To understand the toll that deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan is taking on soldiers, talk to Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, the president and founder of Give an Hour, a DC-based nonprofit organization offering free mental health services to veterans and their loved ones.
“What [they] are experiencing as a result of deployments — traumatic brain injuries and other devastating physical injuries, post traumatic stress disorder and more — is incomprehensible to the general population,” says the clinical psychologist. “The sheer number of people being affected makes it virtually impossible for the very competent but overtaxed military health care system to provide help to everyone who needs it.”
Since it was founded in 2005, Give an Hour volunteers have donated more than 30,000 hours of free counseling, education and outreach programs to vets who need help but might not have otherwise asked for it.
Research shows that there are barriers preventing military personnel from signing up to talk to professionals about the effects of combat. While nearly 20 percent of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan struggle with PTSD, fewer than half of those ever seek treatment, according to one 2008 study. Why? Many fear that what’s contained in notes taken during therapy sessions could come back to harm their military careers.
That’s what makes Give an Hour so special. Everything said is confidential. The grassroots organization is not affiliated with the military and promises that commanders will never find out what soldiers share with Give an Hour volunteers. Best of all, it’s free and there’s no cap on the number of sessions.
To obtain services for you or someone you care about, go to www.giveanhour.org and enter a zip code to find volunteer providers near you. Mental health professionals willing to donate an hour each week for a minimum commitment of one year should also visit the site.
Give an Hour has some 6,000 licensed mental health professionals in all 50 states in its network. The goal is to recruit 10 percent of the nation’s 400,000 mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, substance abuse counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychiatric nurses and more, to help the cause. Though the organization is backed by deep-pocketed sponsors like the Lilly Foundation — which awarded Give an Hour a $400,000 grant in October — people with other skills are also needed to volunteer in public relations, marketing and event planning. It’s your chance to give back to those who have already given so much.
Photo by The U.S. Army via Flickr.