Every war in our country's history has left behind a legacy of veterans who suffer post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues.
As a society we've been slow to recognize the impact of war and the need to provide mental health supports and services during and after tours of duty.
The ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have greatly increased the demand for mental health services for our military veterans and their families.
Making those services available is an important component of the work we do at the Human Development Center (HDC), as is providing training for our staff on how to help veterans.
HDC, in collaboration with St. Louis County Human Services, Range Mental Health Center, and the Duluth Vet Center is hosting "I'm Home But the War's Not Over".
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Day-long workshops will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Spirit Mountain Chalet in Duluth and another on Oct. 2 at the Hibbing Park Motel in Hibbing. This opportunity, intended for helping professionals such as mental health providers, teachers, counselors, law enforcement and military service members and their families, will feature Lt. Colonel David Grossman, retired, a West Point psychology professor, Professor of Military Science, Pulitzer Prize nominated author, and an Army Ranger who has coined the term "Killology" to describe his work on the psychological effects of war, the root causes of violent crime and the process of healing the victims of violence, in war and peace.
Grossman will speak on recognizing PTSD, knowing when to get help for the family member, understanding what your military service members has been through, and other topics related to helping returning veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Frequently, the people returning from tours have so many needs," said HDC's Chief Operation Officer, Jeff Herman. "It's important that their families and our community's helping professionals understand the unique challenges faced during deployment and then again when Military Service Members return."
HDC is a private, non-profit community mental health center that was established in 1938. HDC serves residents in and Carlton, Cook, Lake, and southern St. Louis counties in northeastern Minnesota and Douglas County in northwestern Wisconsin.
For information and registration, go to humandevelopmentcenter.org.
