Behind The Mission (Duane K. L. France)
Explore every episode of Behind The Mission
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05 Nov 2024 | BTM193 - Dave Knott - Veterans and First Responder Foundation | 00:33:50 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we’re featuring a conversation with Dave Knott, founder of the Veterans and First Responders Foundation, an organization in the greater Cleveland area that exists to provide the support that First Responders, Veterans, Military, K-9s, and their families need to live the fulfilling lives. We’re going to talk about how his organization is looking to support wellness in first responders and veterans.
Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health. About Today’s Guests DAVID KNOTT There are jobs that we choose, and those that choose us. In my case, I learned the true nature of that calling through my son's call to service several years ago. Prior to his decision to join the police force, I thought he would wow fans on the field as a professional baseball player (he certainly had the talent). But what I didn’t know was that there was that small voice inside of him – that drive to be a part of building community by ensuring that community’s safety and security. I would be lying if I said that being a police officer’s father was always comfortable – it’s not. In my line of work – through my 45+ year career in development and construction – I have always had a predictability to my days. The project details may change, there may be long hours, but I always knew that I would come home at the end of the day. That isn’t a certainty when you take the oath to protect and serve. And while my wife and I have bouts of worry for our son, we couldn’t be more proud. His service was the inspiration for me, years later, to establish The VFR – an organization whose mission is to take care of those that care for others and put them on a path to healing. Today that organization has the backing of many who know the burdens of these service men and women intimately and are ready to see The VFR evolve to better support those in need. Our vision is clear and supported by a team of military, fire, police as well as development and community experts who know the value we can create means we do not have a moment to spare in pushing this project forward. We are unwavering in our mission – to create the most impactful experience for veterans and first responders, allowing them the space, time and resources to recover, relax and rejuvenate. In short, to address the career fatigue that can lead to devastating results while making sure that critical training leads to better outcomes for the communities they serve. I invite you to learn more – and to reach out at any time should you like to join us in our mission. Links Mentioned in this Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week For this week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the Behind the Mission Podcast Episode 16, which features Marine Corps Veteran and president of Axon talking about the use of technology to support public safety professionals, including first responders.
You can find the resource here:
https://psycharmor.org/podcast/luke-larson
Episode Partner:
Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 25 Jul 2023 | BTM128 - Justin Schmitt - Suicide Prevention with USAA and Face the Fight | 00:27:52 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we feature a conversation with Justin Schmitt, Senior Deputy of Corporate Responsibility at USAA, a financial services brand dedicated to serving the U.S. Military Community. On this episode, we talk about one of USAA’s social support initiatives, Face the Fight, a coalition that is working to break the stigma surrounding suicide in the military community by raising awareness and fostering real, open conversations around support and hope. About Today’s Guest
Since 2015, USAA has more than doubled its annual philanthropic giving. Between 2015-20, USAA’s CR team directed more $200M philanthropically to nonprofit organizations; approximately 60% directly in support of currently serving military personnel, veterans, and their families. USAA’s corporate citizenship program achieves top quartile levels of employee engagement through innovative giving and volunteer programs. Annually, USAA employees contribute approximately $10M to nonprofits and log nearly 200K volunteer hours, results that reinforce the company’s values and put USAA in top-quartile levels of employee citizenship engagement. In 2020, the USAA CR team deployed more than $40 million in grants to assist military families and local communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the innovative Military Family Relief Initiative. The team also developed a place-based strategy for a $50M, three-year (2020-22) commitment to advance racial equality in education and employment, with the desired end-state to close the racial earnings gap. USAA CR ranked No.1 In FORTUNE Magazine’s “Most Admired Companies List” and has received the nonprofit Blue Star Families’ Constance J. Milstein award for innovative military philanthropy. Justin was a Mayborn Scholar at the University of North Texas, where he earned a Master of Journalism degree and taught undergraduate classes. He received a Bachelor of Arts in communication from Tarleton State University, part of the Texas
Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor Course, Suicide in Military and Veterans. IN this course, Dr. Craig Bryan, a nationally recognized leader in the effort to reduce SMVF suicide, provides an overview of military suicide statistics and explains unique factors that may be related to increased rates in military suicide.
You can see find the course here:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/suicide-in-military-members-and-veterans
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 16 Feb 2021 | BTM06 - Kaprece James - Using Our Voices for Advocacy and Empowerment | 00:32:43 | |
About Today’s Guests Kaprece James is a Social Entrepreneur, Humanitarian, Founder & CEO, Women & Girls Advocate, Best Selling Author, and an International Leader. Mrs. James has served her community volunteering and working in the nonprofit sector for over 30 years. She started two nongovernmental organizations in Liberia, West Africa and has assisted many other nonprofits with building their programs nationally and internationally. Mrs. James has a Master’s in Public Administration with a specialty in Nonprofit Management & Leadership. She is also a proud HBCU graduate of Savannah State University with a BS in Political Science. As a Marine Spouse, Mrs. James has been serving the military community for 14 years in the roles of Environmental Compliance Officer, Family Readiness Officer, Life Skill Trainer, and a mentor to both service members and their spouses. During the last 14 years as a military spouse, Mrs. James has served on the Marine Spouses Officers Boards, held several positions for the Okinawa National Naval Officers Association, served as an Ambassador for Okinawa, and highly sought out speaker for several military panels. Mrs. James has loved serving her military community both in the US and abroad. Last year, Mrs. James was named the 2019 Armed Forces Insurance Naval Postgraduate Military Spouse of the Year. As CEO, Mrs. James is the current Founder of Stella’s Girls, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit and recognized Liberian nongovernmental organization, that focuses on the empowerment and leadership development of girls and women in the United States, Japan, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Uganda. Mrs. James also is Owner of DKJ Global Consulting where she serves as a consultant and grant writer to nonprofits and small business owners. Mrs. Kaprece James has received numerous awards for her dedication and leadership to the local and military community. One of her highest awards received is the Lifetime Achievement Award for completion of 24,000 volunteer service hours presented by President George Bush in 2008. Mrs. James is married to Major Rodney James, USMC, currently a guardian of an amazing 5-year-old girl, and they have one fur baby, Serena.
Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is 15 Reasons to Hire A Military Spouse. Employers are always looking for untapped talent pools. They stretch their recruitment efforts in every direction to find the best players for their team. One talent pool that can be overlooked is the diverse and highly educated group of military spouses. From a wealth of volunteer training experience to flexibility and resiliency, employers will find a rich, and valuable pool of talent that will serve their organization with passion and loyalty. You can find a link to this training in the show notes. This PsychArmor courses on Military Spouse Employment is sponsored by Prudential Financial. Prudential, a financial wellness leader and premier active global investment manager, has done extensive work to help military talent connect to quality jobs and help military families achieve financial security. To learn more, visit www.prudential.com/veterans This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 11 May 2021 | BTM18 - Kevin Schmiegel - Operation Gratitude | 00:31:13 | |
About Today’s Guest Retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Schmiegel is the CEO of Operation Gratitude, whose mission is to forge strong bonds between Americans and their Military and First Responder Heroes through volunteer service projects, acts of gratitude, and meaningful engagements in communities nationwide. Since 2003, Operation Gratitude has mobilized millions of volunteers nationwide and impacted over 3 million deployed Service Members, their children left behind, and First Responders, Recruit Graduates, Veterans, Wounded Heroes and their Caregivers, as well as COVID-19 Frontline Responders. Schmiegel’s role is to oversee strategic planning and build national partnerships to further Operation Gratitude’s reach as a preeminent military support organization while expanding hands-on volunteerism to help bridge the civilian-service divide in communities across America. Prior to Operation Gratitude, Lieutenant Colonel Schmiegel founded Hiring Our Heroes – a nationwide grassroots campaign run through the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation to help veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment in hundreds of cities across America. Since its inception, Hiring Our Heroes has held more than 1,000 job fairs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and on military installations overseas. To date, more than 500,000 of our nation’s heroes have been hired as a result of the program. He went on to serve as the first-ever President of Thanks USA, expanding the scope of its mission from providing post-secondary, need-based scholarships to military spouses and children to include Pathways for Patriots, an innovative program to provide meaningful employment for the scholars upon graduation. LtCol Schmiegel is a Class of 1989 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps and retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel after 20 years on active duty. In addition to an early combat tour to Kuwait for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Schmiegel served as the principal adviser to the NATO commander from 2003-2006, deploying to over 50 countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Schmiegel also wrote the strategic plans for NATO’s training mission in Iraq, its increased presence in Afghanistan, and disaster relief operations for Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Pakistan. In 2008, Schmiegel served as the military assistant to the special envoy for Middle East Regional Security and deployed to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where he worked with Israeli and Palestinian authorities on the peace process. Kevin lives in Arlington Virginia with his wife Laura. When he is not working, he focuses all of his time and energy on their five children and two dogs. Links Mentioned In This Episode Operation Gratitude Web Site: https://www.operationgratitude.com PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is resource of the week is the course Myths and Facts of Military Leaders. When you think of a military leader, what comes to mind? There are several stereotypes and myths regarding military leaders that are common Among those who don't have a connection to military personnel and culture. This course identifies. four of the most popular myths about military leaders and how they don't align with the reality of working alongside service members and veterans. Tom Creiger, veteran and chief operating officer of PsychArmor also covers how the training that military personnel have received has endowed them with a set of skills and responsibilities that make them an asset to the workplace. Find the course at https://psycharmor.org/courses/myths-facts-military-leaders/. This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 01 Oct 2024 | BTM188 - Dr Shira Maguen - Moral Injury in Service Members and Veterans | 00:32:35 | |
| 04 Oct 2022 | BTM88 - Richard Casper - CreatiVets | 00:36:06 | |
About Today’s Guest Richard Casper is a United States Marine Veteran, Purple Heart recipient, Artist, and Entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and Executive Director of CreatiVets, a non-profit that provides art, music, and writing programs for wounded veterans with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries. Richard was named a CNN Hero in 2022 and named TIME magazine's Next Generation Leaders in 2017. He is the feature of TIME’s documentary Evidence of Things Unseen, and recognized by President George W. Bush and The Bush Institute for his passion and work helping combat veterans. He was one of thirty-three scholars chosen to be in President Bush’s inaugural Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program. Richard served in the USMC from 2003-2007. During the first portion of his enlistment, Casper served as Presidential guard at Camp David. Later in 2006-2007 during his tour in Iraq, Richard survived four IED blasts which left him with a left-traumatic brain injury and witnessed the death of his friend which caused his post traumatic stress. After nearly giving up, he discovered art and song-writing as therapeutic forms of expression, and went on to attend and graduate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. From his experiences, he later created art and songwriting programs for CreatiVets to help other combat wounded veterans heal. Richard has taught art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Virginia Commonwealth University, Belmont University, and the University of Southern California. He is a keynote speaker, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He resides in Nashville TN with his wife Ashley and son Barret Links Mentioned In This Episode Rose On Your Stone by CreatiVets PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course Traumatic Brain Injury. TBI is considered a signature wound of the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and its prevalence in military service members and Veterans makes it an important topic to review for those who support veterans.
You can find a link to the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Traumatic-Brain-Injury
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 22 Nov 2022 | BTM95 – Abby Malchow – Small Business Empowerment and Mental Health Advocacy at Amazon | 00:25:58 | |
About Today’s Guest Abby Malchow is the Sr. Business Development Manager of Small Business Partnerships for Small Business Empowerment at Amazon helps drive the success of small businesses and underserved business populations (including minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses). Additionally, Abby serves on the Global Board of Directors at Amazon for Mental Health & Well-Being (MHW) as the Director of Corporate Strategy. Abby helped launch MHW in April 2020 as Amazon’s 13th Affinity Group and in nine months MHW grew by a rate of 600% and currently has over 18K members from 27 countries across the globe. Prior to joining Amazon, Abby worked at Intel Corporation and is a retired U.S. Navy Chief and combat veteran, serving more than 20 years in the military. Abby has been a passionate advocate for veteran suicide prevention since 2014 when she was one of the 22 veterans selected by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) to advocate to Congress for support of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for America’s Veterans Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on February 12th, 2015. Additionally, she is a 2018 alum of the inaugural cohort of President George W. Bush’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program where she worked in collaboration with Intel’s “AI for Good” team on developing Machine Learning (ML) models on social media platforms to provide targeted suicide prevention to veterans. More recently in 2020, she led a project at Amazon in collaboration with the AWS ML Solutions Lab which built a ML model for RallyPoint that will allow them to quickly identify posts that indicate a high risk of self-harm to enable potentially life-saving intervention. Abby is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business, where she earned a Master of Business Administration degree. She also holds a B.B.A. (cum laude) in Business Administration from the University of San Diego. Links Mentioned In This Episode Amazon Small Business Partnerships Contact Email Amazon Small Business Impact Report Amazon Small Business Storefronts PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course, Supporting Veteran-Owned Businesses: Supplier Diversity, In this course, you will learn strategies and best practices to implement Veteran supplier diversity in your business or organization.
You can find a link to the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Supporting-Veteran-Owned-Businesses
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 02 Aug 2022 | BTM79 - Dr. Elisa V. Borah, PhD - Institute for Military and Veteran Family Wellness | 00:31:29 | |
About Today’s Guest Elisa V. Borah, MSW, PhD is a research associate professor at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, and Director of the Institute for Military and Veteran Family Wellness, a joint initiative of the Dell Medical School Department of Health Social Work and the Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Dr. Borah conducts research to identify, implement, and evaluate treatments, programming and community supports for military members, veterans, spouses and their families. Current research efforts include assessing the value of structured peer support for military spouses to improve their quality of life, access resources and increase social support. She also studies self-care practices among military spouses and how best to support their transition needs after military life. Dr. Borah’s current research includes development of methods to engage concerned significant others in veteran suicide prevention practices and research as well as delivery of education and training to community-based organizations in suicide prevention. Dr. Borah founded and directs the Veteran Spouse Network (VSN), originally launched through an Engagement Award from the Patient Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI). The VSN is designed to build and support communities of veteran spouses and to provide peer support programming with trained peers. Dr. Borah chairs the Military Social Work & Behavioral Health Conference at The University of Texas at Austin. She previously served as director of research at the Ft. Hood site of the STRONG STAR PTSD Research Consortium, a Department of Defense-funded research consortium at UT Health San Antonio. Links Mentioned In This Episode Institute for Military and Veteran Family Wellness, Military Social Work & Behavioral Health Conference PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course Making Connections and Networking. This is one of the things that Dr. Borah and her group are doing, establishing connections between military and veteran spouses. Regardless of your military background or previous work experience, this course can help service members, Veterans, and their families learn how to network in their new communities.
You can find a link to the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Making-Connections-and-Networking
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 30 Aug 2022 | BTM83 - Brian Jenkins - Armed Services Arts Partnership | 00:26:46 | |
About Today’s Guest As the Executive Director of the Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP), Brian Jenkins draws on global experiences in community-building and social entrepreneurship. Under Brian’s leadership since 2019, ASAP has increased the annual number of veterans served by 75%, grown the organization's revenue by 54%, expanded ASAP Chapters from two cities to four, and launched a virtual program to provide access to ASAP classes to veterans and service members anywhere in the world.
Brian has worked with and consulted for social impact and community building ventures globally. He holds a certification in Nonprofit Executive Management from Georgetown University and a B.A. with honors from the College of William & Mary, where he was a Meyers-Stern Scholar
Links Mentioned In This Episode Armed Services Arts Partnership Web Site Live Shows featuring ASAP workshop attendees PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course Making Connections and Networking.Regardless of your military background or previous work experience, PsychArmor’s course, “Making Connections and Networking,” helps service members, Veterans, and their families learn how to network in their new communities.
You can find a link to the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Making-Connections-and-Networking
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 21 Feb 2023 | BTM107 - Alex Krongard - The COMMIT Foundation | 00:29:46 | |
Episode Summary: On today's episode, we're featuring a conversation with Navy Veteran Alex Krongard, CEO of The COMMIT Foundation. The COMMIT Foundation seeks to provide high touch transition support so veterans in all communities can access services helping them identify their passions, build strong networks, and leverage their skills in civilian careers. About Today’s Guest Alex Krongard is currently the Chief Executive Officer of The COMMIT Foundation. The COMMIT Foundation empowers service members, veterans, and their families through personalized programs, resources, and the support of our community to create purposeful and fulfilling transitions. Alex grew up outside Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated from Princeton University with a degree in English Literature. He currently lives in San Diego, California. Alex is a 1985 graduate of Princeton University with a degree in English Literature. He served 31 years in the U.S. Navy, the majority of that time in Joint Special Operations, Naval Special Warfare, and the SEAL Teams. He was a distinguished graduate of the National War College in 2005. After retiring from the military, he worked as an Investment Banker with DC Advisory in their San Francisco office. Alex served in the United States NAVY from 1985-2016. He served primarily in joint special operations commands and the Navy SEAL Teams. He served at SEAL Teams 1,2 and 7 as well as at the Naval Special Warfare Development Group. He was the first commanding officer at SEAL Team 7. He later commanded Naval Special Warfare Group 1, with responsibility for the four west coasts SEAL Teams and associated logistics and support units. Alex later was a counterterrorism director on the National Security Council staff in Washington, D.C., deputy commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa in Djibouti, and in his final tour, Deputy Operations Officer for the U.S. Africa Command. Alex retired in September 2016, as a Rear Admiral, Lower Half. Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor course, Creating a Military Friendly Culture and Onboarding Program. This course provides information and resources necessary for businesses to begin their military recruitment campaign, including mobilizing efforts to hire and retain Veterans and their spouses.
You can find the link to this resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Creating-a-Military-Friendly-Culture-and-Onboarding-program
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 01 Aug 2023 | BTM129 - Brandi Carney - Hidden Helpers Facilitator Guide | 00:28:38 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we feature a conversation with Brandi Carney, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with Northwell’s United Behavioral Health Center for Military, Veterans and their Families, to discuss her work in supporting PsychArmor’s Hidden Helpers Facilitators Guide and Interactive Journal, which is designed to increase peer support among military-connected caregiving youth and reduce social isolation About Today’s Guest
Brandi M Carney, LCSW, joined Northwell's Unified Behavioral Health Center for military, Veterans, and their families in December of 2021. Prior to that time, she spent 25 years at the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Ms. Carney served in a multitude of capacities within the VA, including inpatient units, Emergency Room Admissions Coordinator, Home Care, Outpatient Mental Health, and her final role serving 10 1/2 years as Northport's post 9/11 Caregiver Support Program Coordinator. Ms.Carney also served as a VISN 2 lead for the VA’s New York/New Jersey healthcare network.
Brandi received her Master's degree in Social Work from The State University of New York at Stony Brook, with a concentration in loss and recovery. She has served on the Red Cross mental health disaster team since 2001, deploying to the Family Assistance Center immediately following the events of 9/11. She has presented at the Red Cross’ national mental health conference as well as the National Conference for the National Association for Social Work.
Ms Carney teaches Veteran and Military Culture at Touro’s Graduate School of Social Work in New York City. She's regularly engaged in community outreach efforts as well as volunteering within many military organizations throughout New York .Ms Carney is trained in cognitive processing therapy, unified protocols for children and adolescents, EFT, and Transcendental Meditation.
Links Mentioned In This Episode Hidden Helpers Facilitator Guide Hidden Helpers Participant Journal PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor Course, Suicide in Military and Veterans. IN this course, Dr. Craig Bryan, a nationally recognized leader in the effort to reduce SMVF suicide, provides an overview of military suicide statistics and explains unique factors that may be related to increased rates in military suicide.
You can see find the course here:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/suicide-in-military-members-and-veterans
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 28 Feb 2023 | BTM108 - Lisa Hallett - wear blue: run to remember | 00:28:56 | |
Episode Summary: On today's episode, we're featuring a conversation with Gold Star spouse Lisa Hallett and wear blue: run to remember, an organization that strives to honor the service and sacrifice of the American military through active remembrance. About Today’s Guest Lisa Hallett is the President and Co-Founder of wear blue: run to remember. On August 25, 2009, Lisa’s husband, CPT John Hallett, was killed when his Stryker was attacked with an improvised explosive device in southern Afghanistan. Surviving the loss of her husband, best friend, and father of her three young children, Lisa turned to running. An avid runner, she soon found a community that needed the same kind of support that running gave her. Creating wear blue gave Lisa a healthy outlet for her grief and a path to move forward, and she’s committed to sharing that with others. Lisa has an M.Ed.T. from University of Hawaii and a B.A. in English Literature from University of California- Santa Barbara. She completed dozens of ultramarathons and has set a full marathon PR of 3:28:00. Lisa has completed seven Ironman races, to include the Ironman World Championships. Lisa and her three young children reside in DuPont, WA. They are moving forward and loving life, honoring John with every step. Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor course, Grief and Trauma. Dr. Shauna Springer explains that grief and trauma are different challenges — and that they require different healing strategies.
You can find the link to this resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/grief-and-trauma
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 31 Jan 2023 | BTM104 - Jason Shockey - Cyber Security Careers | 00:28:39 | |
About Today’s Guest Jason Shockey is the founder of mycyberpath.com and passionate about helping people get into the Links Mentioned In This Episode My Cyber Path Web site This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week, is the PsychArmor course, The Job Search. This course provides service members, Veterans, and their families with practical ideas for beginning the job search as well as ways to jumpstart their career by networking and apprenticeships.
