Training Notes

Directors Corner
Mr. Robert Carrington, Director of Recovery Care Coordination

Vol. 1

Program Highlight: Education & Employment Initiative

What is E2I? The Wounded Warrior Education and Employment Initiative (E2I) engages recovering Service members early in the recovery process to identify skills they have, career opportunities that match those skills, and any additional skills they will need to be successful. This process operates on a regional basis and involves an innovative collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide VA's vocational rehabilitation services earlier in the recovery process than ever before. Regional Managers overseen by WWCTP identify and coordinate existing resources to ensure a consistent experience for recovering and transitioning Service members. Which population does this program serve? To support recovering Service members, the E2I model provides resources and coordinates the efforts of the Services and Federal agencies through a six-step process: (1) Identify: the Service member is referred by their chain of command or Recovery Team; (2) Assess: a comprehensive skills assessment is administered by a VA vocational rehabilitation counselor; (3) Plan: a career plan is developed; (4) Prepare: Service members participate in actions outlined in the plan; (5) Match and Place: specific career or educational opportunities are identified, and placement assistance is provided; and (6) Transition: can include return to duty or employment, education or vocational training, or community involvement. How can this program help wounded warriors and their families? E2I provides recovering Service members with an opportunity to identify a desired career field and develop a plan to acquire additional skills while rehabilitating on active duty, as well as to obtain assistance in finding education or career opportunities after transition. How can this program help Recovery Care Coordinators? Recovery Care Coordinators can benefit from the additional resources that are available from E2I, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Labor to help recovering Service members become engaged in their future very early in the recovery process. Recovery Care Coordinators can encourage academic and employment preparation early in the recovery process and help identify and refer recovering Service members or eligible family members who are ready and want to engage in E2I. E2I POC: Yolanda.Mose.ctr@osd.mil

The care coordination of our recovering wounded, ill and injured Service members is a top priority of the Department of Defense, a top priority for the Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy, and I am grateful that you have made it a priority as well. These Service members have sacrificed greatly for our Nation and we owe them much in return. To illustrate my point, let me share a story. A unit I served with in Afghanistan had an outpost that was attacked by the enemy. Eight Service members made the ultimate sacrifice for their Nation and 22 were wounded. There is nothing we can do for the eight except to mourn their loss but there is a lot we can do for the 22 who survived. Ensuring that Service members and their families are aware of and have access to all the resources available to them is key to their successful recovery and rehabilitation. The recovery process can be long and daunting. Its your job to make it successful for Service members and families by assisting them in identifying needs and linking them to resources that will help meet those

needs.

RCP Staff Directory:

Mr. Bob Carrington, Director, RCP: Robert.carrington@osd.mil Ms. Sandra Mason, Deputy Director, RCP: Sandra.mason@osd.mil Ms. Barbara Wilson, Director of Training, RCP: Barbara.wilson@osd.mil Mr. Patrick Brick, Operation Warfighter Internships (OWF): Patrick.brick.ctr@osd.mil Ms. Katie Koehler, Education and Employment Initiative (E2I): Katie.koehler.ctr@osd.mil Ms. Kim Jenks, Warrior Athletic Reconditioning Program (WARP): Kim.jenks.ctr@osd.mil

Training Notes
Presidential Issues
In August 2011 President Obama made new commitments to lowering the veteran unemployment rate, and to ensuring that Service members are career-ready when they make the transition into the civilian world. On November 26 2011 President Obama made further steps in this effort when he signed the VOW to Hire Heros Act. This bill will establish various tax credits for businesses that hire unemployed veterans, publish employment assessments for Military Occupational Specialities (MOS), and expand on their job training programs for veterans. The tax credits will range from $2,400 to $9,600 depending on the length of unemployment per veteran hired, as well as the status of Service-connected disbailities. To learn more about Presidental issues concerning veteran employment, please visit www.whitehouse.gov or visit the WWCTP Warrior Care Blog at www.warriorcare.dodlive.mil.

Vol. 1

Connect with a Fellow RCC

By Frances Johnson

A 37-year Army career, including 24 years spent on active duty, taught Michael Bihr a lot about being a Soldier. And it taught him a lot about what Soldiers need, too. So when Michael retired in 2010, taking a position as a Recovery Care Coordinator (RCC) working with wounded, ill and injured Service members attached to SOCOM was a nobrainer. I always had a passion to take care of Soldiers and I saw a need, Michael said. Theres always a need. Michael said he feels his experience in the military, particularly his experience as an Army nurse, puts him in a unique position to manage non-clinical care and resources for wounded, ill and injured Service members and their families. For me, personally, if I can help one Soldier, I think Ill meet the accomplishment, Michael said. The week-long RCC training course, sponsored by the Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy and held December 5-9, 2011, was a good refresher on all the benefits and resources that are available to wounded, ill and injured Service members and families, Michael said. He is looking forward to getting back to Tampa, where he is assigned, and using those resources to help Service members meet their needs and accomplish their goals. He is also looking forward to building connections and camaraderie with other RCCs in the area, as well as with the recovering Service members and families they serve. If you can be that centralized core for him and his family to pull it all together, Michael said, thats critical.

Training Tips & Best Practices

Resiliency strategies are essential to effectively assisting recovering Service members and their familes throughout the Continuum of Care. Resileiency is the ability to reamin optimistic and persistent, even under adversity or uncertainity. It is therefore important to establish positive strategies to follow your own self-development action plan for taking care of yourself . Visit the following websites to try these two stress reduction techniques: Breath 2 Relax: http://www.t2health.org/mediakit/breath2relaxmobile-application#videos Qi Gong: http://nccam.nih.gov/news/multimedia/video/taichiDVD/02_qi_gong. htm RCC Resiliency 101 will be offered on March 2nd, March 28th and April 9th, 2012 via DCO. Register for the course by emailing Jennifer.Anderson.ctr@osd.mil.

