The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), along with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Development Disabilities (TDMHDD), the Tennessee National Guard (TNNG) and the Tennessee Veterans Task Force will host the third OPERATION IMMERSION August 30 - September 1, 2010, at the Tennessee National Guard Training Center in Smryna, TN. Substance abuse professionals from 19 states and 5 tribal organizations will participate in and learn about this first-of-its-kind military immersion training with the goals of replicating similar programs nationwide.

 

The training is designed to immerse attendees in military culture and the deployment experience in an effort to help remove the barriers and apprehension soldiers often face when seeking help for mental health or substance use disorders. SAMHSA’s role in this effort is part of the agency’s strategic initiative on promoting the behavioral health interests of those in the military, veterans, and their families.

 

During the event, attendees will stay in barracks, go through a modified early morning Physical Training (PT), complete chores and inspection, tour a C-130 cargo plane and Black Hawk Helicopter, and eat a Meal Ready to Eat (MRE).

 

Major General Terry M. Haston, Adjutant General of the Tennessee National Guard: TDMHDD Commissioner Virginia Trotter Betts and Dr. H. Westley Clark, Director, SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, will provide opening remarks for the event. The event will also feature presentations by experts from SAMHSA and Tennessee on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), homelessness, and suicide prevention. Attendees also will hear personal stories of deployment from combat veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and from military spouses and family members.

 

"This training offers a unique opportunity for behavioral health care providers in Tennessee and from many states across the U.S. to experientially learn about life from the military perspective," said TDMHDD Commissioner Virginia Trotter Betts. "It is our hope that Operation Immersion will help to foster a better understanding of these unique issues and concerns to lead to better treatment and prevention of mental health and substance abuse disorders for those who serve our country through military service."

 

Operation Immersion, which began in June of 2009, is a collaboration between TDMHDD, TNNG, and the Tennessee Veterans Task Force as an effort to eliminate the stigma of mental illness and substance use disorders in military populations. The two-day curriculum focuses on military culture and issues unique to service members and veterans who have served in combat and experienced one or multiple deployments and their families.

 

Attendees will hail from 24 states and tribal organizations receiving Access to Recovery (ATR) II grant funding. ATR II is a SAMHSA discretionary grant, designed to provide client choice among alcohol and/or drug treatment and recovery support service providers to individuals in need through the use of a voucher system. Tennessee-ATR II consumers are able to choose from over 80 statewide providers including secular organizations and faith-based organizations. The goals of the ATR II grant include expanding access to treatment, increasing the diversity of network providers, ensuring client choice, and providing a more streamlined entry into treatment and/or recovery services.

 

For more information, contact Linda Fulton, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at linda.fulton@samhsa.hhs.gov or 240-276-1573 or Maggie Throckmorton, the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities at maggie.throckmorton@tn.gov or 615-532-3025.