National PTSD Awareness Day Recognized in June

In order to bring greater awareness to the issue of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the United States Senate designated June 27th as National PTSD Awareness Day. In addition, June has been designated as PTSD Awareness Month by the National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD).

PTSD is a mental health problem that can occur after someone has been exposed to a single traumatic event or multiple traumatic events, such as sexual or physical assault, natural or man-made disaster, and war-related combat stress.

“Many people experience PTSD and as a trauma informed system of care we are aware of the effects that the condition has on families in Oakland County,” says OCCMHA Executive Director and CEO, Willie Brooks. “All month long we will be utilizing the power of social media to spread the word about PTSD,”

Training and Treatment Innovations (TTI), an OCCMHA service provider, offers the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program in six counties including Oakland. The program provides outreach services, case management, benefits assistance, and temporary financial assistance to Veterans and their families.

While PTSD is most commonly associated with Veterans, anyone can experience PTSD. In the U.S., about 60% of men and about 50% of women experience at least one trauma in their lives. Women are more likely to experience sexual assault and child sexual abuse. Men are more likely to experience accidents, physical assault, combat, disaster, or to witness death or injury.

For more information about posttraumatic stress disorder, contact OCCMHA Customer Services at (800) 341-2003. To learn more about TTI’s SSVF program, go to www.trainingtti.org.

About OCCMHA

Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority is the public mental health system responsible for identifying, influencing, and delivering services and supports to approximately 25,000 Oakland County residents, including individuals with intellectual/developmental
disabilities, adults with mental illness, children with serious emotional disturbance, and persons with substance use disorders. Most of these individuals have Medicaid.

OCCMHA’s current network of service providers include: Common Ground, Community Housing Network, Community Living Services, Community Network Services, Easter Seals Michigan, Macomb-Oakland Regional Center, Oakland Family Services, Inc., and Training and Treatment Innovations. A complete list of substance use service providers is available on OCCMHA’s website. For more information about OCCMHA call (800) 341-2003 or visit www.occmha.org.

About TTI

TTI is a private, not-for-profit agency that has been providing specialty mental health services and training in Michigan since 1987. We provide a wide range of community-based services and supports to adults with psychiatric disorders and to those with both co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders. We also provide services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and children with emotional impairment. For more information visit www.trainingtti.org.