| 00:00:08 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
THOMPSON IS THE NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT FOR "TIME" MAGAZINE. THE DEPARTMENT
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| 00:00:17 |
HOST, -
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HAS BEEN OVERSTATING HOW QUICKLY THEY SEE VETERANS WITH MENTAL HEALTH CARE ISSUES. THIS RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT HOW FAST THEY ARE GETTING...
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| 00:00:39 |
GUEST, -
VA WAS MEASURED HELP IT WOULD TAKE THEM TO SEE YOU, CANNOT HELP A PATIENT WOULD HAVE TO WAIT TO GET HIS OR HER FIRST APPOINTMENT. "95% OF OUR VETERANS...
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| 00:01:17 |
HOST, -
GUEST: RIGHT. ALL THESE NUMBERS SHOW THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM.
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| 00:01:41 |
GUEST, -
WE HAVE A FLOOD OF RETURNING THVETS. WORLD WAR II -- ON EINE IN THREE WOUNDED VETERANS DIED. THIS WAR -- AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ -- EIGHT WOUNDED, ONLY ONE...
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| 00:02:36 |
HOST, -
REPUBLICANS -- 202-737-0002. INDEPENDENTS -- 202-628-0205. AND A SPECIAL LINE -- 202-628- 0184. HE LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS AND THE NUMBERS GET TO A BROADER...
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| 00:03:22 |
GUEST, -
THE SIGNATURE WOUND OF THIS WAR IS TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES. OUR MILITARY IS SO GOOD THAT THE BAD GUYS CAN ONLY FIGHT IT WITH SUICIDE BOMBERS. IT TAKES...
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| 00:04:25 |
HOST, -
IS FINDING WAYS TO MAKE THE DATA LOOK LIKE THEY ARE COMPLYING. V.A. CAN AND MUCH
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| 00:04:34 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
DO MUCH BETTER. LAST WEEK THEY ANNOUNCED THE ADDITION OF 6000 MENTAL-HEALTH PROVIDERS AND AN INCREASE IN STAFFING LEVELS AT THE VETERANS CRISIS LINE....
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| 00:05:39 |
HOST, -
WILL TELL YOU, THERE IS A GREAT DEMAND FOR PSYCHIATRISTS
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| 00:05:48 |
GUEST, -
AND LICENSED SOCIAL WORKERS. THERE'S NOT ENOUGH IN THE MILITARY OR VETERANS WORLD. THE EXPERTS WHEN OUT TO FOUR DIFFERENT V.A. POSTS AND FOUND THERE WERE...
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| 00:06:59 |
HOST, -
I AM A VETERAN MYSELF.
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| 00:07:03 |
CALLER, -
WHEN WE GO TO THE VA..A. HOSPITAL, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. THE V.A. ARE HIRING MORE PEOPLE FROM INDIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES....
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| 00:07:29 |
GUEST, -
COMPLAINT FROM SOLDIERS. AMERICA IS NOT GENERATING ENOUGH DOCTORS. YOU GET PEOPLE FROM ITS AEAST ASIA. THAT'S A REAL CONCERN. THOSE FOLKS DO NOT HAVE...
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| 00:08:11 |
HOST, -
GUEST: THAT PERSON WILL UNDERSTAND GOMER PYLE AND SOME OF THE SLANG.
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| 00:08:20 |
GUEST, -
HOST: MARK THOMPSON RUNS THE BATTLE-LAND BLOG AT TIME'S WEBSITE.
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| 00:08:29 |
HOST, -
FELIX IS A VET. CALLER: YES. I'M CALLING IN REGARD --
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| 00:08:38 |
CALLER, -
SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR THE VETERANS COMING BACK. I AM A VETERAN MYSELF. IT DOESN'T TAKE MORE THAN MAYBE 20 OR 30 IN ONE SESSION IN THE GROUP CLASS...
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| 00:09:30 |
HOST, -
CALLERCALLER: GROUP CLASS IS BETTER THAN A ONE-ON-ONE. THE SAME SCENARIO CAN BE ADDRESSED FROM A TO Z. HOST: THANK YOU FOR CALLING. GUEST: THANK YOU FOR...