You can find the link to this resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/The-Job-Search
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 17 Jan 2023 | BTM102 - General Gregg Martin - A Two-Star General's Battle with Bipolar Disorder | 00:28:23 | |
About Today’s Guest Gregg F. Martin, PhD, Major General, US Army (Retired), served on active duty for 36 years, until May 2015. He is a combat veteran, Bipolar Survivor, Airborne-Ranger-Engineer qualified soldier, and Army Strategist. He holds a Ph.D. and two masters degrees from MIT, masters degrees in national security strategy from both the Army and Naval war colleges, and a bachelors degree from West Point. He commanded an engineer company, battalion, the 130th Engineer Brigade in combat during the first year of the Iraq War in 2003-04, including the attack from Kuwait, up the Euphrates River Valley, to Baghdad and beyond. He served multiple overseas tours, and, as a general officer, commanded the Corps of Engineers Northwest Division, was Commandant of the Army Engineer School, commanded Fort Leonard Wood, was Deputy Commanding General of Third Army/US Army Central, Commandant of the Army War College, President of National Defense University, and Special Assistant to the Chief of Engineers. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (twice), the Bronze Star Medal, and the Combat Action Badge. He is married with three sons, two of whom are Army combat veterans, and one an artist. His daughter in law is also an Army combat veteran. His wife is an “Army brat” and heroine for persevering though their Army career and surviving and overcoming their bipolar ordeal, which has been the toughest fight of their lives. They live in Cocoa Beach, FL, where he is writing, speaking, and sharing his story of “battling bipolar disorder” to help save lives and stop the stigma. Links Mentioned In This Episode International Bipolar Foundation: General Gregg’s Corner PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week, is the PsychArmor course, Bolstering Resilience, part of the Brian Health & Wellness Series sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project. This mini-course series on resilience, sponsored by Wounded Warrior Project, spotlights five supporting factors that bolster resilience: SMART goals, mental health, nutrition, sleep, and exercise. Each element builds upon a person’s foundation and increases the ability to successfully cope with high levels of stress and pressure. You’ll learn why these supporting pillars are so important to overall well-being, their application in daily life, and how it’s never too late to make a lasting change.
You can find the link to this resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/WWP-BHW-bolstering-resilience
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 09 Feb 2021 | BTM05 - Heidi Kraft, Ted Bonar and Ky Hunter - Firearms and Suicide Prevention | 00:34:13 | |
About Today’s Guests Dr. Heidi Kraft Heidi Squier Kraft received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the UC San Diego/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology in 1996. She joined the Navy during her internship at Duke University Medical Center and went on to serve as both a flight and clinical psychologist. Her active duty assignments included the Naval Safety Center, the Naval Health Research Center and Naval Hospital Jacksonville, FL. While on flight status, she flew in nearly every aircraft in the Navy and Marine Corps inventory, including more than 100 hours in the F/A-18 Hornet, primarily with Marine Corps squadrons. In February 2004, she deployed to western Iraq for seven months with a Marine Corps surgical company, when her boy and girl twins were 15-months-old. Rule Number Two is a memoir of that experience. Dr. Kraft left active duty in 2005, after nine years in the Navy. She currently serves as Chief Clinical Officer at PsychArmor Institute, a national non-profit that provides free online education for those who live with, care for, and work with military Veterans. She is frequently invited to speak at conferences and panels on combat stress, stigma and caring for the caregiver. She is a lecturer at San Diego State University, where she teaches Stress, Trauma and the Psychological Experience of Combat, Health Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Infant and Child Development. Dr. Kraft lives in San Diego with her husband Mike, a former Marine Harrier pilot. Her twins Brian and Meg, who have no memory of their mother’s time in Iraq, are college freshmen now. Dr. Ted Bonar Ted C. Bonar, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist and a nationally recognized trainer and speaker at conferences and universities. An independent professional based in Columbus, OH, he operates a successful private practice and is known as a Subject Matter Expert in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Suicide, and matters related to military and veteran mental health concerns. He serves on the Healthcare Advisory Committee for PsychArmor Institute, and was previously the Chief of Continuing Education Programs at the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) where he oversaw and implemented training programs focused on common military-related behavioral healthcare concerns, evidence-based treatment of PTSD, and suicide prevention and treatment. He is also a National Trainer trainer in Mental Health First Aid. Dr. Bonar has spoken at over 200 universities, national conferences, and continuing education events, including special projects for Brady United, PsychArmor Institute, the Defense Suicide Prevention Office (DSPO), the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah, PsychHub, Inc., and the National Council for Behavioral Health. Dr. Bonar has held clinical positions at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, The Ohio State University Counseling and Consultation Service, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Counseling Center, and private practice in both Bethesda, MD and Columbus, OH. Dr. Bonar was awarded the 2013 Distinguished Alum award by the Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University/Chicago. Dr. Kyleanne Hunter Dr. Kyleanne Hunter is an Assistant Professor of Military and Strategic Studies at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). She is also a Nonresident Fellow at the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Creativity at Marine Corps University and a Senior Adjunct Fellow at the Center for New American Security (CNAS). Kyleanne is the former Chair of the Employment and Integration Subcommittee for the Secretary of Defense’s Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. Her research focuses on military gender integration and defense policy, with an emphasis on military effectiveness in irregular warfare. She is the co-director of the CNAS-sponsored Athena Leadership Project, which studies the impact that women (both in the military and elected office) have had on the conduct of the Global War on Terror. She has authored several government policy reports, peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and has a forthcoming book. Her work has also appeared in popular press such as New York Times, Washington Post, War on the Rocks, and she has appeared as a subject matter expert on multiple TV new programs. Prior to earning her PhD, Kyleanne was a Marine Corps Officer, serving multiple combat tours as an AH-1W “Super Cobra” attack pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as the Marine Corps Legislative Liaison Officer to the House of Representatives. She was part of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Inaugural Class of Women Trailblazers and member of the board of advisors for the Stanley Center funded IMPACT: Peace program. Links Mentioned In This Episode Veterans, Suicide Prevention, and Safe Storage Twitch Stream PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week are the courses related to suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. Suicide in America is a critical issue, with high rates in service members and Veterans. Asking the right questions and feeling confident about how to help are the first steps in preventing someone from dying by suicide. We hope these courses will help you to be a lifeline and be there for someone in need. With generous funding from the NFL Foundation, PsychArmor Institute presents a portfolio that promises to provide vital education and information about Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention for healthcare providers, service members, Veterans, families, caregivers and the community-at-large. This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations.
Join Us on Social Media
Theme Music
Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Oper... | |||
| 12 Sep 2023 | BTM135 - Dr. Stephanie Renno - Measurement Based Care with the Cohen Veterans Network | 00:27:17 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we’re featuring a conversation with Dr. Stephanie Renno, the Senior Director of Clinical Practice and Training at the Cohen Veterans Network, to discuss the CVN Measurement-Based Care Toolkit About Today’s Guest Dr. Stephanie Renno is the Senior Director of Clinical Practice and Training at the Cohen Veterans Network where she oversees the network-wide training of clinical evidence-based practices and processes and works directly to support each clinic in delivering state of the art clinical services to veterans and military families. An expert in treating Postraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Substance Use Disorders, Dr. Renno has trained clinicians worldwide in Cognitive Processing Therapy and Behavioral Couples Therapy for Substance Use Disorders. She has worked in both government and not-for-profit sectors providing and overseeing mental health services for veterans, service members and their families. Dr. Renno received her DSW in social work from the University of Pennsylvania, her MSW from University of Chicago and her BS from University of Illinois. Dr. Renno lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two young children and enjoys teaching fitness classes and reading in her spare time. Links Mentioned In This Episode Cohen Veterans Network Web Site CVN Measurement Based Care Toolkit PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor course, Barriers to Treatment. In this course, you will learn how how differences in military culture affect mental health and explains how to help military or Veteran patients overcome barriers to seeking treatment.
You can see find the course here:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/barriers-to-treatment
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 13 Sep 2022 | BTM85 - Sean Ryan - Army Emergency Relief | 00:31:00 | |
About Today’s Guest Colonel (R) Sean Ryan is the Director of Communications for the Army Emergency Relief, the Army’s only nonprofit organization serving active duty Soldiers, retirees and their families. Sean retired from service after nearly 30 years of active duty military experience and was the official military spokesman for the Combined Joint Task Force-Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) in Baghdad, Iraq, including four other combat tours in the Middle East. He worked extensively in the public affairs and international communications field informing the public on combat operations and how to defeat international terrorism.
Sean was the public affairs officer for Space Command, 1st Infantry Division, and 10th Special Forces among other positions. He was an Army Fellow at Google in Mountain View, California, working in Corporate Communications and is a recipient of the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership award representing Unites States Europe.
Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course Budgeting, Debt Management, and Investing. PsychArmor provides a number of different courses releated to financial literacy, and this course provides learners with steps to help them budget accordingly and manage debt as they progress towards financial wellness.
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 02 Nov 2021 | BTM42 - Stephanie Muckey - Humana's Veteran Bold Goal and Social Determinants of Health | 00:29:51 | |
About Today’s Guest Stephanie is a Population Health Strategy Lead for Humana’s Veteran Bold Goal, a population health strategy focused on both community and business integration to improve the clinical and social health outcomes of veterans and their families. Her career developed out of her passion to serve and invest in the military communities she has lived in for 20+ years as a military spouse. She navigated career progression while balancing the demands of wartime military life - including 11 moves and her husband’s eight deployments (three to Iraq, one to Afghanistan, and four to the Pacific). Joining Humana in 2017, she was a Market Development Manager for their National Guard and Reserve Program and an Operations Manager for Humana Military’s Office of Population Health, addressing the social determinants of health impacting TRICARE beneficiaries. Prior to Humana, career highlights include the launch and sustainment of the Marine Corps’ first professionalized Family Readiness Program, facilitating the Readiness and Deployment Support program for Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, and serving as the Hawaii State Consultant for the Department of Defense funded program, Military OneSource, where she developed and implemented a state plan to address the gaps in services and needs of local military populations. In 2016, she received recognition as the Military Spouse of the Year for Marine Corps Base Hawaii for her body of work supporting service members and families throughout her professional career combined with her dedicated volunteer efforts with numerous Military and Veteran Support Organizations. Stephanie earned her bachelor’s degree in Communications, with an emphasis in Public Relations, and a master’s degree in Administrative Leadership. Following her husband’s retirement from the Marine Corps, the family relocated to Redlands, CA where she enjoys all things outdoors - especially hiking, traveling the world with her husband (USMC Retired) and their two daughters, home improvement projects, and supporting the needs of veterans and their families. Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is the PsychArmor Course, Accessing Health Care. Transitioning from military service to the civilian sector affects the type of health care that is available to service members and their families. This course offers service members, Veterans, and their families an overview of the types of healthcare available as part of their Veteran status. Narrated by Congressman Patrick Kennedy, founder of the Kennedy Forum and mental health advocate, this course identifies the types of coverage available through TriCare or by choosing your own private insurance. This course also discusses the Executive Order signed by President Trump in January 2018 that supports Veterans with mental health and suicide prevention resources and aims to provide seamless access to these services for Veterans in their first year after separation from military service. You can access this course by going to the link in the show notes. https://psycharmor.org/courses/accessing-health-care/ This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 14 Dec 2021 | BTM48 - Bill Braniff - Countering Misinformation and Disinformation with We The Veterans | 00:34:05 | |
About Today’s Guest Bill Braniff is an Army veteran and Director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) and a Professor of the Practice at the University of Maryland. He previously served as the director of practitioner education at West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center and an instructor in the Department of Social Sciences, as a foreign affairs specialist within the National Nuclear Security Administration, and as an Armor Officer in the United States Army. Bill is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Study. His father served in the New Jersey Army National Guard, and his maternal grandfather volunteered for U.S. Army service alongside his brothers during WWII.
Links Mentioned In This Episode BTM Episode 39: Veterans in Journalism with Zack Baddorf BTM Episode 46: Military and National Defense Journalism with Thomas Brennan PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the course, How to Connect With a Checked Out Veteran. This course provides information to help family and caregivers identify if a Veteran is checked out or emotionally disconnected. It explains how to rebuild an emotional connection, how to recognize and avoid common mistakes when engaging with checked out Veterans, and understand how to approach the Veteran. You can find a link to the course by going to this link: https://psycharmor.org/courses/connect-checked-veteran/
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media PsychArmor on Instagram Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 01 Mar 2022 | BTM58 - Lauren Postler - A Family Legacy of Service | 00:31:32 | |
About Today’s Guest Following in the footsteps of a family dedicated to military and spiritual service, Lauren Postler strives to apply the principles of servant leadership in all her endeavors. With more than 15 years of experience in strategic planning, change management, capacity building and collaborations for nonprofit organizations and Fortune 500 businesses alike, Lauren brings a wealth of knowledge, a dynamic skill set and a passion to her work with mission-driven organizations. Her previous involvement in fundraising with leaders in the oil & gas industry and background as a social worker has lent itself to both a “grass-roots” and “big picture” approach helping entrepreneurs build their brands and raise capital to fuel their cause. Lauren has been honored with numerous awards for her professional acumen, most recently as one of the "Top 50 Women Leaders of Houston for 2022" for her role as the first Vice President of Growth at PsychArmor. She is grateful for any recognition that draws attention to the important work the organization does bringing education, engagement, and evaluation to e-learning for the military connected community. An active servant in the philanthropic community, she is also devoted to numerous commitments as a board member and volunteer for area nonprofits. This currently includes leading People for Liberty, a 501(c)4 nonprofit, and service to the community of veteran & military-connected entrepreneurs as a City Leader for Bunker Labs in Houston, Texas, in honor of her family's long-standing history of service to our country. Links Mentioned In This Episode George W. Bush Institute Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week the PsychArmor course Collaborative Table: Who to Invite and How to Engage. This course is designed for those organizations who are looking to ensure that they have a diverse group of voices and experience in their planning and decision-making process. Collaboration between individuals and organizations at the community level is an important aspect for supporting the military affiliated population, and no single individual or organization can do it alone. You can access this course through this link: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/collaborative-table This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 08 Nov 2022 | BTM93 - Frank Larkin - National Warrior Call Day | 00:32:30 | |
About Today’s Guest Frank was a member of the federal Senior Executive Service for almost 15 years, serving as both the Acting Director and the Vice Director of Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) and Director of the Counter IED Operations-Intelligence Integration Center (COIC) within the Department of Defense. He led the integration of technical capabilities, information analysis and human resources against the global IED threat and terror networks. Frank served for more than two decades as a special agent and senior leader in the United States Secret Service (USSS). He conducted complex criminal investigations and protected four US presidents, until his retirement as the Deputy Assistant Director for Protective Research and the agency’s Chief Technology Officer. In the private sector, Frank continued to support the defense and intelligence communities. He recently was the Vice President for Corporate Development at SAP National Security Services. In the past, he was the Director for Program Management & Leadership for the Raytheon Company and Senior Program Manager at Lockheed Martin’s Defense & Intelligence Solutions. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Frank served as a special warfare operator in the Navy SEALs. After his military service, he was a uniformed patrol officer with the Norristown (PA) Police Department, a homicide detective with the Montgomery County (PA) District Attorney’s Office, and a Maryland State Trooper-Flight Paramedic. He has been a nationally licensed paramedic for 40 years and still serves Maryland as a volunteer firefighter-paramedic for the City of Annapolis. Frank holds a BA degree in criminal justice and a MS degree in public administration from Villanova University. He is the recipient of numerous awards, to include the USSS Valor award, the Department of the Army’s Exceptional Civilian Service award and the Superior Civilian Service award. Links Mentioned In This Episode National Warrior Call Day Campaign National Warrior Call Day Resolution PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention Course Catalogue. In this course listing, you will find 19 different courses for those interested in learning more about how to make an impact with regards to suicide. Courses include information on grief and trauma, developing a crisis response plan, and the gatekeeper training S.A.V.E. You can find a link to the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/collections/suicide-prevention-intervention-and-postvention
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 22 Jun 2021 | BTM24 - Doc Shauna Springer - Cultural Competence for Mental Health Professionals | 00:25:49 | |
About Today’s Guest Shauna ‘Doc’ Springer is a best-selling author, frequently requested keynote speaker, and one of the world's leading experts on psychological trauma, military transition, suicide prevention, and close relationships. She is the author of WARRIOR: How to Support Those Who Protect Us and the co-author of BEYOND THE MILITARY: A Leader’s Handbook for Warrior Reintegration. A Harvard graduate who has become a trusted Doc to our nation’s military warfighters, she navigates different cultures with exceptional agility. As Chief Psychologist for Stella, she advances a new model for treating psychological trauma that combines biological
Links Mentioned In This Episode WARRIOR: How to Support Those Who Protect Us BEYOND THE MILITARY: A Leader’s Handbook for Warrior Reintegration. PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is resource of the week is a Q&A with Doc Springer. In this resource, she discusses how the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivor’s Suicide Postvention Model helped suicide loss survivor and Marine Corps Veteran Dana O’Brien address his grief. Through telling O’Brien’s story, the course, “Treating Grief in the Veteran Population,” provides practical ways to help Veterans express their grief and loss. You can check out the Q&A by going to the link in the show notes. and you can find a link to it here: https://psycharmor.org/qawithtaps/ This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor | |||
| 04 Jun 2024 | BTM172 - Dr Alan Teo - VA S.A.V.E. Training for Veteran Families | 00:31:21 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with Dr. Alan Teo, a Psychiatrist and Researcher with the VA Portland Health Care System and Associate Professor at Oregon Health & Science University. We talk about a recent article that he and colleagues published on the effectiveness of online VA S.A.V.E. training for veteran families. About Today’s Guest Alan is a psychiatrist and health services researcher, having completed his education and training at Stanford University, University of California San Francisco, and University of Michigan. Since 2013, he has been a Core Investigator in the VA HSR&D Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care at the VA Portland Health Care System, and is an Associate Professor at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in the Department of Psychiatry. His work intersects the fields of health services, behavioral science, and social and cultural psychiatry. The overarching theme of his research is how our social connections shape and influence mental health outcomes. In this work, he attempts to understand ways to mitigate social isolation and loneliness, and also harness the benefits of social support. He has a particular focus on depression and suicide prevention and a strong interest in developing, testing, and evaluating interventions in real-world settings.
Links Mentioned In This Episode Research article on VA S.A.V.E. Training PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week the PsychArmor course VA S.A.V.E. Developed in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs, this course presents a general understanding of suicide within the military and Veteran community in the United States. It addresses how to identify a Veteran who may be at risk and teaches viewers what to do to help. Using the simple steps of S.A.V.E., we can all make a difference.
You can see the course here https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/va-save
Episode Partner:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 07 Dec 2021 | BTM47 - Jen Wilson - Army Week Association and Afghan Ally Support | 00:28:14 | |
About Today’s Guest Jen Wilson was born and raised in Louisiana, the product of a National Guard town and the proud granddaughter of a D-Day & Battle of the Bulge survivor. Like many Americans, Jen's worldview shifted dramatically after September 11, 2001. While sitting in her dorm room at LSU on that fateful day, even though she'd never been to New York and knew no one there, she made the decision to move to NYC. She quickly earned a position at NBC's corporate fitness facility as their Senior Fitness Specialist. While training and rehabilitating their employees and their on-air talent, she also began concurrently learning the art and logistics of television production. Arguably, her favorite production experience came while traveling the nation and the world with Al Roker and his show, "Wake Up with Al", affording her the opportunity to be on the Vancouver and London Olympics production teams. She went on to be a freelance producer for NBC News, MSNBC, The Weather Channel, The TODAY Show, NBCSN, CBS, CBS Sports, ITN Productions, Keystone Productions, The Triumph Games, and SNY. It was her grandfather’s legacy that instilled in her an appreciation for service members and their sacrifices. Then came 9/11. And it was the men and women she and her brother grew up with that went to Iraq and Afghanistan. They reignited the fire in her to serve those who answered our Nation’s call to arms. She was a co-founder of the NBC Veterans Network at 30 Rock during her tenure at NBC, and it was in that role that she met Chris Page. Soon thereafter, together, they founded Army Week Association. As the Army Week Association Chief Operating Officer, she maintains close working relationships with local, state, federal, and international governments, and military contacts to ensure an effective and efficient bridge of the civil-military divide. It is in this role that Jen has been working tirelessly for months on the evacuations of Americans and our allies out of Afghanistan from her living room in Manhattan. She is an accomplished producer, a published author, a successful entrepreneur, and an American Patriot. Links Mentioned In This Episode News Article on AWA’s work in Repatriation of Afghan Allies PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the course Why Veterans are an Invaluable Resource in the community. The military and veteran communities are rich with qualities unique to their character and military experience. In this course, community leaders will learn about why taking the time to embark on a collaboration journey can ensure that veterans and their families unlock their full potential and apply their invaluable skills back into their communities. You can find a link to this resource by following this link https://psycharmor.org/courses/why-veterans-are-an-invaluable-resource-in-the-community/
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 09 Jan 2024 | BTM151 - Dr Sumitra Muralidhar - The Million Veteran Program | 00:28:30 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we feature a conversation with Dr. Sumitra Muralidhar, Program Director for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs Million Veteran Program. Since launching in 2011, 1 million Veterans have joined MVP. It's the largest research effort at VA to improve health care for Veterans and one of the largest research programs in the world studying genes and health. About Today’s Guest Dr. Sumitra Muralidhar is the Program Director for VA’s Million Veteran Program (MVP) in the Office of Research and Development (ORD). She oversees the policy and infrastructure development for the collection and use of samples and genetic, clinical, lifestyle and military exposure data from one million Veterans. She served as ORD’s liaison to the White House Precision Medicine Initiative under President Obama, and continues to represent ORD/MVP in the federal interagency group on precision medicine. She also serves as the designated federal officer for VA’s Genomic Medicine Program Advisory Committee, which advises the VA Secretary on the development and implementation of research and clinical arms within the Veterans Health Administration. She previously served as Health and Science Advisor to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC), and Associate Professor at Georgetown University Medical Center. She received her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Maryland. Links Mentioned In This Episode The Million Veteran Program Website PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor course Demystifying Genomic Testing: Biomarker Tests for Better Prostate Cancer Outcomes. This course reviews some of the biomarker tests identified in this episode. This can improve the cancer diagnostic process as well as reduce unnecessary procedures, office visits, and costs.
You can see find the course here:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Demystifying-Genomic-Testing
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 03 Dec 2024 | BTM197 – Melissa Washington – Women Veterans Alliance | 00:31:37 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we’re featuring a conversation with Navy Veteran and military spouse Melissa Washington. Melissa is the CEO of the Women Veterans Alliance, Women Veterans Giving, and publisher of Women Veterans Magazine.
Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health. About Today’s Guest Melissa Washington, Navy Veteran, Founder & CEO: Award-winning advocate, speaker, author, entrepreneur, CEO, publisher, Radio Show Host, and proud Navy veteran Melissa A. Washington wears many hats. Yet woven throughout her diverse pursuits is a mission of service—and a passion to empower her fellow women veterans. The daughter of a Bronze Star Army Vietnam War veteran, Melissa grew up in San Francisco’s East Bay. Fiercely independent as a child, she spent many afternoons in her family’s video store, developing an early sense of business acumen. That enterprising spirit continued into her teenage years when Melissa began training for a career in early childhood education while still in high school. But something else sparked in Melissa just as she was finishing her certification. Seeking to expand her world and serve her country, the 18-year-old enlisted in the Navy, spending three years on active duty and five years in the reserve. She did a 6-month "Med Cruise" and a 6-month "West Pac" deployment during her active duty. That formative experience set her life on a completely new trajectory—not only taking her across the globe and teaching her vital lessons but also introducing Melissa to her husband and, ultimately, inspiring her to transform thousands of lives. In the mid-nineties, she chose to leave the Navy early, having witnessed the burdens that come with a dual-service family. While her husband would remain in the Marine Corps for 21 years, Melissa embarked on a new path, earning her bachelor’s degree in business management. She followed with a decade-long career in corporate recruiting and human resources, working with such entities as Nissan, Oracle, Tickets.com, Randstad, and the 2002 Winter Olympics. But in 2009, amid The Great Recession, Melissa was laid off. Despite the setback, she relied on her military training—which taught her to be adaptable and resourceful—and her innate sense of resilience. Above all, Melissa saw an opportunity to reinvent herself once again. Initially, she held LinkedIn workshops from her dining room table, imparting her vital knowledge to others. Soon, she was hosting larger workshops, which eventually grew into speaking engagements with hundreds of attendees. In 2011, she established Melissa Washington, Inc., a consulting service catering to businesses and individuals that incorporates LinkedIn for research, recruiting, job seeking, and collaboration. After four years at LinkedIn, where Melissa managed global meetings, she returned to her entrepreneurial roots. But this time, she focused on her fellow women veterans. A natural networker, Melissa initially sought to connect with her peers outside of traditional veterans’ organizations. Yet, the more meetups she planned, the more she realized the need for a dedicated support system for women veterans. In 2015, what started as a local meetup turned into Women Veterans Alliance—a global organization that seeks to empower and positively impact the lives of women veterans. Three years later, she established the nonprofit wing of WVA, Women Veterans Giving. Both entities offer women veterans opportunities to gain valuable career experience and successfully integrate back into civilian life. WVG also helps fund women veteran-owned businesses, which other organizations often overlook. To date, they have awarded over $20k to women in veteran-owned businesses. In 2016, created and produced the first "Women Veterans Unconference." Developed The Beyond Call of Duty Award Honoring Sgt Nicole Gee to honor and recognize the women in our communities. In 2021, Melissa expanded her role in the community by co-founding Women Veterans Magazine—the first publication of its kind to address the issues affecting women veterans and provide them with local and national resources. Aside from serving as CEO of WVA and WVG and publisher of Women Veterans Magazine, Melissa stays busy as an in-demand public speaker whose topics range from Maximizing Impact to Unlocking the Power of Purpose. She speaks regularly at conferences and events around the country and has spoken at over 100 events—presenting for the likes of Marriott, the Urban League, Blue Diamond, and IMEX America. Melissa has also appeared on the Dr. Phil Show and the Lifetime Channel’s The Balancing Act, as well as on SiriusXM, iHeartRadio, ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox, among others. Additionally, Melissa is the author of Get Back to Work: Smart & Savvy Real-World Strategies to Make Your Next Career Move (FriesenPress, 2014). And Unstoppable: Being Fierce, Fearless & Unf*ckwithable in Life and Business, based on her experiences with WVA, which offers practical advice on creating a meet-up group and becoming an influencer within one’s community (Brave Healer Productions, 2022). A longtime resident of Northern California, Melissa was a 2011 recipient of the Sacramento Business Journal’s prestigious 40 Under 40 award and was among the Journal’s Women Who Mean Business honorees in 2017. She has also been recognized by the National Association of Women Business Owners with an Outstanding Women Leader Visionary Award and received the 2016 Soroptimist Ruby Award, which recognizes women helping women. In 2019, she received the Center for Women Veterans’ Trailblazer Award. In 2022, she received her first Federal Appointment to the Small Business Administration Advisory Committee on Veteran Business Affairs (ACVBA). In 2022, Thrive Causemetics Inc. featured a "Melissa" Warm Sienna Sheer Strength Hydrating Lip Tint to honor her infinite impact on the community. In 2023, she started Veteran.Events to provide event services to the veteran and military community. Outside of work, Melissa enjoys spending quality time with her husband, Jarrod, and daughter, Maya. In addition to being an avid genealogist, Melissa loves vacationing with her family—particularly trips that involve a beach. Her grandfather, a WWII Army Air Corps/Air Force Veteran who received the Bronze Star and Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters, served in the 509th Bomb Squad AC in the Eastern European Theater with 37 missions over Germany. Her husband is a retired Marine who served in combat in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Links Mentioned in this Episode Women Veterans Alliance Web Site PsychArmor Resource of the Week For this week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor course, Women Veterans Series. This four-part video series dives into their history, triumphs, and unique challenges from the Revolutionary War to present day.
You ... | |||
| 27 Apr 2021 | BTM16 - Axon President Luke Larson - Public Safety and Technology | 00:27:10 | |
About Today’s Guest As President of Axon, Luke Larson is responsible for leading the company's day-to-day operations and overseeing all aspects of the company. Luke joined Axon in 2008 and has filled a variety of executive and management roles since then, becoming President in April 2015. Prior to joining Axon, Luke served two tours in Iraq as a Marine Corps infantry officer and was awarded the Bronze star with V for valor on his first tour. Luke graduated from University of Arizona on an NROTC scholarship and has an M.B.A. from Thunderbird School of Global Management. Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is the PsychArmor Veteran Ready Certificate Program. Nearly 200 organizations nationwide utilize PsychArmor’s educational platform to ensure staff and volunteers are better prepared to interact with the military and Veteran communities. PsychArmor certificate programs help improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase revenue. Psycharmor’s cost effective certification programs allow organizations to share PsychArmor courses, track completions, and become “Veteran Ready,” with a digital certificate and badge they can proudly showcase on their website. This Episode Sponsored By:
Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 07 Feb 2023 | BTM105 - Honorable Patrick J. Murphy - Task Force Movement and Task Force Cyber | 00:23:12 | |
Episode Summary About Today’s Guest Secretary Patrick J. Murphy is a former prosecutor, vetrepreneur, board chairman change agent as the Leading Voice of the 9/11 Generation. America's first Iraq War veteran elected to the U.S. Congress & the 32nd Under Secretary of the US Army, he is now a Wharton Business School lecturer, Emmy award-winning producer, and a senior managing director at Ankura, one of the top management consulting companies in the world. Murphy is also the founder of an Emmy & CLIO award-winning strategic engagement & film production company, Taking the Hill LLC, specializing in gritty military & veteran projects of his 9/11 Generation. Patrick currently lives in Pennsylvania with his two children, Maggie and Jack. Links Mentioned In This Episode Task Force Movement for Cybersecurity PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week, is the PsychArmor course, Becoming Job Ready, part of the Comcast Internet Essentials course series. With the widespread use of the internet, the job market has changed drastically. What used to be “pounding the pavement” to look for a job has now become “pounding the keyboard”.
You can find the link to this resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Becoming-Job-Ready This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about t | |||
| 22 Feb 2022 | BTM57 - Art delaCruz - Team Rubicon | 00:31:02 | |
About Today’s Guest Art delaCruz served honorably for over 22 years in the United States Navy and enjoyed a career that included a broad range of assignments. Art commanded a Navy strike-fighter squadron, spent one year with McKinsey & Co. as a Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow, served as a Topgun instructor, and made six combat deployments.
After retiring, he spent two and a half years in the aerospace and defense sector in the roles of business development and strategy and planning. He maintains a honed "quick reaction" capability by attempting to keep up with his wife, four kids, golden retriever, and labrador retriever puppy. Team Rubicon USA PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is a previous podcast episode featuring Mary Beth Bruggeman, Executive Director of The Mission Continues. Similar to this week’s episode, Mary Beth talks about supporting veterans while also supporting communities that veterans live in. You can check out that episode through this link: https://psycharmor.org/podcast/mary-beth-bruggeman
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 14 Sep 2021 | BTM35 - Dr. Joseph Geraci - Suicide Prevention for Transitioning Service Members | 00:32:01 | |
About Today’s Guests Dr. Joseph Geraci, PhD, retired from the U.S. Army as an Infantry Lieutenant Colonel after serving for 20 years and deploying as a combat leader with elite Special Operations/Ranger, Airborne, and Infantry units to Afghanistan four different times since 9/11. While in uniform, he also served as an assistant professor at the U.S. Military Academy in both the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership and the Department of Military Instruction. One of his last positions in the U.S. Army was serving as an Infantry Battalion Commander in which he was directly responsible for the health, welfare, and combat readiness of his soldiers. He received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Teachers College at Columbia University. He teaches military psychology to graduate students at Teachers College, and was a co-founder of the college’s Resilience Center for Veterans and Families. He serves within the VISN 2 MIRECC as a licensed psychologist and is focused on studying and developing interventions that mitigate the significant suicidal risks that our Modern Warriors (some of them being his former soldiers) face as they attempt to reintegrate back into their civilian communities after military service. Within the MIRECC, he leads two national VA programs (Veteran Cultural Competence training and the Expiration Term of Service Sponsorship program evaluation).
Links Mentioned In This Episode VISN 2 MIRECC Cultural Competence Training VA’s Expiration Term of Service (ETS) Sponsorship Program RAND Report on overcoming stigma against help-seeking for mental health Articles related to Purpose and Meaning in Post-Military Life Theater of War on the Head Space and Timing Podcast PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is the course on military culture, Veteran 101. This course is intended for anyone with little to no background or understanding of military culture. Topics include information about the training involved for a service member, some basic military terminology, and an overview of important policies that guide our military. The goal of this course it to provide a better understanding of differences between military culture and civilian culture. You can this course here: https://psycharmor.org/courses/veteran-101-military-culture/
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 01 Feb 2022 | BTM54 - Josie Beets - Connecting Military Families Through Reading | 00:26:46 | |
About Today’s Guest As Senior Vice President of Advancement, Josie Beets works closely with the Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Trustees to integrate communications and fundraising to support United Through Reading’s mission delivery. She leads a team of development and communications professionals who together provide program support through alliance strategies, marketing and campaigns, special events, gift development, and donor stewardship. Josie has more than 12 years of experience in the nonprofit and public sectors. Before joining the staff, she served UTR in a different role, as Vice Chair of the United Through Reading Board of Trustees. Josie comes to UTR from SAFE Project, where she served as Senior Director of SAFE Communities, leading the organization’s signature national initiative to end the addiction epidemic, community by community. She previously managed the President’s Management Council, which advises the White House and Office of Management and Budget on government-wide management policy. Josie also previously served as the Public Policy Director for the Tennessee Bar Association. Josie is an attorney, an Army spouse, and mom to two insatiable readers. In 2013, Josie discovered United Through Reading when her spouse was deployed to Afghanistan. Since then, her family has used UTR to stay connected through deployments and other military-related separations. Links Mentioned In This Episode United Through Reading Web Site PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course 15 Things Military and Veteran Kids Want You to Know. Similar to PsychArmor’s cornerstone 15 Things Service Members and Veterans want you to know, this short on-demand video brings the voices of military-connected youth to life, and allows us to take important steps toward cultural humility when interacting with these resilient and amazing kids. You can check it out by going to this link: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/15-things-military-and-veterans-kids-want-you-to-know
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 07 Jun 2022 | BTM72 – Amy Looney Heffernan – The Travis Manion Foundation | 00:28:24 | |
About Today’s Guest Ever since her late husband, LT (SEAL) Brendan Looney was killed in Afghanistan on September 21, 2010 and awarded the Bronze Star with Valor, Amy Looney has served as an inspirational champion for families of fallen service members, military families, veterans, and American troops. Serving as Vice President of Travis Manion Foundation, Amy leads a national movement focused on empowering veterans & families of the fallen to foster the next generation of leaders in the mission to unite communities to strengthen America's national character. She is dedicated to carrying on the legacy of her late husband and friend, Travis Manion, who are buried side by side in Arlington National Cemetery. A personal tragedy fueled an impassioned advocate to inspire, motivate, and empower individuals, communities, and a nation, to honor the fallen by challenging the living. A consistent voice to the national conversation and advocacy of veterans & families of the fallen, Amy is frequently invited to address national audiences on Fox News, CNN, CBS, TED-X, in written publications such as the Washington Post, and multiple personal appearances spanning the US. She is the co-author of the newly released book, The Knock at the Door. Amy received her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Johns Hopkins University and her Master’s in Public Administration from George Washington University. Amy currently resides in the Chicago area with her husband, Joel, and their two daughters, Grace and Alana. Links Mentioned In This Episode Travis Manion Foundation Web Site PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course Why Veterans are an Invaluable Resrouce in the Community. In this course, community leaders will learn about why taking the time to embark on a collaboration journey can ensure that veterans and their families unlock their full potential and apply their invaluable skills back into their communities. You can find a link to the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/why-veterans-are-an-invaluable-resource-in-the-community
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 07 Mar 2023 | BTM109 - Elizabeth Belcaster - Task Force Movement and Skilled Trades in Post-Military Life | 00:31:20 | |
Show Summary On this episode of Behind the Mission, we continue a series sponsored by Comcast featuring a look at Task Force Movement, a national effort to bring transitioning service members, veterans, military families, and industry stakeholders together to improve economic and national security outcomes. Today’s guest is Liz Belcaster, Senior advisor of Communications and Public Relations for Task Force Movement. About Today’s Guest Elizabeth Murray-Belcaster is the President of EMB Consultants, Inc. Leading initiatives for Veterans’ and military families, Belcaster is an expert in strategic development of training to placement efforts across the country and an advisor for leadership and coalition building. She is responsible for networking with employers, military partners, and legislators as well as building independent partnerships with labor affiliates and with veteran’s service organizations across the country. She served as Task Force Committee member and lead panelist for the American Legion National Licensing and Credentialing Summits and continues to drive industry stakeholders, governing agencies, labor unions and military affiliations in collective spaces to further advance programming and policy for service members across the globe. Belcaster specializes in development of Military Training to Placement efforts with military leadership, industry, labor, academia and regulatory agencies and stakeholders across the country. She’s had concurrent experience directing political campaign initiatives for the offices of Governor, State and National Congress, Senate, Aldermanic, and regional judicial positions. She has presented at the Clinton Global Initiative and has served as a board member on the Women For Wounded Warriors Foundation since 2016, and is a past recipient of United States Field Artillery Associations, The Order of Saint Barbara award. Links Mentioned In This Episode Task Force Movement for Cybersecurity PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week previous podcast episode in the series, our conversation with former Pennsylvania congressman and the 32th undersecretary of the army, Patrick J. Murphy. In our conversation, Mr. Murphy provided an overview of Task Force Movement and the efforts that the White House are making to impact this critical issue.
You can find the link to this resource here: https://psycharmor.org/podcast/honorable-patrick-j-murphy-task-force-movement-and-task-force-cyber
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by Comcast. Comcast creates incredible technology and entertainment that connects millions of people to the moments and experiences that matter most. You can find more about how they support the military affiliated population by going to https://corporate.comcast.com/impact/military
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 20 Feb 2024 | BTM157 - John Langford - Project Healing Waters | 00:29:47 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we feature a conversation with Marine Corps veteran John Langford, Chief Executive Officer of Project Healing Waters. Project Healing Waters helps active military service personnel and Veterans in need through a dedicated, developed curriculum of fly fishing, fly casting, fly tying, and fly rod building. About Today’s Guest
John has over 37 years of experience in executive-level leadership, strategic planning, and organizational change management and in the 14 years since his military retirement, has served in senior leadership roles in defense contracting and consulting firms, corporate sales and in the nonprofit sector. For the last eight years, John has led multiple organizations in nearly every facet of national Veteran nonprofit management, including event planning, service member transition, and development. John is a humble and passionate servant leader with a lifelong commitment to serving the Veteran and military community. John is a graduate of multiple advanced military schools and courses including Air Combat Tactics Instructor and Weapons and Tactics Instructor Courses, Amphibious Warfare School, and Command and Staff College. He holds a Master of Science in Sport Business from Temple University. John has five adult children, including two who are active duty Marines. He’s an avid outdoorsman, and lives in northern Colorado where he finds joy and solace through fly fishing and being in the outdoors. Links Mentioned In This Episode Project Healing Waters Web Site PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor course Volunteer Recruitment and Screening. This course discusses the basic components and inter-dependencies of recruiting and screening volunteers, as well as the value of having a recruitment process.
You can see find the course here:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Volunteer-Recruitment-and-Screening
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 21 Mar 2023 | BTM111 – Dan Kunze – Task Force Movement and Industry Integration | 00:28:17 | |
Show Summary On this episode of Behind the Mission, we share the third episode in our series on the work of Task Force Movement, an effort to improve our nation’s economy and national security by creating opportunities for synergy between industry and military communities. Our guest for this episode is Dan Kunze, Vice Chairman of Task Force Movement About Today’s Guest
He currently serves as an Officer in the United States Army Reserve. As a Soldier, Kunze’s work has focused on workforce and talent management innovation. Dan graduated from Montgomery County Community College, Temple University, Widener University – Delaware Law School. He has also earned a certificate at MIT’s Sloan School of Management for Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business course. Dan is married to his high school sweetheart, Kerrin, and they have 3 kids under 5. Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the other two episodes in this series, our conversation with former Pennsylvania congressman and the 32th Undersecretary of the Army, Patrick J. Murphy on episode 105, and our conversation with the Senior Advisor of Communications and Public Relations for Task Force Movement, Liz Belcaster on episode 109. All three of these episodes provides a comprehensive introduction to the efforts of Task Force Movement, and task force cyber, and will be linked in the show notes.
You can see find these episodes here:
Episode 105: https://psycharmor.org/podcast/honorable-patrick-j-murphy-task-force-movement-and-task-force-cyber
Episode 109: https://psycharmor.org/podcast/elizabeth-belcaster
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by Comcast. Comcast creates incredible technology and entertainment that connects millions of people to the moments and experiences that matter most. You can find more about how they support the military affiliated population by going to https://corporate.comcast.com/impact/military
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 05 Sep 2023 | BTM134 - Nick Howland and Ryan Haczynski - Suicide Prevention with The Fire Watch Program | 00:31:26 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we’re featuring a conversation about suicide prevention with representatives of The Fire Watch, a state-wide suicide prevention program in Florida that provides training to community members about how to identify and support service members and veterans who may be at risk for suicide. My guests today are Nick Howland, a Navy Veteran and CEO of The Fire Watch, and Ryan Haczynski, a suicide loss survivor and Citizen Watch Stander with The Fire Watch program. About Today’s Guests
Ryan Haczynski is a former educator who spent two decades in the classroom impacting the lives of others. He now leads a small team as the Director of Protocol Relations at Lucky Friday Labs, a blockchain infrastructure provider in the Web3 industry. He has both former and current military members in his family, and serves as a Citizen Watch Stander with The Fire Watch organization.
Links Mentioned In This Episode Watch Stander Training Program PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the one of the many PsychArmor courses that support education related to suicide, the PsychArmor course Suicide in Military Members & Veterans. Dr. Craig Bryan provides an overview of military suicide statistics and explains unique factors that may be related to increased rates in military suicide. You can find the course here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/suicide-in-military-members-and-veterans
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 08 Feb 2022 | BTM55 - Dr. Roxana Delgado - Supporting Military and Veteran Caregivers | 00:30:49 | |
About Today’s Guest Roxana Delgado, Ph.D. is a health scientist, an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine, General and Hospital Medicine Division. She is also the Elizabeth Dole Foundation research advisor for the Campaign of Inclusive Care and one of the investigators at the VA Elizabeth Dole Center of Excellence for Veteran and Caregiver Research. Dr. Delgado developed the “Military and Veteran Caregiver Portfolio,” a research platform that addresses the short and long-term health-related outcomes of caregivers of wounded, ill, and injured service members and Veterans. Her research focuses on predictors and health outcomes in military caregivers, with emphasis in long-term trajectory of disease and illness. Dr. Delgado’s professional experienced was inspired by her firsthand personal experience as the wife of a combat wounded veteran and Purple Heart Recipient. She is a nationally recognized speaker, author, researcher and avid advocate for traumatic brain injury and caregiving. She serves in various advisory boards to inform national policies and programs for Veterans and caregivers. A 2015-16 Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow representing the State of Texas. She is passionate in what she does and her goal is to dedicate her life and profession to contribute to science and helping wounded, ill and injured Veterans and their caregivers discover ways to thrive. Links Mentioned In This Episode Dr. Delgado’s Caregiver Suicidal Ideation Research Elizabeth Dole Foundation Web site PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course, VA S.A.V.E.: Preventing Caregiver Suicide. After taking this course, you will develop an understanding of the increased risk for suicide we see in military and Veteran caregivers, identify the signs of an at-risk Veteran caregiver, and know steps you can take to help a Veteran caregiver. You can check out the course through this link: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/va-save-preventing-caregiver-suicide
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.
Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 27 Sep 2022 | BTM87 - Dr. Erin Fletcher - Wounded Warrior Project and the Warrior Care Network | 00:26:00 | |
About Today’s Guest Erin Fletcher, Psy.D. serves as the Warrior Care Network Director for Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). In this role, Erin ensures synergy across all WWP mental health programs. Erin collaborates with the four Academic Medical Centers that compromise WWP’s Warrior Care Network to foster Network alignment regarding program implementation and delivery. Warriors taking part in WCN receive a year’s worth of mental health care during a 2-3 week intensive outpatient program, using evidenced-based treatments with alternative therapies. Erin has over 15 years of mental health experience working with adults in a variety of treatment settings. Prior to working for Wounded Warrior Project, Erin served as the Clinical Director of an intensive outpatient treatment program for adults with anxiety disorders. Erin holds a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and master’s degree in clinical psychology from The Illinois School of Professional Psychology, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in social work from Niagara University. Links Mentioned In This Episode Wounded Warrior Project Web Site PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor Brain Health & Wellness Learning Series - Suicide Prevention. This course series is sponsored by Wounded Warrior Project. This series removes the stigma often attached to suicide and casts a light on the unique risks and cultural factors that contribute to suicide in the Veteran population. You’ll gain access to important statistics, tools and resources proven to prevent suicide, in addition to role plays that demonstrate effective responses to someone in need.
