289458
Current practices and training needs of mental and physical health providers who treat veterans and their families
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
: 1:10 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Leigh Leslie, PhD,
Department of Family Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Addressing the mental health needs of veterans, especially those returning from recent deployments, is a national priority. Yet currently only half of combat veterans eligible for Veterans Affairs (VA) services access this care. Education of civilian health professionals is urgently needed to provide accessible, culturally-competent care for veterans and their families. In 2012, the Maryland Veterans Resilience Initiative, a university-state partnership, conducted an online needs assessment of state mental and physical health providers. Respondents (N=3046) shared their backgrounds, screening for military status, TRICARE use, referrals, knowledge of and confidence in treating veteran conditions, and training needs. Only 49% of participating mental health providers (N=1767) and 19% of physical health providers (N=1279) regularly screened for military status; 13% of mental health and 6% of physical health providers regularly referred to VA facilities. Mental health providers (33%) were less likely than physical health providers to accept TRICARE (49%). Between 27% and 36% of mental health providers reported extensive knowledge of PTSD, depression, anxiety, anger, family stress/problems, substance abuse, and suicide ideation among veterans. Less than 15% had extensive knowledge of TBI, sleep disorders, and military sexual trauma, signature issues of the current conflicts. Physical health professionals were significantly less knowledgeable and confident than mental health providers in treating mental health conditions, but had greater knowledge/confidence treating TBI and pain management. This presentation describes how the needs assessment, including data on training interests/preferred formats, informed statewide professional trainings to enhance providers' knowledge of treatments, screening strategies, and supportive services for veterans and families.
Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Describe how the public health approach of needs assessment can help to enhance mental and physical health providers’ treatment of veterans and their family members.
Compare mental and physical health providers’ knowledge of mental health conditions affecting veterans and their families.
Identify the preferred training formats for mental and physical health providers who wish to work with veterans and their family members.
Keyword(s): Needs Assessment, Veterans' Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am Principal Investigator of the Maryland Veterans Resilience Initiative, a university-state partnership that provides mental health training for providers working with veterans/veteran families, and develops peer support programs for student veterans at Maryland community colleges and universities. I am also the Evaluator of Serving Together, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant coordinating military and civilian support services in Montgomery County, MD. I have served on national, state, community, and university committees addressing veterans' issues.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
