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Greetings!
Our military has been at war for more than a decade.
Much energy, attention, and money has been focused
on trying to understand--and end--the dramatic rise in suicide within the military. And while this attention has resulted in the development of new efforts and programs, many of which have improved the overall well-being of the force, the increase in suicides among those who serve our country continues. The number of suicides is up 18 percent over the same period last year and now eclipses the number of war deaths.
Preventing suicide is a challenging endeavor, regardless of the target population. Mental health professionals recognize this: many civilian organizations, advocacy groups, and individuals work tirelessly to identify those most vulnerable and provide treatment to those at risk. Clearly our military leadership is dedicated to addressing this issue.
It is unlikely that we will find one answer or one approach that works for all of those at risk. But we can--and must--continue to identify the cultural, individual, and environmental factors that contribute to the choice to commit suicide. We must continue to develop strategies to assist those who are blinded to other options. And we must continue to engage the larger community about these issues, to ensure that services wrap around those who are too vulnerable, too exhausted, or too overwhelmed to continue to ask for help.
I am proud that Give an Hour is leading the Mental Health pillar for Got Your 6. Through this platform, we have the opportunity train thousands of students in mental health professions about the unique psychological and emotional issues affecting service members and their loved ones.
Our efforts to reduce the stigma associated with mental health care, as well as our work to educate and raise awareness, are crucial steps in helping to bring down the number of suicides among military members.
It is our hope that the coordination of services through programs such as the Community Blueprint (www.handsonnetwork.org) will ensure that military members, veterans, and their families have the help they need when and where they need it and will ultimately reduce the despair that leads people to suicide.
Take care,
Barbara Van Dahlen, Ph.D.
Founder and President
Give an Hour
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Military Family Fun Fair - Fayetteville, N.C.
The Fayetteville Community Blueprint and Give an Hour will hold a Military Family Fun Fair open to military service members, veterans, and their families. The free event will provide a fun and interactive opportunity for the military community to learn about resources available on post and in the surrounding area.
The fair will feature vendor booths, music, bouncy houses, an equine therapy booth, yoga, face painting, magicians, animal petting stations, games, and other entertainment for children. Come join us!
WHEN: Saturday, September 22, 2012
10am-2pm
WHERE: Snyder Memorial Baptist Church
701 Westmont Drive
Fayetteville, N.C. 28305
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Barbara Van Dahlen to Speak at TEDxMidAtlantic
A writer. A philanthropist. A four-star general. A mental health professional for veterans. A former White House policy advisor. A teen inventor. What do they all have in common? They embody the spirit of Be Fearless and approach life by being bold, taking risks, and making failure matter. And they are all speaking at this year's TEDxMidAtlantic in Washington, D.C., October 26-27. Want to attend? Click here to register.
The Case Foundation is thrilled to be co-hosting TEDxMidAtlantic this year, with the theme of Be Fearless. For the first time ever, this renowned event will take place over two days, featuring Jose Antonio Vargas, David Rubenstein, Colin Powell, Melody Barnes, Jack Andraka, and other dynamic speakers and changemakers--including GAH's Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen--who are making big bets, experimenting early and often, reaching beyond their bubbles, and letting urgency conquer fear.
Visit TEDxMidAtlantic.com to see the latest speaker announcements and purchase tickets. We're pleased to offer our community a discount on tickets if you use the code "BeFearless" by September 21--hurry, there are only 250 available at this rate! The event will also be livestreamed, so if you can't attend in person, you can still be a part of the action.
We hope to see you there! |
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Run the Marine Corps 10K with Team Give an Hour
If you aren't quite ready for the Marine Corps Marathon, you may want to sign up for the Marine Corp 10K, which is held the same day, October 28, 2012, in Washington, D.C. Participants in the MCM10K (6.2 miles) will run the streets of the nation's capital and finish at the iconic Marine Corps War Memorial in Rosslyn, Va.
Give an Hour is excited to announce that registered participants can join the GAH team, running as a group to bring awareness to the needs of military families and to support GAH's mission.
