PRINTOn the Job: Veteran case manager
Q&A with JULIE HEESE
JOHN SCHREIBER
Julie Heese, a case manager for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, talks with a veteran at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital.
November 12, 2009 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Julie Heese might not be on the front lines, but to many local service members returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, she’s a hero. As a case manager for the Columbia Department of Veteran Affairs, Heese helps veterans of OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom) and OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) adapt to civilian life, claim financial benefits and access services for physical and mental health. She has smoothed the transition process for nearly 1,800 veterans and expects that her services will be needed by countless more.
What are some challenges returning veterans face?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and mild-to-traumatic brain injuries. A lot of times soldiers don’t even realize they have the injury, but they notice they’re not remembering things well, becoming more irritable, dropping things, getting dizzy, losing sense of smell, etc. Most of these (milder)injuries take care of themselves within a year, but those that are more severe need special adaptive tools to help them function.
NAME: Julie Heese, LCSW
AGE: 46
ON THE JOB SINCE: 2007
COMO RESIDENT SINCE: 2007
COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS
JOB LOCALE: 800 Hospital Dr.
OEF/OIF PROGRAM PHONE:
814-6639
What can families and friends do to help veterans adjust back to civilian life?
Education is huge, so that there’s patience, acceptance, understanding and the ability to talk to a veteran when (friends and family) see things they’re concerned about — outrageous spending habits, withdrawing, aggressiveness, being startled in public. Being able to know what might be happening, being able to lovingly say, ‘How are you doing? Is something going on? What do you think about going to get help?’
What’s your favorite part of the job?
I love to go out and spread the word. I enjoy going to the briefings, the yellow ribbon events, getting up in front of these folks and saying, ‘Hey, we’re here for you. … This is not your grandpa’s VA anymore.’ I really enjoy when somebody walks through the door and they’re downhearted, frustrated and at wit’s end, and I have resources at my fingertips. Nothing feels better than being able to help somebody, when I can say, ‘I can get you a check to get a down payment on your apartment, we can get your utility bills paid, we can get your car fixed, we’ll get you enrolled in school.’ You know you closed the gap and you helped somebody make it.
What’s a challenging part of your job?
The workload — department-wide, it’s almost like you can’t hire fast enough. When a new person walks in, it can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, and we get 8 to 12 walk-ins a day. That’s more than what one person can do, and those aren’t even my 50 that I’m trying to do case management for.
Is the increase of service-related suicide being addressed?
We’re in conjunction with the National Suicidal Hotline, and they’ve created a piece just for vets. Vets can call in when they’re having a time of crisis and that phone call generates a call to their VA so that there’s follow-up. Across the nation, there’s a really high suicide rate. We’ve just created a committee here to try to identify veterans who are high-risk so that they’re brought to the attention of the OEF/OIF and primary-care providers.
What personality traits are necessary for this job?
Hands down, the willingness to help. The desire to go the extra mile to get the job down. High energy is needed because you have to sell the program, to let them know ‘We’re here for you.’
Where do you see these programs in the future?
With the 2 million (returning veterans) quite a few will need a lifetime of care. The programs may change as time goes by, once the war is over and they can focus more on long-term care for the severely injured. We have so many to reach out to.
How did you get into this profession?
Social work. Originally, my main emphasis was children and the effects of dysfunctional family life on children. I started working over 13 years ago in Kansas City in a boys’ home. A lot of the kids I worked with grew up, entered the military, and now those same kids are veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. I’ve watched the kids develop and followed them through to the challenges faced in Columbia when coming back.
My father is a Korean War veteran, one of my brothers-in-law is a Vietnam veteran, my other brother-in-law is a Desert Storm veteran, and my sister served right after Vietnam. My dad goes to the VA, one of my brothers-in-law goes to the VA; it’s a family thing.
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