If you have a success story you would like to share in our next newsletter, please email Randi.Puckett.ctr@osd.mil

Training Notes
Yoga: an alternative therapy for wounded warriors with PTSD
By Tania Meireles

Vol. 1

Service members have also reported that yoga helps them stay relaxed, which allows them to deal with anxiety caused by traumatic events. Research conducted by the Department of Defense confirms these reports. In one example, DoD conducted research at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) on the efficacy of Yoga Nidra, an ancient meditative practice that was eventually renamed Integrative Restoration or iRest. The research showed that iRest helps heal various unresolved issues, traumas and wounds that are present in the body and the mind, thereby helping the body and mind return to a natural state of functioning. Following the study, WRAMC integrated iRest into its weekly treatment program for Soldiers. It is now available at Military Treatment Facilities and VA facilities around the country. Yoga shows people that they can feel peaceful again, Carnes said. It is possible. And it is something they can do for themselves. In addition to encouraging Service members to take advantage of all therapies and resources that are available to them, Recovery Care Coordinators should take care of their own physical, mental and emotional well-being. A yoga class might be a good place to start!

As yoga classes have become more popular in civilian gyms and health and fitness centers, yoga has also been added to the many therapies employed to assist Service members, wounded warriors, veterans and families. Many people who have gone through combat stress feel disconnected from themselves and others, said Robin Carnes, a certified yoga instructor who taught yoga for six years as part of an intensive outpatient program, most recently at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Yoga means union, bringing together parts as a whole. Yoga helps people connect with themselves and others again. Used as a physical fitness routine, yoga can help with strength and flexibility. It is also increasingly being used to support behavioral health and fitness, particularly for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).

Warrior Games
The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) announced that the Warrior Games, presented by Deloitte, will be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 30 May 5, 2012. The games are hosted by the USOC and supported by the Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, USO, Fisher House Foundation and the Bob Woodruff Foundation. There are expected to be more than 200 wounded, ill, and injured Service members competing in seven sports. The sports will include: archery, cycling, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track & field, and wheelchair basketball. The athletes will be representing the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Special Operations. Be sure to tune in to see if reigning champions, the Marine Corps, can be beat this year! Check out http://warriorcare.dodlive.mil/ for Warrior Game updates.

According to Nicole Carlin, a registered yoga teacher who also has a Bachelors Degree in psychology, yoga can help people find a greater sense of peace and wellbeing. She said yoga can help people clear their minds of troubling or obsessive thoughts.

Training Notes
Distance Learning Opportunities
These courses will help enhance your professional development, and provide refresher training. Sleep Impairment in PTSD, Depression and TBI www.dcoe.health.mil/training/monthlywebinars.aspx This DCoE course is available on February 23rd, then archived for viewing at any time. Psychological Impact of Deployment: Working with the WII https://mhslearn.csd.disa.mil This course increases the learners' awareness of the potential for returning Wounded, Ill, or Injured (WII) Service members and veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, suicidal or homicidal thoughts or behaviors, and other behavioral health concerns. Mild TBI Web-based Case Studies https://mhslearn.csd.disa.mil This is a series of 12 modules offering one free continuing education unit per course. Simply login to MHS Learn and search for Mild TBI Web-based Case Studies.

Vol. 1

Resource at a Glance: Operation Warfighter

Operation Warfighter is a Federal internship program, sponsored by the Department of Defense, that places wounded, ill, and injured Service members in supportive work settings that: Positively impact recovery through the return to work Augment employment readiness as participants return to duty or separate from the military Enable Federal government agencies to better understand the skill sets and challenges of transitioning wounded, ill and injured Service members.

There are currently more than 500 Service members active in OWF internships! To connect your Service member with an internship, please email Patrick.Brick.ctr@osd.mil

Upcoming Events
DCoE Webinar - Sleep Impairment in PTSD, Depression and TBI: February 23 OWF Event at Fort Belvoir: February 24 RCC Resiliency Training: March 2 OWF Event at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda: March 21 DCoE Webinar - Screening and Assessing TBI: March 22 RCC Resiliency Training: March 28 OWF Event at Fort Belvoir: March 30 OWF Event at Fort Meade: March 29 RCC Resiliency Training: April 9 Warrior Games: April 30 May 5

"[Operation Warfighter] gave me hope. It was really motivational to know that I could get a job, continue to live my life and provide for my family. Otherwise, I don't really know what I would be doing today." - SSG William Castillo (Retired)

End Note
Ms. Barbara Wilson, Director of Training, Recovery Coordination Program

News You Can Use: Priority Goals for WWCTP, RCP

1.) Increase the percent of wounded, ill and injured Service members who are assigned to a DoD trained Recovery Care Coordinator within 30 days of being enrolled in a Wounded Warrior Program. 2.) Increase the percentage of wounded, ill, and injured Service members who are enrolled in a Service recovery coordination program and have an active recovery plan administered by a DoD trained Recovery Care Coordinator.

Learning has become a continual process rather than a distinct event and continues long after you have left the classroom environment. Accordingly we developed Training Notes in the sincere hope that the information contained in our first edition will not only expand your knowledge, but provide insight into some of the resources available to recovering Service members and their families. Thank you for reading and we would love to hear your comments and ideas for our next edition of Training Notes.

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