Difficult times produce remarkable results. In times of need, Americans have always come together to help those less fortunate. I am very pleased to see the "Virginia Blue Star Families video. As many of you know, Brain injury, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and/or Depresseion is affecting many of our returning veterans, which may have castastrophic affects in the near future. New therapies are on the horizon that could potentially answer the prayers of many families throughout the Unites States. I recently wrote the following piece for some people I work for. Let me know what you think: julien@jmafoundation.com

Is Adult Stem Cell Therapy The Answer?

On August 26, 2008, Lizette Alvarez of the New York Times reported in her article: Home From War, Veterans Say Head Injuries Go Unrecognized that, "...[Sergeant Wood's] TBI has impacted [his] ability to get a good job... adding that he fears the best position he can get now is as 'a greeter at Wal-Mart.'" This year, DoD initiatives on Resilience, Recovery, and Reintegration through the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) do nothing to change this likely outcome. The Department of Labor's "Heroes to Work" Campaign, part of DCoE's reintegration effort, relies on initiative from the veteran/active duty soldier suffering from brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder and/or depression that is most likely non-existent. Even the change to security clearance process, which started in May 08, no longer requiring applicants to report mental health treatment for combat-related injuries, only opens doors. It does not walk them through. Why is the United States government so unequipped  to handle veteran outrage? Afterall, a foreshadowing of this problem came as far back as 1972 when Senator Thomas Eagleton was briefly a Democratic Vice Presidential nominee, sharing the ticket with Senator George McGovern.  
The JMA Foundation's Veteran Community Reintegration Program (VCRP) modifies DCoE's approach to community reintegration through a 24 month employment program that introduces veterans/active duty soldiers to the proven results of adult stem cell therapy. At its core, the VCRP is an aggressive employment training program combined with individualized physical/cognitive rehabilitation that ultimately creates a support network for Afghanistan/Iraq war veterans affected by brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder and/or depression. Hope, a valuable word in the mental health community, is returned to our deserving soldiers.
JMA's earmark: the VCRP and three-year Study, would have focused on two principal gaps that currently exist in our knowledge of, and efforts concerning long term community reintegration. 1.) As evidenced by bills such as HR. 2201 which calls for a new study of this issue, we do not know enough about the care our wounded veterans are or are not receiving. 2.) The JMA Program begins to address community reintegration through an aggressive employment program.
Though Senate bill S. 1233 is designed to address some of the known issues in long term integration efforts for these veterans and authorizes $48 million specifically for community integration programs for veterans with brain injury, many of the measures called for in that bill will require some time to begin to make a difference in the care that our veterans are receiving. Nor is there a call for an "independent" study of the problem.
Long term employment is the best indicator of reintegration success. Consequently, the Veteran Community Reintegration Program develops ongoing relationships between government agencies, independent organizations serving U.S. veterans, corporate America, and veterans suffering from brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder and/or depression.
Last week Senator Domenici's legislation requiring insurance plans to treat mental health patients on par with those who have physical ailments became part of the bailout bill. Although a significant step forward, this legislation looses much of its appeal since a possible solution to many of the concerns related to mental health already exists, but is just not being implemented. Our Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans would have been well served had money been appropriated last week to fund the Veteran Community Reintegration Program.