March 2-4, 2012

Overall Goal for the Training: Turning vulnerability into strength through learning, utilizing and offering peer support.

This is an experiential workshop for soldiers who have "been there."
Despite the best support immediately following deployment, there can be long-lasting effects. Going to war is like crossing a fence with no opportunity to jump back. Incidents which happen during wartime can rupture an individual's basic worldview. One may feel vulnerable and may have to emotionally come to grips with a reality that someone who has never been there cannot understand. The civilian job, the neighborhood and one’s relationships may now be perceived differently. The PDS will provide education on trauma, patterns of resolution, and field-tested coping strategies to promote recovery and resilience. Because peer support is an important element of the PDS, peers will lead discussion groups relating to deployment and post-deployment issues. This method helps promote normalization and recovery. The PDS format has been in use by the FBI for over 25 years.

What types of post deployment issues will we discuss? The PDS will cover incidents and events that occurred in the war zone as well as events on the home front. We will talk about events that sometimes result in an overwhelming sense of vulnerability and/or loss of control. These may include:

• Separation from family
  
• Jumpiness
  
• Going outside the wire
  
• Sleeplessness
  
• Convoy duty Difficulty Concentrating
  
• Fire-fights Replaying Events/Nightmares
  
• IED’s Shutting off emotions
  
• Getting shot or seriously hurt in the war zone
  
• Shutting out the world
  
• Observing personnel getting wounded or killed
  
• Relationship Issues

Soldiers who have been through the PDS report that it has helped them to talk about relationships, sense of guilt, having a short fuse, easily getting angry, and for some, the strong desire to go back.

What will the officer get out of this? (1) An opportunity to share one's experience with one's peers as well as give and receive support (2) teachings by military/ mental health professionals on proven trauma recovery methods, and (3) learning coping strategies that can enable recovery from deployment and post-deployment reactions. Soldiers report that the PDS has strengthened their ability to deal with work, relationships, and life in the future.

Few organizations around the country offer PDS-type programs for their own agency and to the best of our knowledge there is no such program which is regional in scope. While we may not be able to include everyone who wishes to participate in the program, we are planning a Post-Deployment Seminar consisting of 35 participants and 15 facilitators. As the course fills up a waiting list will be started. The facilitators will be peer support soldiers who have been deployed themselves, mental health professionals as well as military chaplains. This program is open to any guard or reserve soldier in South Carolina. Those who have recently retired or separated from the guard or reserve will be offered the opportunity to attend if additional slots are available.

Location: Doubletree Hotel, 2100 Bush River Road, Columbia, SC 29210

Sponsor: The SC Army National Guard/SCLEAP

Spouses/significant others welcome. Rate for non-SCARNG personnel:

Food: $25.00 per person per day

Housing: $85.00 per person per night (excluding taxes)

For more information, call J. Eric Skidmore: 803-252-2664 or cell 803-206-8961

Download Registration Form in PDF format

Download Schedule in PDF format

Download Fact Sheet in PDF format