“An Illinois veteran in distress called the Department of Veterans Affairs’ suicide hotline in July 2015, but no one picked up. So, he laid down on nearby train tracks and waited for death.
The body of 30-year old Thomas Young was found July 23, 2015 after being struck by a Metra train outside of Chicago. The next day, the veteran’s phone rang — it was VA’s emergency line returning his call.
Young had returned from his second tour of Iraq in 2004 with severe PTSD. He tried to go to the Hines VA hospital in Illinois for help with a drinking problem, but they turned him away, saying they didn’t have any space available since he wasn’t suicidal.”
“An inspector general’s report on the Veterans Crisis Line released last month found that “3 of the 41 complaints made to the VCL in FY 2014 were claims that calls were transferred to a voicemail system. Our review identified over 20 calls that were routed to voicemail at 1 of the backup centers. When VCL management investigated these complaints, they discovered that the backup center staff were not aware the voicemail system existed; thus, they did not return these calls.”
They also found that call center operators were not completing training. “24 of the 27 (89 percent) orientation checklists did not have all of the checklist items marked as completed and/or were not signed or dated by the responders’ supervisors. We also found no evidence that 18 of the 33 (55 percent) responders had taken a post-orientation test.”
“We also found that callers had made numerous complaints of long wait times for responders, being put ‘on hold,’ or calls ‘not being put through’ to a responder. This could account for the issue of calls not being answered by the VCL staff or backup center staff. However, VCL management had no data to ascertain whether the issues were valid, thus we could not substantiate that VCL and backup center staff did not answer calls.””
To have someone standing by waiting to take your call at all hours of the day or night, in order to respond to an emergency.
Don’t advertise a hotline if you don’t have a live person waiting to talk.
I volunteered for a crisis intervention hotline for years in four different locations. That meant, one day a week I stayed home and answered the phone day or night. I didn’t get many night calls, but I got plenty of day ones. I answered the phone, talked to the individual and made arrangements for further help.
The longest call was one hour. The woman was desperate.
I always had the ability to call for back up reinforcements to send police to check on the individual if need be, but in my case it never came to that.
I have to ask the questions again. What on earth was the VA thinking?
And here’s another question: if he couldn’t get help from the VA, why not call another suicide prevention line?
Why can’t the VA send their calls to an operating suicide prevention line?
Is this an avenue for the church? If there really are so many suicidal PTSD patients, maybe the church should train up volunteers like me willing to help?
Or would that cross some invisible line that would drive secularists up the wall?
Where can we best help bind up the wounded and the soul-weary?
What is our role?
This is not an easy task, but should it only be borne by terrified family members?
And are we even helping those in our church body suffering similar maladies?
Yesterday, mumsee said this: I feel bad for our country. … it is just sad to see that the Kardashians get more mileage in the news. Our country, as a whole, seems to have lost its way. There are individuals who are still on course.
I agree. We’re going the way of the Roman empire where “bread and circuses” is all that mattered.
Michelle- Is this an avenue for the church? If there really are so many suicidal PTSD patients, maybe the church should train up volunteers like me willing to help?
Or would that cross some invisible line that would drive secularists up the wall?
The church should step up, regardless of what the secularists think or do. If the secularists don’t like it, they could set something up themselves, instead of depending on Uncle Sam to do it for them. The old saying is “Put up or shut up.”
There is a bunch of stupid going on around here. What is the point of erasing every tinge of history? Harvard must rid itself of its shield because the dad of the man who donated his land for the school made his money from sugar plantations in the Caribbean? Then, we can only assume all of those people have given up all sugar. Yes, we had slavery. Yes, we still have slavery. It is usually ugly. But for whatever reason, historically, there have been those who chose to remain in slavery. Probably because it gave them a better life. Hence, the directions in Scripture as to how to make oneself a permanent slave.
I’m beginning to hope that Trump will implode and someone else (anyone, please!) will come out of this with the nomination in July.
It’s a faint hope, but I can’t help but think voters will get (are getting?) weary of the circus act. It may have been funny or even refreshing (to many) at first, but do they really want 4 years of this behavior? From a president?
