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Rep. Tom Allen Announces VA Has Agreed to His Request to Hire Additional Counselors for Northern Maine Vet Centers
Monday October 27, 2008
“I am very pleased that the VA has agreed to my request that more counselors be hired to treat veterans in Northern Maine”
Portland, Maine (Monday, October 27, 2008)—U.S. Representative Tom Allen today announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has agreed to his request to hire additional Military Sexual Trauma (MST) counselors to serve the medical and psychological needs of Maine veterans who suffered sexual trauma while in the military. The full-time MST counselor will be assigned to the Bangor Vet Center. Another counselor will be hired for the Caribou Vet Center.
“I am very pleased that the VA has agreed to my request that more counselors be hired to treat veterans in Northern Maine,” said Rep. Allen. “The addition of a Military Sexual Trauma counselor at the Bangor Vet Center and another counselor at the Caribou Vet Center will make critically needed medical and psychological counseling available to veterans in the area. The VA’s expanded outreach effort in Northern Maine, moreover, will make more rural veterans aware of MST and other VA counseling services.”
In an August 21, 2008 letter to VA Secretary Dr. James B. Peake, Rep. Allen noted that a recent survey showed that many Maine veterans (30 percent of women, and 2.1 percent or 638 individual men) were traumatized by sexual threats, assaults and rape while in the service. Because effective treatment requires an understanding of military conditions and culture, MST counselors must be specially trained. The only current full-time MST counselor in Maine is assigned to Vet Centers in Sanford and Portland and carries a full caseload. Rep. Allen urged the Secretary to authorize more counselors to serve the needs of Maine veterans throughout the State.
Click here to read my letter to VA Secretary James B. Peake
In his October 11, 2008 response to Rep. Allen, Secretary Peake agreed that an additional MST counselor for the Bangor Vet Center is needed; he anticipates that the position will be filled this fiscal year. In addition, he indicated that the Vet Center in Caribou will augmented with another counselor, and that this Center would undertake outreach services to veterans in rural areas. Finally, he stated that the VA will monitor the need for MST counseling in rural areas and take appropriate action.
Click here to read the response from Secretary Peake
Portland, Maine (Monday, October 27, 2008)—U.S. Representative Tom Allen today announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has agreed to his request to hire additional Military Sexual Trauma (MST) counselors to serve the medical and psychological needs of Maine veterans who suffered sexual trauma while in the military. The full-time MST counselor will be assigned to the Bangor Vet Center. Another counselor will be hired for the Caribou Vet Center.
“I am very pleased that the VA has agreed to my request that more counselors be hired to treat veterans in Northern Maine,” said Rep. Allen. “The addition of a Military Sexual Trauma counselor at the Bangor Vet Center and another counselor at the Caribou Vet Center will make critically needed medical and psychological counseling available to veterans in the area. The VA’s expanded outreach effort in Northern Maine, moreover, will make more rural veterans aware of MST and other VA counseling services.”
In an August 21, 2008 letter to VA Secretary Dr. James B. Peake, Rep. Allen noted that a recent survey showed that many Maine veterans (30 percent of women, and 2.1 percent or 638 individual men) were traumatized by sexual threats, assaults and rape while in the service. Because effective treatment requires an understanding of military conditions and culture, MST counselors must be specially trained. The only current full-time MST counselor in Maine is assigned to Vet Centers in Sanford and Portland and carries a full caseload. Rep. Allen urged the Secretary to authorize more counselors to serve the needs of Maine veterans throughout the State.
Click here to read my letter to VA Secretary James B. Peake
In his October 11, 2008 response to Rep. Allen, Secretary Peake agreed that an additional MST counselor for the Bangor Vet Center is needed; he anticipates that the position will be filled this fiscal year. In addition, he indicated that the Vet Center in Caribou will augmented with another counselor, and that this Center would undertake outreach services to veterans in rural areas. Finally, he stated that the VA will monitor the need for MST counseling in rural areas and take appropriate action.
Click here to read the response from Secretary Peake
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