Just Ask Campaign

In 2023, the Massachusetts Legislature awarded the Western Massachusetts Veterans Outreach Project with a budget earmark to support the Just Ask Campaign. The campaign's objective was to highlight how veterans and reserve military personnel, along with their families, were being treated by civilian healthcare providers. We wanted to know if civilian providers were screening patients for all possible connections to military service, and if the providers were using the latest, evidence-based treatment protocols that take into account the patient's connections to military service in two ways...

The first way is to be curious about military life and culture.

Some thoughts to consider: what does it mean to the patient to have a military connection, what is it like serving in the military, and how is military life different from civilian life.

The second way is understanding how military service can effect health.

Some questions to consider: are there any deployment related behavioral concerns at home or in school, has the patient endured any traumatic experiences while on duty, does the veterans or spouse have a Moral Injury from a specific experience or a bigger picture issue, have any family members had any toxic exposures during service or while on a military base and what early detection screenings for toxic exposure conditions are available.

With this two-step treatment process in mind, we had three objectives:

First, we asked if and how civilian healthcare providers are screening patients for military connections.

If a provider does not screen for military connections, are they willing to start?
If a provider does screen for military connections, what wording is used in the screening question? Is it limited to "veteran" status, or does it include other military connections like spouses and child dependents?

Just asking the question can lead to a significant improvement in treatment outcomes for persons who may not voluntarily divulge their military-connected status for various reasons.

Asking a just question is inclusive of all persons who may have military-connected ailments or conditions. These conditions can include Secondary Trauma, Domestic Violence symptoms, Moral Injury, and more.

The best way to ask "The Question" is as follows: Have you or any family members served in the military?

Then we asked what treatments and programs the provider offers to military-connected patients.

Is treatment related to the patient's military experience when their diagnosis is service-connected?
Is there a military Post-Traumatic Stress program, or a program focused on Moral Injury or MST?
Does the provider refer patients with service-connected diagnoses to the Veterans Health Administration, or other civilian providers who specialize in caring for clients with military-connected diagnoses.

Third, we offered assistance in gathering educational and supportive materials that civilian healthcare providers need to improve the treatment of their military-connected patients. This assistance included training sessions conducted by WMVOP team members and affiliates.

Our team has been coordinating the Just Ask Campaign with River Valley Counseling Center, Valley Medical Group, Baystate Health, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Holyoke Medical Center, Holyoke Health Center, and Berkshire Health Systems.