The party is still in a heap of mess and may not really recover in time to pull off a November win.
But maybe, just maybe, they can … The good news is that Hillary Clinton is not a very good or inspiring candidate, she has numerous character issues of her own that she has to battle — and she has very little enthusiasm even within her own ranks, let alone with independents who are always needed to win these elections as well.
And … There is some major Obama fatigue in the nation. People, I think, are willing to give the ‘other side’ a chance — if they’re ready and don’t offer up someone crazy. 🙂
“According to RAND, at least 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have PTSD and/or Depression. (Military counselors I have interviewed state that, in their opinion, the percentage of veterans with PTSD is much higher; the number climbs higher when combined with TBI.)
Other accepted studies have found a PTSD prevalence of 14%; see a complete review of PTSD prevalence studies, which quotes studies with findings ranging from 4 -17% of Iraq War veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder).
A comprehensive analysis, published in 2014, found that for PTSD: “Among male and female soldiers aged 18 years or older returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, rates range from 9% shortly after returning from deployment to 31% a year after deployment. A review of 29 studies that evaluated rates of PTSD in those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan found prevalence rates of adult men and women previously deployed ranging from 5% to 20% for those who do not seek treatment, and around 50% for those who do seek treatment. Vietnam veterans also report high lifetime rates of PTSD ranging from 10% to 31%. PTSD is the third most prevalent psychiatric diagnosis among veterans using the Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals.”PTSD and comorbid AUD”, Subst Abuse Rehabil. 2014; 5: 25–36, Ralevski, et al.
50% of those with PTSD do not seek treatment
out of the half that seek treatment, only half of them get “minimally adequate” treatment (RAND study)
19% of veterans may have traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Over 260,000 veterans from OIF and OEF so far have been diagnosed with TBI. Traumatic brain injury is much more common in the general population than previously thought: according to the CDC, over 1,700,000 Americans have a traumatic brain injury each year; in Canada 20% of teens had TBI resulting in hospital admission or that involved over 5 minutes of unconsciousness (VA surgeon reporting in BBC News)
7% of veterans have both post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury
rates of post-traumatic stress are greater for these wars than prior conflicts
in times of peace, in any given year, about 4% (actually 3.6%) of the general population have PTSD (caused by natural disasters, car accidents, abuse, etc.)
recent statistical studies show that rates of veteran suicide are much higher than previously thought, as much as five to eight thousand a year (22 a day, up from a low of 18-a-year in 2007, based on a 2012 VA Suicide Data Report). (See suicide prevention page). Contrary to the impression many media articles give, veteran suicide rates, although definitely higher, are not astronomically higher than civilian rates. See New York Times 2013 article, “As Suicides Rise in US, Veterans are Less of total,” by James Dao.
PTSD distribution between services for OND, OIF, and OEF: Army 67% of cases, Air Force 9%, Navy 11%, and Marines 13%. (Congressional Research Service, Sept. 2010)
recent sample of 600 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan found: 14% post-traumatic stress disorder; 39% alcohol abuse; 3% drug abuse. Major depression also a problem. “Mental and Physical Health Status and Alcohol and Drug Use Following Return From Deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.” Susan V. Eisen, PhD”
I doubt Carson would still be a player, he simply couldn’t get enough traction or votes in the primaries, I’m afraid. I would like to see him appointed to a post in a new administration, however. 🙂
We’ll know more after March 15 — in particular, we’ll see if Trump is losing any of his steam. If not, it’s back to panicking. 🙂 🙂
Either way, we know that God’s will is playing out.
Ignore the theologically inaccurate music, but pay attention to the words/figures posted on the screen. Even with the music off, you’ll get the point. We’re failing these soldiers.
After you watch, you’ll wanna hit pause because it rolls into a playlist with a song containing bad language.
Oh look! The State Dept. just magically discovered “thousands” more Hillary docs. This will delay their release until Fall, after the elections. Surprised?
