We are doing something at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Palm Beach that is a little different than in other medical centers I have worked in over the years. Groups have always been the norm in military life. In basic training, a new service member is taught that they are no longer an individual but part of team. In many cases, that training and philosophy of being part of team permeates much of life after military service, too.
Many of our nation’s Veterans return from the war zones with physical wounds that are addressed by some of the best medical professions in the world. However, the emotional and spiritual wounds of battle may need addressing as well. The chaplains at the VA provide spiritual and pastoral care to the Veterans at the bedside and in the Community Living Centers. We also see patients individually for counseling. While not new, a different way in which we are reaching out to the Veterans is through groups that are facilitated by chaplains. These groups are voluntary and are held in an inpatient and outpatient setting. The unique opportunities to Veterans to tell their stories are held in the highest of confidence in these settings. Other Veterans in the groups serve each other in a supportive role as the chaplain facilitates the group through topics such as grief, loss, anger, forgiveness and others.
The groups are categorized by the type of main issue that will be dealt with in that group. In the past, the groups focused mostly on just Veterans who were diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse or having bereavement problems because a Veteran had experienced a significant loss in his/her life. However, we are experiencing an increase in requests for groups that relate to recovering from addictions and military sexual trauma. Since Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom began over seven years ago, the need for more PTSD groups is also growing. As the needs continue, we are working with other departments in the medical center to begin other groups that specifically focus on the growing number of female Veterans.
Our chaplains are serving as members of the interdisciplinary treatment teams that work closely with Primary Care, Mental Health and Social Work Services as these Veterans are being provided holistic treatment for the wounds they encountered during service to our nation.
