Vets Resources

Washington State’s Departemt of Veterans Affiars PTSD Counseling Program
  
Since 1984 the State of Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) has maintained a unique outpatient counseling program designed to provide confidential counseling services to men and women veterans with war and deployment readjustment and PTSD treatment needs. In 1991 Washington State became the first state to establish a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and War Trauma Treatment Program (HB2095). This law has enabled the WDVA to offer readjustment counseling services to war era veterans and their family members. These services include grief and counseling support services for eligible family members of state residents deployed from the National Guard and military reserves in times of conflict.
  
The King County Veterans Program first contracted with WDVA in 1995 to offer county funded outpatient counseling services to veterans and family members. This partnership resulted in the creation of a nationally recognized service delivery model of county, state, and federal service elements. The special role of the WDVA PTSD Program is to offer treatment support and other assistance that would otherwise be denied to Washington residents. Our licensed mental health professional contractors offer a wide range of specialized treatment services, as well as linkage to a variety of other services.

Signs and Symptoms of Post Deployment and War Stress Exposure of PTSD?
Most people who are exposed to sudden, dangerous or deadly events—or who are psychologically overwhelmed by these experiences— will often experience several of the following:

• Startle reactions to noise or movement
• Reliving of traumatic memories
• Hostile or suicidal feelings and impulses
• Profound grief reactions
• Lack of emotional reactivity – feeling numb
• Problems with intimacy and/or interpersonal relationships
• Avoidance of people, movies or topics related to trauma experiences
• Being hyperalert to threats to self or loved ones
• Sleep problems, dreams and nightmares
• Excessive need to control outcomes
• Guilt or depression
• Concentration and memory problems
• Anniversary reactions to the trauma
• Alcohol and/or other substance abuse
• Anxiety and hyperarousal
• Thrill seeking and risk taking behavior
• Employment difficulties
• Authority problems

 Who is Eligible for PTSD Counseling?
  
While the PTSD Program was primarily structured to address the special needs of Vietnam veterans, Washington National Guard, and Military Reserves of the Gulf Wars, WDVA realizes that all veterans who have served during our nation’s wars may have a need to be seen by one of our counselors. All honorably discharged men and women, wartime veterans and family members—including veterans of WWII, Korea, and the various periods of conflict and peacekeeping operations—are eligible for counseling services. If there is a question about eligibility, please contact the program director for more information.

School Aged Children of War Exposed Veterans
  
Additional counseling and consulting resources are being used to educate teachers and school counselors of the potential needs of school aged children of war exposed parents. Secondary and/or transgenerational trauma reactions in children can affect their ability to attend and learn successfully. We know that a child’s social behavior, emotional development, and the skills a child needs to be successful in
the wider world, may be affected by the presence of untreated PTSD in the family. Early identification and referral of children and families who are demonstrating specific reactions are a significant priority of the PTSD Program.
PTSD can happen to anyone who has been exposed to traumatic experiences.
  
Contact the DVA Program Director if you have any questions or need more information about eligibility and where to get help.
  
Thomas Schumacher, Program Director
1102 Quince St SE
PO Box 41150
Olympia, WA 98504-1150
(360) 725-2226 or 1-800-562-2308
FAX: 360-586-1077
Email: tom@dva.wa.gov
  
If you need immediate help, call the 24 HOUR VA CRISIS HOTLINE at 1-800-273-TALK(8255)
  
Click on this link for a list of available counselors near you: Counselor List