Fairfield County Private Practice Group (10/19/16) Accurate Targeting of Mental Health in Veterans: How Not to Miss

Date/Time
Date(s) - Oct 19
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Location
Westport Town Hall

Categories


Fairfield Private Practice

Social Workers-  Westport Town Hall  

Room  307-309    

Approved for 2 CECs by NASW/CT

$10 NASW members            $25 non members

Wednesday, October 19  2016 

12:00 to 2 PM  

“ACCURATE TARGETING OF MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS: HOW NOT TO MISS…”
Steven A. Weisblatt, M.D., F.A.P.A.

Dr. Weisblatt served on the psychiatric teaching faculty at Albert Einstein and SUNY Downstate and teaches widely about accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. He will present on the assessment of veterans for co-morbid, often subclinical, psychiatric disorders that often go undetected – or are misdiagnosed as just PTSD.

Despite their service and sacrifice, and our nations commitment to their welfare, veterans often don’t get the mental health care they need. Historically, in part, this has been due to problems of access. However, even when treatment for vets is available, receiving appropriate mental health services has been challenging.

Too often, mental health services are provided in a “one size fits all” manner that misses the special complexity of the vets life. In addition to the traumas many vets experience while serving, they are also subject to particular emotional challenges in their readjustment to civilian society. To complicate the clinical picture further, they are also subject to the same risk of brain chemistry disorders that can face anyone – but in the context of much more stress.

Often, clinicians serving vets struggle to provide optimal interventions due to the difficulty of figuring out what part of the vet’s experience is post–traumatic, what part re-adjustment to civilian life and what part is an illness of brain chemistry. This differentiation is critical. We would not want to add medication to therapy if no brain chemistry imbalance was present and meds were unnecessary. Conversely, we would want to prescribe appropriate medication if a disorder of brain chemistry was present. Further, as there is no specific medication for PTSD, it is critical to recognize and accurately diagnose any specific, comorbid mental health syndromes that may co-occur with PTSD.

No money accepted at the event.  Register below.  $10 for Members; $25 for non Members; no payment for those not seeking CECs.

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