George Taylor, President of National Veterans Homeless Support, and Crew, hold the Proclamation of PTSD Awareness Week for FL on 12/12/2010 "Because you can’t see PTSD, as you can a physical battle scar, it can go undetected, but PTSD can be more devastating." said Taylor

Florida’s Governor, Charlie Crist, signed a proclamation Friday, Dec 10th, bringing PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) awareness into the Florida spotlight, and in so doing, made the plight and dream of a 20 year homeless veteran advocate and local community hero come true.

George Taylor, President of the National Veterans Homeless Support(NVHS), has been working towards legislation and awareness such as this with political and community leaders since 1991. Known as a tireless homeless veteran advocate, leader and local hero to homeless veterans, Taylor brings organizations together for the support and awareness of those he serves.

Monday, Dec 13th, 2010 marks the beginning of the first official PTSD awareness week in Florida and the beginning of what Taylor and other community leaders hope will be a turning point for the veterans suffering from the chronic condition of PTSD.

The signed proclamation makes Florida one of the first states in the country to have a week officially dedicated to the community awareness of PTSD. This appears to be a movement gaining ground as it follows the news in June of this year when the U.S. Senate passed a resolution declaring June 27 National PTSD Awareness Day.

Taylor was honored for his years of advocacy on Saturday night by receiving news of the Governor’s signature before it was publicly announced and receiving his own orignal document.

An emotional Taylor said, “This is what I’ve worked 20 years for. Our veterans and the community they live in deserve this and are best served by this awareness. I hope it leads to bigger things, and better healing. This is a victory for all of us who work together to make sure our veterans are understood and not forgotten. I thank all my friends and the community of vet support groups for working together to help make this happen. I also want to thank Miss Jackie Colon for helping make it a reality. This is a dream come true for our vets.”

Approximately 7.7 million American adults, or about 3.5 percent of people 18 and older, in a given year, have PTSD. Up to 76% of homeless veterans are thought to suffer from some level of PTSD, which often manifests itself into alcohol, drug, and avoidance issues. Stigma is also said to play a role in servicemen and women not coming forward to discuss options and seek treatment.

"Because you can’t see PTSD, as you can a physical battle scar, it can go undetected, but PTSD can be more devastating", said Taylor.

The U.S. has 6 states with veteran populations over 1 million. Florida’s veteran population of 1.8 million is second only to California, with 2.3 million. Texas, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio also make the top 6. Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives approved a resolution for a PTSD awareness week in November of this year, and like Florida, many states will likely follow suit.

News of the new, state-wide and week long observation is sweet success to those who have championed the cause for many years, continuously working with legislators, as the voice for those suffering PTSD to bring awareness to the cause.

A humble congratulatory ceremony was held for Taylor, at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 4228, in Titusville, Sunday afternoon, where representatives from local veteran support groups came together to celebrate the victory.

“Working together is what it’s all about”, said Dorothy Walsh, NVHS VP and Sargent at Arms for the USA River Rats. Among the leaders present at the ceremony were Carl Schneider, American Legion Eastern Area Commander, Bill Hoppner, American Legion Dept. of FL Disaster Preparedness Chairman, Arthur ‘Gunner’ Dudley, the American Legion Dept.of FL Homeless Veterans Chairman, Al Diaz, President of USA River Rats, and 10 other proud and excited officers of the USA River Rats.

Another key player in the awareness and treatment of PTSD in Florida is Dr Scott Fairchild of Welcome Home Vets. Fairchild, a Psychologist making strides in the treatment of PTSD in Florida, and Welcome Home Vets are teaming up with Taylor of the National Veterans Homeless Support, to offer direct clinical psychological services to the homeless veterans brought in by the Search and Rescue teams of NVHS who are suffering PTSD.

Dr. Fairchild said, “It is a monumental accomplishment and the culmination of over 20 years of work on behalf of so many, to honor the many Floridians who have experienced psychological trauma and suffered the invisible wounds of war. There are new tools and treatments available, which dramatically impact the healing process and can retrain the brain to healthy patterns, some without medication, which we at Welcome Home Vets have seen reduce PTSD symptoms by 63%. In addition to treatments though, it is critical to realize that community support must be thicker than a bumper sticker.”

Based on the newly signed proclamation, it would appear the Florida legislators concur. As the community claims a victory for their honored and often misunderstood veterans, ideas and plans are already taking shape to make the best use of this yearly week of awareness.

Taylor is asking veteran support groups across the state and nation to come together, reach out and share ideas. Interested parties may contact Taylor and his organization, through the contact form on the NVHS web site.

“This week we spend in celebration,” touts Taylor, “We are appreciative our veterans are being recognized and honored in our state. Soon we’ll start planning for next year’s PTSD awareness week in Florida. We hope others will join us.”

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