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| 00:09:54 |
HOST, -
HOW UNIQUE EACH CASE
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| 00:09:58 |
GUEST, -
OF PTSST IS. THERE WASN'T ENOUGH ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING GOING AND TO MUCH OF A PUSH TO PUSH PEOPLE INTO GROUP SESSIONS. SCARING THE ISSUE MAKES IT EASIER...
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| 00:10:39 |
HOST, -
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| 00:10:41 |
CALLER, -
ARE THERE A VOLUNTEER ROLES? V.A.DOES THE V.A. TAKE VOLUNTEERS? IS THERE ANY KIND OF TRIAGE? THEY CAN BRING IN THESE SOLDIERS BUT THEY COULD HELP THE...
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| 00:11:36 |
GUEST, -
OUR HOUR. IT IS A NONPROFIT GROUP THAT TAKES LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND MARY'S THEM UP WITH VETS WHO NEED HELP BEYOND WHAT THEY CAN GET...
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| 00:12:24 |
HOST, -
VET. HE WORKED IN MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE. HE WOUND UP LEAVING THAT JOB AND HAD SOME CRITICISM ABOUT THE CULTURE AT LARGE. [VIDEO CLIP] >>THE V.A. LACKS...
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| 00:12:49 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
STATED THE NEED WAS QUANTITY RATHER THAN QUALITY. SHE SAID HAVE CONTACT WITH AS MANY VETERANS AS WE CAN, EVEN IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO HELP THEM. A GROWING...
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| 00:13:29 |
GUEST, -
HE HAD 14 YEARS IN THE NAVY. THE V.A. IT'S LIKE THE POST OFFICE OR MILITARY. THERE ARE GOING TO BE BAD APPLES IN ANY INSTITUTION OF THAT SIZE. IT IS VERY...
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| 00:14:29 |
HOST, -
V.A. DISABILITY RAIDERS?
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| 00:14:34 |
CALLER, -
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, I FILED MY CLAIM. I HAVE HAD BACK SURGERY. THE V.A. DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THAT. LIKE DOCTORS KEEP WRITING LETTERS TO THEM -- MY DOCTORS...
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| 00:15:13 |
GUEST, -
CONTROVERSIAL. I HAVE HEARD OF BONUSES BUT THEY TEND TO GO ON QUANTITY, NOT ON THE NILE. THAT WOULD IGNITE A FIRE STORM FAIRLY. I DO THINK THAT THE V.A....
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| 00:16:07 |
HOST, -
WE'RE TALKING 24 HOURS OR 48 HOURS WHEN THE FIRST PLACE A CALL. GUEST: 1-800-278-TALK. THAT IS THE VETERANS CRISIS NUMBER.
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| 00:16:25 |
GUEST, -
YOU MAY NOT BE SEEN BY A V.A. PERSON, MAYBE A LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT. THEY WERE DOING PRETTY WELL AT THAT. HOST: 18 VETERANS DIE BY SUICIDE DAILY.
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| 00:16:52 |
HOST, -
MUCH LARGER PERCENTAGE THAN A SERVICE MEMBERS AMONG THE GENERAL POPULATION AT LARGE. GUEST: I MEAN -- IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT THE SUICIDE CONUNDRUM, IT...
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| 00:17:11 |
GUEST, -
OUT A LONG TIME AGO. IF YOU SUFFER FROM PTSD, YOU'RE UP TO MORE THAN SIX TIMES MORE LIKELY TO TAKE YOUR OWN LIFE. THAT IS A REAL ISSUE ALONG WITH THE...
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| 00:18:20 |
HOST, -
A VETERAN. I HAVE IT MENTAL-HEALTH APPOINTMENT EVERY TWO AND A HALF MONTHS.
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| 00:18:28 |
CALLER, -
I HAVE AN ANNUAL PHYSICAL. HOST: ARE YOU STILL WITH US? DO YOU WANT THOSE APPOINTMENTS EVERY 21 HALF
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| 00:18:44 |
HOST, -
MONTH 1/2 MONTHS? CALLER: THEY ARE A MAINTENANCE CHECK IN. A PROBLEM IS THE
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| 00:18:57 |
CALLER, -
FACT THAT VETERANS GET STARTED ON MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND OFTENTIMES FAILED TO KEEP THEIR APPOINTMENTS. HOST: WE WILL GET A RESPONSE FROM MARK THOMPSON....
