The other day marked the 600th blog post here at Healing Combat Trauma, all on the topic of exactly that, in just over three years' time. That's an auspicious occasion, of sorts, but no way to mark that really comes to mind, except to maybe just mention it.
Tomorrow, the Veterans Home of California at Yountville marks its 125th year with some festivities. The Veterans Home is an impressive location, which these days also houses The Pathway Home, an innovative residential treatment program for combat veterans with PTSD, one of the only ones of its kind in the United States, and very much a standalone program (meaning, not part of a series of them elsewhere). The executive director of the Pathway Home is Fred Gusman, M.S.W., a name long familiar as a veterans advocate, even as far back as the Vietnam war. The Pathway Home was recently featured in the "In These Boots" documentary film series, in the segment entitled "Broken Promise," about three Iraqi vets and their experience there, after feeling let down by the Department of Veterans Affairs. (We wrote about that in a blog post, linked here.)
I've been able to go to the Pathway Home and visit with some of the residents, and bring with me a
Vietnam veteran and former Marine who spent time in a residential program for PTSD years ago, which, like the Pathway Home, was considered cutting edge at the time. It was interesting watching him interact with the current veterans: They definitely could relate to one another. (Ironically, one of the vets we met was one of the three featured in the film, but we met him before knowing that.)
I'm still a little unclear on what the Pathway Home actually does to help its residents "get better"...perhaps over time that will become a little more obvious. They seem to be "trying" a lot of things, but as to why some choices and not others, that methodology seems unclear. Either that, or they're just not broadcasting much about it. Even the documentary film segment didn't shed any light on that. The residents appeared reasonably pleased that it was meeting their needs, but as to what or how, again, nothing in particular was revealed. I believe the Pathway Home is also in year one of a three year grant, so fundraising efforts to continue the program are undoubtedly underway or soon to become so.
In the meantime, Happy 125th Birthday to the Veterans Home of California at Yountville, and Happy 600th Blog Post on PTSD to us.
Editor's Note: On April 1, 1:30 p.m., at the Main Chapel, the public is invited to join in celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Veterans Home of California at Yountville. At 2 p.m., there will be a slide show followed by an ice cream social at 2:30 p.m.
