The emotions Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have after returning home are nothing to be ashamed of, explains Vietnam veteran Lee Burkins at a press conference Monday. They are issues that need to be addressed and now there is an outlet for veterans and their families in Montrose.
The Midwestern Colorado Mental Health Center has begun a program for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans that provides a safe, welcoming and confidential place to “learn to heal and carry life forward.”
 Midwestern Colorado Mental Health Center employees from left, substance abuse counselor Mike Barton, licensed professional councilor Janine Modersky and executive director Jon Gordon discuss a new support program for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans Monday afternoon. The program's support group will meet starting Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. (Joel Blocker / Daily Press) Advertisement |
“Trauma response is the body’s natural reaction to being in the midst of danger. So, when I look and deal with trauma, I don’t necessarily see it as a mental illness,” said Janine Modersky, a licensed professional counselor for the center. She will help with the group.
Modersky said trauma is not necessarily permanent. Through therapy, one can move on.
“It’s your body’s response in order to protect itself. Just like your brain is triggered to be in that state of guard and sensitiveness and hypo-vigilance in order to survive, you can retrain the brain to help you to use that awareness but not necessarily react on that awareness as quickly as people need to do in combat,” she said.
Combat trauma symptoms include irritability, depression, isolation, guilt, nightmares, drug abuse and startle reactions, according to the center.
The new support group provides a confidential place for soldiers to share stories and thoughts. Because the center is a non-governmental organization, confidentiality is guaranteed both by the center and the group, said center Executive Director Jon Gordon.
The program provides several things including psychological education, peer and drug support and family counseling, helping those who live and work with veterans understand the transition back into society.
Mike Barton, a substance abuse counselor for the center, and Burkins, will also help with group sessions.
The center is one of three rural programs in Colorado working to provide this service. The three centers will share ideas and the program will evolve to fit the area’s veterans, Modersky said.
Groups will be held every Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 605 E. Miami St. in Montrose. For more information, stop by the center or call Janine at (970) 497-9852.
Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com
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