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| 00:19:14 |
HOST, -
IT IS FRUSTRATING FOR THE PROFESSIONALS WHEN FOLKS DID NOT SHOW UP.
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| 00:19:18 |
GUEST, -
IT IS LIKE A RESTAURANT WHEN RESERVATIONS ARE MADE AND PEOPLE DO NOT SHOW UP. THAT IS AN ISSUE AND THAT IS TROUBLING. I OFTEN SPEAK TO VETS. SOME VETS...
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| 00:20:01 |
CALLER, -
A MARINE CORPS VETERAN. I WAS WOUNDED. I AND A PURPLE HEART VETERAN -- I AM A PURPLE HEART VETERAN. I WENT TO WORK AS A SOCIAL WORKER. I HAVE BEEN OUT...
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| 00:21:54 |
HOST, -
BEEN SEEING AND ONCE A WEEK FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS --
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| 00:21:57 |
GUEST, -
CALLER: I HAVE BEEN SEEING HIM ONCE A WEEK FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. I DO NOT DRINK.
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| 00:22:08 |
CALLER, -
SOMETIMES I DREAM ABOUT THE COMBAT SITUATIONS THAT I WAS IN. MY WIFE IS ALSO HELPFUL. I WANTED TO COMMENT AND SAY THAT IN THE CHARLESTON AREA, THE SOCIAL...
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| 00:22:56 |
HOST, -
HELP ALL LOT. THIS GETS TO THE UNIQUENESS OF PTSD.
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| 00:23:07 |
GUEST, -
SOME FOLKS CAN THRIVE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER FOLKS CAN'T. THE V.A. TRIES TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS BEST FOR EACH VETERAN. THE WARRIOR TRANSITION...
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| 00:24:01 |
HOST, -
GUEST: THE NUMBERS ARE STAGGERING. THIS SHOULD NOT BE A SURPRISE BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE WARS ARE
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| 00:24:14 |
GUEST, -
FLAWEOUGHT. YOU'RE LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED BY THE IED. EVERYBODY OVER THERE HAS SOME EXPOSURE IN COMBAT. IT IS NOT LIKE IT WAS SEVERAL WARS AGO WHERE THERE...
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| 00:25:19 |
HOST, -
OF 2001. HE CAME BACK ON HIS FIRST TOUR.
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| 00:25:24 |
CALLER, -
WE WENT OUT TO EAT. IT IS HEARTBREAKING. YOU REALIZE HE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. AFTER THREE TOURS -- HE HAD ROADSIDE BOMBS GO OFF ON HIM. HE WAS A GUY...
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| 00:26:24 |
GUEST, -
SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT SAID MORE THAN HALF OF THE VETERANS WHO COME BACK WITH SYMPTOMS OF PTSD OR MAJOR DEPRESSION NEVER GET HELP. YOU HAVE THE NOTION...
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| 00:28:01 |
HOST, -
I DID TWO TOURS IN IRAQ.
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| 00:28:05 |
CALLER, -
I HAVE PTSD BUT I DID NOT TAKE ANY TREATMENT BECAUSE I THOUGHT OTHER GUYS WERE MORE IMPORTANT WHO LOST LEGS AND ARMS AND DID NOT TAKE ANY TREATMENT. THE...
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| 00:28:57 |
GUEST, -
DEALT WITH THE SAME WAY AS A PHYSICAL WOUNDS. MENTAL WOUNDS OF WAR ARE REAL WOUNDS. IT GETS TO WHAT WE'RE GETTING AT. THERE IS A GROWING REALIZATION...
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| 00:30:02 |
HOST, -
GUEST: THEY ARE FLOPS SIDES TO THE SAME COIN. MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS WERE SEPARATE OUTPOSTS.
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| 00:30:13 |
GUEST, -
IF YOU WHEN THERE, EVERYBODY WOULD KNOW. THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SMARTER IF IT WOULD BE PART OF THE HOSPITAL. IN SOME WAYS YOU COULD SAY THAT ENCOURAGES...