You can find a link to the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/WWP-BHW-suicide-prevention
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 03 Sep 2024 | BTM184 - Kari McDonough - Welcome.US, The Welcome Corps, and the Veteran Sponsor Fund | 00:27:29 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we’re featuring a conversation with Kari McDonough, Vice President of Welcome.US and Senior Advisor to the Welcome Fund, a program of Welcome.us that provides a source for grantmaking to organizations as they involve community members to welcome newcomers.
Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health. Links Mentioned in this Episode Welcome.US Veteran Sponsor Fund Application PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor Resource of the Week is Episode 47 of the Behind the Mission Podcast. On this episode of Behind the Mission, we have a conversation with Jen Wilson, Co-Founder of the Army Week Association, a New York City-based Nonprofit that provides support to returning service members and their communities. In this episode, we discuss AWA’s mission and how their network was engaged to respond to the need to support US and Coalition Force Allies during the Fall of Kabul
You can see find the resource here:
https://psycharmor.org/podcast/jen-wilson
Episode Partner:
Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 13 Jul 2021 | BTM26 - Elizabeth O'Brien - Remote and Flexible Work for Military Spouses and Veterans | 00:25:16 | |
About Today’s Guest Elizabeth O’Brien was appointed CEO of the Freedom Learning Group in April 2020. In the last six years, O’Brien has served in significant leadership roles as a Senior Director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program, and as Chairwoman for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs, the first military spouse to be appointed to that role.
As Senior Director at HOH, O’Brien evolved the military spouse program’s event-centric focus to become a national comprehensive resource at the forefront of military spouse workforce development for over one million military spouses. In addition to overseeing the program’s research and strategic operations, she led the growth of the Military Spouse Employment Advisory Council (MSEAC), a coalition she grew in five years comprised of more than 35 companies with a combined market value of over three trillion dollars to include Amazon, Booz Allen Hamilton, Google, Microsoft, and Salesforce. The MSEAC focused on creating innovative workforce development strategies through upskilling and reskilling a chronically unemployed and underemployed workforce. O’Brien has worked closely with current and past administrations to advance the narrative around military spouse workforce development solutions; most recently co-chairing the release of “A Collective Effort: Workforce Development Solutions for the 21st Century Military Spouse” with Mrs. Karen Pence, Second Lady of the United States.
Prior to joining the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, O’Brien spent over a decade coaching college women’s basketball at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Hofstra University, and The University of Hawaii.
Links Mentioned In This Episode Freedom Learning Group Web Site Freedom Learning Group on Twitter Employment Opportunities at Freedom Learning Group PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is resource of the week is the course that Elizabeth presents, The Job Search for Military Spouses. In this course, Liz shares a process for creating an effective job search strategy with the goal of finding meaningful employment in today’s market. At the end of this course, you should be able to: describe the types of preparations to make before starting the job search, determine which aspect of a job is most important to you, identify places to start your search, and list specific military spouse resources that can help you in your job search. You can find the course at https://psycharmor.org/courses/the-job-search-for-military-spouses/
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 13 Aug 2024 | BTM81 - Tom Chiodo - PBS Caregiving Documentary | 00:32:55 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature Tom Chiodo, Executive Producer of Special Projects, National Productions for WETA, he flagship PBS station in Washington DC. We discuss the upcoming PBS Documentary, Caregiving, which will examine both systematic issues within the care system as well as tell personal stories of people who care for loved ones.
Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health. About Today’s Guests Tom Chiodo is the executive producer of Special Projects National Productions for WETA (Washington Educational Telecommunications Association), the flagship PBS station in Washington DC. WETA develops primetime documentary films and original digital content, accompanied by national impact and engagement campaigns, across 330+ PBS stations in more than 150 markets.
Recent public media projects: Ken Burns presents Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness, a film by Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers (2022); Emmy-nominated documentary Ken Burns presents The Gene: An Intimate History(2020); Rethinking High School with Soledad O’Brien Town Hall at Howard University (2016); DuPont Columbia Award & Emmy-nominated documentary Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies (2015). Current documentary projects in development/production: Caregiving; Hiding in Plain Sight: Adult Mental Illness;Remote Chance: Health Care in Rural America; Defeating Dementia; and Mighty Real: Out and Proud in America. Thirty years’ experience in the media, communications, television and entertainment industry. Former SVP Development Entertainment Industry Foundation creating programs and funding for national initiatives in health care, volunteerism, childhood hunger and education. Tom has held senior positions at Rubenstein Associates, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Massachusetts Department of Public Health & State Office for Children. Former clients: HBO; AMC; TIME, Inc.; Wenner Media; Talk Miramax Books; Columbia University; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Major League Baseball; Dance Theater of Harlem; The Apollo Theatre; Al Roker Entertainment, Inc.; The Tony Awards; Tribeca Film Festival; ABC’s Good Morning America; Stand Up to Cancer; and Chances for Children. Board memberships: Fenway Community Health Center (Boston), Professional Performing Arts High School (NYC), Heart Gallery New York. National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences judge for the 44th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards.
Tom is a published playwright, and co-author of “Home Care for Respirator Dependent Children” New England Journal of Medicine.
Links Mentioned in this Episode Caregiving Documentary Website PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the Military Caregiver Recognition Award and Digital Resource Binder. PsychArmor is dedicated to providing education, resources, and strategies for those who provide care for our nation’s wounded, ill and injured military service members and Veterans. The caregiving journey can be challenging — we’re here to provide support. Thanks to the generosity of The USAA Foundation, and in collaboration with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, we are pleased to offer the newly digitized Military Caregiver Recognition Award Program. Upon completion of the four PsychArmor courses included in this program and registration for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation's Hidden Heroes Caregiver Community, you will receive the Military Caregiver Recognition Award and Badge.
You can see find the resource here:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/military-caregiver-award
Episode Partner:
Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 14 Feb 2023 | BTM106 - Jason Loughran - NYC Department of Veteran Services | 00:31:20 | |
Episode Summary: On today's episode, we're featuring a conversation with Navy Veteran Jason Loughran, Assistant Commissioner of Community Affairs with the New York City Department of Veteran Services. About Today’s Guest Before joining DVS, Jason served as an Adjudication Specialist at the US Department of State where he collaborated with local and federal agencies on legal and regulatory provisions governing U.S. citizenship, nationality, and visas. His career in public service began with positions at the New York State Assembly and the US Department of Homeland Security before moving on to the State Department. Jason deployed to the Helmand Province of Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010. He holds a BS in Homeland Security from St. John's University and an Executive MPA from the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College. Jason was selected for the 2019 Baruch College Alumni Association Leadership in Public Service Award. Links Mentioned In This Episode New York City Department of Veteran Services PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor course, Collaborative Table: Who To Invite and How To Engage. An important aspect in support of and care for service members, Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors involves collaboration between individuals and organizations at the community level. It is a collective responsibility that no single organization can bear alone
You can find the link to this resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/collaborative-table
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 11 Oct 2022 | BTM89 - Kelly Finn Störmer - Combined Arms Institute | 00:25:33 | |
About Today’s Guest Kelly Finn Störmer is the Executive Director of Combined Arms Institute which elevates the military & veteran-serving ecosystem of support through professional development, collaboration and research. Combined Arms ensures that no veteran or military family member falls through the cracks by streamlining the connection for servicemembers, veterans and their families to services in the communities where they live. Combined Arms powers the Texas Veterans Network and is expanding to states across the nation through partnership. She holds a BA from Villanova University and an MBA from The George Washington University. Kelly served as Surface Warfare Officer and received her commission through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. She had two sea assignments in San Diego and served as the White House Liaison to the Secretary of the Navy, and as a White House Social Aide during the Bush Administration. After active duty service, Kelly worked as a consultant for McKinney Rogers building high performance cultures in Fortune 500 organizations. Kelly is a 2020 Presidential Leadership Scholar, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, recently retired military spouse and a mom to three boys. She has been working in the veteran nonprofit sector for over 10 years to streamline the answer to the question "Where do I go for help?" for veterans and military families. Links Mentioned In This Episode Create a Combined Arms Profile PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course Making Connections and Networking. Regardless of your military background or previous work experience, PsychArmor’s course, “Making Connections and Networking,” helps service members, Veterans, and their families learn how to network in their new communities.
You can find a link to the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Making-Connections-and-Networking
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 29 Mar 2022 | BTM62 - Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar - Supporting Veterans Through Connectedness | 00:28:11 | |
About Today’s Guest Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar is a veteran of the United States Army (01-06) and spouse to a retired combat Veteran. Her work has spanned the last 20 years, supporting our Nation’s Military and Veteran communities. As the founder of In Their Honor, LLC, Qwynn serves as an End-of-Life Doula and Trainer. This Spring, she is slated to roll out state-specific training for End-of-Life Professionals supporting Veterans and their Caregivers; and training specifically geared towards the Veteran Caregiver community. In addition, serving as the Co-Principal Investigator of the Brooklyn College Veterans History Project, Qwynn conducts oral history interviews of Veterans, listening to how Veterans make meaning of their experiences and sharing with larger audiences. She believes, as a society, the way we make sense of the Veteran experience shapes the care and support future generations of Veterans receive. While blending her heart work with her head work, her doctoral dissertation entitled “Post-9/11 Women Veterans’ Experiences Transitioning Into the Civilian Workforce” landed her the opportunity to serve as a qualitative researcher for the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), § 9104, Study on Unemployment Rate of Women Veterans Who Served on Active Duty in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001. Along with co-authoring a chapter on “Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue” in Veteran care providers. Qwynn earned her Ph.D. from Walden University, specializing in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Professional Counseling and a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. She serves on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Suicidology and the Advisory Board of the Veterans Studies Association. Links Mentioned In This Episode Dr. Galloway-Salazar’s LinkedIn Profile Dr. Galloway-Salazar on Facebook Send Dr. Galloway-Salazar an Email PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is two PsychArmor Courses: a two-part series of courses entitled No Veteran Dies Alone Volunteer Training. In part one, learners are introduced to hospice and palliative care, and in part two, you will learn how to prepare yourself for serious illness, dying, and grief. You can access these courses through the following links:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/no-veteran-dies-alone-volunteer-training-part-1
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/No-Veteran-Dies-Alone-Volunteer-Training-Part-2 This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 10 Dec 2024 | BTM198 - Deborah Grassman - Opus Peace | 00:32:51 | |
| 07 Sep 2021 | BTM34 - Melissa Comeau - American Red Cross Military Veteran Caregiver Network | 00:27:05 | |
About Today’s Guests Melissa Comeau is a Marine Corps spouse, director of the American Red Cross’ Military Veteran Caregiver Network, and a writer. She is known for her book “Sleeping with the War,” published in 2015 by the War Writers’ Campaign. The book offers a family and caregiver perspective on life after combat.
She served as an Arizona Fellow for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and in that role was honored to help bring to fruition the Hidden Heroes Congressional Caucus for Military and Veteran Caregivers. She is a recognized advocate for the military and veteran community and continues to support caregivers in her current role with the American Red Cross’ Military Veteran Caregiver Network.
Before joining the network, Melissa served as the executive director of Lives of Promise, a San Diego-based nonprofit that supports military families facing a PTSD diagnosis. She has also offered peer support to Marines and their families at the Wounded Warrior Battalion – West. Melissa has a background in accounting and IT project management. She lives in Texas and is married to a U.S. Marine who was medically retired after nearly 13 years of service, including four combat deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Links Mentioned In This Episode American Red Cross’ Military and Veteran Caregiver Network Web Site Rand Corporation Hidden Heroes Report PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is the series of courses for military and veteran caregivers and families. Sponsored by The USAA Foundation, Inc., PsychArmor offers courses to help caregivers balance their duties and need for self-care. This library of 45+ courses provides information, resources, and strategies on how to manage the demands and stressors of caregiving. You can access these courses by going to https://psycharmor.org/caregivers/ or through the link in the show notes.
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 23 Feb 2021 | BTM07 - Kathy Roth-Douquet and Sinclair Harris - Blue Star Families Racial Equity Initiative | 00:24:21 | |
About Today’s Guests Kathy Roth-Douquet is an advocate for the role of the military in civil society; she is an author, nonprofit leader, attorney, and former government official. Kathy is the CEO of Blue Star Families, the largest Chapter-based nonprofit organization serving active duty of all branches, Guard and Reserve, wounded, and transitioning veterans and their families. Blue Star Families mission is to strengthen military families and our nation by connecting communities and fostering leadership to millions of people. Kathy Roth-Douquet received her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College, her MPA in International Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University where she held a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, and a JD from the University of San Diego School of Law, Magna Cum Laude and the Order of the Coif. While serving at the Pentagon as Principal Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Acting) she received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service for her work on defense reform. She is also a recipient of President George H. W. Bush’s Daily Point of Light Award, and most recently received the Chief of Staff of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Award. Kathy is a commentator on patriotism, civil-military affairs, the value of service, and the experience of military families. She has appeared on the Today Show, Fox and Friends, CNN, NPR, has been a frequent contributor to USA Today, and is a frequent public speaker. She is an author, most notably of “AWOL: The Unexcused Absence of America’s Upper Classes from Military Service and How it Hurts Our Country” (Collins, 2006). She is a practicing attorney, a member of the Small Business Association Advisory Board, and is Co-chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center Defense Reform Task Force. She is a military spouse of 18 years, four deployments, and 9 moves. She lives with her husband and two children in Northern Virginia. Sinclair Harris serves as LMI’s director of business development for the Department of the Navy. He retired as a rear admiral after a 34-year career in the U.S. Navy. His service culminated as the vice director for operations to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During his distinguished career, he led joint, combined, multinational, and interagency organizations both at sea and ashore across all aspects of defense, including full spectrum operations, program management, strategic planning, and execution. He was also commander of the U.S. Fourth Fleet, leading U.S. Naval forces assigned to U.S. Southern Command.
Mr. Harris has been published in numerous journals on the topics of surface warfare, combat logistics, irregular warfare, and leadership. He earned a BS in economics from James Madison University, an MS in operations research from the Naval Postgraduate School, and an MS in defense and strategic studies from the University of Madras, India.
Mr. Harris voluntarily serves as president of the National Naval Officers Association, national vice president of the Navy League of the United States, past chairman of the National Defense Industrial Association Expeditionary Warfare Division, member of the board of directors for the Surface Navy Association, and member of the Northern Virginia Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. Links Mentioned In This Episode Blue Star Families Racial Equity Initiative Blue Star Families Racial Equity Committee PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week are the PsychArmor courses on military culture and awareness. Military service members, Veterans and their families live and work in communities across our nation. However, because fewer than 7% of Americans have served in uniform, most who have never served are unfamiliar with military culture and don’t know how to effectively engage with the Veteran community.
Sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project, military culture courses are available for anyone who works with, lives with, and cares about the Veteran community. By following the link above, you can see the cornerstone course “15 Things Veterans Want You to Know,” as well as modules that address the basics for civilians such as “Veteran 101: Officer vs. Enlisted,” and “Veteran 201: Military Families,” This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 11 Jan 2022 | BTM51 - Betty Rhoades - HillVets and Veteran Representation on Capitol Hill | 00:29:43 | |
About Today’s Guest Betty Rhoades joined the HillVets Foundation in December of 2019 as the Executive Director. Betty lives in Washington, DC – just steps from the HillVets House! – with her husband, her rescued pit bull, Jack, and her “quarantine kitty,” Rex. Betty’s husband, Jason, was one of the original class of HillVets Fellows; he worked in Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick’s office and then moved on to achieve success in federal government, consulting, and private legal practice. Betty has seen firsthand how HillVets changes people’s lives for the better, and she and Jason have been enthusiastic supporters ever since. Betty began her career with the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2005. Subsequently, she served as a Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) agent, SAH Coordinator, then Assistant Valuation Officer at the Atlanta Regional Loan Center. She was selected as the Chief of SAH in January of 2013. Betty’s dedication to Veterans led to record numbers of SAH grant approvals and also to her eventual promotion to Executive Management Officer (Chief of Staff) to the Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity in 2016. Betty came to HillVets from Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors, where she served as Director of National Capital Relationships since 2017. She has been serving the military/veteran community for more than 15 years, during which time she has published numerous articles and presented at a variety of conventions and events. Betty earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2005 with a Concentration in Business Transactions. While in law school, she served on the staff of the Tennessee Law Review and received the National Association of Women Lawyers award and a Dean’s Citation for Excellence in Community Service. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Georgia, where she graduated cum laude, with honors, in 2002. She was also inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is Episode 13 of Behind the Mission, a conversation with Rye Barcott and Maine Congressman Jared Golden. On this episode, Congressman Golden and Mr. Barcott, both Marines, join the show to talk about With Honor, an organization that supports cross-partisan collaboration in federal politics, and civic engagement and public office as a way for veterans to continue to serve after their time in the military. You can find a link to the podcast in the show notes https://psycharmor.org/podcast/rye-barcott-and-congressman-jared-golden This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 06 Apr 2021 | BTM13 Rye Barcott and Congressman Jared Golden - With Honor and Veterans in Public Office | 00:27:29 | |
About Today’s Guest Rye Barcott is co-founder and CEO of With Honor, a cross-partisan political organization led by veterans focused on promoting and advancing principled veteran leadership to reduce polarization in the U.S. Congress. Previously, he co-founded and led the clean energy investment firm Double Time Capital, and co-founded the non-governmental public health organization Carolina for Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya. His memoir, It Happened on the Way to War, juxtaposes military service and social entrepreneurship. Barcott serves on the boards of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, the National Democratic Institute, and the U.S. Institute for Peace. He chairs the board of Carolina for Kibera.
Congressman Jared Golden represents the Second District of Maine in the United States Congress, where he serves on the Small Business Committee and the Armed Services Committee. He grew up in Leeds, a small town in Androscoggin County. After enlisting as an infantryman in the Marines, Golden deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan before returning home to Maine. Congressman Golden currently lives in Lewiston with his wife Isobel. Links Mentioned In This Episode Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is the PsychArmor Course series, the course series for Communities Serving Veterans, sponsored by National Veterans Intermediary and the Bob Woodruff Foundation. Many Veterans make a smooth transition into civilian life and have the resources and networks they need to thrive, but there are others who could use our help. To address the needs of Veterans and their families, thousands of nonprofits, government agencies, and private organizations stand ready to offer services and support at the local and national levels. Sponsored by National Veterans Intermediary (NVI), these PsychArmor courses provide a smart and useful framework for guiding social movement. This effective framework is inspired by collective impact theory and informed by the culture and values of the military and Veteran Community. These courses will teach you an overview of collective impact, as well as leadership strategies for increasing collaboration and activating community support for Veterans and their families. This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 05 Dec 2023 | BTM147 - Corie Weathers - Military Culture and Mental Health | 00:30:14 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we feature a conversation with Corie Weathers, a military spouse and Licensed Professional Counselor. We discuss the importance of cultural responsivity in mental health and Corie's latest book, Military Culture Shift About Today’s Guest Corie Weathers, licensed professional counselor (LPC), is a sought-after speaker, consultant, and award-winning author. Corie has focused her career for the last 20 years as a clinician specializing in marriage, the military culture, special forces, and leadership development. She has traveled internationally to visit troops and report on deployment conditions and has taught service families across the globe. In addition to providing subject matter expertise on military culture, Corie consults organizations and institutions on building trust, creating impactful programming, and working within a multi-generational team. Her advocacy has included being a part of Second Lady Karen Pence’s Military Spouse’s Employment Working Group and contributing to the passing of a Congressional Bill for licensure portability. Links Mentioned In This Episode Corie’s Book: Military Culture Shift PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor the course, The Basics of Military Culture. In this four-part series, powered by PsychArmor in partnership with Comcast NBC Universal, you'll hear stories from six American service members about their experiences serving our country.
You can see find the course here:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/military-culture-series
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 16 Nov 2021 | BTM44 - Beth Conlin - Military Spouse Employment at Amazon | 00:26:36 | |
About Today’s Guest Beth Conlin is the Senior Program Manager of Military Spouse Programs at Amazon. An Army spouse, Beth has been working to improve employment opportunities for military spouses since an overseas move in 2013 forced her to quit her job, putting both her professional development and family stability at risk. Initially, Beth started working on the unemployment crisis for military spouse alone from Germany. From educating employers, recruiting spouses, and directly placing spouses into long term careers, Beth has intimate working knowledge of the obstacles and has developed solutions to help reduce employment challenges. Recognized as a subject matter expert, she has contributed to panel discussions, authored op-eds, and been called on to support various members of Congress with military spouse initiatives. Now at Amazon, Beth is working to connect this untapped talent pool to the workforce inside Amazon as well as build strategic partnerships that will elevate the impacts this group has and ultimately end the recession our military spouses face. Outside of her work for Amazon, she is an advisor to MilitarySpouseJobs.org and the Military Officers Association of America, is the Chairwoman of the board for the newly founded Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce, and sits on several DoD and White House working groups focused on reducing employment challenges. Links Mentioned In This Episode Amazon Military webinar series PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course 15 Reasons to Hire a Military Spouse. Employers are often looking for employees who are loyal, dedicated, and understand the big picture. Military spouses possess these qualities in abundance. From multitasking, adaptability to contributing your diversity and inclusion program and military spouse friendly culture, in this course, 15 Reasons to Hire a Military Spouse, you will discover a whole demographic that will enrich your company and improve your bottom line. Ms. Kaprece James, who has insight and expertise from many roles including director and board chair – she is the founder and CEO of Stella’s Girls, a global organization that implements innovative leadership programs for women and girls around the world – discusses the benefits of hiring a military spouse. Dr. Tina Atherall, CEO of PsychArmor Institute, proudly gives an introduction to this course, as it is the final addition to our Military Spouse Employment portfolio, sponsored by Prudential. Be sure to check out the other courses in this portfolio as well, to understand the dedication and rigor Military Spouses apply to their career development. You can access the course through this link https://psycharmor.org/courses/15-reasons-to-hire-a-military-spouse/
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 10 Sep 2021 | BTM Bonus- 9/11 Reflections with Tina Atherall and Elizabeth O'Brien | 00:33:17 | |
About Today’s Guests Tina Atherall, DSW, LMSW, brings to PsychArmor her vast experience and leadership in the military non-profit community and academia. In 2006, she co-founded Hope For The Warriors, an organization dedicated to serving combat wounded servicemembers and their families. Scaling a grass-roots effort to a national platform, she worked extensively with various levels of military leadership, agencies, corporations, and communities educating and advocating for critical support for those who have served and their families. She has embedded her career in the field of social work innovation and leadership and obtained her Doctor of Social Work (DSW) from the University of Southern California. Her recent work focuses on the 12 Grand Challenges for Social Work to eradicate social isolation specifically the challenges of military family social isolation. As an adjunct faculty, her love for PsychArmor began while utilizing the PAI educational videos to enhance teaching social work practice with military and their families to Masters of Social Work students in New York City. As PsychArmor’s new CEO, Tina will continue the mission of bridging the military-civilian divide. She has fresh ideas to strengthen PsychAmor’s pivotal role as the “go to” place for employers, healthcare providers, educators, volunteers, municipalities, service providers, government workers, caregivers and communities to learn about how to better serve our military Veterans.
