By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
The more seriously injured, if they are not expected to return to active duty, may move from the military hospital, to a VA polytrauma center closer to their home, and eventually to their hometown for recovery.
"They try to get them as quickly as they can to where they're going to be for their long-term rehabilitation," Watkins said.
Once the needs assessment is matched with the patient's goals, a recovery plan is created outlining the steps that will take the sailor from recovering in the hospital to meeting his or her goals.
"He may be a welder in the Navy today, but he may want to become an astrophysicist," Watkins said. "So we're going to help him get enrolled in college and take college courses and get prepared to transition while he's rehabilitating medically."
The recovery plan includes milestones and Safe Harbor watches to ensure that the care providers and the sailors meet those milestones.
When it is time to transition to Veterans Administration care, the non-clinical case manager works closely with VA officials to ensure the sailor's care transitions smoothly between the two government agencies. In fact, Safe Harbor has on-site case managers at each of the four VA polytrauma centers across the United States. Many of their offices are steps away from VA case managers and social workers.
Retaining Wounded Sailors
Not all seriously injured sailors choose to separate from the Navy, though. And the Navy has joined the other services in the recent trend to allow seriously injured servicemembers to return to active duty. Advances in treatment and technology, as well as rewritten policies and the determination of the troops has put many, including amputees, back in boots and sometimes even back into combat.
"We bend over backwards," Watkins said. "If a sailor has the desire to remain on active duty and has something to contribute to the mission, whatever it may be … we're going to do what we can to retain them on active duty."
One sailor was blinded by a homemade bomb in Iraq. As a senior chief petty officer, he was about three years shy of his 20-year retirement goal.
Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Jason Deitschman shares an office with Navy Senior Chief Jim Pitts and Army Sgt. 1st Class Lee Smith at the Palo Alto Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center in Palo Alto, Calif. The three work the non-clinical case management of servicemembers receiving care there, as well as for others in their region. An Air Force liaison works out of the office part time.
DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III Hi-Res
Safe Harbor retained him on active duty to help develop the Navy's wounded care program. His unique perspective helped determine how and where case managers are needed and how they should deal with severely injured sailors. The senior chief petty officer also went into military hospitals and talked to those freshly injured, filling them in on what to expect during their recoveries.
"It was a no-brainer for us to retain him on active duty," Watkins said. "Even though he was not qualified by the regulations -- by the medical standards -- to serve, we were able to get that waived, keep him on active duty, because he still had a lot to contribute to our mission."
The sailor retired this year.
Watkins now spends his time developing the program and traveling around the country giving his "stump" speech about Safe Harbor and its efforts to commanders and senior enlisted, medical officials and physical evaluation board liaisons. One of the challenges is that many of those deep within the Navy's ranks and who have already separated do not know about its services.
"Anybody who wants to hear about what Safe Harbor does, I'll go talk to them," Watkins said.
Even if the sailor is completely out of the Navy, he or she still is eligible for Safe Harbor help, he said.
"If it is service connected, we can get them enrolled with the VA and get them treated," Watkins said. "Rather than them having to figure it out on their own, we're going to put them right in touch with whomever they need to be working with."
Bringing Sailors Back for Treatment
There are even ways for the Navy to bring a sailor back on active duty to ensure he or she gets needed treatment, Watkins said.
For example, Navy Petty Officer Zachary Crites deployed to Iraq as a medic in a Marine combat unit in July 2006. It was an assignment he loved, Crites said, despite the fact that he was rocked so many times by bomb blasts while traveling in convoys that he eventually had to be pulled from duty outside the wire and treated in country for symptoms of a traumatic brain injury.
Crites suffered from migraines and tremors, and when he returned stateside, doctors here began a battery of neurological and other tests and prescribed medications.
In June 2007, Crites was ordered into the naval reserves as part of a program that places sailors on active duty for 15 months and then transfers them into the reserves for the remainder of their enlistment. It wasn't long before Crites found himself in another battle - one for his health.
His active-duty command gave Crites as much medication as they could legally for the transition, and told him Veterans Affairs would continue the care. Crites filed a claim with VA that summer. But soon he ran out of medicine and was told by VA officials that they were still processing his forms.
Navy Petty Officer Second Class Morgana Bowne pets a treatment dog at the VA's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment facility at Menlo Park, Calif. The facility is part of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System and is a 60- to 90-day treatment program. The dog is part of a pilot program at the center to see how pets can be used in treating the symptoms of PTSD.
DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III Hi-Res
Crites could have seen doctors using the healthcare plan provided by his civilian employer, a hospital where he worked as an emergency medical technician. But he was worried about his job stability if his employer found out that he had a brain injury.
"I didn't know what they would do if they knew that I had a traumatic brain injury," he said.
Crites didn't even tell his then-fiancé, now his wife. He didn't want to worry her, and hoped the problem would fix itself.
By December 2007, Crites knew he needed help. With nowhere else to turn, he went to his command at his reserve unit.
Crites' command contacted the Safe Harbor program and within a month, he was receiving the treatment and medication he needed.
"Crites is lucky that his leadership noticed something was not right … and knew what to do about it," said Watkins said.
In April, Crites was brought back onto active duty for his treatment. He plans to stay in the Navy and wants to return to the "green side," or back with the Marines.
Recovery isn't easy and Crites knows it won't happen over night. But he's glad to be back on duty.
For Crites, Safe Harbor was the turnaround.
"There are days when it sucks. And it really isn't that much fun," he said. "But when I wake up 20 years down the road, I definitely will be glad that I decided to come back.
"Safe Harbor's been great. They have done everything that they said they were going to do."
