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Greetings!
This is an exciting time for Give an Hour. In recent weeks we have received the great honor of being selected as one of five finalists in the White House's Joining Forces Community Challenge and I was named to Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2012.
I believe that Give an Hour's work is being recognized because there is a growing awareness among those seeking to support the military community that we must do a better job of coordinating our efforts to assist those who serve and their families.
Give an Hour was built on the philosophy that there are many ways to serve, as well as on the belief that we all have something of value to give to those in need. In addition, our organization promotes the principle that we will be more effective in attending to those who need and deserve our care if we harness our community-based resources and encourage collaboration among all stakeholders and organizations within our communities.
I am very hopeful that all of these wonderful efforts will continue to develop so that there are fewer gaps in our system of care and fewer men, women, and families who are suffering.
Take care,
Barbara Van Dahlen, Ph.D.
Founder and President
Give an Hour
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Buy Your Tickets Now . . .
Give an Hour's Inaugural Gala May 23, 2012 Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C. Honoring Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation Jennifer Crane, OEF Veteran Justin Constantine, OIF VeteranSteve and Cokie Roberts, Masters of CeremonyJason Isbell, Musical Guest
Honorary Gala Committee
Norman Anderson, CEO American Psychological Association Senator Michael Bennet D-Colorado Representative Corrine Brown D-Florida Paul Burke, Executive Director American Psychiatric Foundation Senator Richard Burr R-North Carolina Betsy Clark, Executive Director National Association of Social Workers Representative Mike Coffman R-Colorado Alan Cumming Emmy Award Winning Actor John Damonti, President, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Carol Goodheart, Ed.D. Former President, American Psychological Association Debbie Gregory, CEO Military Connection Senator Kay Hagan D-North Carolina Senator Johnny Isakson R-Georgia Janet Kemp, Ph.D., R.N. Raymond Lorion, Ph.D., Dean College of Education, Towson University The Honorable and Mrs. Leo Mackay Vice President, Lockheed Martin, Former Deputy Secretary of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs The Honorable and Mrs. Robert McFarlane
Chairman of McFarlane and Associates, Former National Security Advisor General and Mrs. Richard Myers, USAF (ret.) Former Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Michelle Nunn, CEO Points of Light Institute; Co-Founder HandsOn Network The Honorable and Mrs. Sam Nunn CEO of Nuclear Threat Initiative and Former Senator from Georgia Craig R. Quigley, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.) Executive Director, Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance Douglas M. Ronsheim, D.Min., Executive Director American Association of Pastoral Counselors Dr. James H. Scully, Jr., CEO American Psychiatric Association Brigadier General (ret.) Loree Sutton, M.D. Co-Founder, Threshold GlobalWorks, LLC Melba Vasquez, Ph.D. Immediate Past President, American Psychological Association Senator Mark Warner D-Virginia Senator Jim Webb D-Virginia Don and Roxanne Weber LHI Senator Sheldon Whitehouse D-Rhode Island Bob and Lee Woodruff Journalists A special thank you to our generous event sponsors:
Presenting Sponsor
Four-Star Sponsor
Three-Star Sponsors
   One-Star Sponsors
 For sponsorship information, contact
Katherine Wilkins at kwilkins@giveanhour.org
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 Barbara Van Dahlen Named to
TIME 100: List of Most Influential
People of 2012 The TIME list of the 100 Most Influential in the World, now in its ninth year, recognizes the activism, innovation, and achievement of the world's most influential individuals. As TIME Managing Editor Richard Stengel has said of the list, "The TIME 100 is not a list of the most powerful people in the world, it's not a list of the smartest people in the world, it's a list of the most influential people in the world. They're scientists, they're thinkers, they're philosophers, they're leaders, they're icons, they're artists, they're visionaries. People who are using their ideas, their visions, their actions to transform the world and have an effect on a multitude of people." Barbara has worked tirelessly for the past seven years to build a strong, national network of mental health professionals who provide free services to U.S. troops, veterans, their loved ones, and their communities. Since Give an Hour's inception in 2005, Barbara's work has brought together over 6,100 providers, who have collectively given nearly $5 million worth of services. As Col. David Sutherland reflected, "This honor is so inspiring to all of us who know Barbara. Her dedication is contagious and she makes us want to work harder and collaborate as often as possible to assist those who serve and their families. Barbara's work with Give an Hour is a shining example of the potential for collective impact that exists within communities across our nation when citizens step forward to address a need." To read Barbara's profile in the TIME 100, written by Adm. Mike Mullen, click here.
