1. PTSD
What programs need to know A practical approach to working with Veterans with PTSD Ken Kirsch, ADI Assessor

2. Administrative Staff:
Has the staff received PTSD education, including suicide prevention and how to recognize signs?
Is there a drug and alcohol policy in effect?
Is there a weapons search policy?
What level of PTSD are your clients?
What policy do you have to remove a student from Class?
Has the support staff all been trained in their interactions with the PTSD students?
Has the facility been proofed so there are no triggers for PTSD Students?

3. Administrative Staff Con’t:
How do you handle VA Legal Care Givers?
If you allow them how are they integrated into the Class?
How are they introduced to the other Veterans?
Who does your follow up with the PTSD students?

4. Client Services Department
Has the staff received PTSD education, including suicide prevention and how to recognize signs?
Is there a drug and alcohol policy in effect?
Is there a weapons search policy?
What level of PTSD are your clients?
What policy do you have to remove a student from Class?
Has the support staff all been trained in their interactions with the PTSD students?
Has the facility been proofed so there are no triggers for PTSD students?
Who on your staff has been trained to communicate with the PTSD students?
Has the staff been trained how to interact with the PTSD student both on site as well as off site?

5. Client Services Con’t:
Have the rooms been set up properly for PTSD students?
Has the alarm systems been set up properly for PTSD students?
Have the training rooms and dining facility been set up for PTSD students?
Has there been a clear and direct chain of command established for all PTSD students
Do you have any Veterans on staff?
Do you have an outside agency meet with the PTSD students to give them a place to go if needed that is not the VA?

6. Human Resources Staff:
Have you trained all staff?
How do your staff, clerks, cooks, etc. get trained to interact with PTSD students?
Have you provided PTSD education along with Suicide Prevention and how to recognize the signs?
What happens in case of an emergency, aggression towards staff, suicide attempt, outbursts of anger, threatening behavior?
Has law Enforcement been notified about the clients you have on campus?
Is there medical and mental help for staff if a student or grad kills themselves?

7. Training Staff
Has the staff received PTSD education, along with Suicide Prevention and how to recognize signs?
Is there a drug and alcohol policy in effect?
Is there a weapons search policy?
What level of PTSD are your clients?
What policy do you have to remove a student from class?
Has the support staff all been trained in their interactions with the PTSD students?
Has the facility been proofed so there are no triggers for PTSD students?
How are your staff, clerks, cooks, etc. trained to interact with PTSD students?
What happens in case of an emergency, aggression towards staff, suicide attempt, outbursts of anger, threatening behavior?

8. Training Staff Con’t:
Has law Enforcement been notified about the clients you have on campus?
Who on your staff has been trained to communicate with the PTSD students?
Has the staff been trained how to interact with the PTSD student both on site as well as off site?
Have the rooms been set up properly for PTSD students?
Has the alarm system been set up properly for PTSD students?
Have the training rooms and dining facility been set up for PTSD students?
Has there been a clear and direct chain of command established for all PTSD students?
Do you have any Veterans on staff?

9. Training Staff Con’t:
Do you have an outside agency available to meet with the PTSD students to give them a place to go, if needed, that is not the VA?
Have the trainers been trained in how to interact with PTSD students?
To communicate?
To confront?
To correct?
To praise?
Do your Trainers know and understand Military culture
Military rank
Chain of command
Differences in the branches of the Military
Esprit De Corps
Combat differences
Conflicts, GWOT, Desert Shield vs Desert Storm, Vietnam

10. Training Staff:
Each war has a special disability, what are they and how do they effect that veteran
Class bonding, and how it effects the students vs the training staff
How to deal with graduate students who kill themselves
DOGS:
How were they selected
Temperament tested
What is your training system?
How many hours are the dogs trained in the PTSD commands vs basic obedience
Locations where the dogs are trained
Puppy history-where was it raised
Were they exposed to parades, uniforms, weapons?

11. PTSD?
These are just a few of the questions programs need to ask themselves before starting a PTSD Program.
There are many more questions that will arise, so make sure your staff is prepared to address all questions.
These are Combat Veterans, so your staff must be aware of how to communicate with this population!!
What is the reason your program wants to do PTSD Dogs?

12. QUESTIONS???