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The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury is operating the 24-hour center, which will be open 365 days a year and is staffed by behavioral health consultants and nurses, including some former military psychologists.

During a roundtable discussion at the Pentagon yesterday as part of "Brain Injury Awareness Month," Army Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Loree K. Sutton, director of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, said more than 90 percent of servicemembers with TBI have concussions and recover quickly.

Two important initiatives are underway to help define those service members affected by brain injury. The initiatives are organizations known as the Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, or "NICoE." These two collaborating programs will play key roles to address traumatic brain injury (TBI).

"Real Warriors is a program aimed at wiping out the stigma associated with getting mental health care in the military," said Army Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Loree Sutton. "We want people to seek help the same way they would if they had a physical wound." Sutton is a psychiatrist who heads the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.

The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) is one of many parts of the Department of Defense (DoD) that is undertaking initiatives to promote the prevention, early identification and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and substance use disorders.

Treatment for servicemembers suffering from psychological trauma really is a brave new world. Before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there was little research on effective treatments and not much pressure to add to what existed, said Army Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Loree Sutton, director of the Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. Sutton, at a Warrior Resilience Conference here, said her office has been working with the services to develop treatment programs and is researching best medical practices. But the effort isn't a simple matter of an open checkbook; results count.