Support for Soldiers and Veterans You Gotta Have Heart The Joy of ...

For Craig Washington,
serving overseas in the
military meant missing
family milestones, from the
birth of his first niece to his
cousin’s high school graduation.
It also meant not being around
for day-to-day chores, like
helping his then-wife with yard
work or fixing the television
when it went out.
“You feel very helpless
because you’re over there
and she’s over here,” said Mr.
Washington, an Air Force
veteran who completed two
tours in Afghanistan. “Coming
back, you have to overcome that
— and it’s not always easy.”
The transition process
eventually led to the demise
of his marriage, said Mr.
Washington, who now works as
the patient support manager at
The Zucker Hillside Hospital.
Hundreds of thousands of
veterans like Mr. Washington
have struggled with the
transition from war back into
civilian life. Almost 20 percent
4 Summer 2012
Partnership Supports
Veterans and Their Families
By Stacey Makely
of veterans who served in Iraq
and Afghanistan reported
symptoms of post-traumatic
stress disorder or major
depression in a 2008 study by
the RAND Corporation.
The Unified Behavioral
Health Center for Military
Veterans and Their Families,
scheduled to open later this
year as a partnership between
the US Department of Veterans
Affairs and Zucker Hillside,
will help ease the strain of these
and other issues that so often
face veterans and their families.
The 4,000-square-foot Bay
Shore building will include a
behavioral health center side
by side with a VA healthcare
facility. The pairing is the only
one of its kind in New York
State and will allow vets to
receive medical care on one side
of the building and behavioral
healthcare on the other.
“In a very unique way,
the center will be able to treat
veterans and their family
members,” said Andrew
Roberts, director of North
Shore-LIJ’s Office of Military
and Veterans Liaison Services.
Mr. Roberts knows firsthand
just how important this
kind of treatment can be: He
served in Iraq from 2003
to 2004 as an Army battery
commander and returned with
post-operational stress.
But so many other soldiers
never made it home from the
war, and Mr. Roberts believes
that veterans owe it to those
soldiers to become reintegrated
into society and live a full life —
something that can be difficult
without healing from the
emotional wounds of war.
“The stress that can come
with a deployment to Iraq
or Afghanistan can have a
tremendous impact on not just
the service member but also
the family,” Mr. Roberts said.
“Speaking as someone who
suffered when I came back, it’s
not always easy to realize or be
aware that you’re struggling
with something. Talking to a
professional who is trained
in evidence-based therapies
can really help you feel like
yourself again.”
Soldier Ride
Join us on July 20 for a great ride for the
Wounded Warrior Project.
Soldier Ride is an inspiring opportunity
for the public to participate in a cycling
event that honors the men and women
of our military who sacrificed so much.
Soldier Ride raises awareness for
our nation’s wounded warriors who
courageously battle the physical and
psychological damages of war,
and offers the public a chance to ride
alongside as our nation’s wounded
warriors promote their positive
message of recovery!
For further information, call
Lisa Finnegan at (631) 647-3825.