Psychological Care
As a top-ranked, world-renowned academic medical center and home to the most advanced medical facilities in the United States, UCLA Health offers innovative care and the latest in medical technology. Since 2007, UCLA Health's Operation Mend has been providing advanced specialty surgical and medical consultation and treatment for injuries sustained in post-9/11 era military service. The original focus of Operation Mend was to engage UCLA’s world-class experts in plastic and reconstructive surgery to rebuild the faces of service members who had suffered highly complex facial trauma. The program expanded to provide subspecialty surgical and medical consultation and specialty treatment in a variety of clinical areas, as well as comprehensive psychological health care for eligible post-9/11-era service members, veterans and their families. All care, care coordination, travel and lodging are provided at no cost to the veterans or service members and their caregivers. For those who have insurance, insurance will be utilized when applicable. The warrior is not responsible for co-payments, balance of cost, or authorization denials related to their care at UCLA.
Along with advanced medical specialty care, Operation Mend is distinguished by its focus on including the warriors’ family in care and providing comprehensive case management, coordination and social support that helps eliminate barriers to treatment.
In 2015, UCLA Operation Mend joined the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and three partner medical centers as founding members of WWP's Warrior Care Network. In January 2016, as part of this partnership, UCLA Health and Operation Mend launched an intensive, structured treatment program for service members, veterans who have suffered service-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The four-week program begins with two weeks on the UCLA campus and is designed for warriors who require more than regular outpatient care as part of their treatment plan. The psychological care program is a cohort model, and can include veteran only cohorts, veteran and caregiver cohorts or a mix of both.
Prior to referral into the program, potential participants will spend four-to-six days at UCLA consulting with a multidisciplinary team of TBI and PTSD specialists to ensure the intensive program is the most appropriate treatment option.
Participants in the program will receive the personalized care for which UCLA Health Operation Mend is known. All care, travel and accommodations are arranged for and provided at no cost to service members, veterans and their caregivers, including pick-up from the airport upon arrival and transportation to and from the hotel and to all appointments and activities. Following the hybrid two-week program, participants will take part in an additional two-weeks of provider-facilitated peer-to-peer support via telehealth to continue refining skills and building community.
Frequently Asked Questions for UCLA Health Operation Mend Psychological Care Program
We welcome post-9/11 era military service members and veterans with symptoms related to trauma exposure or who have been diagnosed with PTSD with or without a history of TBI. After an initial comprehensive evaluation, our team determines whether the program meets the veteran's needs.
We are the only Psychological Care Program in the country that includes caregivers as fully integrated participants. There are two treatment groups: one with veterans only, and one with veterans and their caregivers.
There is no cost to veterans, service members, and caregivers.
Each participant in the Psychological Care Program will receive a customized treatment plan.
Participants receive three weeks of provider-facilitated check-ins to continue refining skills, building community and transitioning to local care. Regularly scheduled virtual appointments with family care managers continue for one year following program completion.
Please email [email protected] or call 424-319-6726.
Absolutely! We continue to provide reconstructive surgery and other subspecialty medical care along with social and psychological support at no cost to the patient. Call 424-319-6726.
Post-Traumatic Stress Treatment
Our two-week post-traumatic stress intensive treatment program is designed to promote healing and wellness through:
- Individualized treatment planning
- Individual evidence-based trauma treatment
- Individual Cognitive skills training
- Individual psychiatry
- Caregiver psychotherapy groups
- Skills focused Life Tools groups
- Art therapy
- Equine Assisted-Psychotherapy
- Mindful movement practice
- Comprehensive Case Management
- Veterans Administration Liaison Support
- Peer-to-peer connections
- Social support from buddy programs
- Referrals and connection to local care
- Post-treatment support
Brain Health Treatment
Our two-week brain health intensive treatment program (ITP) is designed to promote brain health and wellness through our BRAIN 1 and BRAIN ITP programs.
BRAIN 1
Brain 1 is a one-week program for all warriors to undergo comprehensive multidisciplinary brain health (TBI and mental health) assessment, care coordination and treatment initiation. This program may stand alone or be integrated into the other ITPs, as clinically indicated. BRAIN 1 ITP will include:
- Detailed case review with focus on prior workup and treatment, and particularly aimed at identification of clinical gaps, missing diagnostic data or untried treatment options
- Medication review and consultation
- Multidisciplinary consultations and care coordination (Case Management, Neurology, Neuropsychology, Psychiatry, Pain Management, and other referrals as needed)
- Individualized assessment to include (as clinically indicated): brain imaging, laboratory testing, neuropsychological testing, vestibular testing, autonomic measurement and exercise threshold evaluation
- Initial psychoeducation regarding brain injury and brain health:
- TBI 101; Headache 101; Pain 101
- Occupational Therapy initial intake and treatment initiation
- Dietitian initial intake and treatment initiation
- Pharmacological treatment initiation for chronic headache and pain
- Pharmacological treatment initiation for mental health diagnoses
- Pharmacological treatment initiation for other neurological conditions (as clinically indicated), including epilepsy, stroke, tremor, etc.
- Behavioral treatment plan for cognitive needs and diagnoses
- Behavioral treatment plan for mental health needs and diagnoses
- Determination of treatment equipment needs for chronic TBI symptoms (neurostimulation, biofeedback, sleep apnea devices, autonomic monitoring and exercise/activity monitoring equipment)
- Procedures for treatment of chronic headache and pain (nerve/trigger point injections)
BRAIN ITP
BRAIN ITP (Balanced Recovery and Integrated Neuroscience Intensive Treatment Program) is a two-week program for warriors who have experienced TBI and have ongoing neurological needs requiring more in-depth and sustained treatment. BRAIN ITP will include integrated multidisciplinary care:
- Family Care Management
- Neurology (advanced headache management – pharmacological, behavioral, devices and/or procedures/injections, seizure management and medication optimization, autonomic dysfunction treatment)
- Neuropsychology (cognitive training and cognitive behavioral therapy)
- Psychiatry (psychotherapy and pharmacological management)
- Advanced Psychoeducation (attention & memory for TBI; mood management for TBI)
- Occupational therapy
- Fitness training and Exercise therapy (Intro, Yoga, Stationary Bike/Aerobic, Gym, Vestibular, New Ways to Exercise and Carryover to home)
- Vestibular rehabilitation (as clinically indicated)
- Physical therapy (as clinically indicated)
- Sleep assessment and treatment, as well as selection and fitting for durable medical equipment (as clinically indicated)
- Nutrition and dietitian care (including food/diet selection and preparation, mindful eating, one-on-one and group sessions)
- Life Tools Groups (mindfulness, emotional regulation and distress tolerance)
- Integrative/East-West medicine
- Art therapy
- Qigong
- Acupressure
- Support groups
- Transition Care
- Treatment review
- Community engagement
- Video teleconferencing sessions
- Connections to local resources
About Warrior Care Network™ (WCN)
Warrior Care Network™ is a groundbreaking collaboration between Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) and its academic medical center partners, Emory Healthcare, Massachusetts General Hospital, Rush University Medical Center, and UCLA Health, to create a nationwide, comprehensive care network that will enhance access and provide clinical and familycentered treatment to warriors suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other related conditions. WCN will offer specialized clinical services through either a regionalized Outpatient Program (OP) and/or an innovative Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). Through this cutting-edge initiative, WWP and its partners plan to serve thousands of wounded veterans and family members over the next three years.