“The State Department’s recent discovery of thousands of unsearched records from Hillary Clinton’s tenure has delayed several public records lawsuits and could keep many of the documents out of the public sphere until next fall.
The watchdog groups Citizens United and Judicial Watch, which are suing the State Department for Clinton-related records, are two plaintiffs that have been affected by the discovery. The State Department said the new documents could take months to process, a time period that extends well beyond its court-ordered deadlines.
Citizens United said the State Department has yet to explain how the electronic files were overlooked for the past two years, raising questions about whether this was a stonewalling effort. The group is seeking records related to Clinton donors Gilbert Chagoury and Rajiv Fernando.
“With this 11th hour revelation, the State Department has missed its court-ordered deadline to finish the production of documents in this case,” said David N. Bossie, president of Citizens United. “These newly discovered records could impact document production in other Citizens United FOIA lawsuits as well as cases involving other plaintiffs.””
And yes, Obama is complicit in all of this. That is HIS State Dept., is it not?
Yay, caucus and primary results seem to be going a little better today … Still hoping the air is going out of Trump’s balloon. Time will tell, but at least he’s not doing a sweep …
Yes, Donna. If you look at delegate count it’s going real well for Ted Cruz. Projections show Cruz with 60 delegates today and Trump only got 48. Cruz won Maine and Kansas by big margins, and Trump won Kentucky and Louisiana by small margins. I hope this trend continues. Details: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2016/presidential-primary-caucus-results
It looks like the March 15 primaries will be relevant this year.
… The good news for me and others of the anti-Trump persuasion is that (1) Trump was defeated handily in two of the four contests and, probably more significantly, (2) he is having trouble increasing his “floor.” …
… The bad news is that Ted Cruz, the only candidate who has shown he can beat Trump, does not appear to be popular in the North. So he will likely have a hard time coalescing much of the anti-Trump bloc in many of the big states that have yet to be heard from.
Will Rubio or Kasich be able to? Possibly. But no evidence suggests that, outside of their home states, they are likely to.
Still, Trump may be stalling as a result, presumably, of the attacks launched against him from multiple sides. (Polling suggests that Trump lost in Louisiana among those who voted today, winning only because of the early vote). So there is some hope, I think, of stopping him. …
_____________________________________
“Bad vibes.” “Scary.” “Tense.” “Physical.” “New level of menace.” “Vicious.”
Those are the words used by reporters who covered the New Orleans campaign rally by leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Friday evening to describe the leftist anti-Trump protesters who disrupted the rally and the reactions of fed-up Trump supporters. …
_________________________
I’m telling you: This is 1930s Germany.
1. Perversion dominates the culture.
2. Orthodox Christianity has been largely rejected.
3. Support is strong for both communists and fascists.
4. The Reds and the fascists are beginning to have public brawls.
5. The economy seems completely broken.
6. A charismatic fascist demagogue blames certain scapegoats for all problems.
7. Yesterday, Trump even had supporters giving the Heil Hitler salute.
The only difference is I don’t think Hitler was as vulgar as Trump.
My wife always loved and was fiercely protective of Nancy Reagan. With her death we have lost one more connection to that eight year period that constituted a last, brief Indian Summer of American greatness.
Wandering Views 
Sad.
http://www.bizpacreview.com/2016/03/04/tragic-veteran-kills-himself-after-call-to-va-suicide-hotline-goes-to-voicemail-312747
“An Illinois veteran in distress called the Department of Veterans Affairs’ suicide hotline in July 2015, but no one picked up. So, he laid down on nearby train tracks and waited for death.
The body of 30-year old Thomas Young was found July 23, 2015 after being struck by a Metra train outside of Chicago. The next day, the veteran’s phone rang — it was VA’s emergency line returning his call.
Young had returned from his second tour of Iraq in 2004 with severe PTSD. He tried to go to the Hines VA hospital in Illinois for help with a drinking problem, but they turned him away, saying they didn’t have any space available since he wasn’t suicidal.”
