Director's Message
California Transition Center for the Care of Combat Veterans-
The Pathway Home
Mr. Fred D. Gusman, M.S.W., Executive Director of the California Transition Center for Care of Combat Veterans-The Pathway Home, is an internationally-recognized expert educator, clinician, mentor, program administrator and developer, and consultant in the field of traumatic stress. His expertise is built on the firm foundation of his own military service plus over 37 years of clinical, research, and consulting experiences in the field of traumatic stress, combat stress, PTSD, and disaster mental health services. His broad-based background includes the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), the Department of Defense (DoD), and National, and public sector experiences.
Current Philosophy and Mission:
Mr. Gusman recognizes that no one program, institution, organization, or governmental body can “do it alone”—to shoulder the responsibility for the provision of services to our Warfighters. The needs of our Warriors are varied and can often be complex. Providing interventions and support for resiliency, recovery, and transitional issues in our Warriors is a public health responsibility—to support those who serve our Nation—and a privilege.
The Pathway Home stands ready to provide an integrated model of care for those Warfighters who have conquered the stressors of War, but who may need some assistance in transitioning from deployment to post-deployment, to re-deployment, or to civilian roles and responsibilities.
Background and Experiences:
Mr. Gusman pioneered, developed, and until recently assuming the responsibility for the development and directing of The Pathway Home Program, was the Director of the Education Division of the National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD) at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS). His men’s and women’s NCPTSD residential treatment programs (both first-in-the-nation) have treated thousands of Warriors over the years.
Mr. Gusman’s other Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) roles included: Deputy Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health Strategic Planning at VAPAHCS; Chief, Specialized Mental Health Programs at VAPAHCS; Chief Operating Officer for the NCPTSD-Pacific Islands Division in Honolulu, Hawaii; Associate Director for Education for the DVA-VISN 21 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC); the Returning Veteran Outreach, Education, and Care Point of Contact for DVA-VISN 21, and VISN 21 Mental Health Clinical Council Co-Chair.
From National and public perspectives, Mr. Gusman has served as a consultant to the DVA (Washington, D.C.); the National Institute of Mental Health; the Department of Defense; the American Red Cross, and numerous community and state programs throughout the country and in Europe. He has played significant roles as a DVA consultant, educator, and clinical advisor during many local and national tragedies such as the Loma Prieta earthquake, the Los Angeles riots, the Oklahoma City bombing, the September 11th terrorist attack on the Pentagon, and numerous other natural and man-made disasters.
During the last few years, prior to becoming Executive Director for The Pathway Home, Mr. Gusman facilitated a first-of-its-kind leadership summit of Navy, Marine and VA leaders to coordinate transition/communication between services and care of OIF/OEF returnees. During the last four years, he has provided numerous consultations and clinical trainings to various branches of the Department of Defense such as: Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) staff and Marine Corps Family Services staff (various US mainland sites); the National Guard (Hawaii’s 29th Infantry Brigade) and their families, and Army personnel at Hawaii’s Schofield Barracks-Soldier Retransition Center and the Family Retransition Center.