Absolutely, yes.
One thing I've noticed that is problematic and specific to the military at the moment is that continuity of care during the transition from service to release is lacking. In many cases, Veterans Affairs lacks access to files. When military personnel leave the forces, they lose their doctor and other providers. I am in a privileged position because, as a psychologist outside the military, I can treat military personnel while they're on duty, when they leave and after they leave. In many cases, I am the only care provider present throughout this process.
There are many things that make the veterans I am currently working with vulnerable. One of the biggest ones is having to repeat the same things ad nauseam in the context of repeated assessments. These veterans were properly assessed while in the service. They are completely reassessed when they leave the forces, as if the forces' assessments didn't count. Many of them have to fight with the officials to get me to do the assessment, because the officials want someone else to do it. Continuity is not a priority. I know that it's extremely humiliating for veterans to have to tell their story over and over again. It's extremely frustrating to come up against a bureaucracy that, by all appearances, has no continuity. I think that greatly increases the distress upon release.