“An inspector general’s report on the Veterans Crisis Line released last month found that “3 of the 41 complaints made to the VCL in FY 2014 were claims that calls were transferred to a voicemail system. Our review identified over 20 calls that were routed to voicemail at 1 of the backup centers. When VCL management investigated these complaints, they discovered that the backup center staff were not aware the voicemail system existed; thus, they did not return these calls.”
They also found that call center operators were not completing training. “24 of the 27 (89 percent) orientation checklists did not have all of the checklist items marked as completed and/or were not signed or dated by the responders’ supervisors. We also found no evidence that 18 of the 33 (55 percent) responders had taken a post-orientation test.”
“We also found that callers had made numerous complaints of long wait times for responders, being put ‘on hold,’ or calls ‘not being put through’ to a responder. This could account for the issue of calls not being answered by the VCL staff or backup center staff. However, VCL management had no data to ascertain whether the issues were valid, thus we could not substantiate that VCL and backup center staff did not answer calls.””
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What is the purpose of a hotline? The goal?
To have someone standing by waiting to take your call at all hours of the day or night, in order to respond to an emergency.
Don’t advertise a hotline if you don’t have a live person waiting to talk.
I volunteered for a crisis intervention hotline for years in four different locations. That meant, one day a week I stayed home and answered the phone day or night. I didn’t get many night calls, but I got plenty of day ones. I answered the phone, talked to the individual and made arrangements for further help.
The longest call was one hour. The woman was desperate.
I always had the ability to call for back up reinforcements to send police to check on the individual if need be, but in my case it never came to that.
I have to ask the questions again. What on earth was the VA thinking?
And here’s another question: if he couldn’t get help from the VA, why not call another suicide prevention line?
Why can’t the VA send their calls to an operating suicide prevention line?
Is this an avenue for the church? If there really are so many suicidal PTSD patients, maybe the church should train up volunteers like me willing to help?
Or would that cross some invisible line that would drive secularists up the wall?
Where can we best help bind up the wounded and the soul-weary?
What is our role?
This is not an easy task, but should it only be borne by terrified family members?
And are we even helping those in our church body suffering similar maladies?
Interesting questions, but . . .
LikeLiked by 3 people
Yesterday, mumsee said this: I feel bad for our country. … it is just sad to see that the Kardashians get more mileage in the news. Our country, as a whole, seems to have lost its way. There are individuals who are still on course.
I agree. We’re going the way of the Roman empire where “bread and circuses” is all that mattered.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Michelle- Is this an avenue for the church? If there really are so many suicidal PTSD patients, maybe the church should train up volunteers like me willing to help?
Or would that cross some invisible line that would drive secularists up the wall?
The church should step up, regardless of what the secularists think or do. If the secularists don’t like it, they could set something up themselves, instead of depending on Uncle Sam to do it for them. The old saying is “Put up or shut up.”
LikeLike
There is a bunch of stupid going on around here. What is the point of erasing every tinge of history? Harvard must rid itself of its shield because the dad of the man who donated his land for the school made his money from sugar plantations in the Caribbean? Then, we can only assume all of those people have given up all sugar. Yes, we had slavery. Yes, we still have slavery. It is usually ugly. But for whatever reason, historically, there have been those who chose to remain in slavery. Probably because it gave them a better life. Hence, the directions in Scripture as to how to make oneself a permanent slave.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m beginning to hope that Trump will implode and someone else (anyone, please!) will come out of this with the nomination in July.
It’s a faint hope, but I can’t help but think voters will get (are getting?) weary of the circus act. It may have been funny or even refreshing (to many) at first, but do they really want 4 years of this behavior? From a president?
The party is still in a heap of mess and may not really recover in time to pull off a November win.
But maybe, just maybe, they can … The good news is that Hillary Clinton is not a very good or inspiring candidate, she has numerous character issues of her own that she has to battle — and she has very little enthusiasm even within her own ranks, let alone with independents who are always needed to win these elections as well.
And … There is some major Obama fatigue in the nation. People, I think, are willing to give the ‘other side’ a chance — if they’re ready and don’t offer up someone crazy. 🙂
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Ben Carson?