Elizabeth O’Brien was appointed CEO of the Freedom Learning Group in April 2020. In the last six years, O’Brien has served in significant leadership roles as a Senior Director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program, and as Chairwoman for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs, the first military spouse to be appointed to that role.
As Senior Director at HOH, O’Brien evolved the military spouse program’s event-centric focus to become a national comprehensive resource at the forefront of military spouse workforce development for over one million military spouses. In addition to overseeing the program’s research and strategic operations, she led the growth of the Military Spouse Employment Advisory Council (MSEAC), a coalition she grew in five years comprised of more than 35 companies with a combined market value of over three trillion dollars to include Amazon, Booz Allen Hamilton, Google, Microsoft, and Salesforce. The MSEAC focused on creating innovative workforce development strategies through upskilling and reskilling a chronically unemployed and underemployed workforce. O’Brien has worked closely with current and past administrations to advance the narrative around military spouse workforce development solutions; most recently co-chairing the release of “A Collective Effort: Workforce Development Solutions for the 21st Century Military Spouse” with Mrs. Karen Pence, Second Lady of the United States.
Prior to joining the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, O’Brien spent over a decade coaching college women’s basketball at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Hofstra University, and The University of Hawaii.
Links Mentioned In This Episode Freedom Learning Group Web Site Statement by President Bush in His Address to the Nation, September 11, 2001 Leadership Under Fire Podcast: Remembering John Vigiano Part 1 Leadership Under Fire Podcast: Remembering John Vigiano Part 2 This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 22 Aug 2023 | BTM132 - Elizabeth Garcia - Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Fellowship Program | 00:32:07 | |
Show Summary Military Spouse Elizabeth Garcia, the Director of the Military Spouse Fellowship Program for Hiring Our Heroes, an initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation connecting transitioning service members, veterans, military spouses and caregivers with American businesses to create economic opportunity and a strong and diversified workforce. About Today’s Guest Elizabeth Garcia is the Director of the Military Spouse Fellowship Program for Hiring Our Heroes, an initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation connecting transitioning service members, veterans, military spouses and caregivers with American businesses to create economic opportunity and a strong and diversified workforce. In her role, Elizabeth focuses on strategic planning, team building, business development and strengthening partnerships.
Elizabeth is a seasoned military spouse of 21 years and currently serves alongside her active-duty husband, an Army Aviator, at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. She joined Hiring Our Heroes in September of 2017, helping to launch the pilot for the Military
Before her career at Hiring Our Heroes, Elizabeth was a communications professional and Emmy-award winning television news reporter, but, like many military spouses, experienced numerous military moves which negatively impacted her career. These experiences drove her to advocate for military spouses in their pursuit of meaningful employment opportunities.
Links Mentioned In This Episode Military Spouse Fellowship Program PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor Course 15 Reasons to Hire a Military Spouse As an employer, you are looking for untapped talent pools. One talent pool that can be overlooked is the diverse and highly educated group of military spouses. Take this course to learn the top 15 Reasons to Hire a Military Spouse.
You can see find the course here:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/15-Reasons-to-Hire-a-Military-Spouse
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by Wounded Warrior Project who offers direct programs in mental health, career counseling, and long-term rehabilitative care, along with advocacy efforts, that improve the lives of millions of warriors and their families. You can find out more about how they support veterans and access their programs at www.woundedwarriorproject.org
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 13 Jun 2023 | BTM123 - Bruce Buckley - Reducing Veteran Homelessness with Soldier On | 00:25:02 | |
Show Summary On this episode of Behind the Mission, we feature a conversation with Bruce Buckley, Chief Executive Officer of Soldier On, a 501(c)3 Nonprofit that provides veterans with shelter and support in an environment that offers dignity, integrity, and hope.
About Today’s Guest
Bruce Buckley is the CEO and President of Soldier On, Inc., a national provider of comprehensive services and affordable supportive permanent housing for homeless and at-risk veterans. Prior to becoming CEO, Bruce was the CFO from 2003-2016, under his management Soldier On has grown from a $600,000 annual budget to its current $20 million annual budget.
Soldier On provides services to roughly 5,000 veterans and family members annually through Housing First programs in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Bruce has helped to secure over $120 million in housing development resources since 2008 to build almost 400 units of housing for veterans in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. Funding sources include Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Historical Tax Credits, VAi2’s Innovation Initiative, Federal Home Loan Bank, HOME Investment Partnerships Program, Housing Innovations Fund (HIF),Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Berkshire Bank Financing, VA Capital Grant and Per Diem.
Bruce has led the charge in developing partnerships to expand Soldier On’s mission to end veteran homelessness. These partnerships include working with national affordable housing developers in New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts to provide safe, secure housing for veterans.
The expansion of partnering with other non-profits has led to increased wrap around services for the veterans and their family members Soldier On serves. This growth has substantially decreased the number of veterans returning to homelessness.
Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor course, Why Financial Wellness Matters. Financial wellness is the peace of mind you have when you’ve balanced saving and spending. This course will illustrate some of the challenges military and Veteran families face and things to consider when on the path to achieving financial wellness.
You can see find this course here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/why-financial-wellness-matters
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 06 Feb 2024 | BTM155 – Dennis Miller – The Legacy of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion | 00:25:36 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we feature a conversation with Marine Corps Veteran Dennis Miller, a veteran advocate and entrepreneur in the greater Philadelphia area. Dennis and I are going to be having a conversation about the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, a multi-ethnic unit of predominantly black women who were assigned ot England and France to clear several years of backlogged mail in the European Theater of Operations. About Today’s Guest Dennis Miller is a South Philadelphia native who grew up in a military family and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1996. Dennis served as an infantryman, marksmanship instructor and small unit leader before being medically retired and separating from active duty in 2009. Upon retirement, Dennis attended Lincoln University, the nation’s first HBCU. Shortly after graduation, he began work at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center as a research coordinator on a study focused on pain disparities (SPA Study). Dennis then served as the Wounded Warrior Fellow in the 13th congressional district of PA where he was tasked as the office lead in Norristown and with managing all the military and Veteran casework in the district. As that fellowship ended, Dennis began consulting for public officials, non-profits and private companies, establishing Wheel Dog Industries (WDI), a public policy consulting firm, specializing in veteran and military affairs. Shortly after launching WDI, Dennis founded the Greater Philadelphia Area Veteran Chamber of Commerce, an organization built to increase the economic capacity of the Veteran community in and around Philadelphia. He sits on various boards, including the Veterans Advisory Panel of the 4th congressional district of PA and Ft. Mifflin on the Delaware. Dennis is a #StandToScholar, having attended the Veteran Leadership Program at the George W. Bush Presidential Institute and is also a Union League Veteran Initiative Fellow. He returned to federal service in 2021 as a Congressional and Intergovernmental Specialist at the Department of Justice. Dennis managed an extensive portfolio and worked relentlessly to build relationships between his office and the Hill. Dennis now works as an External Affairs Liaison at FEMA, responsible for delivery of mitigation messaging to congressional offices, intergovernmental agencies and media outlets. Dennis is a husband and father; his wife, Holly, graciously tolerates his presence and his children, Jacqueline, Jordan and Joshua, make every effort to endure the endless embarrassment their father brings them. Dennis loves dogs and has a Boxer puppy named Adonis that shares the Miller family home in Elkins Park. He is an avid follower of all things Philadelphia sports and is a history buff, specifically surrounding World War II. Dennis serves as an advisor and mentor to young Veterans in the Philadelphia community and is active in various charitable organizations and programs in and around the city. Links Mentioned In This Episode Women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Web Site The Six Triple Eight Documentary PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor course Women Who Serve. This course is an overview of the contributions women have made to our military forces. This course is intended for those who want to better understand women's role in our military.
You can see find the course here:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/women-who-serve
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 25 Jun 2024 | BTM175 – Recap of Year One of the Behind the Mission Podcast | 00:28:41 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we take a look at year one of the Behind the Mission Podcast, as well as provide listeners with an opportunity to provide feedback on the show Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health. Episode Partner
Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 08 Mar 2022 | BTM59 - Dr. Deno Cooper - Cultural Intersectionality and Transition to Post-Military Life | 00:38:10 | |
About Today’s Guest Col. Denise “Deno” Cooper, Ph.D., is a U.S. Air Force Wounded Warrior who worked with PsychArmor as part of the OSD employment education initiative program. Col. Cooper is now an Organizational Behavior Consultant for PsychArmor. A part of PsychArmor’s Program department, Col. Cooper also brings nearly three decades of Air Force leadership experience to the organization. She also coordinates our external evaluation and assessment program. Links Mentioned In This Episode From We Will to At Will: A Handbook for Veteran Hiring, Transitioning, and Thriving in the Workplace by Justin Constantine PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week the PsychArmor course What You Should Know about Transition. Transitioning from military service can be difficult. It is more than just hanging up your uniform and putting on civilian clothes. In this course, you will receive a brief overview of resources and tools to consider during your transition. If you or someone you know is about to or has recently transitioned from the military into post-military life, check it out through this link: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/What-you-Should-Know-about-Transition
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 30 Jan 2024 | BTM154 – Dave Harrison – Fastport and Veterans in the Workforce | 00:28:32 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we feature a conversation with Army Veteran and Executive Director of Workforce Development and Government Relations at FASTPORT, a company that focuses on workforce development and technology solutions with longstanding industry experience with the military community, transportation industry and apprenticeship programs. About Today’s Guest Dave Harrison has extensive experience coordinating and advising employers, Industry Associations, and the Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship (DOL-OA) on the most effective implementation models for Registered Apprenticeships, Workforce development and Military hiring programs. Dave has served as a DOL designated Industry Subject Matter Expert in Registered Apprenticeship Technical Assistance for the last six years. Additionally, Dave directs industry engagement operations for the Registered Apprenticeship Centers of Excellence. He also serves on the board of the Minority Professional Truckers Association, the DOL/DOT Driver Shortage Taskforce, and the White House Supply Chain Taskforce. His extensive experience in apprenticeship is combined with more than two decades of experience in operations, human resources, recruiting and employee training and development in the private sector. Dave has directly supported, developed, and implemented apprenticeship related training instruction and on-the-job training outlines for multiple workforce development programs. Dave has successfully designed and implemented National Standards of Registered Apprenticeships, National Occupational Frameworks, and curriculum across a multitude of industry sectors. In his capacity as Executive Director he manages 21 National Apprenticeship Programs that have accounted for over 19,000 Apprentices. Dave served multiple combat tours of duty as an Army infantry leader. He received his BA in History-Secondary Education from Austin Peay State University. He has been a high school educator, football coach, business owner and in his over 11 years with J.B. Hunt Transport he is best known for developing and directing the Hunt’s Heroes program with the dedicated mission of hiring 10,000 veterans. He and his wife, Gena, have five daughters and eight grandchildren. Links Mentioned In This Episode National Apprenticeship Website PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor course Tax Incentives for Employers Hiring Veterans. In this course, we will discuss the key aspects of the credit and benefits that work opportunity tax credits can offer to your organization.
You can see find the course here:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Tax-Incentives-for-Employers-Hiring-Veterans
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 15 Jun 2021 | BTM23 - Isa Marie McIntyre and Doris Mold - Farmer Veteran Coalition | 00:25:46 | |
About Today’s Guests Isa Marie McIntyre Isa Marie served in the Army for 8 ½ years as a Multiple Launch Rocket Systems Repairer, completing two tours to Iraq and serving a total of 27 months in combat. During her first deployment, she conducted convoys in Ramadi, Fallujah, and Baghdad, receiving a combat action badge after coming under direct enemy fire. In 2012, she became caregiver to her husband Alejandro Jauregui after he stepped on an improvised explosive device while on deployment in Afghanistan, resulting in the loss of both of his legs and a moderate traumatic brain injury. Isa Marie was so overwhelmed by the support and generosity her family received from nonprofit organizations, that she was honored to join the staff of Farmer Veteran Coalition, a national nonprofit dedicated to serving veterans in agriculture. Isa Marie’s role as Project Coordinator allows her to use customized project management techniques to ensure the execution of grant deliverables, improve work efficiency and increase organizational effectiveness. Isa Marie has a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior and recently completed The Mission Continues’ Women Veteran Leadership program. She is currently working on her Project Management Professional Certification and Salesforce Administrator Certification. Doris Mold Doris Mold is the President of Sunrise Agricultural Associates, LLC, an agricultural consulting firm. Doris is an Agricultural Consultant, Agricultural Economist, Educator, Advocate, and Catalyst, as well as a farm co-owner/operator. Wearing multiple hats like many women in agriculture has informed her of the challenges and stressors that face many in agriculture. Doris's consulting practice has included a broad range of work, including but not limited to management, business and economic analysis, farm stress, business, feasibility and transition plan development, coaching, evaluation, marketing, advocacy, leadership, education and organizational development. She also teaches Farm and Agri-Business Management at the University of Minnesota (U of MN) for MAST International. Doris is passionate about agricultural leadership development and especially the mentoring of up and coming agricultural leaders. She co-founded the Women's Agricultural Leadership Conference series which is in its 21st year of quality programming, leadership development, mentoring and networking. Doris serves on the Annie's Project - Education for Farm Women National Board. She has a keen interest in developing a better understanding of the roles that people play in production and broader agriculture and has conducted research on the changing roles of women in agriculture. In 2016 Doris was appointed to serve on an expert national Panel on Improving Data Collection and Reporting about Agriculture with Increasingly Complex Farm Structures convened by the National Academy of Science and sponsored by the USDA. In 2015 she served on an expert national Panel on Statistics on Women and Beginning Farmers in the USDA Census of Agriculture. In 2017 Doris was asked to serve on a follow-up to the 2015 panel on Women and New and Beginning Farmers the NASS Expert Panel on the Publication of Agriculture Census Data on Farm Operator Demographics. Doris served six years on the Agricultural Statistics Advisory Committee for NASS and chaired the committee for three years. She also served on the Agricultural Advisory Committee for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Links Mentioned In This Episode
Homegrown by Heroes Designation
The Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is the course series on Military Culture. Sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project, these courses are available for anyone who works with, lives with, and cares about the Veteran community. At PsychArmor®, they believe that educating individuals about the unique needs of military connected people in our country can change perceptions, create powerful connections, strengthen communities, and help our nation’s heroes access resources that allow them to thrive.
This course series includes their cornerstone course “15 Things Veterans Want You to Know,” as well as modules that address the basics such as “Veteran 101: Officer vs. Enlisted,” and “Veteran 201: Military Families.” These are informative courses on military culture that address relevant issues facing our Veterans and their families today, and you can find a link to them here: https://psycharmor.org/military-culture-school/
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations.
Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 15 Nov 2022 | BTM94 - Dave Gowel - RallyPoint | 00:26:21 | |
About Today’s Guest Dave began his military career as a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and of the US Army Ranger School. He then served two tours in Europe during which he was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as an armor platoon leader. Dave's last active duty Army position was as an Assistant Professor of Military Leadership at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It was while he was at MIT that he found the value of social media, leading to his cofounding of a consulting firm to help people leverage social media tools more professionally. He authored The Power in a Link: Open Doors, Close Deals, and Change the Way You do Business Using LinkedIn (Wiley 2011) and cofounded a software company to help people use business software better at scale. Dave joined RallyPoint as President & COO in the summer of 2016 and became CEO and a board director in September of the same year. He also currently serves as a board advisor to the Wounded Warrior Project and Vets in Tech. Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course, Making Connections and Networking, presented by Medal of Honor Recipient Captain Florent Groberg. Regardless of military background and experience, this course helps service members, veterans, and their families learn how to network in their new communities.
You can find a link to the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Making-Connections-and-Networking
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 10 Aug 2021 | BTM30 - Tony Teravainen - Financial Education and Support for Young Enlisted Families | 00:28:04 | |
About Today’s Guest A vocal advocate for the public support of our military community, Mr. Teravainen assumed his position as President and CEO in February 2014 after serving as a board chairman, director and volunteer since 2009. In this role, Tony oversees the positioning of STEP as a successful, trusted and viable partner to Southern California and Washington State’s military population. Under his guidance, STEP has assisted more than 5,100+ military and veteran families in financial crisis move to self-sufficiency through financial counseling and $2.2 million in issued grants – with a 90% effectiveness rate. Being the son of a career Air Force father, Tony knows firsthand the hardships young military families endure. Additionally, a medical condition abruptly ended his career as a U.S. Navy submariner, thrusting him into a difficult transition to civilian life. Tony is driven to serve our young military families as in them he sees himself, his parents, and his veteran brother. Mr. Teravainen left his consulting position at Booz Allen Hamilton to become STEP’s full-time CEO, where for five years he consulted on strategy and process improvement. Prior to that, he spent seven years running his portfolio of small businesses, 12 years in manufacturing leadership at Sony Electronics, Inc., and eight years in the operations, repair and project management areas of the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Nuclear Power Program. In addition to his representing Disabled Veterans as a Commissioner on San Diego’s Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission, he serves as Chairman of San Diego County’s Military & Veteran Advisory Council. He also currently sits on the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Defense, Veteran and Military Committee, and held past leadership positions with San Diego Military Family Collaborative, Veterans Community Connection, San Diego Veterans Coalition, and the San Diego Coast Guard City Committee. Mr. Teravainen holds undergraduate degrees in business management and nuclear engineering, a master’s degree in Executive Leadership from The University of San Diego and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Liberty University. Tony has received multiple awards and recognition for his efforts to serve his community, including 2018 Top Veteran Nonprofit CEO and 2020 Top 50 CEO’s in San Diego. He holds professional licenses in Six Sigma, Project Management and Change Management, holds one U.S. patent, is a TEDx speaker, and frequent panelist discussing military and veteran policies and issues. Married to Jaclyn with two daughters and a son, Tony resides in the Highland Valley area of San Diego County where he enjoys ranching his livestock and tending to his orchards Links Mentioned In This Episode Support the Enlisted Project Web Site Military Financial Well-Being White Paper PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is the course series, Courses for Financial Wellness. Thanks to PsychArmor’s partnership with Prudential, this portfolio of Financial Wellness courses covers key consideration factors, manageable budgeting best practices, and engaging resources to help military-connected individuals progress towards financial wellness. Explore the range of topics strategically designed to span across generations: kids, adults, and retirees. You can see the courses through the link in the show notes. https://psycharmor.org/courses-for-financial-wellness/
This Episode Sponsored By: Join Us on Social Media PsychArmor on Instagram Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 30 Jul 2024 | BTM179 – Past, Present and Future for LGBTQIA+ Veterans - Webcast Replay | 00:51:24 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a replay of a recent PsychArmor Conversations Webcast, an engaging conversation on the past, present, and future of the LGBTQIA+ community in service and beyond. We hosted a diverse panel of individuals with lived experience in both the military and the LGBTQIA community
About Today’s Guests Allison Jaslow is the CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, an Iraq War Veteran, and a dedicated public servant. Nationally, Jaslow is recognized as a leading voice on the impact of the military-civilian divide on our political system and as an authority on the unique challenges faced by women in the military. A former Army Captain, Jaslow is also a seasoned political and communications strategist, serving on the staff of several Members of Congress, and as a White House communications aide. She’s a former Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), is a co-Founder of Operation Liberty and has recently served as an Adjunct Professor of the Practice at Duke University. Larry Hetu-Robert is the Bereavement Services Manager and Veteran Liaison for VITAS Healthcare in Atlanta, Georgia. His duties include educating hospice providers, the medical community and veteran organizations on the end of life needs of veterans. Mr. Hetu-Robert has taken the E.L.N.E.C. (End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium) for Veterans, Train-the-Trainer, coursework and shares his knowledge and expertise in this specialized area of psychosocial and spiritual care for veterans facing illness and death. Mr. Hetu-Robert has served on many boards, committees, veteran coalitions and veteran service organizations in his attempts to recognize veterans for their service and advocate for their needs. As an Accredited Claims Agent with the Department of Veterans Affairs, he is able to assist veterans in obtaining their VA benefits. He opened the Veteran Information and Referral Office for VITAS Healthcare of Atlanta in Georgia. Mr. Hetu-Robert also cofounded the Veteran and Hospice Partnership of Greater Atlanta and presently serves on the steering committee for this group under the auspices of the Georgia Hospice & Palliative Care Organization. Arrianna Princess Auva'a Medically retired from the Army after 6 1/2 years of service and now serving in the American Samoa Government Office of Veterans and Military Affairs as the Program Administrator for the Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program and Media Director. I am a certified Veterans Service Office via the VFW national training, and event coordinator for our office. I am also serving as the Secretary for the American Samoa Veterans Association, The Adjutant for the American Samoa VFW (Veterans of Foreign War) Post 3391, Secretary of the Society of Fa'afafine in American Samoa (and LGBTQIA+ / Trans Community Organization), and LHS 2004 Alumni President. I am the current chair-person in partnership with the Hawai'i Department of Veterans Affairs for the first ever inaugural Toa Games / Veterans Challenge games in American Samoa. My passion is in service to my people and the community at large in whatever capacity. I own and operate a platform on Social media in American Samoa with a following of over 300k combined which is the biggest following in American Samoa, and a small business owner of three small businesses. Samoa has four cultural genders – female, male, fa'afafine, fa'atama, and Samoa is considered one of the countries with a highly culturally recognised and pronounced trans and gender diverse population. Fa'afafine and Fa'atama are indigenous LGBTI citizens of Samoa. Fa'afafine translation is "Likeness of a woman". This is my identity. A Fa'afafine, in my native tongue. In western terminology, I am a Transgender Female. Living as a Fa'afafine in American Samoa has given me a platform and a stance for the fight for equality locally and also internationally. Accepting and embracing who I am and my gender identity has given me my voice which is now not only respected, but also taken very seriously. Links Mentioned in this Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource he recent podcast series on LGBTQIA veterans, episode 166 with Erika Hoover and Andrea Norton on the goals of this public health awareness campaign, episode 169 with MaCherie Dunbar and Ashley Carothers on LGBTQIA+ Veteran Healthcare, episode 171 with Ale Hernandez on Myths and Misconceptions about LGBTQIA+ veterans, and the final episode in the series, episode 173 with Erika Hoover and Andrea Norton again, looking to the future of the needs of the community
You can see find the episodes here:
Episode 166 with Erika Hoover and Andrea Norton Episode 168 with MaCharie Dunbar and Ashley Carothers Episode 171 with Ale Hernandez Episode 173 with Erika Hoover and Andrea Norton
Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health. Episode Partner:
Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more abou... | |||
| 23 Jul 2024 | BTM178 - Robin "Phoenix" Johnson - Healing Veterans through Humor | 00:26:57 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Robin Johnson, CEO of the Best Medicine Brigade and Executive Director of Heal*arious a nonprofit offering therapeutic humor programming for improved psychological performance.
