Business Project Plan
Business Project Plan
In the contemporary age, carefully managing the mental and social health concerns of the veterans is a crux role of every government, and this demands every responsible government to formulate an action plan that can be applied in the management of these health concerns. This is especially so as medical scholars continue to acquire new insights regarding the mental, vocational or physical health of veterans as applies to mental health, as well as the difficult and traumatic experience of the veterans in their transitioning to normal life after completion of service (American Public Health Association, 2014).
Accordingly, the pertinent departments mandated with managing the affairs of the veterans are compelled to formulate and support services geared towards fulfilling this initiative in order to achieve better outcomes in the management of the heath challenges faced by veterans and the ex-service personnel. In conforming to the model presented by McKinsey, a first important step is solving the problem through forming interpersonal relationships (talking) with the veterans in order to acquire a better comprehension of their problems. After holding talks, the pertinent institutions then evaluate the presented problems and formulate ways to approach the issues with the assistance of the veterans. After the formation of the issues, the institutions have a mandate to motivate the veterans to take up the formulated strategies.
One of the most important aspects of addressing the mental, vocational or physical health of veterans is early intervention. This is because recovery and adjustments prospects are higher the earlier and sooner one gets treatment for whatever mental health condition, especially when in the military and when preparing to head out after completing service. Effective treatment of the problems ensures that the veterans are able to easily and fully work and integrate into the civilian sphere.
The main focus of this action plan entails the actions that need to be undertaken to inspect the health of the veterans before they enter public service after retirement, especially regarding their mental well-being against the background of their hostile and traumatic work environments (McGarity et al., 2017). It incorporates the suitable steps required in the effective evaluation of the veteran’s mental, physical, or vocational health aspects. The purpose of the U.S. government adopting this action plan is to considerably enhance access and quality to the most suitable resources and care for the early intervention, effective assessment, and treatment of the physical, mental and vocational health deficiencies in veterans.
Service in the military is an exceptional experience to both the individuals who serve in the military positions and to their families. By extension, their service also affects the members of the communities in which the soldiers retire to either work in or rest in. Notably, military service has some occupational risks, some of which include danger, stress, and hardships, which may potentially arise from training environments, in executing border protection roles, providing disaster support, and so forth. Accordingly, transitioning into civilian life represents a period and phase of considerable adjustment.
Normally, people react to challenging situations in certain ways, but sometimes, the reactions may be indicators of mental health problems. As previously witnessed, symptoms or reactions can materialize many years after retirement, in the form of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therefore, it is a correct assertion to say that understanding and being responsive to the military experience is integral in the effective delivery of physical, mental and vocational health care, and is a principle that underscores the significance of this action plan.
This plan comprises of actions that are represented by six objectives, and which entirely capture the priorities intended to effectively address the physical, mental and vocational health concerns of the veterans. The objectives will be highlighted in bold, and the appropriate steps will be discussed under the bold headings.
What to Do:
1. Improve transition of service members from DoD the responsible departments and institutions of managing veteran health care.
This would entail the DoD forming an in transition program and automatically registering all military members leaving service in the program. Through this program, trained professionals in veteran health care would continue to provide regular checkups for stress, signs of trauma, and other potential health challenges as the veterans start to enter the public sphere. In support of successful transition, the DoD would ensure that new polices are implemented to ensure that the veterans have permanent and regular access to any mental, vocational or physical health medication recommended by an approved DoD provider. This program would help the veterans discharge their duties in the public domain without relapsing to cases of PTSD, substance abuse, suicides, and other setbacks, especially among women veterans as Cohen, Maguen, Bertenthal, Shi, & Jacoby. 2012 state.
2. Improve access and standard of physical, mental and vocational health care at the DoD, and the pertinent departments managing the veterans.
These institutions, in conjunction with the U.S. government, must formulate policies that will aid in expanding the health support provided in primary care. Additionally, this would mandate the DoD to establish actions that allow it to work with the U.S. Congress to bring better and more inclusive health care covers that entail full physical, mental and vocational health. Notably, this would also include a detailed explanation of the right medications to manage specified conditions in surgical or medical settings.
3. Continue commitment to enhance the treatments of various health conditions in all aspects.
There is a need for every institution that checks into the affairs of veterans and the ex-service personnel to continuously formulate and review approaches geared at early detection of suicides, PTSD, and any anticipated long-term outcomes of undertakings in military service in veterans. For instance, the DoD could, in collaboration with the US government, organize medical forums that seek to make preemptive studies on issues such as suicide and post-stress drug abuse prevention among veterans (Olenick, Flowers &, Diaz, 2015).
4. Raise awareness regarding physical, mental and vocational health among veterans and encourage them to seek help, especially among women veterans.
