ptsd Specialized Intensive Inpatient Ptsd Program Units

[halos2]

Vet has a choice of North Chicago Hosp, or Topeka Ks program. Was advised the Ks program is a 7 week intensive residential rehabilitation therapy unit with major focus on PTSD. Leaning toward Ks one as it is around 325 miles away where Il one is about 450.

Does anyone have information about or experience with either of these?

Captain James Lovell Federal Health Care Center North Chicago Il.

VA Eastern Kansas Health Care/ Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center Topeka, Ks

Vet is Nam vet with Chronic PTSD related to Battles and was awarded Bronze Star with "V" for his combat service there.

Needing any help or info which would lessen his anxiety and apprehension regard inpatient treatment/lock down unit with limited independence and benefits received from any who have attended these types of intensive therapy programs.

In dire need of treatment, and more so in others opinions of how helpful and complexity of sessions.

Will pass on info to vet, and appreciative to any who may post. Thanks.

[Berta]

The "lock down" is sort of BS for the 21 day inhouse PTSD program.

It does keep the 'world' out-and that is a good thing.

I can only speak for the 21 day Buffalo inhouse program my husband was in. He was very apprehensive before he went into this program.

But when he came home from it he said he wished he could have been in the VA inhouse program for a year-to completely debrief his year of Hell in Vietnam.( Ist Amphibious Battalion, Ist Mar Div -1965-66 first wave.)

They had a few day trips and he had access to phone to call me.His team leader kept in great touch with me too.Also they got pizzas delivered at few times.

His main problem was violence and anger. The program gave him mental tools to deal with that. He came home a different person and willing to use the information he got in the therapy.It was intense and they gave him lots of printouts that he referred to

after the program.He also kept in touch with the other combats vets in the same program and that helped him too.

He was in a group with 5 other combat vets and a wannabee. I cant get into the wannabee situation.

He said the group sessions were the best PTSD help he had gotten from VA since his PTSD diagnosis in 1983.(Except for the vet center combat groups too where he met me)He was 30% at the time and the VA itself filed the paperwork for all of the vets to get the 100% temp comp for the 21 day program (except the wannabee)He had been rated at 30% for PTSD in 1983 and had 2 claims pending while in the Buffalo program.

Years after he died VA awarded him 100% P & T posthumously for PTSD and the EED for that was 3 years prior to his inhouse program.I dont recall if the VA even considered his 21 day records for this P & T 100 % award.

The VA employees who ran this program were fabulous.The team leader of these combat groups was a civilian. In spite of that fact,he gained the trust of the vets and had a depth of understanding that was often lacking in some other types of PTSD therapy. The programs might have changed but in his case they went 'there' again and 'came back ' again.Back to the world with a better handle on the devastating disability of PTSD.

I have never heard any vet since,who was in this program at Buffalo complain in any way about it. The best therapy of all often comes from other PTSD vets when they feel comfortable and safe.They realize right away too-they are sure not alone no matter -how bizarre their PTSD manifestations can be.

The 100% temp check came fairly soon after Rod was in the program.

[halos2]

Berta, You never disappoint the members here. It is a "given" one knows you will respond with valid verification regarding one's questions. I will post more later...typed 4 paragraphs and they disappeared prior to me sending. I have dial up and it sucks for my internet connection. Thanks again.

[Philip Rogers]

You might try typing your posts on word processor mode and then cut & paste it to your hadit post. It took me a while to get smarter, when I had dial-up, but saved me a lot of re-typing. Especially nice when you're a 2 fingered typist like myself. jmo

pr

[halos2]

PR word processor mode, cut & paste ???? Lucky I can type. Medically oriented and educated...computer use NOVICE and not versed in the usage of mannerisms regarding how to's!

You might try typing your posts on word processor mode and then cut & paste it to your hadit post. It took me a while to get smarter, when I had dial-up, but saved me a lot of re-typing. Especially nice when you're a 2 fingered typist like myself. jmo

pr