About Today’s Guest Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Johnson served over twenty years in the U.S. Army before making her transition into the entertainment industry and veteran support space. Her career highlights include five deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, commanding at the company and battalion levels, and serving as the Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After retiring from the Army, Robin discovered her new mission to heal people, organizations and communities through humor. A strong suicide prevention advocate, Robin founded HEALHARIOUS, a non-profit offering therapeutic humor programming for improved psychological performance. She works in collaboration with mental health clinicians to develop customized programming for veterans, first responders, athletes, and corporate audiences worldwide. Robin is a Level III Certified Humor Professional through the Association for Applied & Therapeutic Humor and teaches “Problem Framing Through Humor” for the Institute of Defense & Business at Duke University. She is also an internationally touring stand-up comedian, TEDx speaker, and has been featured on USA Today, Fox, and ABC. Links Mentioned in this Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week This episode’s PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the podcast episode where we featured the Armed Services Arts Partnership, Episode 83 with the Executive Director of ASAP, Brian Jenkins. In that episode, Brian shares about how that creative community provides free art and comedy classes to members of the military affiliated population. You can find a link to that episode here: https://psycharmor.org/podcast/brian-jenkins Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health. Episode Partner:
Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 28 Jun 2022 | BTM75 - Besa Pinchotti - The National Military Family Association | 00:26:28 | |
About Today’s Guest As Executive Director, Besa brings leadership at NMFA along with her personal experience as a military spouse to this incredible team. Besa is an award-winning journalist and marketer whose passion for our military began during her time as a reporter and television news anchor. From Jacksonville, North Carolina to Kosovo, her assignments opened her eyes to the post-9/11 military experience, and its cycles of deployment, redeployment, and constant transition. She also covered highly-contentious Congressional hearings and the impact military life has on families, including the effects of water contamination aboard military bases. During Besa’s time covering Camp Lejeune, she met a guy named Dave, whom she decided to marry despite warnings to “never marry a Marine.” Now 15+ years later, they live on Capitol Hill with their 3 kids. Links Mentioned In This Episode National Military Family Association Web Site Military Teen Experience Report Basic Needs Allowance Legislation PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course Veteran 201: Military Families. The life of a military family can be chaotic and stressful. This course provides some insight into the unique challenges faced by military families, and you can find a link to the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/veteran-201-military-families
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 10 Oct 2023 | BTM139 - Dr. Tina Atherall - PsychArmor Now and In the Future | 00:30:52 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we’re continuing to recognize the 10 year anniversary of PsychArmor with a conversation with PsychArmor’s CEO, Dr. Tina Atherall. About Today’s Guests Dr. Tina Atherall is a social innovation strategist with a concentration in nonprofit and education leadership. She is the CEO of PsychArmor leading a public health EdTech nonprofits educating and advocating for critical support for those who have served and their families. She has embedded her career in the field of social work leadership and obtained her Doctor of Social Work (DSW) from the University of Southern California. Her recent work focuses on the 13 Grand Challenges for Social Work to eradicate the public health crisis of social isolation. Dr. Atherall is a George W. Bush Institute Stand-To Veteran Leadership Scholar. She serves in an appointed role on the SAMHSA National Advisory Council and is a committee lead for the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Military Social Work Specialized Practice review committee. Dr. Atherall has advanced certificates in nonprofit leadership, military social work, and is a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator. She is an Associate Adjunct Professor at Columbia University School of Social Work, and Doctor of Social Work adjunct at Simmons University and the University of Kentucky online programs. Board leadership roles include Board of Director participation at Mission Edge (San Diego) and Task Force Movement (Washington DC). Links Mentioned In This Episode BTM01 – Introduction to the Behind the Mission Podcast BTM50-Behind The Mission: Year in Review Bonus episode: 9/11 Reflections with Tina Atherall and Elizabeth O’Brien PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor course: the VA Campus Toolkit. This course provides information that explains characteristics of current student Veterans, some of the common adjustments issues that are encountered, and a general explanation of invisible wounds of war and how they may affect the student.
You can find the course here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/va-campus-toolkit
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 12 Mar 2024 | BTM160 - Tara Wright - New Sesame Street Resource for Military Families | 00:26:09 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we feature a conversation Tara Wright, Senior Manager of Content Design on the Research, Education, Data and Impact (REDI) team at Sesame Workshop, on newly developed resources for Military Families to address isolation, disconnectedness, and the impacts of family separation due to military duty About Today’s Guest Tara Wright serves as Senior Manager of Content Design on the Research, Education, Data and Impact (REDI) team at Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind the beloved children’s show, Sesame Street. In her work at Sesame, Tara creates engaging content for young children and families, as well as practical, approachable tools for the providers who serve them--all with the goal to help nurture smarter, stronger, and kinder communities. You can find her “creative fingerprint” on articles, printables, animations, professional development courses, and more, on topics ranging from resilience to resettlement. While always backed by research and on-the-ground expertise, her writing often also draws on her roles as Marine Corps wife and mama to three boys five and under. Tara is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. She in her family are based in Tulsa, OK. Links Mentioned In This Episode Sesame Street for Military Families Website Family and Community Bonds Resources PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the Behind the Mission podcast episode 29. On that episode, we had a conversation with Rocio Galarza, the Vice President in the U.S. Social Impact Department at Sesame Workshop, to talk about the evolving nature of Sesame Street programming for military families
You can see find the course here:
https://psycharmor.org/podcast/rocio-galarza
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 17 Dec 2024 | BTM199 - Behind the Mission Year Two Retrospective | 00:35:01 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we’re featuring a retrospective review of year two of the Behind the Mission Podcast, with the shows grouped by categories and snippets of sample shows representing the different categories.
Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health. Links Mentioned in this Episode BTM82 - Aimee Johnson - Suicide Prevention for the Military Affiliated Population BTM92 - Katie Ross and Katie Stenger - Summit Behavioral Health BTM66 - Josh Protas - Food Insecurity in the Military Affiliated Population BTM68 - Paul Fukuma - TAJI 100 BTM55 - Dr. Roxana Delgado - Supporting Military and Veteran Caregivers BTM70 - Jenna Pryor - Custom PsychArmor Training for Organizations BTM99 - Crystal Ellington - DEI and Sexual Assault Prevention for Veterans BTM51 - Betty Rhoades - HillVets and Veteran Representation on Capitol Hill BTM83 - Brian Jenkins - Armed Services Arts Partnership PsychArmor Resource of the Week For this week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the Behind the Mission Podcast. It’s available on all of the podcast distribution platforms, but you can also find this and every episode on the PsychArmor website. If you’re curious about a topic related to service members, veterans, and their families, chances are we have a guest talking about it over the past two hundred episodes…and if you don’t find what you’re looking for, let us know, and we will find a guest to meet the need.
You can find the resource here:
https://psycharmor.org/podcast
Episode Partner:
Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 02 Apr 2024 | BTM163 - Frederick Marx - Veterans Journey Home Film Series | 00:31:11 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, I’m having a conversation with Frederick Marx, an internationally acclaimed Oscar and Emmy nominated filmmaker with over 40 years in the film industry. We have a conversation about a recent project, a series of five films called Veterans Journey Home, which features the stories of veterans who are working to transition to post-military life and the insights of professionals that support them About Today’s Guest Frederick Marx is an internationally acclaimed, Oscar and Emmy nominated director/writer with 40 years in the film business. He was named a Chicago Tribune Artist of the Year, a Guggenheim Fellow, and a recipient of a Robert F. Kennedy Special Achievement Award. His film HOOP DREAMS played in hundreds of theatres nationwide after winning the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and was the first documentary ever chosen to close the New York Film Festival. It was on over 100 “Ten Best” lists nationwide and was named Best Film of the Year by critics Roger Ebert, Gene Siskel, Gene Shalit, and Ken Turran and by the Chicago Film Critics Association. Ebert also named it Best Film of the Decade. It is one of the highest grossing non-musical documentaries in United States history.
It has won numerous prestigious awards, including an Academy Nomination (Best Editing), Producer’s Guild, Editor’s Guild (ACE), Peabody Awards, the Prix Italia (Europe’s top documentary prize) and The National Society of Film Critics Award. The New York, Boston, LA, and San Francisco Film Critics all chose it as Best Documentary, 1994. Utne Reader named it one of 150 of humanity’s “essential works,” and the Library of Congress recently added it to its prestigious National Film Registry, and the International Documentary Association named it “The Best Documentary of All Time.” HOOP DREAMS (1994) is the film that first interested Marx in the welfare of teenage boys. BOYS TO MEN? (2004) distributed by Media Education Foundation takes that as its central theme. RITES OF PASSAGE: MENTORING THE FUTURE is the culmination, offering solutions.
In 1993, Marx received an Emmy nomination for HIGHER GOALS (1992) for Best Daytime Children’s Special. Producer, Director, and Writer for this national PBS Special, Marx directed Tim Meadows of “Saturday Night Live” fame. Accompanied by a curriculum guide, the program was later distributed for free to over 4,200 inner city schools nationwide. THE UNSPOKEN (1999), Marx’s first feature film, features stellar performances from Russian star Sergei Shnirev of the famed Moscow Art Theatre, and Harry Lennix, most known for GET ON THE BUS, BOB ROBERTS, TITUS, ER, and MATRIX. A hobbyist songwriter, in 1991 Marx recorded a number of his songs collectively known as ROLLING STEEL. Two of those 11 songs are used over THE UNSPOKEN tail credits and one is used in BOYS TO MEN?. THE UNSPOKEN and ROLLING STEEL are available through this website.
Having worked for a time as an English and creative writing teacher, Marx began his movie career as a film critic, and has worked both as a film distributor and exhibitor. He has also traveled extensively. He’s lived in Germany, China, and Hungary. He’s traveled repeatedly through Western and Eastern Europe, North Africa and Himalayan India. With a B.A. in Political Science and an MFA in filmmaking, Marx has coupled his formal education with a natural gift for languages, speaking German and some Mandarin-Chinese. His interest in languages and foreign cultures is reflected in PBS’ international human rights program OUT OF THE SILENCE (1991), the widely acclaimed personal essay DREAMS FROM CHINA (1989), and Learning Channel’s SAVING THE SPHINX (1997). He consulted on Iranian-Kurdish director Bahman Ghobadi’s feature TURTLES CAN FLY (2004) and was a teacher of renowned Thai feature filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
Three of Marx’s films premiered at the New York Film Festival. His films are distributed throughout the web, on Amazon, and elsewhere. Having dedicated his life to the making and promotion of independent films, Marx, a true maverick in the increasingly commercialized world of “independent cinema,” continues to provide a voice of artistic and social integrity. He repeatedly returns to work with disadvantaged and misunderstood communities: people of color, abused children, the working poor, welfare recipients, prisoners, the elderly, and “at risk” youth. He brings a passion for appreciating multiculturalism and an urgent empathy for the sufferings of the disadvantaged to every subject he tackles. As his mission statement indicates (“Bearing witness, creating change”), his is a voice strong and clear, and profoundly human.
Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor course Seeking Support. Transitioning from military service can evoke strong emotions. PsychArmor Institute’s “Seeking Support” offers service members the tools and resources needed to seek support during and after military transition and into civilian life.
You can see find the course here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Seeking-Support
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation... | |||
| 02 May 2023 | BTM117 - Dante' Bickham - Creativity in Post-Military Life | 00:31:11 | |
Show Summary On this episode of Behind the Mission, we feature a conversation with Marine Corps Combat Veteran Dante' Bickham, Illustrator of PsychArmor's Military Culture Course Series sponsored by Comcast
About Today’s Guest
After transitioning from service, Marine Corps combat Veteran Dante Bickham got a degree in graphic design and animation, but he was truly an illustrator at heart. “When I was in college, my instructor would say that Illustrator should always be the title behind my name,” says Bickham. Working on the PsychArmor military culture series put him in the role of illustrator for the first time, allowing him to do what he loved, as well as reference his time in the military, drawing on photos and memories of friends as he worked to bring the service members to life. It was also a stress reliever for him around his day job as a graphic design instructor and the stress of buying and moving into a new home. “It helped remind me of the hard work that I had put into the military.” The courses were accurate in their descriptions and character depictions, says Bickham. “I could tell that Veterans were involved in the scripting.” Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the military culture category of training on PsychArmor’s Website. This category contains eleven different courses that include 15 Things videos highlighting veterans, military and veteran children, and caregivers, as well as facts about wounded warriors, women in the military, and military leaders.
You can see find this episode here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/collections/military-culture
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by Comcast. Comcast creates incredible technology and entertainment that connects millions of people to the moments and experiences that matter most. You can find more about how they support the military affiliated population by going to https://corporate.comcast.com/impact/military
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 10 Jan 2023 | BTM101 - Andrew Morton - Storytelling and Adaptability in Post-Military Life | 00:29:54 | |
About Today’s Guest Andrew Morton currently serves as part of PsychArmor’s Strategic Communications team in the role of External Relations. Andrew is retired Army Infantry Officer with a combined 30 years of service and experience within the military community and veteran employment and transition space. Since his transition from active-duty Andrew has spent much of the last decade focused on veterans’ employment and transition initiatives across various strategic roles at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). He has served on various boards and advisory commissions across the Department of Labor, Veterans Services Organizations, and the private sector focused on military community employment, retention, and inclusive work-place practices. Andrew served in multiple leadership and communications roles during his twenty-one year Infantry and Public Affairs officer career to include Chief of Marketing and Advertising for the Army Reserve, and Chief of Pan-Arabic Media Outreach and Engagement as part of Multi-National Force-Iraq. He continued to serve in multiple communications roles during his time at SHRM building programs focused on breaking down barriers and building connections between the military and employer community. As contributing author to the late Justin Constantine’s book From We Will to At Will- A Handbook for Veteran Hiring, Transitioning, and Thriving in the Workplace, Andrew and Constantine addressed the challenge of that cultural shift from the military community as well as the mutually-shared responsibility to close that gap in understanding through individual and organizational-level awareness. Andrew’s first-person journey as soldier and military spouse has also instilled a passion for behavior and mental health initiatives. As part of this journey he is completing the final clinical portion of his Masters in Mental Health Counseling from the College of William and Mary serving as a therapist-intern within the Veterans Administration which he will complete in May of 2023. Andrew lives in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia with his wife Emily, as well as his three children- and a myriad of animals. Links Mentioned In This Episode H.O.P.E is a Course of Action Blog PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week, is the PsychArmor course, Telling Your Story. A service member’s experience in the military is one that only they can tell and it's up to them how much they choose to share with others. In this course, four veterans share their personal stories and offer insight.
You can find the link to this resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Telling-Your-Story
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 11 Apr 2023 | BTM114 - Dr. Rajeev Ramchand - RAND and the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee | 00:30:25 | |
Show Summary On this episode of Behind the Mission, we feature a conversation with Dr. Rajeev Ramchand, Co-Director of the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute and a member of the Department of Defense Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee
About Today’s Guest
Rajeev Ramchand, Ph.D., is codirector of the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute and a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation. He studies the prevalence, prevention, and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders in adolescents, service members and veterans, and minority populations. He has conducted research on suicide and suicide prevention including environmental scans of suicide prevention programs, epidemiologic studies on risk factors for suicide, qualitative research with suicide loss survivors, and evaluations of suicide prevention programs. He has also developed freely available tools to help organizations to evaluate their own suicide prevention programs. In 2022, he was appointed by the Secretary of Defense to serve as a member of the Department of Defense Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee. He has testified on suicide prevention before the United States Senate, House of Representatives, and California State Senate. He hold a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Chicago and a PhD in psychiatric epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Links Mentioned In This Episode RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute Invisible Wounds of War Project PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the the PsychArmor course Helping Others Hold On. Compared to the civilian population, suicide rates among the military and Veterans is very high. This series of lessons help to give tools and tips to recognize, understand, and combat suicidal feelings in Veterans.
You can see find this course here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/helping-others-hold-on
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 22 Mar 2022 | BTM61 - Steve Dilley - The Veterans Art Project | 00:27:43 | |
About Today’s Guest Steve Dilley, MFA, founder and Executive Director of The Veterans Art Project, has 35 years collaborating with the military on creative Artistic engagement projects, expressing emotions, documenting experiences, and sharing ideas. After 9/11, Steve was moved to help Veterans, active duty and spouses through Art making. He has a profound weight of responsibility to reach out and help other people through Art and the process of Art making, and believes it is urgent to help our contemporary military population to share all the benefits that a life of Art making gives. In addition to running the day to day programs at VETART, Steve is an Associate Professor of Art/Sculpture at Grossmont College in El Cajon, CA. Links Mentioned In This Episode Virtual Interview Gallery from Pop-Café Events PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course, Trauma Informed Interactions with Veterans. This course defines trauma, discusses how it presents itself and is specifically designed to help volunteers interact with Veterans dealing with trauma that affects their health and/or ability to function. You can check out the article through this link: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/trauma-informed-interactions-with-veterans
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 15 Aug 2023 | BTM131 - Keara Torkelson - WWP and Support for Women Veterans | 00:26:54 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we feature a conversation with Army Veteran, wounded warrior and Peer Support Leader with the Wounded Warrior Project, Keara Torkelson, as we discuss her experience as a woman veteran and an advocate for wounded warriors in her community and women veterans nationwide. About Today’s Guest Army Reserve veteran Keara Torkelson was getting ready to deploy to Iraq with her unit when a mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2009 turned her life upside down. Keara was shot in the back, and a bullet grazed her skull. While she was down, she saw the lights from the gunman’s laser sight and expected to be hit again. Instead, she got up and found a way out, narrowly escaping further injury and possible death. She lives with PTSD from that tragic day and wants to let other veterans know that no matter how they might have been injured, they are not alone. “Asking for help does not make you weak,” Keara said. “It makes you stronger.” When she found Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), Keara asked for and received the help she needed. But she had to take small steps in her healing journey. Keara enlisted in the Army Reserve a few weeks after finishing high school. She knew she needed the discipline and was ready to serve her country. She was eager to get through the readiness process at Fort Hood and be on her way to Iraq with her unit. Keara never got the chance to deploy because of her injuries. But neither did she have much downtime to process what happened. She returned to active duty and remained in the reserve for another two years before medically retiring at age 23. “After the mass shooting, I had chronic headaches, and it was difficult for the doctors to figure out why,” Keara said. It took multiple visits to VA and private doctors to uncover and eventually remove metal fragments from her wounds. After retiring, Keara restarted her life with a healthier outlook. “I changed my lifestyle to remove things from my household and my diet that could be harmful, but having purpose in helping other veterans through Wounded Warrior Project is what really helped,” Keara said. She initially found WWP at a military event when she was still active duty and has been connecting with other veterans over the last 10 years. “In the beginning, Wounded Warrior Project helped by getting me out of the house and back with other veterans where I could experience the camaraderie I was missing,” Keara said. She remembers a WWP connection event at a shooting range. The stress of surviving the Fort Hood mass shooting was still raw. “I overcame my fear with the support of Wounded Warrior Project teammates and other veterans who were there that day and who offered their support,” Keara said. Through her personal growth and challenges of raising a young family, Keara continued seeking camaraderie with other veterans. She also made time to attend Project Odyssey®, a WWP mental health program that uses adventure-based learning to help warriors manage their invisible wounds and enhance resiliency. “The things I learned at Project Odyssey were really helpful,” Keara said. “I kept using all the tools I learned until I felt I was in a good place in my healing. Still, I find that helping others continues to help me.” To help other veterans, Keara volunteered as a peer mentor, and then she became a warrior leader — organizing connection events for other WWP warriors. Lately, she has been focusing her energy on virtual events that help women warriors get to know each other during fun activities. Through the Women Warriors Initiative Survey, WWP found that 80% of the respondents reported feelings of loneliness. At the same time, research shows that 43% of WWP virtual event participants are women warriors. Keara knows that post-traumatic stress can affect veterans of all backgrounds. “My motivation to help other veterans is living the Wounded Warrior Project logo. I had my time when I was carried. And I want to help carry other soldiers.” She’s led online classes on essential oils, meditation, and yoga and recently teamed up with another female veteran who is a chef to offer cooking demos from her kitchen. Keara shares what has benefitted her journey, from meditation to finding new purpose. Warriors from all over the U.S. can tune in when the classes are virtual. Keara is committed to helping sisters and brothers in arms stay connected, even finding time to lead virtual events during a recent family vacation. Support from her family, along with her connection to other veterans, help Keara stay focused on serving others and uplifting herself in the process.
Links Mentioned In This Episode Wounded Warrior Project Web Site Wounded Warrior Project Programs Wounded Warrior Project Veteran Peer Support Groups Women Warriors Initiative Survey Veterans and PTSD: Understanding Causes, Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the Women Veterans Course Series, a 6-part series powered by PsychArmor, in partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project, which explores the history, triumphs, and unique challenges of women in uniform throughout history while highlighting the valuable service of the fastest-growing group of Veterans.