To see TIME's video profile of Barbara, click here. |
Give an Hour Joins "Got Your 6" Give an Hour is thrilled to announce that we have joined with top Hollywood broadcast and cable networks, studios, talent agencies, and guilds to participate in the Got Your 6 campaign ( www.gotyour6.org). This nationwide initiative is uniting the entertainment industry with top nonprofit organizations to shine a spotlight on veterans as civic assets and leaders in communities across the United States. "Got your six" is a military expression that means "I've got your back, and you've got mine." The six o'clock position or "six" is the designation of the rear of a military formation. Give an Hour has worked hard to reduce the stigma of mental health among the military and veteran population. The backing of Hollywood will go a long way in furthering our mission. In coordination with the Got Your 6 campaign, Give an Hour will lead a program to educate 100,000 undergraduate and graduate students in mental health disciplines on the unique issues of veterans and military families. Our goal is to ensure that there are enough trained professionals to address the growing need. Conceived in November 2011, Got Your " launched on May 10 with tremendous strength. The campaign has at its disposal the assets, expertise, and talent of the entertainment industry, spanning film, television, gaming, print, radio, outdoor media, and social platforms. Entertainment industry partners that have already signed on to Got Your 6 include A+E Networks, ABC, Bad Robot Productions, CAA, CBS Corporation, Directors Guild of America, Entertainment Industry Foundation, Fox Audience Strategy, Funny or Die, HBO, ICM, NBCUniversal, Paramount Pictures, Producers Guild of America West, SAG-AFTRA, Shine America, Showtime, Sony Pictures Entertainment, UTA, Warner Bros, Walt Disney Company, WME, and Writers Guild of America West. An updated list of signatory companies is available online at www.gotyour6.org. More than one million military service members will reenter civilian life over the next five years. Got Your 6 will create a new conversation in America to ensure that these individuals are perceived as leaders and civic assets who will reinvigorate our communities. Awareness of this message will be extended via a star-studded public service announcement (PSA) campaign, as well as ongoing media coverage of Got Your 6 by news organizations, script integrations for TV and film projects, and original digital content, all of which are made possible by the pledged support of industry leaders and talent involved the campaign. Got Your 6 will also offer pathways for the American public to connect and engage with the campaign, such as iconic branded merchandise, special events, and "calls to action" for the individual. Stay tuned--we've got your back. Give an Hour invites you visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GiveanHour and join our new Web site connected.giveanhour.org to keep up to date on the Got Your 6 campaign. |
 Give an Hour Selected as One of Five Winners of White House Joining Forces Community ChallengeAs one of the five winners of the White House's Joining Forces Community Challenge, Give an Hour was invited to the White House for the initiative's one-year anniversary on April 11. First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched Joining Forces to support and honor America's service members and their families. The initiative aims to educate, challenge, and spark action from all sectors of our society--citizens, communities, schools, nonprofits, faith-based institutions, philanthropic organizations, and government--to ensure military families have the support they have earned. GAH's president, Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, and chief operating officer, Nancy St. Claire, attended the anniversary events, which included a reception hosted by Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, his wife, Ms. Deanie Dempsey, and Dr. Jill Biden in honor of Joining Forces Community Challenge finalists and winners on April 10, 2012 at the Pentagon. For more information on the Joining Forces initiative, visit joiningforces.challenge.gov. 
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 Give an Hour Promotions and New HiresGive an Hour proudly announces the promotion of Jess Grove from executive assistant to program specialist and the hiring of Kristin Bermudez, executive assistant; Wes Colbert, clinical coordinator; Kent Corso, clinical director; Siobhan Norris, manager, community projects; and Keisha Robinson, administrative assistant on the Community Blueprint. Congratulations and welcome! Kristin BermudezExecutive assistant to Barbara Van Dahlen, Kristen comes to GAH with superb administrative skills, as well as a M.A. in Forensic Psychology from Marymount University and a B.A. in Experimental Psychology  from the University of South Carolina, Columbia. Her training focused on the mind and patterns of sexual predators. Before joining the GAH staff, Kristin served as the senior analyst in the Background Check Unit at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. At NCMEC, she worked in conjunction with the FBI, analyzing criminal background checks for people who wanted to volunteer with children. Kristin also volunteered as a victim advocate for rape crisis victims. Kristin considers herself a world citizen, has lived in Israel, and travels to Australia and Ecuador often to visit family. She enjoys salsa dancing, playing the piano, the outdoors, and seeing the world through her daughter's eyes. She lives in Maryland with her husband, their young daughter, and two dogs. Wes Colbert Wes Colbert graduated from Curry College, in Milton, Mass., in 2002. Deeply impacted by the events of 9/11, Wes joined the U.S. Army upon graduation, working as a mental health specialist. In 2005 he was deployed to Iraq, where he was able to experience firsthand the toll that combat takes on soldiers and their families. Since