Legion's TBI/PTSD symposium set for June 24

Legion's TBI/PTSD symposium set for June 24

The American Legion will host its first symposium on care and treatments for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on June 24 in Washington, D.C. The invitation-only event, "Advancing Care and Treatments for Veterans with TBI and PTSD," is sponsored by Military.com and will be held at the Institute of Medicine.

Dr. Jeffrey Greenberg of Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) will share results from the TBI and PTSD veterans survey conducted in February by the Legion. The survey had more than 3,000 respondents, which the DRC helped the Legion analyze.

The event will feature presentations and panel discussions by medical experts on TBI, PTSD, complementary and alternative medicine for treating the conditions, and caregiver and family support.

Featured speakers at the symposium include:

  • Dr. Caitlin Thompson, Ph.D., deputy director for suicide prevention, Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
  • U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Julio Larrea, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
  • Roberta Wedge, director of a study on treatments for PTSD in military and veterans populations, Institute of Medicine
  • Andrea Sawyer, caregiver and spouse of medically retired Army veteran Loyd Sawyer
  • Dr. Tracy Gaudet, M.D., director of VHA’s office of patient-centered care and cultural transformation

Other guest speakers include:

  • Bill Detweiler, past national commander of The American Legion and chairman of the Legion’s TBI/PTSD Committee
  • Ralph Bozella, chairman of the Legion’s Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission and of the System Worth Saving Task Force
  • Retired Adm. Terry McCreary, president of Military Advantage/Military.com and vice-president of Monster Worldwide
  • Dr. Warren Lockette, deputy assistant secretary for clinical and program policy at the Department of Defense
  • Dr. David Carroll, Ph.D., consultant for specialty mental health at VHA

Panelists include experts from the Defense Health Agency, University of Pittsburgh, DoD Centers of Excellence, Office of the Surgeon General, Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Samueli Institute, Duke University, RAND Corporation and Wise Health, Inc.

The American Legion’s TBI/PTSD Committee conducted extensive research on complementary and alternative treatments for TBI/PTSD, and published its findings and recommendations in its report, “The War Within.”