You can see find the course here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/women-veterans-series This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by Wounded Warrior Project who offers direct programs in mental health, career counseling, and long-term rehabilitative care, along with advocacy efforts, that improve the lives of millions of warriors and their families. You can find out more about how they support veterans and access their programs at www.woundedwarriorproject.org
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Prod... | |||
| 13 Feb 2024 | BTM156 – Waco Hoover – The American Legion’s Be The One Initiative | 00:29:43 | |
| 26 Jul 2022 | BTM78 - Shannon Razsadin - Military Family Advisory Network | 00:25:21 | |
About Today’s Guest Shannon Razsadin is an active duty Navy spouse, mom, and the executive director of the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN). Shannon’s leadership, authenticity, fresh approach, and focus on collaboration have set MFAN apart as an organization focused on making an impact and as a trusted conduit to military families globally. Under Shannon’s leadership, MFAN has become a premier, respected nonprofit leader in a crowded and sometimes confusing network of military and veteran service organizations. Shannon and the organization’s advisory board have deep relationships and experience with community, state, and federal leaders; national nonprofit and for-profit organizations; and community service providers. She was recently selected through a competitive process to serve as one of the three civilian advisors to the Secretary of Defense on the Military Family Readiness Council. She is regularly called on by national and local media to weigh in on military-related topics, including CBS, CNN, and FOX. Shannon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Merrimack College, as well as a Masters in Higher Education/Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University. Links Mentioned In This Episode Military Family Advisory Network Web Site Military Family Food Insecurity Coalition Military Family Financial Readiness Coalition PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course 15 Reasons to Hire a Military Spouse. Employers are looking for untapped talent pools. One talent pool that can be overlooked is the diverse and highly educated group of military spouses. Take this course to learn the top 15 Reasons to Hire a Military Spouse. You can find a link to the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/15-Reasons-to-Hire-a-Military-Spouse
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 23 Mar 2021 | BTM11 - Jerry Maniscalco - Military Transition and Creativity | 00:26:34 | |
About Today’s Guest A Mississippi native, Jerry Maniscalco first picked up a guitar at 16 and he has been writing and performing original music ever since. In 2003, he entered the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 2007 and entering service as an SH-60B Seahawk pilot. During his time in the Navy--including 3 deployments and a remote tour--he found that music allowed him to unwind and escape. Jerry recorded two songs on Operation Encore’s debut compilation album, the upbeat “Wake Up,” and Operation Encore’s unofficial anthem, “We Are.” He rejoined Operation Encore for their second album with “Waiting," written from the perspective of a pilot's spouse waiting for her husband to return home. Jerry continues to write music and play locally in the Jacksonville, Florida area.
Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is the course What You Should Know About Transition. In this course, service members and Veterans receive an introduction to the transition process and the many tools and resources available to assist them throughout their transition journey. Dr. Robert Gates, former Secretary of Defense, and Howard Schultz, Co-Founder of the Schultz Family Foundation, provide service members and Veterans with personal insight on the importance of building a transition plan, preparing a personal financial plan, and many other factors associated with transition from military service to the civilian sector. Sponsored by the Schultz Family Foundation, “What You Should Know about Transition” serves as an overview for a portfolio of courses available to help service members, Veterans and their families succeed during their transition. This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 29 Jun 2021 | BTM25 - Danielle Applegate - Adapting to a Changing Veteran Support Landscape | 00:27:58 | |
About Today’s Guest Danielle Applegate is the Director of Veteran and Military Engagement for Cerner Government Services. Prior to joining Cerner, she served as the Vice President of VetsFirst at the United Spinal Association, a VA-certified Veteran Service Organization. She was the first National Outreach Coordinator for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Center for Women Veterans, where she created and led groundbreaking women Veteran initiatives and nationwide VA programming. Ms. Applegate also founded Applegate Solutions, a successful Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, Woman Owned Small Business that provided management consulting and subject matter expertise to an array of clients including the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs, as well as private and nonprofit organizations. A fourth-generation Veteran with dual-military parents, Danielle enlisted at the ripe old age of 17 in the United States Army and served for five years; her duty included a tour in Korea. Due to service-connected injuries, she left active duty and utilized Vocational Rehabilitation services and the Montgomery GI Bill to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources and Business Administration, a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, and a certificate from Georgetown University in Nonprofit Executive Management. As a distinguished military and Veteran community subject matter expert and advocate, she has served on the Advisory Council for Final Salute, on the Women Joining Forces Council for Business and Professional Women’s Foundation, the American Legion’s Small Business Council, and the Camp Lejeune Community Action Panel. A self-professed data nerd who enjoys absorbing as much information as possible, she resides in Alexandria, VA where she is currently being raised by a son and daughter who are convinced that they know it all.
Links Mentioned In This Episode Cerner Military and Veteran Support VA’s I Am Not Invisible Campaign VA/ DoD Electronic Healthcare Record Modernization PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is resource of the week is PsychArmor’s S.A.V.E. training. This course was developed in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs and is presented by Dr. Megan McCarthy, Deputy Director, Suicide Prevention. You will develop a general understanding of the problem of suicide in the United States; understand how to identify a Veteran who may be at risk for suicide; and, finally, know what to do if you identify a Veteran at risk. Each of us has the opportunity to be that one person who makes a difference--the person who asks the question that can save a Veteran's life, or the life of anyone struggling with the thoughts of suicide. Using the simple steps of S.A.V.E., we can all make a difference. You can find the course at https://psycharmor.org/courses/s-a-v-e/ This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 21 Jun 2022 | BTM74 - Dr. Lynda Davis - Implementing Change in Military and Veteran Support | 00:31:42 | |
About Today’s Guest Dr. Davis is a subject matter expert on Military, Veteran, Family (MVF), Caregiver & Survivor support through successful, sustainable services. Dr. Davis is currently working with the Department of Defense in the area of Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) and Caring for Military Families, Elizabeth Dole Foundation. She was educated at the University of Southern California. She is the former Deputy Undersecretary Of Defense for military community and family policy and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for manpower and personnel policy, to the position of Senior Vice President for Defense and Intelligence. Links Mentioned In This Episode Military and Veteran Caregiver Experience Map Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors Institute for Hope and Healing PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course Why Collaboration is So Important in Supporting Mitliary members, Veterans, Their Families, and Caregivers. This course is designed for community leaders interested in exploring some key components to a successful collaborative journey. You will learn how collaboration can provide the structure needed to impact the lives of military-connected people. You can find a link to the resource in our here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/why-collaboration-is-so-important
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 09 Apr 2024 | BTM164 - Ronald Rutherford - VA's Whole Health Program | 00:31:15 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with Navy Veteran Ronald Rutherford, the Lead for the Whole Health Outreach program for the Veterans Health Administration. Whole Health is VA’s approach to care that supports the health and well-being of veterans they serve, and focuses on self-care, skill building and support. About Today’s Guest Ronald “Ron” Rutherford is the Lead for Whole Health Outreach with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Patient Centered Care & Cultural Transformation (OPCC&CT). Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he is responsible for liaising with non-governmental and Veteran Service Organizations for the purposes of bringing awareness to VHA’s Whole Health offerings for Veterans and their families. Ron joined OPCC&CT in November 2011 as a Field Implementation Consultant for VA medical facilities in Pennsylvania and Delaware. Prior to joining VHA, he served 26 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy and retired as a Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman. As an Independent Duty Hospital Corpsman, Ron served on multiple ships as the primary healthcare provider and healthcare consultant for Occupational and Environmental health programs. During his time in the Navy, he also managed short based and overseas medical facilities, and his last assignment involved managing 11 shipboard medical departments and their staff in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Ron has a BSHS in Clinical Health Science (Pre-Physician Assistant Studies) and a MSHS in Healthcare Management from The George Washington University. Links Mentioned In This Episode VA Whole Health Program Website Whole Health Program Points of Contact at local VA Facilities Complementary and Integrative Health Overview and Descriptions PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor course Communicating With Veterans. This course discusses how to communicate effectively with Veterans using communication tools, such as open-ended questions, affirmations, and reflections.
You can see find the course here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/communicating-with-veterans
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 30 Nov 2021 | BTM46 - Thomas Brennan - Military and National Defense Journalism | 00:24:51 | |
About Today’s Guest Thomas Brennan is the Founder of and Executive Director for The War Horse. Prior to studying journalism at Columbia University, he was a sergeant in the Marine Corps and served as an infantryman in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thomas is the co-author of Shooting Ghosts—A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War. His bylines have appeared in Vanity Fair, Center for Investigative Reporting, and The New York Times. Links Mentioned In This Episode Shooting Ghosts: a U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the course Telling Your Story. This course provides a compelling glimpse into the lives of four United States military Veterans. Narrated by David Vobora, CEO and co-founder of the Adaptive Training Foundation and former NFL Linebacker, this course offers service members and Veterans insight into talking about their military experience. Join Charles Tawiah, Marcela Torres, Dr. Jeffrey Mann, and Marcus Chischilly as they share personal stories surrounding their military experience and their transition to the civilian community. Each Veteran offers a unique perspective on the transition journey and helpful tips for making your transition successful. You can find the course by going to this link: https://psycharmor.org/courses/telling-your-story-2/ This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 28 Nov 2023 | BTM146 - Dr. Tanya Hess - VA Coaching Into Care Program | 00:26:25 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we feature a conversation with Dr. Tanya Hess, a Licensed Psychologist and Training Director for the Department of Veterans Affairs Coaching Into Care Family Call Center, a national telephone-based support service for family emmbers and others who want to help reluctant veterans access their VA health care benefits, particularly for mental health concerns. About Today’s Guests Dr. Tanya Hess has been doing therapy in the Philadelphia area since 2007. She trained in adult and child psychotherapy and psychological assessment at Emory University, The University of Tennessee, and Pennsylvania Hospital. Her post-doctoral fellowship work was in eating disorders and residential treatment at Renfrew Center. Since completion of her fellowship she has worked in treatment and outreach for the Veterans Affairs in Philadelphia, specializing in family engagement. Dr. Hess' research has included the interaction between emotion and personality and the use of therapeutic assessment as a treatment tool. Links Mentioned In This Episode Coaching Into Care on Facebook Coaching Into Care contact number: 888-823-7458, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time. PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor the course, Coaching a Loved One Into Care. At times, it can be difficult to talk to a Veteran about seeking help. This course equips caregivers with tools to identify potential struggles, and better understand problems with traditional approaches like ultimatums and forceful discussions.
You can see find the course here:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/coaching-a-loved-one-into-care
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 29 Oct 2024 | BTM192 – Conversations with Caregivers Replay – VSOs and Caregivers | 00:37:45 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we’re replaying a PsychArmor Conversations with Caregivers featuring how VSOs can support Caregivers. This conversation was recorded in June of 2023 and featured the host, PsychArmor Trusted Advisor Shaina Purser, having a conversation with Madison Moore, VP of Programs & Partnerships at The Elizabeth Dole Foundation, and Michael S. Figlioli, Director of National Veterans Services at the VFW.
Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health.
About Today’s Guests Shaina Purser is a dedicated social worker, specializing in mental health and community advocacy. With a passion for supporting underserved populations, Shaina has spent several years working in various settings, including non-profit organizations and community health initiatives. Shaina holds a strong belief in the power of education and collaboration, working alongside colleagues and community members to develop sustainable solutions that promote well-being and equity. Through her ongoing dedication to the field, she continues to inspire and uplift those around her. Madison Moore is a Senior Advisor at the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, where she plays a pivotal role in advancing the foundation's mission to support military caregivers. With a robust background in nonprofit leadership and advocacy, Madison is dedicated to improving the lives of those who care for wounded, ill, and injured veterans. Before joining the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Madison held various leadership roles in organizations focused on veteran services and community engagement. Her commitment to serving military families is deeply rooted in her own experiences, driving her passion for advocacy and empowerment. Madison is a sought-after speaker and expert in military caregiver issues, frequently sharing her insights at national conferences and forums. She holds a degree in Social Work and has contributed to numerous publications highlighting the challenges and strengths of military caregivers. Michael Figlioli is the National Service Officer for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. As NVS director, Michael is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the program, which ensures veterans, service members and their families have access to their earned benefits through the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense and Labor. The scope of his role also includes overseeing the VFW’s network of more than 1,950 VFW Accredited Service Officers located around the world and on almost two dozen military installations, to ensure they have the necessary training and resources to provide the best possible service to their veteran clients. Michael got his start serving veterans, service members and their families as a senior family program specialist at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, from 2005 to 2007, where he was responsible for the welfare of the families of soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and the formation and training of family support groups assigned to the 94th Regional Readiness Command, which encompassed the entire Northeast Region. He was then appointed as VFW Service Officer for the VFW Department of Massachusetts in 2008. In 2011, he was hired by the Washington Office as a pre-discharge claims representative for the National Capital Region. Since then, he has served in various positions with NVS to include associate director for field operations and assistant director for veterans benefits policy. He became NVS deputy director in March 2016 and has helped guide the program for the last seven years. Links Mentioned in this Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week For this week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor Conversations with Caregivers series. This is a series of moderated discussions that are available on YouTube, and features topics such as Working while Caregiving, Resilience and Recreation, and Caring for Veterans through End of Life.
You can find the resource here:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8CpUgKU1Rmt7v_bTpTbZhN_yRNNd0Lwe&si=zK8ox5KBCLz47Uog
Episode Partner:
Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 25 Jan 2022 | BTM53 - Lornett Vestal - Sierra Club Military Outdoors | 00:28:36 | |
About Today’s Guest Lornett Vestal was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He joined the United States Navy at the age of seventeen. He served four years honorably and was deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. He’s traveled to various countries including Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil, Estonia. He has a BA in Sociology from Northern Illinois University and a Master’s Degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. He spent several years working in education and social work at Chicago Public Schools and non-profit organizations through the City of Chicago. Lornett is currently the Lead Campaign Representative, Sierra Club Military Outdoors. In that role, he works with Sierra Club staff, volunteers, and outside community and nonprofit organizations to build the Military Outdoors program in Georgia and throughout the United States. His hope is to create several active outings groups over the next two the three years. Links Mentioned In This Episode Sierra Club Military Outdoors Web site PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course on Intimacy and Emotional Disconnect in Military Populations. This course investigates links between emotional disconnection and relationship intimacy issues that are often seen among Veteran and active duty military couples. There are a number of reasons why service members and veterans may disconnect from those they care about, and you can learn more about those reasons through this course. You can check it out by going to this link: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/intimacy-and-emotional-disconnect-in-military-populations
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 02 Jan 2024 | BTM150 - Richard Fierro - Diversity, Service, and Sacrifice | 00:30:10 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we feature a conversation with Army Veteran Richard Fierro about his miltiary service, post-military career as an entrepreneur and his actions in November of 2022 in which he intervened in a mass shooting attack at an LGBTQ+ Nightclub in Colorado Springs, CO About Today’s Guest Richard Fierro was the Army ROTC distinguished military graduate in 1999 at San Diego State University and served for 15 years in the United States Army as a Field Artillery Officer, serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2018, he and his wife Jess founded Atrevida Beer Company, where they have won numerous civic and industry awards. At Atrevida Beer Co, Jess and Rich have purposely focused on diversity as a value, even branding merchandise with the phrase, Diversity It’s On Tap. On November 19th, 2022, Rich, his family and some friends were attending a celebration at Club Q, an LGBTQ Nightclub in Colorado Springs. About ten minutes before midnight on November 19th, a gunman walked into the club and started shooting. Within minutes, Rich charged across the room and tackled the gunman, subdued him, and with two other patrons, helped to disarm the gunman and restrain him until authorities arrived. That night came at great personal loss to Rich and his family. His daughter’s boyfriend, Raymon Vance, and her best friend, Daniel Aston, were killed in the attack, along with Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh, and Derrick Rump. 25 others were injured, including his wife and daughter. The perpetrator pled guilty to the attack and was sentenced to five consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 2,211 years. Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor podcast episode 99. On this episode, we feature a conversation with Army Veteran Crystal Ellington, a passionate advocate for those who historically been disenfranchised, systemically excluded and institutionally oppressed. We have an important conversation about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the military and Veteran community, as well as the need for awareness and advocacy around sexual assault prevention.
You can see find the course here:
https://psycharmor.org/podcast/crystal-ellington
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 28 Sep 2021 | BTM37 - Dr. Matt Miller - Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention | 00:28:39 | |
About Today’s Guests Dr. Matthew A. Miller, PhD, MPH, is the National Director, Suicide Prevention Program, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He leads a team dedicated to the implementation and reinforcement of evidence-based community and clinical interventions addressing suicide prevention. Previously, he served as the Director of the Veterans Crisis Line and under his leadership, the VCL became the world’s largest and most efficient suicide crisis call center. Dr. Miller is an Air Force Veteran. He served as a Clinical Psychologist and the Chief of Mental Health at a Joint Services Pilot Training Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and was responsible for overseeing mental health operations for all active duty service members and dependents, as well as head of the installation’s suicide prevention program. Links Mentioned In This Episode VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report Episode 3 of the Seeking the Military Suicide Solution with Dr. Miller PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is the PsychArmor course series for suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. Suicide in America is a critical issue, with high rates in service members, Veterans, and their families. Asking the right questions and feeling confident about how to help are the first steps in preventing someone from dying by suicide. We hope these courses will help you to be a lifeline and be there for someone in need. With generous funding from the NFL Foundation, PsychArmor Institute presents a portfolio that promises to provide vital education and information about Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention for healthcare providers, service members, Veterans, families, caregivers and the community-at-large. You can get to this course series through this link: https://psycharmor.org/suicide-prevention-intervention-postvention/ This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 23 Nov 2021 | BTM45 - Charles Tawiah and Shay DeBarr - Service Never Stops PSA Campaign | 00:34:17 | |
About Today’s Guest Charles Tawiah is a United States Navy Veteran. He served from 2013-2017 as an Aviation Boatswain's Mate Crash and Salvage Firefighter on the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN75). Charles was deployed twice with the Harry S. Truman to the Mediterranean Arabian Gulf; Operation Enduring Freedom (JUL2013-APR2014) and Operation Inherent Resolve (NOV2015-JUL2016). Charles comes from a military family where his father, retired Senior Chief, served 26 years in the Navy and his mother, a 26 year military spouse. Charles lives in San Diego, California with his fiance, Mirna, and their Yorkie, Cochise. Charles and Mirna are amateur bodybuilders working passionately to become professionals in the sport. They have plans to one day open up their own gym! Charles has a daughter named Vivian, and a stepson named Vincent. Charles also has immense gratitude for the work that he does in support of a local nonprofit in San Diego known as, PsychArmor. Overall, Charles states that he is a man on a mission to influence the world in all ways positive and loving A retired Marine and current Marine Corps spouse, Shavon (Shay) DeBarr brings years of lived experience in military communities to her current role as a spokesperson for End Family Fire’s Lethal Means Safety campaign. Shay enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1995 and attended boot camp at MCRD Parris Island, SC. Originally trained as an Avionics Technician, she eventually made a lateral transfer to Career Planning, retiring in 2015 as a Gunnery Sergeant. Her personal decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two Gold Stars. She currently serves as a Human Resources Specialist at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center 29 Palms, where her energy and enthusiasm continue to have a positive impact on employment opportunities for Veterans and military spouses.
Links Mentioned In This Episode Service Never Stops PSA Campaign Service Never Stops Videos on YouTube National Military and Veterans Crisis Line PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the Behind The Mission episode featuring Dr. Heidi Kraft, Dr. Ted Bonar, and Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, BTM05 – Firearms and Suicide Prevention. In that episode, we talked about their collaborative work in addressing firearms and suicide in the military affiliated population, as well as a partnership with STackUp.org where they provided a talk on veterans, suicide prevention, and safe storage on a Twitch Stream event. You can listen to the episode by following this link: https://psycharmor.org/btm05/ This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 17 May 2022 | BTM69 - Susie Dicker Sitzer - Tales of the Golden Acorn | 00:25:09 | |
About Today’s Guest Susie Dicker Sitzer is an experienced organizer, connector, and public relations maven, who is highly dedicated to the mission of helping others. She has over two decades of experience leading teams in philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, communications, talent management, and more. Susie has most recently served as the Executive Director of Drawn from Valor, an award-winning non-profit digital-first content studio devoted to empowering kids and their families to understand and manage their mental and physical health conditions. Susie has a B.A. in Communications from the University of Pittsburgh and lives in Southern California.
Links Mentioned In This Episode Tales of the Golden Acorn Preview Tales of the Golden Acorn Overview Winnie the Pooh Journal Article PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course, 15 Things Military Kids Want You To Know. This short on-demand video brings the voices of military-connected youth to life, and allows us to take important steps toward cultural humility when interacting with these resilient and amazing kids. You can find a link to the course here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/15-things-military-and-veterans-kids-want-you-to-know
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 19 Oct 2021 | BTM40 - Jonathan Crandall - Problem Gambling in the Military Affiliated Population | 00:28:14 | |
About Today’s Guest Jonathan Crandall served eight years in the United States Marine Corps. Crandall served as a Team Leader for the Scout/Sniper Platoon of Third Battalion, Sixth Marines (3/6). Following his time with 3/6, Crandall was assigned to the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) training unit as their Chief Instructor for the Designated Marksman Course. After his 4th MEB assignment, Crandall returned home to Syracuse, NY where he served the remainder of his time with Echo Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Battalion. While in service, Crandall earned the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, Combat Action Ribbon, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and Armed Forces Service Medal, among others. Upon completion of his. military obligation, Crandall continued service in Iraq as a Private Military Contractor for the U.S. State Department providing protective security for diplomats working as Provincial Reconstruction Teams. Following his time overseas, Crandall worked as a Corrections Officer before determining that his life direction was not of the standard he wanted to uphold. Crandall graduated with his Bachelor's degree in Social Work and now lives a fulfilling life as the Veteran Outreach Coordinator at the New York Council on Problem Gambling (NYCPG). Links Mentioned In This Episode
New York Council on Problem Gambling National Council on Problem Gambling See if your state has a Council on Problem Gambling: List of Resources By State Problem Gambling in the Military Affiliated Population: Operation Responsible Gambling PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is the PsychArmor Course, Supporting a Veteran in Crisis. This course is designed for organizations to educate them on the differences between their Veterans and civilians and ways to support their Veteran when they may be struggling. Topics include how to recognize the warning signs that a Veteran may be heading for a crisis, how to approach a Veteran in crisis, and what steps to take to help a Veteran during an acute crisis situation. You can access this resource by following this link: https://psycharmor.org/courses/supporting-veteran-crisis/
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 25 Apr 2023 | BTM116 - Stephanie Brown - The Rosie Network | 00:25:44 | |
Show Summary On this episode of Behind the Mission, we feature a conversation with Stephanie Brown, CEO and Founder of The Rosie Network, an organization that serves, supports and empowers active duty, veteran, and military spouse entrepreneurs.
