A feature on the Navy Times shared good news for service members who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other related problems, such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse.

OASIS – which stands for Overcoming Adversity and Stress Injury Support – is a 10-week residential treatment program, said to be the first of its kind that focuses on the needs of combat veterans. It was the brainchild of a team of Navy Medical personnel, and employs a technique called “cognitive processing therapy”.

Cognitive processing therapy is a treatment protocol that has been viewed as effective in the treatment of PTSD. How it works is described as follows by the Navy Times: “[it helps] patients make sense of their traumatic experiences, understand how those experiences affect their lives and learn skills to overcome, recover and, ultimately, return to their military job and transition to a more normal life.”

The medical director for OASIS is Lt. Cmdr. Paul Sargent, a psychiatrist at Naval Medical Center San Diego. Lt. Cmdr. Sargent set up the pilot project at Naval Base Point Loma, California; it is a 24/7 program that incorporates “therapy, counseling and constant care in a multidisciplinary approach.” The grand opening was held last November 19.

Service members who have undergone other treatments which did not work out get a new chance at getting better through OASIS. These are the patients, according to Sargent, who need a “higher level of care.” The alcohol-free facility has four-person rooms, with separate accommodations for men and women.