If you provide client support:
• Establish a method to determine a patient’s military affiliation.

• Learn about the medical benefits and other services offered through Veterans Administration.

• Provide military-specific literature on health resources, supports, and helping agencies in the local area.

If you provide client care:
• Use appropriate communication strategies to determine if the patient has been in a combat zone.

• Understand the military has a language all its own.

• Be aware of community mental health resources and be prepared to refer patients if needed.

• Educate staff on traumatic brain injury, combat stress, and PTSD to assist with recognizing signs or symptoms.

• Listen to how the service member and his/her family coped with deployment.

• Be mindful of your own personal views of the military.

• When treating children, find out if the child is experiencing the deployment of a parent. Many stress responses manifest in physical symptoms.

Source: The Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University