Beyond PTSD: The Moral Casualties of War

CONFERENCE AGENDA

Refreshments and continental breakfast will be provided at the program. Vegan options available. 

GPS Users: Please use address 1 Marriott Plaza, Farmingdale, NY - will help you find where to turn off Rt. 110

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

 

Presentation 1: Reintegration: The Road Home from War
by Beth Brittman, LCSW-R, BCD

A presentation on the moral injuries of war largely unseen by the civilian community and the lifelong resonating impacts of these injuries in the Veterans’ journey and process of reintegration. The vital importance of provider self-awareness in response to grief and mourning will also be covered.

 

Presentation 2: Beyond PTSD: Moral Casualties of War
by Camillo Mac Bica, Ph.D 

Dr. Bica rejects the exclusivity of the clinical model, the pathologizing of the war experience, and argues that the “invisible wounds of war“ are complex and goes beyond trauma, beyond PTSD. Combining the theoretical expertise of a moral philosopher with the practical insights of combat veteran, Dr. Bica offers a unique perspective on the war experience and its devastating impact on what he terms the “moral identity” of the warrior. He will explain how military training (Boot Camp/Basic Training) distorts the recruits moral values and character rendering the warrior susceptible to moral conflict and injury on the battlefield. Understanding and accepting the realities of war, and most importantly, he argues, dispelling the mythology of nobility and heroism is an important first step in the treatment of the moral casualties of war.

 

Presentation 3: Experience of a Female Combat Veteran in U.S. War in Somalia in Reintegrating Home 
by Sarah Mess

Challenges for a pre-9/11 combat war veteran due to lack of acknowledgment, entitlements and specific challenges for female veterans. Lack of support due to minimal information in the community, the clinical community and the VA about the alternate war theaters such as Somalia. Aggravation of war trauma for veterans due to subsequent wars- e.g. Afghanistan and Iraq War invasions. Misunderstanding from clinicians treating the female veteran and how these are experienced as humiliating, exhausting and re-injuring. Ms. Mess will talk about the process she went through from isolation, avoidance depression and suicidal ideation to sustainability with communities in art, poetry, theater and community and activism with other veterans. Ms. Mess will recite some of her poetry.

 

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ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Beth Brittman, LCSW-R, BCD  is a Social Worker at the VA Medical Center Northport where she provides case management services for seriously ill/severely injured returning combat veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. Beth provides clinical presentations regarding the hidden wounds of war and the process of reintegration. She also currently facilitates a moral injury group in the residential PTSD program at Northport. During her 26 year tenure at VA, Beth has worked in several social work positions including Mental Health Intensive Case Management, Acute Psychiatry, Community Contract Nursing Home Coordinator, Mental Health Community Based Outpatient Clinic and Community Residential Care. Beth has also been involved in mental health education of other disciplines at the Medical Center and has also been involved in the training of Masters level social work students.

Camillo Mac Bica, Ph.D is a professor of philosophy and ethics at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His philosophical focus is in Applied Ethics, particularly the relation of war, morality, and healing. Dr. Bica is a former United States Marine Corps Officer and veteran of the Vietnam War. He is a long time activist for peace and justice, a member of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and Coordinator of the Long Island Chapter of Veterans for Peace. Dr. Bica founded and coordinated for six years, the very effective “Veteran Self-Help Initiative,” AKA “The Hootch Program,” at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Brooklyn. In addition to his two books "Worthy of Gratitude: Why Veterans May Not Want to be Thanked For Their "Service" in War;" and "Beyond PTSD: The Moral Casualties of War," articles by Dr. Bica have appeared in numerous philosophical journals and online alternative news sites.

Sarah Mess. Ms. Mess is a military veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1992-2000 with a combat tour in Somalia with the 42nd Field Hospital in 1993. Her role as a Surgical tech was expanded to include combat roles under "mission accomplished" as the troops were scaled back. A rotating duty roster included gate guard, roving guard, convoy guard and QRF (quick reactionary force) with as little as 20-60 rounds and an M16. Ms. Mess has been in residential treatment for PTSD three times, after 9/11 and the Iraq invasion. She was one of the first two women to receive residential treatment for PTSD at the Lyons NJ VAH Combat PTSD unit in 2003. She found little to no support after each of these hospital discharges as there were no offers for women to attend outpatient combat PTSD groups. Today she finds sustainability in communities discovered through art, poetry, theater and activism, standing in the way of avoidance, isolation, depression and suicidal ideation.