Despite the examination of the veterans prior to service discharge, it is the imperative of the DoD and pertinent veteran health institutions to raise awareness on the importance of continued checkup among the veterans. For instance, the DoD, with the auspices of the U.S. government, can institute health centers that would function as a counseling resource for the veterans, where they can continue to report for health evaluation even as they continue to execute their roles in the public space.
Additionally, female veterans can also be examined for sexual trauma as Resnick, Mallampalli, & Carter (2012) state. The veterans can be accordingly encouraged to report to the centers with their families, who can assist in the clearly enlightening the specialists about the ongoing health conditions and dispositions of the veterans.
5. Train employees at DoD and pertinent veteran care institutions to distinguish the indications of possible mental health conditions and accordingly help to connect the people to the necessary assistance.
6. Strengthen the resources of the community for veterans, ex-service men and their families.
It is important for the DoDs and other institutions to critically evaluate the resources at the disposal of the veterans and their families. This is important as the veterans are more prone to higher levels of stress and the resulting tendencies brought about by depression. As such, it is imperative for these institutions to have an awareness of what the military experiences and culture entails in order to provide responsive strategies to deal with the problems.
For instance, the DoD can create centers and programs through which they can disseminate cultural training to various mental health providers in the community to train and prepare the veterans and servicemen about to retire and enter public life. As an example, such an initiative could be highly beneficial in encouraging the veterans suffering from any relevant health problems like military sexual trauma (MST) and PTSD among women as indicated by Kintzle et al., (2015).
The above are the various steps that incorporate a good action plan that the DoD may use in evaluating the physical, vocational and metal deficiencies of the veteran before they leave service and enter the public life. However, the steps are also applicable in the event the veterans are out and endeavoring to adjust and cope with working in the public domain. However, the plan cannot be executed without the input and direction of a capable leader to lead the responsible team in seamlessly applying the recommended action plan. As such, it is imperative for an effective leader to model proper procedures to complete a task.
The best way for a leader to model the procedure is for the potential leader to understand that there a host of requirements that every good leader must meet in order to have the capacity to uphold the proper procedures and to successfully commandeer the completion of a task. In the case of addressing the physical, mental and health concerns of the veterans, it is imperative for every leader to have good communication skills, which ensures that the affairs of the veterans are handled in a positive tone to guarantee the effectiveness of the outcome.
In Friga’s 'TEAM FOCUS' model, Friga communicates the importance of good communication in addressing the challenges of a business, especially where the input and participation of many in attaining the desired action plan objectives is required. According to Friga, implementing the stipulated leadership requirements, especially communication, improves the working institutional relationships and ensures the effective management of problems, and in this case, to support the transition of the veterans and ex-military personnel to civilian life.
Conclusively, it is imperative for the responsible authorities to ensure that support and treatment for health problems among veterans is always ready and accessible to meet the needs of these clients. Such support entails social work and psychology services, recovery strategies for people with PTSD, professional psychiatric services among other approaches that could help sustain the veterans and retiring military men in the civilian life.
References
American Public Health Association (APHA). (2014). Removing Barriers to Mental Health Services for Veterans. Retrieved on 2nd February, 2017 from https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2015/01/28/14/51/removing-barriers-to-mental-health-services-for-veterans
Cohen, B.E., Maguen, S., Bertenthal, D., Shi, Y., Jacoby, V., Seal., K.H. (2012). Reproductive and Other Health Outcomes in Iraq and Afghanistan Women Veterans Using VA Health Care: Association with Mental Health Diagnoses. Volume 22, Issue 5.
Kintzle, S., Schuyler, A. C., Ray-Letourneau, D., Ozuna, S.M., Munch, C., Xintariano, E., Hasson, A.M., Castro, C.A. (2015). Sexual Trauma in the Military: Exploring PTSD and Mental Health Care Utilization in Female Veterans. Psychological Services, Volume 12, Issue 4.
McGarity S1, Barnett SD, Lamberty G, Kretzmer T, Powell-Cope G, Patel N, Nakase-Richardson R. (2017). Community Reintegration Problems among Veterans and Active Duty Service Members with Traumatic Brain Injury. Retrieved on 2nd February, 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27323217
Samhsa. (2017). Critical Issues Facing Veterans and Military Families. Retrieved on 2nd February, 2017 from https://www.samhsa.gov/veterans-military-families/critical-issues
Resnick, E.M., Mallampalli, M., Carter, C.L. (2012). Current Challenges in Female Veterans' Health. Retrieved on 2nd February, 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3430482/
Olenick, M., Flowers, M., Diaz, V. J. (2015). US veterans and their unique issues: enhancing health care professional awareness. Retrieved on 2nd February, 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4671760/
