends educational benefits for all service members,
including activated National Guard and Reservists, who serve at least
three months of active duty since 9/11. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
released statistics this month showing any potential decrease in
reenlistment would be offset by a 16 percent increase in new recruits.
Further, the CBO stated recruiting costs could be decreased by the
potential incentive of an increase in educational benefits for veterans.
Peake was confirmed as Secretary of the VA in December 2007. Since then,
Congress has held multiple hearings to investigate the treatment of PTSD
by the VA and the high rate of suicide among veterans of Iraq and
Afghanistan . The nonprofit Rand Corporation released a study this year
showing 20 percent of recent retuning veterans suffer from either PTSD or
depression, yet only about half receive treatment.
Then last month CBS News released internal VA emails which appeared to
show that the VA lied about the number of veterans attempting suicide and
instructed health providers to under diagnose PTSD. One of the emails
released put the number of suicide attempts at 1,000 a month, as opposed
to the VA claim of more than 800 a year.
"Stevens traveled this weekend with a VA Secretary who is out of touch
with the veterans he is supposed to serve. Peake's comments show a
profound lack of understanding of PTSD. PTSD is a serious injury that
requires the same attention as any physical wound. Peake's comments reveal
the mindset that allows his VA to instruct caregivers to avoid diagnosing
PTSD in order to save money," Begich added.
From a Mark Begich press release
-------------------------
posted by Larry
Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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