Mental Health Treatment Plan

Hundreds of thousands of United States veterans are not able to leave the horrors of war on the battlefield (“Forever at War: Veterans Everyday Battles with PTSD” 1). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the reason why these courageous military service members cannot live a normal life when they are discharged. One out of every five military service members on combat tours—about 300,000 so far—return home with symptoms of PTSD or major depression. According to the Rand Study, almost half of these cases go untreated because of the disgrace that the military and civil society attach to mental disorders (McGirk 1). The general population of the world has to admit that they have had a nightmare before. Imagine not being able to sleep one

Over the last decade, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have drastically increased the need for effective mental health services and treatment for U.S. veterans and service members, especially those suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Nearly 1.5 million American service members have been deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) since the attack on the Twin Towers in September 2001 (Price, Gros, Strachan, Ruggiero, & Acierno, 2013). Approximately 25% of soldiers and wounded warriors returning home from OEF/OIF present with mental illness due to combat-related violence and other trauma exposure (Steinberg & Eisner, 2015). According to Price and colleagues (2013), OEF/OIF soldiers and veterans are at greater risk for developing mental illness compared to others who served in past military operations.

One of the best examples of the success Veteran’s Treatment Courts can provide is that of Nick Stefanovic. In 2002, Nick Stefanovic joined the Marine Corps. He served one tour in Iraq, and two in Afghanistan. When he returned home in 2006, he started experiencing symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress

Many veterans are unable to leave behind the trauma of Vietnam and psychologically return home. They struggle with a variety of extremely severe problems that neither they nor their families, friends, or communities knew how to understand

One of the most common things veterans encounter during the war is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that may develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which severe physical harm occurred or was threatened. The most common symptoms of PTSD is difficulty concentrating, lack of interest/apathy, feelings of detachment, loss of appetite, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response and sleep disturbances. The statistics show that at least 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have PTSD. But 50% of those with PTSD do not seek treatment out of the half that seek treatment, only half of them get “minimally adequate treatment.” This issue is very serious because of how much stress it puts on these veterans. With a rehabilitation center these veterans could get the help that they need until they are healthy enough to go out on their own.

William is a 65yr old male who was referred to VHN by the VA because he was homeless and seeking assistance in finding permanent housing. The client has been diagnosed with mild TBI (2007) and Persistent Depressive Disorder (1995). The veteran reported that his depression has gotten worse since the TBI. The veteran does not always express himself clearly and more often than not responses angrily and with personal insults when not understood.

Client reported his willingness to seek psychiatric help through the VA. Client is open to receiving MH services that can help him find better coping strageties and to address his PTSD.

A sixty year old, African-American, forty percent service connected Vietnam-era veteran (E.S.) was referred to therapy because he recently lost his son and needed help within the grieving process. He reported being the father to ten (now nine) children from multiple wives. Veteran (E.S.) disclosed that the death of his son was a case of mistaken identity and that his son was in the wrong place at the wrong time (suspected gang affiliation). Unfortunately, the killer was unidentified and was never caught, which brought much grief and guilt to this veteran. It seemed that this veteran was also robbed in not getting any closure, and this was very evident in our sessions because he was always

The claimant underwent a Mental Diagnostic Evaluation by George M. DeRoeck, Psy.D. on June 17, 2015. He reported to Dr. DeRoeck he was rated 70% disabled due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He state he likes to watch TV in his room and fish. He also stated he avoided any reminders of violence in the media, feels tense and has flashback/intrusive thoughts about “anything burning.” Has also is iable to obtain restful sleep and is prone to lost periods of time. He began receiving outpatient treatment in 2007 via medication management and counseling at the VA. He attended inpatient treatment in July of 2013 for several months. He also attended a six-month program in October or November of 2013. At the time of the evaluation, he was going

He will attend group therapy with other veterans at the VA once a week for six weeks

The client is showing symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD. Under the DSM-V the diagnostic code follows 309.81 (F43.10) and finds the criteria by clinically significant distress or impairment in social and/or occupational dysfunction for a period of at least one month and symptoms are not due to medical condition, medication or drugs and alcohol. PTSD symptoms include nightmares, flashbacks, sleep disturbance, mood disorders, suicidal ideation, avoidance, and hyper-arousal in response to trauma-related stimuli. Common symptoms related to PTSD may include insomnia, attention deficit problems, and anhedonia. Common comorbid disorders are depression, anxiety, and substance addiction. Under the symptoms hyper-arousal individual may

The psychotherapies with the most evidence typically include one or more of several productive therapeutic approaches including exposure to traumatic memories, stimuli or situations; cognitive restructuring of trauma-related beliefs; and stress reduction techniques. “The table below summarizes effective PTSD psychotherapy approaches detailed in Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense (VA/DoD) clinical practice guidelines. These treatments should be considered the first line of treatment for patients with PTSD” (Defense Centers of Excellence, 2015)

Veterans who have been deployed to combat display high levels of emotional distress and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (). Consequently, the exposure of traumatic events relates to issues that impact the veteran by a wide range of mental health problems (). The VA offers a vast majority of mental health services, however there are particular interventions that are not offered because there aren’t enough medical practitioners certified or exposed to certain therapies. With respect to the patient, this paper will discuss an unsuccessful treatment plan that would have prosper had the veteran underwent an alternative route of interventions. Although a medical team is following the veteran, his PTSD symptoms are worsening and affecting his

In respect to implementing a plan for Mel, a treatment team is very important because every department in the medical field correlates to each other. The treatment committee usually consists of medical doctors, psychiatrists, and therapists; these vital individuals communicate with each other to provide the preeminent outcome for the patient. The psychiatrist is an imperitive part of the team because he/she is trained and equipped to evaluate individuals with medical and emotional illnesses (American Psychiatric Association, 2015). In addition, their education also qualifies them to prescribe mental illness medication, order psychological assessments, plan treatment packages, and diagnosis. Mel will benefit from having a psychiatrist on his team because he may have a underlying emotional disorder based off of his behavior history.

One of the perks of working in the healthcare industry is witnessing the exuberance people experience after a period of suffering from mild or severe orthopedic injuries. To provide the utmost orthopedic care and treatment is our top priority, and as a team, we always set our focus on enabling patients to go through their treatment and recovery period as smooth as possible.