By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service
FORT BLISS, Texas, May 9, 2008
A revolutionary treatment program here is demonstrating "little miracles" as it gives new hope to soldiers afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder who want to stay in the Army, its director reports.
The new program is the brainchild of clinical psychologist John E. Fortunato, who uses a holistic approach to treating PTSD at the new Fort Bliss Restoration and Resilience Center. Fortunato conceded that his proposal "wasn’t an easy sell" initially, particularly because it wove yoga, massage therapy and other nontraditional approaches into its treatment program. But driven by the frustration of seeing soldiers with PTSD forced to leave the Army against their wishes, Fortunato pressed forward and won approval for his prototype program. With $2.2 million in initial funding and a 1940s barracks building to rehab, he set out to launch the Restoration and Resilience Center in June 2006. The center opened last summer.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=49835