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Michelle,
The numbers are staggering, and largely ignored.
http://www.veteransandptsd.com/PTSD-statistics.html
“According to RAND, at least 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have PTSD and/or Depression. (Military counselors I have interviewed state that, in their opinion, the percentage of veterans with PTSD is much higher; the number climbs higher when combined with TBI.)
Other accepted studies have found a PTSD prevalence of 14%; see a complete review of PTSD prevalence studies, which quotes studies with findings ranging from 4 -17% of Iraq War veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder).
A comprehensive analysis, published in 2014, found that for PTSD: “Among male and female soldiers aged 18 years or older returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, rates range from 9% shortly after returning from deployment to 31% a year after deployment. A review of 29 studies that evaluated rates of PTSD in those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan found prevalence rates of adult men and women previously deployed ranging from 5% to 20% for those who do not seek treatment, and around 50% for those who do seek treatment. Vietnam veterans also report high lifetime rates of PTSD ranging from 10% to 31%. PTSD is the third most prevalent psychiatric diagnosis among veterans using the Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals.”PTSD and comorbid AUD”, Subst Abuse Rehabil. 2014; 5: 25–36, Ralevski, et al.
50% of those with PTSD do not seek treatment
out of the half that seek treatment, only half of them get “minimally adequate” treatment (RAND study)
19% of veterans may have traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Over 260,000 veterans from OIF and OEF so far have been diagnosed with TBI. Traumatic brain injury is much more common in the general population than previously thought: according to the CDC, over 1,700,000 Americans have a traumatic brain injury each year; in Canada 20% of teens had TBI resulting in hospital admission or that involved over 5 minutes of unconsciousness (VA surgeon reporting in BBC News)
7% of veterans have both post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury
rates of post-traumatic stress are greater for these wars than prior conflicts
in times of peace, in any given year, about 4% (actually 3.6%) of the general population have PTSD (caused by natural disasters, car accidents, abuse, etc.)
recent statistical studies show that rates of veteran suicide are much higher than previously thought, as much as five to eight thousand a year (22 a day, up from a low of 18-a-year in 2007, based on a 2012 VA Suicide Data Report). (See suicide prevention page). Contrary to the impression many media articles give, veteran suicide rates, although definitely higher, are not astronomically higher than civilian rates. See New York Times 2013 article, “As Suicides Rise in US, Veterans are Less of total,” by James Dao.
PTSD distribution between services for OND, OIF, and OEF: Army 67% of cases, Air Force 9%, Navy 11%, and Marines 13%. (Congressional Research Service, Sept. 2010)
recent sample of 600 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan found: 14% post-traumatic stress disorder; 39% alcohol abuse; 3% drug abuse. Major depression also a problem. “Mental and Physical Health Status and Alcohol and Drug Use Following Return From Deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.” Susan V. Eisen, PhD”
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I doubt Carson would still be a player, he simply couldn’t get enough traction or votes in the primaries, I’m afraid. I would like to see him appointed to a post in a new administration, however. 🙂
We’ll know more after March 15 — in particular, we’ll see if Trump is losing any of his steam. If not, it’s back to panicking. 🙂 🙂
Either way, we know that God’s will is playing out.
LikeLike
More disturbing stats.
Ignore the theologically inaccurate music, but pay attention to the words/figures posted on the screen. Even with the music off, you’ll get the point. We’re failing these soldiers.
After you watch, you’ll wanna hit pause because it rolls into a playlist with a song containing bad language.
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And close the ad at the bottom once it starts playing, or you’ll miss half the words. Why do they put them there?
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There appears to be a huge Pillar of Sanity that starts in Texas and continues through Oklahoma and Kansas:
http://patch.com/us/across-america/kansas-presidential-caucus-live-results-republicans-democrats-0
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Oh look! The State Dept. just magically discovered “thousands” more Hillary docs. This will delay their release until Fall, after the elections. Surprised?
Me neither.
