In an Aug. 16 news release, the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) announced it will be offering free military cultural competency training for health care practitioners working for Providence.
The program being offered is called the Veteran Ready program, and it is being provided by PsychArmor, a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading military cultural awareness.
“Many people think that all veterans receive their health care from the VA but that is simply not the case. Nearly 75% of veterans are seen by community providers, so the commitment from Providence to train staff to better serve Veterans and their Families will make a difference,” said Lourdes “Alfie” Alvarado-Ramos in the WDVA news release.
Because of that, the WDVA believes it is imperative to train health care practitioners in the civilian world about what life is like in the military and the culture that surrounds it and is carried on by many veterans after they leave the military.
All courses will be available to Providence employees via a custom online learning portal and will include not only the foundational course but courses on suicide prevention, PTSD, mental health wellness, communicating with veterans and military culture as well as many other topics.
“At Providence, we make a promise to everyone we serve: I will know you, care for you and ease your way. Participating in the Veterans ready certification program is an important step to live our promise for every veteran we have the privilege of serving,” said Arpan Waghray, Providence chief medical officer of behavioral medicine, in the news release.
