 Fred Gusman, MSW ~ Web Briefing ~ 90 Min.
Wednesday, November 5, San Francisco ~ 1pm-2:30pm 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). Mr Gusman's philosophy, embodied in The Pathway Home Program, is that Veterans can learn to “move on” from their combat-related stress reactions and problems. They can learn to cope with negative situations or experiences, and survive and grow from even traumatic experiences. Part of what enables this healthy process to happen is the ability of a therapist or other facilitator to translate/use their military skills, experience, and knowledge into post-combat (or post-trauma) “real world” coping. Taking "wounded warriors" where they are, and helping to use their special training to process their combat experiences takes some awareness of the special culture Veterans have been immersed in. In this Web Briefing, Mr. Gusman will describe the most significant aspects of this cultural experiences for clinicians, in a way that will help them gain credibility and work effectively with today's returning combat Vets |
