Posted on Jun 1, 2015
Veteran's Call For Help Lands Him In Jail: Is this the right way to respond to a Veteran in crisis?
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A desperate Combat Veteran calls the VA Helpline; he's suicidal. At one point during the conversation, he even mentions that he feels like taking his gun with him to the VA Clinic to force them to give them the help he needs. Does the Helpline operator send police and EMS to get this Veteran to safety immediately? No, she reports him to VA Police, who have him arrested the next day by Federal Agents, and charge him with Communicating a Threat to VA Staff. Is this really the right way to be running a Helpline for Combat Veterans suffering from PTSD? What say you?
Virginia Department of Veterans Services
PTSD
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - Afghanistan
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 102
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The VA should hire veterans to work at VA Helpline not every nitwit who do not understand what some veterans go through in their lives.
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SFC James Massey
What you say is true. I have had to call the hotline a few times myself and may have too again. What you get is a bunch of social worker degree students fulfilling their volunteer requirements. Especially here in Tennessee, the VA sits next door to Vanderbilt university and nearly 75% of the health care staff are Vanderbilt students. I have never seen the same doctor twice, it is always who ever is rotating through at that particular time.
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SSgt Danielle Dretzka
Where i may not understand exactly what that soldier is going through, i can understand as my Mental Health provider at the VA just canceled my appointment, and i can't get in till Sept.....my last appointment was in March. If i worked there, i would not have call the cops on him, i would get him the off base referral he desperately needs.
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Cpl Kirk Lurch Davis
No, as this sends a deliberate message that "WE DON'T CARE" from the VA and their associates. Find help for our veterans and explain their actions and recourse after you have helped them.
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SFC James Massey
SGT. Gus I am sure what you say is true. I am sure that must of the counselors are professionals and that I probably just got a bad apple. How ever the fact still remains that the counselor had to look out for health and wellbeing of the VA staff. I have had great experience's from the counselors I have spoken with except for the one time when one told me she had to go because she had another call coming in, I just wish the calls were anonymous.
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This may be buried at the bottom of this thread, but if YOU are in need of help and don't know where to turn, DO NOT let this incident stop you from reaching out. The VA hotline maybe the only option you have, so PLEASE use it.
At the end of the day, this guy is getting help.
At the end of the day, this guy is getting help.
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SFC (Join to see)
CPL Joe Varga I understand there are numerous options, but that is not the point of my post. You do not know everyone's situation, thought process, where they have reached out, where they have been denied, etc. . I'd rather a veteran call the VA Crisis Hotline for help then do something to harm themselves or others. It would be a travesty for a veteran to feel he or she could not use the VA because of this incident, and then feel they are out of options.
I am not supporting or condoning the actions of anyone in this situation. I'm sorry my comment offended you to the point you felt it deserved your down vote. I would love for you to expound on your comment, as it really does nothing to add to the conversation.
I am not supporting or condoning the actions of anyone in this situation. I'm sorry my comment offended you to the point you felt it deserved your down vote. I would love for you to expound on your comment, as it really does nothing to add to the conversation.
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CPO Ed Ball
Had a state association conference with CVSOs last month, all threats are reported on the VA Hotline....alternative look towards your Vet Centers, they are separate from the VAMC and will generally send counselors into local communities to meet with those in need. In a dire situation, they will contact the Mental Health personnel at the VAMC and get the vets the attention they need. All absolutely free! Get with your State Veterans Affairs officials and talk to them about establishing Veterans Courts. Judges have contacts at the VAMC for these type of cases. They need treatment, not jail time.
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CPL Joe Varga
While I agree that any help is better than self harm; I believe that the VA helpline will do more harm than good in the long run. The "long run" may be irrelevant if it does become a person's last option, but I am quite sure that a person would be better helped elsewhere. I will personally put forth my time as an ear to listen, without judgement, before I tell someone to call the VA helpline.
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Suspended Profile
I hate to say it but the individual communicated that he had the intent, the means, and the ability to hurt or harm others. This is not something that can be written off as "ohhh he's just veteran....." As to the level of response that may have been over the top....however I will say that they should have called 911 for the local area that night and not have waited. They could have sent an ambulance, or crisis team (medical) team with law enforcement support to do a hospitality check and truly access the level of threat that existed.
You can not ignore cries for help but you also can not ignore out burst of anger or threats towards others.......someone could have seriously gotten hurt in this situation....thank God no one did...and yes they probably need to look at their response protocols....I would saying waiting till the next day was their biggest mistake in my humble opinion....we're lucky they did roll up on another statistic. Anyway just my two cents.....waiting till the next day, doing nothing, or down playing the threat because "he's a vet" are all wrong choices. Again just thank God no one was hurt and we are not trying to figure out how lives were lost but how to more effectively save them in the future.
You can not ignore cries for help but you also can not ignore out burst of anger or threats towards others.......someone could have seriously gotten hurt in this situation....thank God no one did...and yes they probably need to look at their response protocols....I would saying waiting till the next day was their biggest mistake in my humble opinion....we're lucky they did roll up on another statistic. Anyway just my two cents.....waiting till the next day, doing nothing, or down playing the threat because "he's a vet" are all wrong choices. Again just thank God no one was hurt and we are not trying to figure out how lives were lost but how to more effectively save them in the future.
CPT Pedro Meza
Well said, because it is a gamble were lives are at stake. Comedian Flip Wilson use to say "The Devil Made do It" this applies to the veteran and to the response, but in reality we do not know what the potential for greater harm is, we do know that the Veteran will get help.
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Suspended Profile
We don't know what happened during the arrest....not enough information....but I do hope they transfer him to a treatment facility for care.
SSgt (Join to see)
See the word arrest is not congruous with help. The professional is paid to listen and we only know there is a crisis not necessarily intent. Ideation vs real intent. And outbursts of anger is interpretive of the need for intervention, not handcuffs or a taser. lol
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Suspended Profile
The words "i'm gonna shoot someone" are not congruous with a behaved member of society and as such society needs to protect themselves from them.
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