The Long Walk Home

Welcome to the Long Walk Home

John Fisher from Soldiers Heart will be speaking May 5th at 7pm at Montessori Island School.
MM 92.2. Donated by Keys to Peace.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Long Walk Home is committed to improving the emotional and physical well-being of all American military personnel active and inactive, through education, establishing and enacting programs in boot camp and prior to discharge from military duty that deal in particularly with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

CURRENT SITUATION

Significant numbers of discharged combat personnel are afflicted with PTSD. Such people exhibit an inordinately high incidence of homelessness, suicide, psychoses, and fractured family relationships among other symptoms. Eighteen such veterans commit suicide every day on average. One fourth of the homeless in our country are veterans, and the incidence of divorce, abandonment, and domestic violence is much higher among veterans as compared with the average population. Through hearings and lobbying, the Federal Government has come to recognize the problem, but unfortunately the programs put into place to deal with it are inadequate because they require the veteran to take the treatment initiative. Far too often upon their separation from military service, combat veterans are unaware of their need for counseling and/or therapy. Their commanding officers are often reluctant to refer them for therapy because a higher incidence of therapeutic needs among their retiring personnel reflects negatively upon their efficiency reports. There is, unfortunately, a social stigma associated with seeking psychological help, so many veterans who would greatly benefit from such therapy do not take the initiative for obtaining it.

OBJECTIVE

The Long Walk Home is seeking adequate funding and support to realize the following objectives.

A) To increase public awareness of the direct results of PTSD and its collateral damage in order to obtain the backing of individuals and other like minded organization's, thereby ensuring that effective programs are instituted.

B) To provide grieving counseling for all military personnel prior to deployment, similar to what the firemen and police force receive to help them be more effective in dealing with personal losses and those of the people they serve.

C) To institute a Mandatory Civilian Reentry Program prior to discharge giving them the tools they need to cope and handle the stress of reentering the Civilian world. Making it mandatory would also take a away the stigma of being weak or broken, allow for more effective screening and counseling prior to discharge. It would also ensure that those that would be getting a section 8 or conditional discharge, who have the greatest need would be getting the help they need.

D) To utilize the homes donated to The Long Walk Home to provide temporary housing as well as forming support groups so that those who are experiencing difficulty in adjusting have a place to which they can go where peers and therapists can help to guide them in the reentry process. These programs will be documented in the hopes the Federal Government will assume the responsibility for making the programs universally applied thought the American armed forces.

PROJECTS

Go to "how to help" to see a form letter to write your congressman. Addresses can be found here as well.
Acquiring, rebuilding and staffing housing for Vets, an on going project

For more information or to volunteer call Ron at (305)852-4782