Major Jesse Cox spent 21 years in the Army before joining
Eastern Michigan's Reserve Officers Training Corp. (ROTC)
staff as an assistant professor. And though his job now
is to train college students who may eventually serve in
a war zone, sometimes he runs into young veterans who've
already been there.
Cox, who served in Operation Desert Storm, said it never
takes long to learn the depth of their service — how many
rotations they've had, how long, how hazardous. He'll ask
how their follow-up care is going. And, if they're having
problems, he'll offer phone numbers of places that can
help.
But Cox also knows the forces that work against soldiers
who need mental health services. The military mindset demands
toughness; and the military bureaucracy demands 15 forms,
in triplicate, submitted yesterday — or some other set
of mind-bending hurdles. Eventually, Cox said, soldiers
may decide it's not worth the effort.
The College of Education's Counseling Clinic is trying
to provide an atmosphere that will make getting help a
little easier.
The clinic offers free short-term counseling to veterans
and civilian support staff who've served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Anyone who has served is welcome, regardless of whether
or not they have a connection with EMU.
Under the supervision of faculty who are professional
counselors and psychologists, clinicians-in-training staff
the clinic. The clinic already serves members of the community
at large. So when counseling services coordinator Perry
Francis noticed an article about private therapists offering
their services to veterans for free, he didn't have to
stretch much to envision such a program at EMU.
The clinic can help people cope with depression and anxiety,
or transition back into the community. But, it also offers
career counseling and help with job problems. The staff
has taken a few calls form veterans. And, while none have
scheduled an appointment as of yet, Francis said the clinic
will continue to be there for any vets who need it.
The first step is a phone call.
"Soldiers want to be tough," said Lt. Renn Moon, an assistant
professor of military science in EMU's ROTC. "They're trained
to be tough. They're trained to take on adversity. When
you do your training, you're tired. You're cold. You get
a sense of, 'I have to fight through this.' No soldier
wants to be labeled with the stigma of 'I went and got
mental help. There's something wrong with me.'"
The Army gives returning soldiers extensive access to
counselors, chaplains and support services. Moon spent
a year in Iraq from July 2006-October 2007. When they returned
to Fort Dix, he and his fellow soldiers were briefed on
signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which include
insomnia, depression, anger and dramatic behavior changes.
They also learned to recognize the signs of traumatic brain
injury caused in soldiers by the shock wave from an explosion.
The symptoms — memory loss, sudden loss of motor
skills, vision issues — are common to other
brain injuries. But Gulf War veterans may not experience
such symptoms until months after they come home.
Ultimately, though, asking for help can be the hardest
thing.
"With some of these guys, you just have to really
lead them by the hand and push them into these things," Cox
said.
For more information on counseling services, contact Francis
at 487-4410.