About Today’s Guest
Stephanie Brown, CEO and Founder, The Rosie Network CEO and Co-Founder, U.S. Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce Stephanie is a nationally recognized leader and sought after subject matter expert on military entrepreneurship. As CEO and Founder of The Rosie Network, Stephanie has been featured on numerous national news channels, including FOX Business, CBS and NPR. She has also been featured in Woman's Day Magazine, Business Insider, The New York Times, Military Families Magazine and U.S. Veterans Magazine, to name a few. She is the widow of retired Admiral Thomas Brown (SEAL) and the daughter of an Air Force Vietnam veteran. Stephanie has dedicated over 20 years to supporting and advocating on behalf of military families, and veterans. Some of her awards include: · Department of the Army, Civilian Service Commendation Medal · 2019 Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year, Small Business Administration Innovator of the Year, Our City San Diego · Small Business Owner of the Year, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce · Top 10 Most Influential Military Spouse Business Owners, Business Insider · HillVets 100 Award · U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Military Times 50 Business Leaders Making a Difference, San Diego Business Journal · 500 Most Influential Leaders, San Diego Business Journal Stephanie is a member of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Military Community and Family Policy, Spouse Ambassador Network and Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP). She leads the Military Spouse Entrepreneur Task Force working with DoD leaders to empower military spouse business owners and budding entrepreneurs to launch and grow small businesses with confidence and clarity. Stephanie is a founding affiliate partner of the Coalition of Veteran Owned Business (CVOB) alongside Billion Dollar Roundtable companies, and is the Chairperson of the Military Affairs Committee for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. She has also served on the Board of Advisors for California Department of Veterans Affairs, CalVet and Veteran Launch, CDFI. In January of 2021, Stephanie co-founded the first U.S. Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce (MSCC) and serves as CEO. She was instrumental in developing the first industry-standard Military Spouse-Owned Enterprise Certification (MSEC) and on-boarding corporations such as USAA, Johnson & Johnson, CVS Heath and Disney committed to doing business with certified military spouse-owned businesses. Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the Behind the Mission podcast episode 91 featuring Jamie Chapman talking about the Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce. In that episode, you will hear about the organization that works to ensure that all active duty and veteran military spouses have the tools and resources they need to strengthen their families, communities, and the economy.
You can see find this episode here: https://psycharmor.org/podcast/jaime-chapman
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 19 Sep 2023 | BTM136 - Rosie Gagnon - Suicide Prevention Awareness through Ultramarathons | 00:32:58 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we’re featuring a conversation with Rosie Gagnon, a military spouse and mother who is running 100 one-hundred mile ultramarathons to raise awareness about military and veteran suicide prevention after losing her son, USMC PFC James Dexter Morris, to suicide in 2018. About Today’s Guests Nanette Rosie Gagnon is a military spouse, mother of 8, sheep farmer, artist, beekeeper, and ultramarathon runner residing in Berryville Virginia, After losing her oldest son, PFC James Dexter Morris to suicide on Feb 25, 2018, she began running 100-mile ultramarathons in his memory and has set out to complete 100 100s for veteran suicide awareness. Links Mentioned In This Episode 1 Hundred 100s For Dexter Facebook Page 1 Hundred 100s for Dexter Web Site PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor course, Barriers to Treatment. In this course, you will learn how how differences in military culture affect mental health and explains how to help military or Veteran patients overcome barriers to seeking treatment.
You can see find the course here:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/finding-stability-after-suicide-loss
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 24 Jan 2023 | BTM103 - The Clinical Readiness Project (Replay)- Lethal Means Safety for Suicide Prevention | 00:30:15 | |
About Today’s Guests Dr. Heidi Kraft Heidi Squier Kraft received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the UC San Diego/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology in 1996. She joined the Navy during her internship at Duke University Medical Center and went on to serve as both a flight and clinical psychologist. Her active duty assignments included the Naval Safety Center, the Naval Health Research Center and Naval Hospital Jacksonville, FL. While on flight status, she flew in nearly every aircraft in the Navy and Marine Corps inventory, including more than 100 hours in the F/A-18 Hornet, primarily with Marine Corps squadrons. In February 2004, she deployed to western Iraq for seven months with a Marine Corps surgical company, when her boy and girl twins were 15-months-old. Rule Number Two is a memoir of that experience. Dr. Kraft left active duty in 2005, after nine years in the Navy. She currently serves as Chief Clinical Officer at PsychArmor Institute, a national non-profit that provides free online education for those who live with, care for, and work with military Veterans. She is frequently invited to speak at conferences and panels on combat stress, stigma and caring for the caregiver. She is a lecturer at San Diego State University, where she teaches Stress, Trauma and the Psychological Experience of Combat, Health Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Infant and Child Development. Dr. Kraft lives in San Diego with her husband Mike, a former Marine Harrier pilot. Her twins Brian and Meg, who have no memory of their mother’s time in Iraq, are college freshmen now. Dr. Ted Bonar Ted C. Bonar, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist and a nationally recognized trainer and speaker at conferences and universities. An independent professional based in Columbus, OH, he operates a successful private practice and is known as a Subject Matter Expert in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Suicide, and matters related to military and veteran mental health concerns. He serves on the Healthcare Advisory Committee for PsychArmor Institute, and was previously the Chief of Continuing Education Programs at the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) where he oversaw and implemented training programs focused on common military-related behavioral healthcare concerns, evidence-based treatment of PTSD, and suicide prevention and treatment. He is also a National Trainer trainer in Mental Health First Aid. Dr. Bonar has spoken at over 200 universities, national conferences, and continuing education events, including special projects for Brady United, PsychArmor Institute, the Defense Suicide Prevention Office (DSPO), the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah, PsychHub, Inc., and the National Council for Behavioral Health. Dr. Bonar has held clinical positions at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, The Ohio State University Counseling and Consultation Service, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Counseling Center, and private practice in both Bethesda, MD and Columbus, OH. Dr. Bonar was awarded the 2013 Distinguished Alum award by the Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University/Chicago. Dr. Kyleanne Hunter Dr. Kyleanne Hunter is an Assistant Professor of Military and Strategic Studies at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). She is also a Nonresident Fellow at the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Creativity at Marine Corps University and a Senior Adjunct Fellow at the Center for New American Security (CNAS). Kyleanne is the former Chair of the Employment and Integration Subcommittee for the Secretary of Defense’s Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. Her research focuses on military gender integration and defense policy, with an emphasis on military effectiveness in irregular warfare. She is the co-director of the CNAS-sponsored Athena Leadership Project, which studies the impact that women (both in the military and elected office) have had on the conduct of the Global War on Terror. She has authored several government policy reports, peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and has a forthcoming book. Her work has also appeared in popular press such as New York Times, Washington Post, War on the Rocks, and she has appeared as a subject matter expert on multiple TV new programs. Prior to earning her PhD, Kyleanne was a Marine Corps Officer, serving multiple combat tours as an AH-1W “Super Cobra” attack pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as the Marine Corps Legislative Liaison Officer to the House of Representatives. She was part of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Inaugural Class of Women Trailblazers and member of the board of advisors for the Stanley Center funded IMPACT: Peace program. Links Mentioned In This Episode Veterans, Suicide Prevention, and Safe Storage Twitch Stream PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week, is the PsychArmor ourses related to Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention. Suicide in America is a critical issue, with high rates in service members and Veterans. Asking the right questions and feeling confident about how to help are the first steps in preventing someone from dying by suicide. We hope these courses will help you to be a lifeline and be there for someone in need. With generous funding from the NFL Foundation, PsychArmor Institute presents a portfolio that promises to provide vital education and information about Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention for healthcare providers, service members, Veterans, families, caregivers and the community-at-large.
You can find the link to this resource here: https://psycharmor.org/suicide-prevention-intervention-postvention/
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music ... | |||
| 20 Aug 2024 | BTM182 - Rocio Palermo - Mental Health with Women Vets On Point | 00:31:55 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature Veteran Rocio Palermo, Program Coordinator for Women Vets On Point, a program of U.S. Vets. WVOP is designed and informed by women veterans for women veterans in order to address critical needs and barriers to mental health care after military service.
Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health. About Today’s Guests A native Angeleno, daughter of Honduran and Mexican immigrants, Rocio joined the Navy when she was 17. She returned to Los Angeles and received her AA in Social Studies from Glendale Community College, Bachelor of Arts in American Studies with a double minor in Political Science and Spanish from Mount St. Mary’s University. She studied Public Administration at Cal State University, Northridge.
Rocio has a diverse work history with concentrations in education and social work. She is currently
· the Program Coordinator for Women Vets on Point, U.S.VETS-Patriotic Hall · She is the chair of the Women Veterans Working Group of the Los Angeles Veteran’s Collaborative · Chaplain for American Legion Area 6 and District 24. · The Vice Chair for Women for the Los Angeles County Council of the American Legion. · Commissioner, Veterans Advisory Commission serving under District 1 Supervisor Hilda Solis.
She brings a passion, focus and personal perspective that helps her connect with all Veterans, but especially with female Veterans. Rocio sees her service to others as a calling and privilege, knowing the importance of finding ways to work together with community partners in order for all to benefit. Her mission in life is to continue to advocate for Veterans, but specifically Veteran Women, so that “every veteran would know how valuable her service is, how important she is and that the nobility with which she served”.
- She is the co-founder of The 355 Women Veteran Speaker Series - Co-creator of the Battle Boutique, The Sista Mixa, The She Leads Luncheon, Love Your Sister Luncheon, Veteran Women’s Suicide Prevention Conference - Host of The Networking Hour
Rocio currently lives in Arleta with her son, 4 dogs and 2 cats.
Links Mentioned in this Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor Resource of the Week is episode 165, a conversation with Deputy Secretary for Women Veterans of the California Department of Veterans Affairs, Air Force Retiree Virginia Wimmer. In this episode, we discuss the importance of supporting women veterans and the services available in California
You can see find the resource here:
https://psycharmor.org/podcast/virginia-wimmer
Episode Partner:
Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 02 Mar 2021 | BTM08 - Dr Keita Franklin - Social Work Supporting the Military Affiliated Population | 00:24:01 | |
About Today’s Guests A national policy leader with over 20 years of experience, Dr. Keita M. Franklin is the Chief Clinical Officer at Loyal Source Government Services – the nation’s leading healthcare solutions provider – and also serves as the Co-Director of the Columbia Lighthouse Project, a Columbia University NY State Psychiatric Institute initiative focused on preventing suicide risk. Prior to joining the Loyal Source team, Dr. Franklin was a senior executive at PsychHub, and both the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD). In her government work, she frequently represented the DoD and the VA during testimony in front of both chambers of Congress and advised the Office of the President, the Domestic Policy Council, and the National Security Council. During her tenure, Dr. Franklin led enterprise-wide programming for Veterans, military service members and their families. She has also consulted with numerous entities on issues related to military and veteran mental health, suicide prevention and children and families. Dr. Franklin holds a PhD in social work from Virginia Commonwealth University and an advanced certificate from the Center for Advancement of Research Methods and Analysis (CARMA). She also earned certificates from Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education on “Leading Large Organizational Change” and “Women in Leadership,” as well as the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School course on “Executive Leadership.” Links Mentioned In This Episode Dr. Franklin’s LinkedIn Profile The Columbia Lighthouse Project Loyal Source Government Solutions PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor resource for this week is the PsychArmor course 15 Things Veterans Want You to Know. This is the cornerstone course for PsychArmor and was created to educate anyone who works with, lives with, or cares for our military Veterans. PsychArmor asked hundreds of Veterans what they wanted civilians, employers, educators, health care providers, and therapists to know about them. These comments were used to create the topics of this course including 5 Questions You Should Always Ask Veterans, 1 Question You Should Never Ask Veterans, and 15 Facts that promote greater understanding of our Veterans.
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 18 Jun 2024 | BTM174 - Emma Payne - HelpTexts for Mental Health and Wellness | 00:32:56 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with Emma Payne, Founder and CEO of HelpTexts, a company that delivers asynchronous grief, caregiver and mental health support via text message. About Today’s Guest Emma Payne is a seasoned technology entrepreneur, MIT graduate, and award-winning change-agent, who started building online communities before Netscape was born. Her 25 year career leading online and mobile projects has included building tools to register young people to vote, creating online networks of support for families facing health challenges, and launching North America’s first online crisis intervention line. She also founded a scrappy, action-oriented, national non-profit focused on women & technology, that broke boundaries and developed leaders for 17 years.
Help Texts combines Emma's passion for mobile technology and engagement, with her deep commitment to making sure everyone gets the support they need, when life gets hard. Founded in 2018, Help Texts was the first in the world to publish data on grief-informed texting and is now delivering support in 44 countries and 24 languages. Links Mentioned In This Episode HelpTexts Discount Link for Behind the Mission Listeners PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week the PsychArmor course Good Grief. Grief is not only experienced with death, it can also occur with job loss or severe changes to physical well-being. The purpose of this course is to recognize loss and identify what is learned as a result of that loss.
You can see the course here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/good-grief
Episode Partner:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 15 Feb 2022 | BTM56 - Jerome Tennille - Volunteerism and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | 00:30:52 | |
About Today’s Guest Jerome Tennille is the Manager of Social Impact & Volunteerism for Marriott International. Jerome is also an independent consultant and advisor in the subject matter of Sustainability and Social Impact. Prior to that Jerome held the position of Senior Manager of Impact Analysis and Assessment for Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), a national organization that offers help, hope, and healing to all those grieving the death of a loved one serving in America’s armed forces. Jerome also served on the board of directors of Peace Through Action USA for four years and also serves on the PsychArmor Institute Advisory Committee for the School of Volunteers & Nonprofits. Jerome holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in operations management and a Master of Sustainability Leadership (MSL) from Arizona State University. Jerome is designated as Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) and is also a veteran of the US Navy. Links Mentioned In This Episode PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is a previous podcast episode featuring Kathy Roth-Duquet and Sinclair Harris as we discuss the Racial Equity Initiative of Blue Star Families. In this episode, we talk about the importance of DEI for military families and how to apply these principles to your organization. You can check out that episode through this link: https://psycharmor.org/podcast/kathy-roth-duquet-and-sinclair-harris
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 19 Jan 2021 | BTM02 - Dr. Jill Bormann - Mantram Repetition Training | 00:29:35 | |
About Today’s Guest
Jill E. Bormann is a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, a Clinical Professor and Research Health Scientist. She developed the Mantram Repetition Program – a spiritually-integrated health program for symptom and stress management. She received the prestigious “Edge Runner Award” from the American Academy of Nursing for innovation in nursing. She also received Excellence in Research Awards from the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses. Over the span of 20 years, she has conducted federally funded research on the health outcomes of the Mantram Repetition Program in various groups including family caregivers of Veterans with dementia, Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), healthcare employees, adults living with HIV/AIDS, homeless women for insomnia, and first-time mothers. Research results provide growing evidence that the Mantram Repetition Program provides a portable “pause button for the mind” that is convenient, invisible, inexpensive, non-pharmacological and complementary to mainstream medicine. In addition to serving on the PsychArmor Institute’s Caregiver Advisory Board, she is a consultant and collaborates with colleagues across the country to further research and dissemination of the Mantram Program in various populations.
Links Mentioned In This Episode
PyschArmor’s Mantram Repetition Training Course
More Information about Dr. Bormann’s Work
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by USAA. USAA, USAA Bank and The USAA Foundation, Inc. strive to increase positive impact by providing financial support to organizations that align with their corporate responsibility focus areas. In local communities where USAA has a significant presence of employees, they provide financial support to causes that address needs that align with their local focus areas. You can find out more about the work that they do at www.usaa.com Join Us on Social Media
Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 27 Aug 2024 | BTM183 - Dr. Khadija Boyd - Journal of Veterans Studies | 00:31:13 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with Dr. Khadija Boyd, a retired United States Army Combat Veteran, who is currently the Editor in Chief for the Journal of Veterans Studies. The mission of the Journal of Veterans Studies is to sustain international research in veterans studies, facilitate interdisciplinary research collaborations, and narrow gaps between cultures, institutions, experiences, knowledge, and understanding.
Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health. About Today’s Guests Dr. Khadija Boyd is a Retired United States Army Combat Veteran. She received her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Northcentral University in 2020. Her research and previous publications focus on race and gender discrimination in the military as identified as military colorblindness and military gestational loathing. Also, the use of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) as a filter of racial awareness. She is currently an Editor for the Journal of Veterans Studies and Section Editor for the Journal of Veterans Studies. Links Mentioned in this Episode The Journal of Veterans Studies Website PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course, Advising Military Students on Higher Education. In this course, you’ll see a brief look at higher education options and transition information for military students
You can see find the resource here:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Advising-Military-Students-on-Higher-Education
Episode Partner:
Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 17 Sep 2024 | BTM186 - Julie Goldstein and Lisa Sabey - Supporting Parents of Children in Suicidal Crisis | 00:33:41 | |
Show Summary On today’s episode, we’re featuring a conversation with Dr. Julie Goldstein, Director of the Zero Suicide Institute, and Lisa Sabey, President of Parents-to-Parents. We’re going to be talking about a video resource called Parents to Parents: After Your Child’s Suicide Attempt.
Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health. About Today’s Guests Julie Goldstein Grumet, EDC vice president, is an expert in behavioral health transformation, state and local community suicide prevention, and the use of evidence-based practices for suicide care in clinical settings. She translates complex topics into engaging and impactful resources for health care leaders, school leaders, and others. As director of the Zero Suicide Institute, Goldstein Grumet provides strategic direction and leadership for the Zero Suicide framework and oversees the development, dissemination, evaluation, and effective implementation of the framework nationwide. She leads a team dedicated to ensuring that safe and effective suicide care practices are accessible to all via an online implementation toolkit for suicide care in health care systems. Goldstein Grumet is the senior health care advisor to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. A highly acclaimed trainer and speaker, her work has been spotlighted in the Washington Post, Science Magazine, and Military Times. Goldstein Grumet holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from George Washington University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in School Mental Health at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Center for School Mental Health. Lisa Sabey is mostly a wife, mother and grandmother. She has 6 children, 11 grandchildren and a husband who supports her as she launches into all the projects. Lisa’s life changed when her daughter went down the rabbit hole of anorexia nervosa. For years, mental illness ravaged her daughter’s physical and mental wellness. After spending thousands of hours researching, reading and talking with professionals, Lisa increasingly realized that parents needed much more education and support. She self-funded the creation of a documentary, Anorexia: What We Wish We Had Known She committed her life to this work and founded Parents-to-Parents, a 501(c)(3) NPO. Links Mentioned in this Episode The Education Development Center Website Parents to Parents: After Your Child’s Suicide Attempt PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the VA S.A.V.E. training course. Developed in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs, this course presents a general understanding of suicide within the military and Veteran community in the United States. It addresses how to identify a Veteran who may be at risk and teaches viewers what to do to help. Using the simple steps of S.A.V.E., we can all make a difference.
You can see find the resource here:
https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/va-save
Episode Partner:
Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 07 Nov 2023 | BTM143 - Betsey Mercado - Objective Zero for Suicide Prevention | 00:27:25 | |
Show Summary On this episode, we feature a conversation with Betsey Mercado, the CEO of the Objective Zero Foundation, , a wellness technology organization that is Connecting the military community to mental health and wellness resources and to a network of peer and civilian supporters to prevent suicide through the Objective Zero App. About Today’s Guests Betsey Mercado became involved in Objective Zero after seeing the positive influence that intervention had on veterans in crisis. Betsey has committed herself to making a difference in the lives of Soldiers, veterans, and their families. Her experience working with military spouses and leading multiple Family Readiness Groups supporting active duty units gives her a unique perspective that she brings to the Objective Zero team. She volunteers her time to assist with development of the Objective Zero mobile app, maintain the website, and manage Objective Zero’s administration. Betsey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. Links Mentioned In This Episode The Objective Zero Foundation Website PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the PsychArmor the course, Budgeting, Debt Management and Investing. This course provides steps to help you budget accordingly and manage debt as you progress towards financial wellness.
You can find the course here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Budgeting-Debt-Management-and-Investing
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor. PsychArmor is the premier education and learning ecosystems specializing in military culture content PsychArmor offers an. Online e-learning laboratory that is free to individual learners as well as custom training options for organizations.
Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||
| 19 Jul 2022 | BTM77 - Jennifer Goodale - Military Officers Association of America | 00:26:18 | |
About Today’s Guest Jen Goodale separated from the Marine Corps in 2009 after seven years of active duty service. Upon graduation from the University of North Carolina in 2002, she was commissioned as a second lieutenant. After completing Basic Communications Officers Course, she was assigned to 9th Communication Battalion in Camp Pendleton, Calif. As a platoon commander, Goodale deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In her final assignment, she served at Marine Barracks Washington as a member of the 8th & I parade staff and a project manager at the Marine Corps Institute. In 2013, Goodale joined the Member Products and Services team at MOAA. In this role, she focused on engagement with the currently serving community and fundraising to support MOAA initiatives and programs. In 2016, she began supporting The MOAA Foundation as an independent contractor. Since that time, she has become passionate about improving military spouse employment opportunities through her work with the “Keeping a Career on the Move” Military Spouse Symposia series. In 2021, Goodale was selected to serve on the advisory board for the Military Family Advisory Network. Goodale is a North Carolina native and has a bachelor of arts degree in interpersonal and organizational communication studies from UNC-Chapel Hill and a bachelor of science degree in nutrition from Arizona State University. She is married to an active duty Marine, and they have two daughters and two dogs. Links Mentioned In This Episode MOAA Legislative Action Center PsychArmor Resource of the Week The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course Leadership Skills that Drive Impact. This course is designed for those who are interested in learning how to use collective impact principles to foster collaboration and increase impact for service members, Veterans, their families, and their caregivers. You can find a link to the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/leadership-skills-that-drive-impact
This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations. Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com | |||