 Fred Gusman, MSW ~ 4 Hrs
Friday, October 10, San Francisco ~ 10am-3pm Mr. Fred D. Gusman, M.S.W., Executive Director of the California Transition Center for Care of Combat Veterans-The Pathway Home, is an internationally recognized figure in the mental health field. Mr. Gusman's expertise in the arena of traumatic stress is based on the firm foundation of his own military service coupled with his 30 years of clinical, research, and consultative experiences in the field of traumatic stress, combat stress, PTSD, disaster mental health services, and mental health programs development. He is an expert educator, clinician, program administrator and developer, and is a frequently sought after consultant to those in the field of traumatic stress. Mr. Gusman, pioneered and developed, the nation's first residential rehabilitation programs for men and women veterans at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS). Under his vision, guidance, and leadership, the programs have served thousands of veterans during the course of the last thirty years. In addition to this role, he has been called upon to serve in diverse capacities for the Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institute of Mental Health, Department of Defense, American Red Cross, Federal Governmental Committees, in numerous community and state programs throughout the country and in Europe, and in numerous natural and man-made disasters, e.g. September 11th terrorist attack on the Pentagon). The Pathway Program is a Residential Recovery program specifically created for, and dedicated to serve, our Nation’s “New Warriors”—those of any age who have served our Nation’s Global War on Terror in areas of the world such as Afghanistan and Iraq. These Warfighters have survived the stressors of war, but find themselves experiencing problems that are “getting in the way” of functioning at their top form. Mr. Gusman recognizes that no one program, institution, organization, or governmental body can “do it alone”—to shoulder the responsibility for the provision of services to our Warfighters. The needs of our Warriors are varied and can often be complex. Providing interventions and support for resiliency, recovery, and transitional issues in our Warriors is a public health responsibility—to support those who serve our Nation—and a privilege. The Pathway Home stands ready to provide an integrated model of care for those Warfighters who have conquered the stressors of War, but who may need some assistance in transitioning from deployment to post-deployment, to re-deployment, or to civilian roles and responsibilities. |