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| 00:30:52 |
HOST, -
BATTLELAND BLOG. IT DISPATCHES FROM YOURSELF AS WELL AS OTHER CONTRIBUTORS. GUEST: WE DO NOT RIGHT FOR DEFENSE CONTRACTORS OR POLITICIANS. WE WRITE...
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| 00:31:10 |
GUEST, -
TAXPAYERS. HOST: HE IS A PULITZER PRIZE WINNER FOR PUBLIC-SERVICE JOURNALISM. IT WAS A
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| 00:31:20 |
HOST, -
SERIES ABOUT A DESIGN FLAW IN HELICOPTERS. THE PROBLEM FESTER FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. CRASHES KILLED MORE THAN 250 SERVICEMEN. HE HAS BEEN WITH "TIME"...
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| 00:31:56 |
CALLER, -
IT HAS BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN TREATED FOR IT. PTSD, SOME OF THE FACETS OF OUR SURVIVOR GUILT. IT SEEMS YOU GET CAUGHT IN AN AREA WHERE YOU TAKE...
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| 00:33:45 |
GUEST, -
TO YOU FOR CAN T WIN YOUR TREATMENT -- FOR CONTINUING YOUR TREATMENT. SOME STOP THEIR TREATMENT AND THAT LEADS TO SOME BAD OUTCOMES. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR...
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| 00:34:51 |
HOST, -
TO VETERANS. SINCE 2004,
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| 00:34:56 |
GUEST, -
THE BUDGET WAS $60 BILLION. THAT RATE OF GROWTH IS TOUGH TO SPEND A SMARTLY. I THINK THE V.A. IS GROWING AS FAST AS IT CAN GROW AND MAKING SURE THOSE...
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| 00:35:31 |
HOST, -
TO THIS ARTICLE IN "THE WASHINGTON POST." GUEST: THAT IS THE SEQUESTER MECHANISM THAT WILL COME TO PASS ON JANUARY 2, OR MAY NOT COME TO PASS ON JANUARY...
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| 00:35:46 |
GUEST, -
THEY CAN BE EXEMPTED BY ORDER OF THE PRESIDENT. THE V.A. WAS EXEMPTED AT LAST WEEK. THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN'T WANT TO CHEAT THE VETERANS OR THE ACTIVE-DUTY...
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| 00:36:29 |
HOST, -
KIND OF A COMPLAINT, COMMENT, AND THE QUESTION. I
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| 00:36:34 |
CALLER, -
AM NOT A VET. HAD SOME COME BACK. THEY DEAL WITH ALL THE SITUATIONS WHERE SPEAKING OF RIGHT NOW. THE COMPLAINT IS -- DELAYS SINCE THE INCEPTION. YOU HAD...
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| 00:38:17 |
GUEST, -
PTSD ISSUE, THERE WERE 100 PLACES TO GO GET HELP. IT WAS BAFFLING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO GO. THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS. RIGHT NOW...
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| 00:39:50 |
CALLER, -
I TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE AND I AM BIPOLAR. PEOPLE SHOULD BE COMMENDED. PEOPLE THINK OF A TEMPORARY PROBLEM -- THIS IS HARD TO CORRECT. ARE THERE STUDIES...
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| 00:41:38 |
GUEST, -
FELLOW LOST HIS HAND. HE WS ONAS ON HIS SEVENTH DEPLOYMENT. IF IT WERE AS SIMPLE AS MENDING A BROKEN LEG, THERE WOULD NOT BE AS MUCH OF A PROBLEM. HOST:...
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| 00:42:19 |
HOST, -
TIME THERE HAVE BEEN CALCULATION ERRORS. THE IG'S OFFICE ALL, -- ALSO CAN UP WITH STUDIES. WHAT IS IMPROVING? GUEST: THE PROBLEM FOR THE VA IS THAT IT...
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| 00:42:38 |
GUEST, -
DOING SOME THING. THAT IS NO LONGER ADEQUATE. THE DEMANDS CONTINUED TO GROW. THAT IS THE PROBLEM AND THE CHALLENGE. YOU TALK TO MENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS...
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| 00:43:31 |
HOST, -
THAT'S ALL FOR "WASHINGTON JOURNAL." WE WILL BE BACK AT 7:00 EASTERN TIME TOMORROW MORNING. COMING UP NOW, WE
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NOTE: The transcript for this program was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.