working effectively with veterans in the community
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Working Effectively with Veterans in the Community. John Straznickas , MD VA Medical Center, San Francisco Department of Psychiatry, UCSF. Specific ways to increase SUD treatment effectiveness with veterans. Cross-Cultural “Military” Sensitivity Special Issues with PTSD. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Working Effectively with Veterans in the Community
John Straznickas, MD
VA Medical Center, San FranciscoDepartment of Psychiatry, UCSF
Specific ways to increase SUD treatment effectiveness with veterans
Cross-Cultural “Military” SensitivitySpecial Issues with PTSD
Military Culture Take-Home PointsMake an effort to ask and learn about what the military
was like for your patient.Know some basic languageDon’t hesitate to have them teach you
Identify what is your patient’s view of his/her military or veteran experience
Examine your own biasesAssess for weapons
Basic Military HistoryWhich Branch did they serve in?
They are NOT the same!Peace-time or war-time service?Active Duty, National Guard or Reserves?
What was their job/MOS?Involved with combat?
Fire-fights, “being shot at”, mortars.Cooks and truck-drivers saw combat
Unwanted sexual advances?A major risk factor for military women
Not all veterans view their military service the same
Individual differencesCultural differences – Vietnam vs. OEF/OIF
Viewing the Military as a CultureCultural values
HonorRespectLeave no brother behindProtect yourself - weaponsChain of command
Follow orders
Veteran as a ‘Racial’ IdentityHelms’ Racial Identity Model
ConformityDissonance Immersion/Resistance Internalization Integrative Awareness
Slide courtesy of Sam Wan, Ph.D.VA Medical Center, SF
Challenging Ways that Veterans Can Present to Community-Based ProgramsConformity –
Devalues the military and emphasizes the civilian life
Dissonance – Ambivalent about the two ‘cultures’
Immersion/Resistance – Idealization of the military and denigration of the civilian culture
Using this Model to Facilitate Treatment Engagement
The ‘conforming’ veteranDon’t challenge the devaluing…but, Don’t actively join the devaluing
The ‘dissonant’ veteranUse Motivational Interviewing techniques to explore the
‘yes-but’ communicationsThe ‘immersion/resistance’ veteran
Don’t challenge the devaluing…and,Focus on the present problem and solution
Examine Your Own BiasesYour view of warYour view of the soldierYour view of perpetrators of violenceYour view of perpetrators of atrocities
Weapons AssessmentAssume that the veteran has one or more weaponsAssume that their weapons are an important part of
their identityAsk specific questions about how they store the
weapon/s and the bulletsIf suicidality or danger to others is present, negotiate
storing weapons (or just bullets) with a friend and/or getting a trigger lock.
Special Issues with Traumatized Veterans
Substance Use Disorders (SUD)Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Take Home Points for SUD/PTSD3 C’s: Complex, Confusing and Crisis-prone
Don’t blame them or yourselfExpect an erratic therapeutic alliance
May take multiple treatment contactsExpect more crisis management, more relapses and the
need for repeated intensification of treatment structureHave a good relationship with clinical staff at substance
abuse day hospitals and substance abuse and/or psychiatric inpatient units
Therapeutic Alliance is the primary treatment goal
Reduces distressDiscouragement with poor outcomes
More Difficult to Treat … PLUS Worse Outcomes with SUD/PTSD ptsFewer clinical improvements, more crisesUneasy alliance, negative counter-
transferencesPoorer compliance with aftercare treatmentsShorter time to relapse post-treatmentDrink more on drinking daysMore medical and interpersonal problemsMore homelessness
Druley and Pashko 1988, Nace 1988, Brown and Wolfe 1994, Saladin et. al. 1995, Breslau et. al. 1997, Ouimette et. al. 1999, Najavits 1998
Why the Difficulties and Poorer Outcomes?
A double dose of distress
Similar Neurobiologic Abnormalities in SUD & PTSD
Deficits in titrating level of arousalDisease exacerbation with stress
SUD relapse PTSD increase in intrusions and arousal sx
Cue-induced behavioral symptomsOver-values and generalizes dangers of PTSD triggersUnder-values and fails to generalize dangers of SUD
cues
Common Therapist Barriers in Forming an Alliance with SUD/PTSD Patients
Therapist’s resonance and sympathy with the patient’s state of heightened anxiety and distress leads to fearful treatment thoughts:Fear of SUD relapse if PTSD is addressedFear of losing the alliance for PTSD work if
SUD is addressed.Tuned-out style of patient’s interactions
Difficult for therapist to engage in alliance
Therapist Suggestions for Working with SUD/PTSD PatientsNon-confrontational & Respectful style
‘Parental stance,’ extensive processing of Counter-transference
Strongly expressed empathyFlexible approach allowing patients to process multiple
traumatic events at a slower, ‘stop & go’ paceKnowledge of PTSD and SUD treatment approachesAn explicit, extensive written set of safety parameters for
Impulsive behaviors, and Relapse-prevention during PTSD treatment
Know methods to overcome non-functional resistance to exposure work. Back et.al (2001) and Najavitis et.al (2008)
Common Therapist Barriers in Forming an Alliance with SUD/PTSD PatientsDichotomous Thinking in Therapist
Sympathetic victim schema: PTSD is a disorder from an accident
Unsympathetic/Repulsive schema: SUD is a disorder of (bad) choices
Dichotomous / Non-Integrated Training of CliniciansSUD and PTSD seem to exist in different universes“I don’t know nothin’ about birthin’ no babies PTSD
interventions.”No empirical support for an integrated training model
(Brady et al., 2001).Clinical treatment programs operate under separate
funding for general psychiatry and substance use disorders.
Reluctance by PTSD Patients and Therapists to Initiate SUD Treatment Psychosocial and public nature of SUD work.Confrontation of addictive behaviors by some treatment
programsIncreases arousal (and hostility)
12 Step Challenges to a Military MindLoss of Control: AA’s core tenet that life has become
unmanageable from Alcohol and that they have ‘lost control’Surrender: Concept of a ‘Higher Power’ and ‘Surrender’Forgiveness: Fearless moral inventory and making amendsAnonymous Group: AA’s crowd of strangers and the telling
of ‘war’ stories
Evidence for Benefit of PTSD Treatment for SUD PatientsFollowing Inpatient SUD treatment, the amount of
PTSD outpatient treatment (3 months or longer) was a major predictor of sustained SUD remission. Ouimette, Moos, Finney 2000
Following Inpatient SUD treatment, partial hospital PTSD Combat trauma processing group showed sustained improvement in PTSD and SUD measures. Donovan 2001
Psychopharmacology for SUD/PTSD
PTSD Evidence-based medication treatments Sertraline ParoxetineFluoxetine
PTSD Medication trials with ‘few data’: Prazosin Citalopram Fluvoxamine Escitalopram
Davidson 2005
Psychopharmacology for SUD/PTSDPTSD Medications with ‘some data’:
VenlafaxineMirtazapineRisperidone
Ineffective PTSD Medication: Bupropion
Davidson 2005
General Rules for Med TrialsFor PTSD patients:
Go low and slow to minimize anxiety side-effectsFor SSRIs 2-12 weeks for 50% reduction in symptoms Improvement continues up to 6 months for a 70% reduction
Davidson 2005
For SUD/PTSD patients:Same as aboveSometimes for agitation & sleep – go Fast and Heavy
Topamax ? Less use of Quetiapine