New York State Health Foundation Announces Launch of Online Resource Center on Returning Veterans and Their Families

New Resource Center is Part of Foundation’s Efforts to Address Gaps in Data on Returning Veterans and Their Families in New York State

(NEW YORK) – The New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) is pleased to announce the launch of the NYSHealth Resource Center on Returning Veterans and Their Families, an online resource. The Resource Center provides summary information and links to national, state, and local resources that focus on reintegration issues of returning veterans and their families. These resources include data sources, important publications, key organizations and initiatives. Click here to access the Resource Center.

In April 2008, NYSHealth committed $2 million over two years to address the needs of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families. Approximately 70,000 veterans from these wars reside in New York State and as more troops return home that number continues to rise. The special need of this population became a focal point of the Foundation’s broader priority area on Integrating Mental Health and Substance Use services, when various national reports and studies were released highlighting the mental health issues faced by many returning veterans. According to the RAND “Invisible Wounds” Study, nearly 20% of returning veterans currently suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or depression, and 19% of service members suffered a probable Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Half of the veterans who sought care did not receive adequate services and 47% of veterans with PTSD or major depression did not seek care at all.

The multiple deployments of active duty soldiers, coupled with the current economic recession at home, place veterans and their families at risk for a multitude of health, mental health, and social issues that can adversely affect the quality of their lives.

“Addressing the health needs of returning veterans is a public health imperative for New York State,” said NYSHealth President and CEO James R. Knickman. “We in New York State must ensure that Federal, State, and local resources are responsive to the immediate and long-term needs of returning veterans and their families. It is critical that we understand the needs of the population, the extent and availability of existing resources for veterans and their families, and the gaps in services. We can then make informed Statewide decisions to secure the well-being of these brave men and women.”

One of the most challenging aspects of addressing the needs of this population is the lack of concrete data on the size and characteristics of returning veterans and their families in New York State, and the scope of their specific needs. In response to this gap, the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) has commissioned the RAND Corporation to conduct the first comprehensive needs assessment of the health, mental health, and social service needs of returning veterans and their families in New York State. Through this Statewide needs assessment and the online resource center, NYSHealth is working to address the dearth of data on the issues facing returning veterans and their families in New York State.

The NYSHealth Initiative for Returning Veterans and Their Families is part of the Foundation’s broader priority area Integrating Substance Use and Mental Health Services. As part of the Returning Veterans and Their Families initiative, the Foundation seeks to:

• Address veterans’ reintegration needs, including increasing access to timely primary and specialized care, and mental health and substance use services;
• Improve decision-making with independent, non-partisan information regarding the needs of veterans and their families, and gaps in services for this population;
• Develop and inform a Statewide planning process to ensure that veterans funding meets the needs of New York’s returning veterans.