Hillary for Prison 2016!
http://freebeacon.com/issues/release-of-clinton-documents-delayed-after-state-department-discovers-thousands-of-unsearched-records/#
“The State Department’s recent discovery of thousands of unsearched records from Hillary Clinton’s tenure has delayed several public records lawsuits and could keep many of the documents out of the public sphere until next fall.
The watchdog groups Citizens United and Judicial Watch, which are suing the State Department for Clinton-related records, are two plaintiffs that have been affected by the discovery. The State Department said the new documents could take months to process, a time period that extends well beyond its court-ordered deadlines.
Citizens United said the State Department has yet to explain how the electronic files were overlooked for the past two years, raising questions about whether this was a stonewalling effort. The group is seeking records related to Clinton donors Gilbert Chagoury and Rajiv Fernando.
“With this 11th hour revelation, the State Department has missed its court-ordered deadline to finish the production of documents in this case,” said David N. Bossie, president of Citizens United. “These newly discovered records could impact document production in other Citizens United FOIA lawsuits as well as cases involving other plaintiffs.””
And yes, Obama is complicit in all of this. That is HIS State Dept., is it not?
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Yay, caucus and primary results seem to be going a little better today … Still hoping the air is going out of Trump’s balloon. Time will tell, but at least he’s not doing a sweep …
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Yes, Donna. If you look at delegate count it’s going real well for Ted Cruz. Projections show Cruz with 60 delegates today and Trump only got 48. Cruz won Maine and Kansas by big margins, and Trump won Kentucky and Louisiana by small margins. I hope this trend continues. Details: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2016/presidential-primary-caucus-results
It looks like the March 15 primaries will be relevant this year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cruz is not my first choice, but I can and will definitely support him – and I think we really need to avoid a Trump nomination at all costs.
These results today may signal a weakening of Trump.
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http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2016/03/cruz-surges-trump-may-be-stalling.php
________________________________
… The good news for me and others of the anti-Trump persuasion is that (1) Trump was defeated handily in two of the four contests and, probably more significantly, (2) he is having trouble increasing his “floor.” …
… The bad news is that Ted Cruz, the only candidate who has shown he can beat Trump, does not appear to be popular in the North. So he will likely have a hard time coalescing much of the anti-Trump bloc in many of the big states that have yet to be heard from.
Will Rubio or Kasich be able to? Possibly. But no evidence suggests that, outside of their home states, they are likely to.
Still, Trump may be stalling as a result, presumably, of the attacks launched against him from multiple sides. (Polling suggests that Trump lost in Louisiana among those who voted today, winning only because of the early vote). So there is some hope, I think, of stopping him. …
_____________________________________
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“Donald Trump is not the cause of deterioration in our politics. He is the effect of deterioration in our culture.”
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/432380/donald-trump-culture-rot
LikeLiked by 2 people
It seems the leading causes of suicide in the US are:
1. Depression.
2. Substance Abuse.
3. Hillary Clinton’s voice.
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http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/03/new-level-of-menace-clashes-between-protesters-supporters-unnerve-reporters-at-trump-rally-in-new-orleans/
________________________
“Bad vibes.” “Scary.” “Tense.” “Physical.” “New level of menace.” “Vicious.”
Those are the words used by reporters who covered the New Orleans campaign rally by leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Friday evening to describe the leftist anti-Trump protesters who disrupted the rally and the reactions of fed-up Trump supporters. …
_________________________
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m telling you: This is 1930s Germany.
1. Perversion dominates the culture.
2. Orthodox Christianity has been largely rejected.
3. Support is strong for both communists and fascists.
4. The Reds and the fascists are beginning to have public brawls.
5. The economy seems completely broken.
6. A charismatic fascist demagogue blames certain scapegoats for all problems.
7. Yesterday, Trump even had supporters giving the Heil Hitler salute.
The only difference is I don’t think Hitler was as vulgar as Trump.
LikeLike
Life is a Cabaret …
LikeLiked by 2 people
My wife always loved and was fiercely protective of Nancy Reagan. With her death we have lost one more connection to that eight year period that constituted a last, brief Indian Summer of American greatness.
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