February 21, 2013
Panel will focus on post-traumatic stress disorder
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Many Americans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and an event next week at Southern Illinois University Carbondale focuses on the disorder and how best to help those who have it.
The “Serving Those Who Serve: Supporting Veterans on Campus” event is set for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25, in the Ohio Room at the Student Center. The event is free and open to the University community and the public.
The Office of Diversity and Equity at SIU is joining with the University’s Student Veteran’s Organization to sponsor the panel discussion. The focus will be on providing information about PTSD and its impact on people and the campus community and how to support and serve those with the disorder.
Panelists will include: Dr. Janet Coffman, a Carbondale psychologist with experience in the PTSD arena; Sam Goodin, director of Disability Support Services at SIU; the Behavioral Medicine Supervisor-Psychosocial Rehabilitation & Specialty Clinical Programs from the Marion Veterans Affairs Medical center, and a student who has dealt with PTSD.
The discussion will explore the problem, how it affects people in the workplace and the classroom and how to support them. The panelists will also examine vocational rehabilitation, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, and ways of providing support for units and groups that employ and support veterans and others suffering from PTSD.
For more information, contact the Office of Diversity and Equity at 618/453-4807 or Ryan McKennedy, vice president of the Student Veterans Organization at 618/453-1335 or by email at siucvets@siu.edu. Additional details are also online at www.ode.siu.edu.