Finding help with a 'Peer Navigator' Published May 24, 2010 By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Williams Air Force Space Command Public Affairs PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- There are many free resources available to help Airmen manage the stresses associated with the military lifestyle. Some of those resources are available through military channels and others are available through community organizations like the local Pikes Peak Behavioral Health Group's Peer Navigator Program. While not part of the Department of Defense, PPBHG offers assistance to military members, veterans, and their family members who are experiencing difficulty coping with the physical, psychological and emotional effects of war. The Colorado Springs based organization created a unique approach by offering "peer navigators" to assist people, free of charge, face overwhelming challenges with an understanding of the numerous and complex systems available to help them. Every "navigator" provides individualized assistance and specializes in helping people who are unaccustomed to seeking out and asking for help. According to their Web site, a peer navigator: · Personally meets active duty members, veterans and their family members wherever they are and whenever they need help. · Personally escorts individuals and families through complex systems of care. · Individually helps active duty members, veterans and their family members find the right level of care or service. · Helps circumvent crisis. · Provides hope. All peer navigators have a military background and understand how to assist military members, veterans and their families obtain assistance in four different areas of need: behavioral health, community outreach, physical health, and career development. They cover a vast array of topics from suicide prevention, brain injury care, education, jail diversion, public assistance, job preparation and placement, and technical training, to name a few. "It's not just about a 1-800 number or a Web site," said Paul Sexton, PPBHG chief operating officer. "What makes this program unique is that an actual human being shows up and it's a human being who knows military acronyms. We know the different roles of the military. We know the patches they wear on their sleeves. It's a human being who gets it." The navigator coordinates an individualized array of community services designed to meet the unique needs of each person. "We have an obligation to the community," said retired Chief Master Sgt. Rich Lindsey, peer navigator and military liaison for PPBHG. "We wanted to dive in and get something started. So far, we have helped 150 military veterans and their families." Mr. Lindsey said most of the veterans he helps are unexpectedly leaving the military for medical reasons and are now having to face the challenges of transitioning to civilian life. He provides direction to help them "navigate" the community and assists in their transition. He helps them get plugged into the community, use their G.I. Bill, provide technical training and find a new career. "We'll go to any lengths; we do whatever we can to help them along the way," Mr. Lindsey said, adding that the program goes beyond the veteran. "The same services we offer to the military, we offer to their families." Mr. Lindsey has even taken veterans who are having a hard time obtaining benefits to a Senator's office to help clear matters and get them the assistance they need much quicker. Recently, he helped a veteran obtain new dentures at no cost after his were lost, just by calling his own dentist to see what programs might be available. They also offer many programs addressing problems associated with combat, such as post traumatic stress disorder, depression, traumatic brain injury and family crisis. They strive to create hope through their career, employment, training, mentoring and community transition services. By spending time talking to veterans and their families, they can help identify needs that could go undetected, or in some cases, overlooked. "A service member might be less interested or willing to face that you really need to talk to someone (about the effects of war)," Mr. Sexton said. "But his wife probably recognizes sooner that there's something going on. The spouse might be more willing to say 'why don't we try this.' The navigator can say 'I ignored this for two years. You're probably missing something the same way I missed it.'" Overall, their goal is to personally assist and provide guidance to those who might not know what resources are available to them. "We're a community based resource," Mr. Lindsey said. "We don't have the only solution; we are part of the solution. We want to reduce the stigma of mental health, to eliminate the problems associated with suicide. We want to partner with the (Department of Defense) and the (Veteran Affairs) to provide people with the best possible help." For more information on Peer Navigator, call 1-866-347-6480, or visit their Web site at http://www.ppbhg.org/Our+Solutions/Peer+Navigator-171.html. (No federal endorsement implied.)