Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
Military sexual trauma is the term used by VA to refer to experiences of sexual assault or repeated, threatening sexual harassment that a Veteran experienced during his or her military service. MST includes any sexual activity where a Servicemember is one (or more) of the following:
Other experiences that fall into the category of MST include:
The identity or characteristics of the perpetrator, whether the Servicemember was on or off duty at the time, and whether he or she was on or off base at the time do not matter. If these experiences occurred while an individual was on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training, they are considered by VA to be MST. Although trauma can be a life-changing event, people are often remarkably resilient after experiencing trauma. Many individuals recover without professional help; others may generally function well in their life, but continue to experience some level of difficulties or have strong reactions in certain situations. For some Veterans, the experience of MST may continue to affect their mental and physical health in significant ways, even many years later. Some of the experiences both female and male survivors of MST may have include:
Fortunately, people can recover from experiences of trauma, and VA has effective services to help Veterans do this. We are here to help you address your experience of MST, respectfully and confidentially. Your local Veteran Health Indiana MST contact:Jennifer Fox, LCSW MST Coordinator 317-988-3449 Jennifer.Fox2@va.gov Your local Women Veteran Program ManagerJudith Kelly Women Veterans Program Manager (317) 988-4642 judith.kelly2@va.gov Your local Vet Center contact:Marlene Sweet, LCSW, Director Indianapolis Vet Center 317-988-1604 marlene.sweet@va.gov
Your local VBA MST contacts:Indiana (Indianapolis Regional Office) Kimberlyn Tutt Kimberlyn.Tutt@va.gov OR Gregory Shemwell Gregory.Shemwell@va.gov
Your local VBA Indiana Women Veteran CoordinatorLaura McKee LaMckee@dva.IN.gov 317-232-3919
Printable documents for your reference: What is MST, and how does the VA help you? Military Sexual Trauma: Stories from Survivors
|
Contact Info
Location
- VAMC, D wing, Room D5025
Contact Number(s)
- 317-988-3449
Hours of Operation
- Mon - Fri, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.