BY TED POTTS
As the suburban Johnstown-based Pennsylvania Disabled Veterans Rehabilitation/Vocational Retraining Project enters its third year, Tom Caulfield, director of Veteran Community Initiatives, believes the program is growing in influence.
“I think we’re really starting to make an impact,” said Caulfield, who is coordinator of the rehabilitation/vocational retraining project.
The project is sponsored by VCI and Hiram G. Andrews Center, both at 727 Goucher St. in Upper Yoder Township, and the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology.
The purpose of the project is to provide physiological, psychological, vocational and employment assistance to veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Enduring Freedom is the designation given to U.S. operations in Afghanistan and surrounding regions.
Caulfield said that PDVR/VRP has been working with providers of treatment for soldiers suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), plans to reinstate veterans rap sessions and is considering extending its readjustment counseling efforts.
He said an increased emphasis is being placed on issues and needs relating to families of those in the military and those who have returned home.
He noted that the Cambria-Somerset region is home to many men and women who are members of Reserve and National Guard units as well as active duty personnel.
“We want to put more emphasis on family assistance issues,” Caulfield said.
He said the family support structure is the single most important ingredient for returning veterans and their reintegration back into the community.
Family members need to understand that their returning veteran will have a new perspective on many issues because of their experiences in the Middle East, Caulfield said, emphasizing he was not speaking negatively.
Many times, a veteran will need “space” to deal with those new issues, he said.
Family support is expected to be emphasized at this year’s community response symposium that the project will sponsor at Hiram G. Andrews Center, Caulfield said.
It will be the organization’s third annual symposium focusing on the needs of service members returning from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
The symposiums are aimed at not only military personnel, but vocational-rehabilitation professionals, medical and mental-health practitioners, employers, educators, community leaders, law-enforcement officials and others interested in the needs of returning veterans.
While the date for the 2008 symposium has not been set, a June date is being eyed, Caulfield said.
In addition to significantly strengthening support for veterans’ families, emphasis will be placed on treatment for PTSD and traumatic brain injury.
