Gov. Blagojevich announces landmark Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder program for Illinois Veterans

CHICAGO - On the eve of Independence Day, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich was joined by Tammy Duckworth, Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) to announce a first-of-its-kind program to screen every returning Illinois National Guard member for traumatic brain injury (TBI), offer TBI screening to Illinois Veterans, and 24-hour toll-free psychological assistance for Veterans suffering from PTSD.  The program increases health care benefits for Veterans and will later become part of the Governor's Illinois Covered insurance plan. 

 

The program will work in two parts: The TBI portion will mandate screening for all Illinois National Guard members returning from deployment and offer free screening to all Illinois Veterans, especially those returning from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.  The PTSD portion will offer 24-hour, toll-free psychological assistance to give Veterans suffering from PTSD a place to turn, day or night, for help. 

 

"As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue, we're seeing what a serious toll combat can take on the mental health of the brave men and women fighting on our behalf.  Every day our troops are encountering danger, violence and tragedy that most of us can't even imagine.  After they've given so much to protect our freedom, we should do everything we can to help them live productive and stable lives when they return home.  We can't wait for the federal government to catch up with the new and growing mental health needs associated with combat, or for Illinois lawmakers to approve the comprehensive Illinois Covered program.  Too many returning soldiers and Veterans need help now," said Gov. Blagojevich. 

 

The announcement makes Illinois the first state in the nation to establish a statewide TBI program offering screenings for all Veterans and mandatory screening for Illinois Army National Guard members.  The new PTSD and TBI program will later become part of the Governor's Illinois Covered plan to provide access to affordable health coverage for every Illinoisan.

 

"As this war continues, and more of our troops are being deployed multiple times into combat, the number of Veterans suffering from TBI and battling PTSD will only grow as these brave men and women return home," said Tammy Duckworth, IDVA Director.  "The time is now to help our heroes who have fought for our freedoms, who have sacrificed their lives for us.  We must, at the very least, make sure they all have access to the health and psychological care they deserve.  I am proud to see Illinois set an example of how to care for and treat those who have served this country by establishing this PTSD and TBI program." 

 

On June 15^th, the Pentagon Task Force on Mental Health released a report declaring that the military "falls significantly short" in providing adequate psychological care to service members.  The report stated that mental illness has become a major issue because of the system's lack of fiscal resources and trained personnel, the prejudices towards mental illness, and the long exposure to combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.  The report found that there is a stigma attached to mental health problems among service members that interferes with access to care, quality of care and continuity of care.  The report also stated that service members who were deployed multiple times were more likely to screen positive for a mental health issue.

 

The use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq has led to a sudden rise in traumatic brain injuries.  The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) will be working with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) to implement the screening tool for TBI.  The tool was created by Dr. Elliot Roth, Senior Vice President, Medical Director, and Felise Zollman, Medical Director of the Brain Injury Program at RIC.  The screening will take approximately 20-30 minutes.  The program will offer mandatory screenings for Illinois Army National Guard and the option for all returning Illinois Veterans, especially those returning from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

 

"Traumatic brain injury is one of the most complicated injuries to treat.  The brain is the human body's most complex organ, its injuries can manifest in ways that are not readily apparent and the process of detecting and determining the extent of injury can be highly complex," said Dr. Felise Zollman, Medical Director for the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's Brain Injury Medicine and Rehabilitation Program.  "RIC stands ready and eager to serve our nation's injured service men and women by lending our expertise and providing the best clinical care in rehabilitation that our country has to offer."  

 

Because TBI shares many of the same symptoms as PTSD, healthcare professionals often misdiagnose mild traumatic brain injuries for PTSD, especially when visible wounds are lacking.  This misdiagnosis becomes problematic because TBI and PTSD are treated differently.  The screening will assist clinicians in diagnosing the service member and refer them for further TBI screening if needed. 

 

According to numbers reported by the Associated Press on June 23, 2007, "only an estimated 2,000 cases of brain injury have been treated, but doctors think many less obvious cases have gone undetected.  One small study found that more than half of one group of wounded troops arriving at Walter Reed Army Medical Center had brain injuries."

 

On the federal level, earlier this year Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) authored legislation in the Senate to require the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Veteran Affairs (VA) to implement a comprehensive program to diagnose, treat and rehabilitate service members and Veterans who have suffered a service-related traumatic brain injury. 

 

"TBI and PTSD are signature wounds of this war," Senator Durbin said.  "We need to improve care at the federal level so Veterans across this country have all the resources they deserve.  I applaud Governor Blagojevich and Director Duckworth for stepping in and taking action on behalf of Illinois Veterans."

 

The PTSD portion of the program will include a 24-hour, toll-free psychological assistance service to all Illinois Veterans.  The toll-free number will ring into a call center staffed by trained clinicians or nurses with at least one trained Psychiatrist at the center and on call at all times.  The psychiatrists and staff will be trained in the area of combat-related PTSD and other psychological issues facing Veterans.  When a Veteran calls the hotline, a clinician will perform an initial over-the-phone screening and determination for the next steps.  

 

The PTSD program will help Illinois Veterans in many ways, they include: 

 

 

 

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