safely returning home Wes has worked in various nonprofit organizations and government agencies, most recently completing a year-long internship at the Vet Center, where he assisted combat veterans in the readjustment process. He recently graduated from Grambling State University with a M.S.W. Wes is married to a wonderful and supportive wife and is a proud father of two. The Colbert family currently resides in Frederick, Md. Kent Corso Kent Corso, Psy.D., BCBA-D, is a clinical health psychologist and board certified behavior analyst. He is a prior U.S. Air Force officer and an OEF veteran. Kent completed his graduate education in the Washington, D.C., area at the American School of Professional Psychology. He comes to Give an Hour with over 10 years of experience in teaching and training in special education as well as university and medical settings. Over the last seven years his clinical work and research has been conducted with military members, their families, and veterans. His expertise includes topics such as suicide and population-based delivery of behavioral health treatments. While on active duty, Kent also gained experience in organizational psychology and consultation. Kent joined Give an Hour two years ago as our mental health outreach volunteer; as clinical director, he is currently focused on the partnership between Give an Hour and the Wounded Warrior Program.  Jessica GroveJessica Grove, GAH's program specialist, spent her first three years at GAH as our superorganized administrative assistant. Her people skills and deep knowledge of GAH and our many providers, partners, and collaborators make her the perfect person to work more closely with our providers and partners in her new position. Jess comes to us from the professional theater world, where she spent six years working for Round House Theater in Bethesda, Md. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received a B.A. in Dramatic Arts. Jessica enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time with family and friends, including her new baby daughter. Siobhan Norris Siobhan Norris is proud to be a member of a family that can date its military involvement all the way back to the Civil War. She is the granddaughter of a retired Marine and decorated World War II veteran, the daughter of a decorated combat wounded Special Forces Vietnam veteran, the spouse of a U.S. Army Black Hawk Aviator, and herself is a former U.S. Army Military Police soldier. While completing her B.A. in Psychology and raising her two children in Hawaii, Siobhan spent her free time volunteering and advocating for her local military and civilian communities. She has assisted in raising money and awareness for various nonprofit organizations such as U.S. Vets, Honolulu's River of Life Rescue Mission, Autism Speaks, and the Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery. She also proudly supported her Family Readiness Group by acting as a crisis response team member, secretary, and key caller. While her husband attended the Maneuver Captains Career Course at Ft. Benning, Ga., Siobhan continued her enthusiastic volunteer role by acting as a First Steps service provider for the Family Advocacy Program located at Martin Army Community Hospital. In addition, she has recently been accepted to Boston University's Online Graduate School for Social Work. Siobhan enjoys reading mystery novels, running, and spending time with her husband, their two beautiful children, and their German Shepherd, Thor. Keisha Robinson An effective administrator with a strong passion for nonprofits, Keisha has over 15 years of experience providing support to executive level professionals of both for-profit and nonprofit business sectors. A graduate of the Future Milwaukee Leadership Program at Marquette University, with a B.S. in Management from Cardinal Stritch University, Keisha served as operations manager at the April May Foundation and executive assistant at Independence First before joining GAH. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and two children. To learn more about other staff members, click here |
Give an Hour Partners with Wounded Warrior Project
We are pleased to announce a new partnership between Give an Hour and Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), which officially began earlier this spring. This collaborative venture will allow us to match GAH providers with WWP Project Odyssey and Family Member retreats that last between one and five days and employ an adventure learning model to help veterans and family members recognize combat stress and PTSD as invisible wounds of war and address a variety of issues associated with combat. We will also connect attendees with their peers, community, and behavioral health resources. Our new clinical staff is leading this program (see bios of Wes Colbert and Kent Corso, above). Both are veterans who bring energy and commitment to this program.
Give an Hour providers will have the exciting opportunity to serve our veterans and their family members by volunteering to provide education and consultation at WWP retreats. This prospect involves more extensive time with wounded warriors where the provider works aside WWP staff engaging in the adventure activities, conducting informal psycho-education in individual and/or group formats, facilitating group discussions, and providing one-on-one consultations as needed with retreat attendees. GAH providers may also involve themselves in the WWP partnership by volunteering as receiving providers for retreat alumni. This affords the provider the opportunity to accept clients directly from the WWP Project Odyssey retreats so that the alumni transition directly from a retreat experience to a course of clinical care. Such continuity will help our wounded warriors maintain their momentum as they journey beyond their combat stress.
To learn more about our new partnership or to volunteer for these opportunities, please e-mail Wes Colbert at wcolbert@giveanhour.org.
