the danish veterans' policy

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The Government increases the supportfor the injured soldierThe Defence is employer for the deployed soldiers.Among other things, the employer’s responsibility isexecuted through a series of initiatives for the benefit ofthe employees. Injured veterans often have special needsfor support. Therefore, the Defence has a natural responsibilityto help those veterans who have been injured inservice for Denmark.The Defence offers support to those veterans who havesuffered injury during deployment. The efforts of doctors,psychologists, legal advisers, contact officers and othersare coordinated. At the same time, the Defence helpsthe injured veteran to get an overview of the possibilitiesfor receiving support from the public system, in the formof adjustment of the lay-out of home and workplace,industrial injury compensation, and more.Support for the injured veteran must be based on theindividual situation, in order that the veteran is given thebest possible terms for rehabilitation.Severely physically injured veterans have often sufferedvery complicated and comprehensive injuries, whichdemand long periods of rehabilitation. The Governmentwants to offer the best possible treatment and the bestpossible conditions for rehabilitation. An effort which willalso benefit other injured citizens.Rehabilitation forthe physically injuredBy means of donations, private funds haveboosted the specialized rehabilitation for thephysically injured veterans (and other patients)at the National Hospital. Among other things,the donations secure the acquisition of modernphysiotherapeutic and occupation-therapeuticrehabilitation equipment.Some veterans, who suffer injuries, for instance by improvisedexplosive devices, may risk amputations as a resultof their injuries. Before their injuries, the veterans haveengaged in intensive physical training, and to the greatestextent they must get back the possibility to take up anactive life of athletics. Therefore, the Government wantsto take the following initiative:A significantly increased effort for the physically injured.More personnel are to be employed at the departmentsof the National Hospital involved in the rehabilitationof injured soldiers, and further retraining equipment isprocured. The competences of Danish therapists inthe area of rehabilitation of injured veterans must bestrengthened through exchange of experience with foreigntherapists. In the setting of the Defence, veteranswith amputations will be offered sports artificial limbs,so that injured soldiers may again take up an active lifeof athletics according to their own wishes and needs.With a view to increasing the access to knowledge ofthe special conditions of injured veterans, the followinginitiatives are taken:The veterans will be a part of the target group of theNational Knowledge and Special Advisory Function(VISO). The VISO is a support function for citizens, localauthorities, and special institutions alike, which may allturn to the VISO for special counselling and help forclearing up problems in the social vocational area.In the VISO, there are professional competences andspecialized knowledge in this area. Therefore, the VISOcan serve as a support function for local authorities andspecial institutions in cases, where the individualmunicipality has no established expertise. The citizensmay also address the VISO directly. By including theveterans in the VISO target group, it is ensured that aveteran with an especially complicated need is met withthe highest expertise, regardless of whether the veteranlives and works in Northern Jutland or on Bornholm.At the same time, the veterans’ centre can profit fromthe knowledge of the VISO in relevant cases.20The veterans’ policy of the Danish government
Education in veterans’ conditions is carried out for localcaseworkers and employees of the district psychiatry.The education is organized to include experience fromlocal authorities and the health system. The educationis carried out in the setting of the new veterans’ centre.Furthermore, digital access to examples of goodpractice is established, so that the local job centres,the social psychiatry and others may draw on existingknowledge.Free psychological assistance– also for the relativesThe Defence offers psychological assistance to allvete rans, who in an international mission have beenexposed to traumatizing events, or are having problemsreadjusting to everyday life after a deployment. This offerhas no period of limitation, and it is also valid for alreadydischarged veterans. The offer furthermore includes therelatives of the veterans. In addition to this, the psychologistsoffer couples’ therapy for the veterans and theirrelatives, as a deployment may be a severe strain ona relationship.The offer for psychological assistance is valid for treatmentby the psychologists of the Defence in Copenhagen,and also for treatment by one of the 50 or soprivately practising psychologists around the country,who are connected to the network of the Defence.The Government expands the accessto psychiatric special knowledgeSome emotionally traumatized veterans may needpsychiatric treatment. Today, the highly specialized psychiatrictreatment is centralized at the National Hospital.The Defence has made an agreement with the Crisis andCatastrophe Centre in Copenhagen for evaluation andpossible treatment of soldiers with post-traumatic stressreactions.The limited accessibility is a problem for the patients.Therefore, the following initiatives are taken:A highly specialized offer is developed and establishedin the hospital service targeting patients with psychiatricdisorders, primarily severe post-traumatic stress reactionsas a result of service-related strain in connectionwith deployment.Highly specialized offers targeting the patient group areestablished in several locations around the country inconnection with existing multi-branching psychiatricallyspecialized functions in the hospital service.The access of emotionally traumatized veterans to supportfrom a psychologist or a social worker is improved,so that more people in need of support can use theexisting options. The following initiative is taken:The access to consultation with one of the socialworkers, psychologists or network psychologists ofthe Defence is improved. In this connection, referralconsul tations are to be possible elsewhere than in theestablishments of the Defence, for instance in the newveterans’ homes.Outreach effortIn 2007, the Defence sent out abt. 20,000 lettersto formerly deployed persons. Among otherthings, the purpose was to call their attentionto the time-unlimited possibility for support fromthe psychologists of the Defence. Subsequently,200 veterans indicated a need for follow-upsupport from psychologists.The veterans’ policy of the Danish government 21
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 and 20: The veterans’ competences must be
Page 21: What has already been done?The Defe
Page 25 and 26: The voluntary and occupationalorgan
Page 27: Recognition and supportThe veterans

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