the danish veterans' policy

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SupportThe supporting initiatives of the Danish Defence focusboth on the veterans and their relatives. It is a wide arrayof initiatives that is being offered before, during and afterdeployment.In order to support and follow the soldier and his/herrelatives during the course of a deployment, the Defencehas established a so-called contact officer system.The contact officer is the connection between the Defenceand the relatives, both before, during and after the deployment.The contact officer can be contacted at all times.He is typically the point of contact to access the supportoffers of the Danish Defence.The Government strengthens the offerof support by the DefenceThe offer for support by the Defence is strengthenedby the concentration of the resources. One centre forrecognition and support – one access point. Therefore,the following initiative is taken:A veterans’ centre is established to provide service toveterans, relatives and other actors in the veterans’field. This means that there will be one single accesspoint for enquiries regarding veterans and one singlephone number, which will be available 24/7. Amongother things, the veterans’ centre will:– Respond to enquiries about conditions concerningdeployment to international missions.– Offer counselling on options for support in the publicsector and in the Defence.– Offer comprehensive support, for instance in caseswhere a veteran is struggling with both social andemotional problems.– Lend support in cases where the solution of a veteran’sproblems involves the local or various publicauthorities, or perhaps needs to cross national,regional, and local boundaries.The resources of the Defence in the veterans’ area, suchas educational counsellors, psychologists and socialworkers, are physically put together in the veterans’centre. The centre must ensure that the effort isconstantly developing in all relations regarding therecog nition and support for veterans and their relatives.The veterans’ centre will initiate cooperation across thepublic sector, and will include and, where necessary,consult the National Knowledge and Special AdvisoryFunction. The coordinated effort of the veterans’ centremust be qualified and developed, through research andby exchange of experience with NATO partners, amongothers.Briefings, psychological prevention etc.– also for the relativesIn order to prepare the soldiers for the challenges they maymeet while deployed, the Defence carries out a series ofbriefings before deployment. The purpose of this is toprevent possible emotional reactions, among other things.At the same time, the Defence focuses on the follow-upeffort.During deployment, the soldiers may be involved in variousviolent incidents, which call for a crisis-psychologicaleffort. In order to be able to prevent any mental damage,the heads and leaders are educated by the psychologistsof the Defence in the prevention and handling of strainingincidents.At the same time, there is a focus on the preparationof the individual soldier. All soldiers are briefed beforedeployment on how to prevent any crises and on signsof emotional reactions.The Government wants to improve the effort to preventpsychical reactions.” Therefore, the following initiative istaken:The selection of soldiers for international operations,which at present is carried out by health personnel,is further developed. This includes an evaluation ofa soldier’s preparedness for deployment.The Defence furthermore wants to support the relativesand to recognize their effort. Therefore, a series of theinitiatives of the Defence is aimed at the relatives.18The veterans’ policy of the Danish government
What has already been done?The Defence has carried out a series of initiativeswith substantial impact on the area.An overview of initiatives for recognition andsupport can be found on the homepage ofthe Ministry of Defence www.fmn.dk.An important part of the support for the relatives is briefingsregarding the mission, which the soldier is to bedeployed to, and regarding the options for support offeredto the relatives. These briefings are carried out in connectionwith meetings for the relatives, both before and duringdeployment. This is where the relatives are informed of thecurrent mission, and any issues the relatives should beaware of. The relatives meet with the contact officer, andthey are briefed about typical emotional reactions, optionsfor support, family networks, and contact options in connectionwith any need for support.The children of deployed personnel may be heavily affectedby the deployment, and by the worries and altered reactionsof the partner left behind. Therefore, the childrenmay need special support. The effort to support thechildren, including the effect of the established supportgroups for children, must be examined. Therefore, thefollowing initiative is taken:The effect of the deployment on partner and childrenwill be examined with a view to a possible increase inthe support for the relatives.The Government strengthens knowledgeand preventionIn order to continuously be able to target and optimizethe effort in the veterans’ area, it must be further developedon the basis of exact knowledge from scientific andsystematic follow-up on the experience of the Defenceand international research. Therefore, the followinginitiative is taken:A permanent knowledge centre is established. Knowledgeregarding veterans’ conditions must be put to usefor, among other things, the prevention of damage, theevaluation and development of focus areas, and thecooperation with external research institutions. Thus,the effort for veterans and their relatives is carried outon an increasingly qualified basis.The Government increases the follow-up effortThe Defence carries out a homecoming project for veteransfrom Afghanistan. In the project, called ‘Acclimati zationand Reintegration’, the unit is kept together for athree months’ period of time after homecoming. In thisway, the veterans get the possibility of dealing with theexperiences together. At the same time, the veteransget used to the transition to civilian life. The veterans alsoget the possibility to identify their competences, and arethus prepared to apply for a civilian job, an educationor a position in the Defence.In order to counter any emotional reactions, the Defencehas initiated a series of other follow-up initiatives insupport of returned veterans.For instance, veterans from tough missions must attendan interview with a psychologist upon homecoming inorder to determine whether there is a need for support.After homecoming, the Defence carries out homecomingmeetings for the formerly deployed units. Here, the soldiershave the possibility to meet old buddies and talkabout their experiences. At the same time, the Defenceis able to follow up on any emotional reactions with theveterans.Six months after the end of a mission, the veteranreceives a questionnaire, requesting replies to theveteran’s experiences and reactions after homecoming.The psychologists of the Defence address those veterans,whose replies indicate signs of need for support.No citizens are being forced to receive psychologicalor psychiatric help. However, emotionally traumatizedveterans must be contacted to a greater extent thanbefore and be offered help. Therefore, the followinginitiatives are taken:There will be an active follow-up on veterans, whoseemployment with the defence has ended. The aim isto keep in contact with veterans within the first yearsafter their transition to civilian life.The Defence will strengthen selected veterans’ abilityto render buddy support. The framework for buddysupport are clearly defined, and in such a way thatsocial and medical personnel of the Defence will beinvolved whenever needed.The veterans’ policy of the Danish government 19
Page 2 and 3: ContentsPreface 31 Background - in
Page 4 and 5: 2The veterans’ policy of the Dani
Page 6 and 7: Background - in brief14The veterans
Page 8 and 9: The veterans’ policyof the Govern
Page 10 and 11: Challenges38The veterans’ policy
Page 12: Many veterans experience that they
Page 17 and 18: It is the policy of the Danish Gove
Page 19: The veterans’ competences must be
Page 23 and 24: Education in veterans’ conditions
Page 25 and 26: The voluntary and occupationalorgan
Page 27: Recognition and supportThe veterans

the danish veterans' policy

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