A trial for the treatment of PTSD in veterans which began in Kāpiti is being rolled out nationwide.
Kāpiti acupuncturist Jason Bei has been instrumental in getting a pilot project underway and the results have been very positive and now it seems much larger numbers of veterans will have the opportunity to benefit from this new treatment regime.
Increasingly over the last decade, acupuncture has been successfully used with Veterans internationally and in New Zealand to treat a wide variety of mental health injuries, in conjunction with other complementary and conventional treatment options, as part of a comprehensive, holistic, Veteran-centric clinical package.
“We started out with a small pilot project here in Kāpiti and I am very grateful to all of those who took part and those who have supported this initiative,” says Mr Bei who runs the Kāpiti Acupuncture and Wellness Clinic in Paraparaumu.
Mr Bei is a third generation TCM practitioner, BHSc (Acupuncture), and has a Postgraduate Cert. Kampo Medicine.
At a recent national conference at Te Papa in Wellington Mr Bei presented a paper outlining the methodology and the results of treatments under the program. He was recently invited to witness the official signing of the agreement between AcNZ and RNZRSA for the Veteran certification project.
Mr Bei says he is pleased AcNZ and RSANZ have come to an agreement to certify acupuncture practitioners to serve the veterans in a cultural sensitive and safe way.
Decades of experience and research have shown that more effective and longer lasting wellbeing outcomes are more likely if service providers understand how military culture and service may impact Veterans and their whanau, and engage with them in a culturally appropriate way.
The Royal NZ Returned and Services Assocation (RNZRSA) have joined with AcupunctureNZ to develop New Zealand’s first ‘Veteran Ready’ Certification Process that ensures militarily culturally safe acupuncture services for Veterans and their whanau.
This is achieved by developing a treatment provider’s understanding of what is important to a Veteran and their whanau, how military service may influence Veteran behaviour and how this may impact on accessing, responding to, or engaging in acupuncture services.
Mr Bei is also developing a program for community acupuncture sessions at his Paraparaumu clinic.
For more see: https://www.acutohealth.co.nz/
