Category: VA

In this episode of the PTSD Bytes podcast, host Dr. Colleen Becket-Davenport discusses massed treatments for PTSD with Dr. Jennifer Schuster Wachen, a clinical research psychologist at the Women’s Health Science Division of the National Center for PTSD, a consultant with the VA PTSD Consultation Program, and associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at…

Life events, both positive and negative, can sometimes affect the path a person follows. One such event led an Air Force communications noncommissioned officer to become a VA police officer. Chavis “Jeff” Jefferson, a criminal investigator at Columbia VA, had been in the Air Force for eight years when personal tragedy hit. His sister, living…

If you’ve visited the Livermore campus on a Tuesday morning you might have been greeted by Roxane Langevin. She is more than just an information desk volunteer, she’s an American Gold Star Mother. Her smile radiates with a quiet strength, a testament to a heart deeply connected to service. Langevin is the proud mother of…

Food has important implications in our lives that reach far beyond our physical health. For most of us, food has cultural significance. Honoring and upholding these food traditions is a way that we connect with our families, our communities and our ancestors. Understanding and honoring this is an important consideration in food choice. May is…

Six years after a catastrophic car crash that cost him his leg, Army Veteran John Wade feels more alive than ever before. Wade, a tank driver who did two tours to Iraq, retired from the Army after 17 years. After his service, he battled PTSD and what he referred to as “self-hate.” He attempted to…

Memorial Day was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, but after World War I, Memorial Day became an occasion for honoring those who died in all of America’s wars. The day was eventually more widely established as a national holiday throughout the United States, but at the…

Joanne Parchetta is one of many Veterans helped by the Center for Equine Recovery, a program at Middle Tennessee State University. The idea behind the program was bringing Veterans in from the Veterans Recovery Center, part of Tennessee Valley VA in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Through interactions and learning about the behaviors of horses, Veterans could learn…

On Memorial Day, we honor our fallen heroes and remember the sacrifices made by our Veterans and service members in defending our freedom. These individuals share a deep love and loyalty for our country and have sacrificially chosen to lay their lives on the line in a myriad of different ways to protect our nation. …

New mothers often experience mental health issues after childbirth, especially when they don’t have the right support. About one in seven women experience postpartum depression, which involves feeling extreme sadness, anxiety and tiredness for a period of more than two weeks in the year after childbirth. VA mental health providers in Virginia are using telehealth…

As we spring into summer, the Veterans Engagement Office (VEO) has its sights set on reaching transitioning service members and recently separated Veterans who are located in the United States or serving overseas. VEO is hosting four virtual, regional Veterans Engagement Action Centers (VEACs) in the Northeast, Southeast, Continental, and Pacific Districts of the United…

In a town hall event on Wednesday, May 15 at the Cleveland VA Medical Center, VA Secretary Denis McDonough addressed the top requested concerns from Veterans and their families, caregivers and survivors. The one-hour-and-a-half town hall was streamed live on YouTube. Check out the recording online. During the town hall, Secretary McDonough covered a broad range of…

If you’re looking for valuable experience in the field of occupational therapy, our Occupational Therapy (OT) Fellowship Programs provide fellows the opportunity to learn and practice in a specialized setting to advance their knowledge and skills. With 19 OT Fellowship Programs in seven different areas of practice, we look for candidates who have a strong…