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Volunteers Needed for Study on
Post-Deployment Behavioral Health
 | Assessment of Base Rates of PTSD, High Risk Behaviors,
and Impairment Study |
Are you a Service Member (active duty, National Guard, or Reserve) or Veteran who deployed in support of OIF/OEF? Are you willing to complete an online, completely anonymous survey?
If so, you may be qualified to participate in an internet study entitled "Assessment of Base Rates of PTSD, High Risk Behaviors, and Impairment" that is examining post-deployment behavioral health outcomes
YOU WILL BE COMPENSATED FOR YOUR TIME.Please read on or click on this link for more information about the study:www.myserviceimpact.com.
STUDY INFORMATION
Researchers from the University at Albany - State University of New York and University of South Florida are conducting a research study to understand the impact of combat deployment on a variety of behavioral health outcomes and would like to offer you the opportunity to participate. This research is being paid for by the Department of Defense (DoD) Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC).
Your participation is completely voluntary and will take about one and a half hours. This study will take place entirely online and is completely anonymous. As a way of thanking you for your time and participation, the first 900 participants will be paid $25. All other participants will be entered into a lottery to win one of six (6) $500 Amazon gift cards.
In order to participate you must:
- Have deployed at least once in support of Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom
- Be between the ages of 18 and 59
- Be able to write and read English at an 8th grade level or higher
- Be willing to respond to a completely anonymous online survey
Visit www.myserviceimpact.com.
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 You may also make an online donation here: Donate to Give an Hour. |
Professional Quality of Life:
An Invitation to Contribute In an effort to make sure service members and their families receive the most professional support, a doctoral candidate at Texas A&M University is conducting a survey of mental health practitioners working with military personnel and family members. Entitled "The Posttraumatic Growth and Professional Quality of Life of Mental Health Practitioners Working with Military Personnel and their Family Members," the study will examine positive and negative effects among counselors and how generally these counselors are effected by their work. The study will also investigate potential for growth of mental health practitioners working with secondary exposure of trauma and stress.
To participate in the survey, you must be licensed in social work or counseling and provide counseling to service members in any military branch, veterans, and/or their family members. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes, and all data are confidential.
Please find the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JDJ66J5.
For more information, contact Wendy Robinson, LPC, Doctoral Candidate at Texas A&M University, Commerce at (972) 741-7603.
Note that the study has Institutional Review Board approval through Texas A&M University, Commerce.
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Get Connected with Give an Hour
 We want you to know what we're doing, what issues we're talking about, what partners were working with, and how you can join us in our efforts to serve veterans, service members, their families, and their communities. That's why we've created a companion Web site, Give an Hour Connected, at connected.giveanhour.org. Click here to join the discussion Give an Hour now also has a mobile app available for free on iTunes. |
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Join Us at the Community Blueprint Summit for Change
Join us at the Community Blueprint Summit for Change in Chicago June 17-18, 2012, where GAH's Barbara Van Dahlen and Nancy St. Claire will speak on community- based solutions to the challenges facing service members, veterans, and military families.
The Community Blueprint Summit will feature an array of special guests, including General George W. Casey, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Purple Heart recipient, author, and actor Bryan Anderson, and many others.
Part of the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, the Blueprint Summit--entitled "All The Way Home: The Blueprint for a Meaningful Community Response"--will explore ways to bridge the military-civilian divide. Scheduled topics include the promotion of military and civilian partnership through collaboration, the coordination of services and care, an examination of current research on challenges facing the military community, and an overview of scalable, replicable ways to resolve those challenges.
Visit volunteeringandservice.org to learn more.
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 Hampton Roads Screening Hell and Back Again Film
May 24, Roper Center What does it mean to be in war? What does it mean to come home? Hell and Back Again is a revo- lutionary film that asks and answers these questions. Masterfully contrasting the intensity of the frontline with the unsettling normalcy of home, the film depicts the physical and emotional difficulties of readjusting to civilian life. This tragic story will hit particularly close to home for the Hampton Roads community, which recently lost a well-known local war veteran who took his own life. With a power no previous film about the conflict of war has been able to achieve, Hell and Back Again lays bare the true cost of war. The Community Blueprint Network of Hampton Roads and the Student Veteran Association chapters of Old Dominion University and Tidewater Community College will host a film screening on May 24, 2012, at the Roper Center for Performing Arts. To register to attend, visit www.odu.edu/forms. For additional information, contact Rachel Kersaint at rkersaint@giveanhour.org. |
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 Underwrite the Cost of a Veteran or Mental Health Provider to Attend the Gala
If you are unable to attend the gala, please consider sending in a donation of $250 to underwrite the cost of ticket for a veteran or volunteer mental health professional.
Click here to underwrite a ticket
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