Contact: Steve Witty

New Directions, Inc.

                                                                                                         (310) 914-4045 ext 135      Email: switty@newdirectionsinc.org

Release Date: August 29, 2006         

Disabled Veterans Charities Helps Fund Expansion of New Directions PTSD Treatment Program

Los Angeles, CA — August 29, 2006.  New Directions, Inc. was presented with a check for more than $133,000 today, which will enable the agency to expand its cutting-edge Trauma Treatment Integration Program.  Karl Cade, General Manager of Disabled Veterans Charities delivered the check to John Keaveney, one of the co-founders of New Directions, during a luncheon at NDI’s Regional Opportunity Center   The funds will be used to address the specialized needs of veterans returning from military duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

“I can’t over-emphasize how grateful we are,” said Keaveney after receiving the check, adding that large contributions from other veterans organizations are not always easy to come by.

The basis for New Directions’ new mental health initiative is a 3-year independent research project, which studied the effectiveness of treatment models in the recovery of homeless veterans who suffer from Co-Occurring Disorders.  A Co-Occurring Disorder is defined as chronic substance abuse combined with persistent mental illness -- which in the case of combat veterans is often linked to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

New Directions, Inc. provides drug and alcohol detoxification, intensive substance abuse treatment, counseling and job training to homeless veterans in the Los Angeles area.  The non-profit agency is located on the grounds of the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System.  An estimated 27,000 homeless veterans reside in Los Angeles, comprising 33 percent of the county’s homeless population.

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