I think there is a significant gap, particularly for veterans, between when they know that because of occupational stress or PTSD they're going to be transitioning out of military life, and when they're actually out. Sometimes it can take two years before they're actually out of the military. They know they're on their way out and, to them, their job becomes less and less significant or meaningful, because they know they're not going to be doing the thing they love to do. They can't do it anymore.
It takes two years for them to get out, and then sometimes it has been six months to a year before they could access VAC services. This is far too long. This is a three-year gap in treatment for some of these folks, who are sometimes in critical condition psychologically, and also physically, because there are difficulties that can go along with it. That affects their family lives, their confidence, and their ability to engage in their career. It supports substance abuse, depression, and anxiety.
I've worked with veterans who have been home from Afghanistan for six years. One fellow was unable to take his children for a walk because of what he had seen; he had been seeing his psychologist for six years, but had yet to tell the psychologist about the injuries he had faced in Afghanistan that were preventing him from doing so.
To me, this becomes a critical issue. How do we help these folks get help immediately rather than having them wait the three years or the six years before they can actually begin the process of recovery? There are treatments out there that can help them. We know that we can help them if we can get them into services—