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Give an Hour Ad Campaign
Hits the Newstands in August
The experiences of war are powerful and not easily forgotten. For many, the things that happened in the past are affecting the present.
In Give an Hour's powerful new print ad campaign, mini dramas give the reader quick flashes of events in the lives of service men and women and their families. The messages are simple but poignant. Each story is chronicled using military time and concludes with a reference to time and Give an Hour.
Time Magazine was the first to print one of our new ads in August. We thank Time for its incredible ongoing support.
And we would like to recognize the creative team of Chris Nott and Mackie Blaylock from Capital One Bank, who have given their time, passion, and dedication to creating awareness of the work of Give an Hour.
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 Support Give an Hour through the Combined Federal Campaign
Thank you to all of our supporters who donated to Give an Hour through the Combined Federal Campaign last year, our first year in the national CFC. GAH received more than $10,000 in donations from 45 CFC chapters, from Alabama to California to Maine and overseas.
The 2012 Combined Federal Campaign is getting underway across the United States and abroad, wherever there are federal employees and military service members. If you participate in the CFC, please consider making Give an Hour a recipient of your dollars.
Please note: Give an Hour is listed as "Military Families Receive Free Mental Health Care - Give an Hour." Our CFC number is 65498.
Funds received go toward the vital work of outreach to and support for our volunteer mental health professionals, who provide free mental health care to so many deserving returning troops and their families.
Thank you for your consideration.
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Partnerships & Special Projects
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Wounded Warrior Project and Give an Hour Partner to Enhance the Continuity and Quality of Military Care Over the past six months, Give an Hour providers have been volunteering with our partners at the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), assisting with Project Odyssey retreats. Give an Hour mental health providers spend between two and five days on an adventure retreat with veterans and WWP staff. During this time, GAH providers participate in outdoor activities and help lead small group discussions about combat stress. One GAH provider who attended a Project Odyssey reflected, During the month of June I was granted an opportunity to attend the Project Odyssey retreat in Lake Tahoe. Every evening the group of 11 combat veterans would convene to discuss the day's events. During the first evening, a recently retired combat veteran with Post Traumatic Stress pulled me aside to talk. He communicated that since he retired, he had been having difficulty adjusting to civilian life. He stated that he rarely left home and that prior to leaving for this retreat his wife of 10 years told him that she wanted a divorce unless he got some help. He admitted that he had avoided counseling for some time and that he was ready to do whatever it took to save his marriage. I informed him that Give an Hour had therapists who were available to see him in his community if he was prepared to make the first step. He agreed, and I gave him the contact information for a therapist in his community who was accepting new clients. Attending the Project Odyssey retreat as a GAH provider was a profound, but amazingly simple way I could help this veteran direct his motivation to recover. My experience attending the retreat was invaluable. If you are a provider, are fluent in military culture, trauma treatments, and the impact of combat on warriors and/or families, and are interested in supporting veterans and/or their family members, please contact Give an Hour. Below is a list of upcoming retreats; if you are interested in receiving clients following these retreats or if you would like to inquire about other opportunities to get involved, please e-mail Wes Colbert, GAH Clinical Coordinator, at wcolbert@giveanhour.org. Oct 1-5, 2012 Northeast PO Maine Oct 1-5, 2012 New York PO Northforks Oct 8-12, 2012 Seattle PO NAC Oct 9-12, 2012 Southeast PO Key West Oct 10-12, 2012 Jacksonville PO Key West Oct 15-19, 2012 Washington, DC PO Shenandoah Oct 22-26, 2012 San Antonio PO Jordon Ranch Nov 5-8, 2012 Fayetteville PO Xtreme Challenge Nov 11-16, 2012 Pittsburgh PO Nemacolin Nov 12-16, 2012 Chicago PO Meramac Dec 3-7, 2012 Colorado Springs PO NAC |
Bands of Brothers Reality Show Premieres September 13!
Are you with the Band? This fall 12 veterans will raise their voices for the millions of others suffering in silence with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Watch them transform from strangers to rock stars as they prepare to play the concert of their lives on Veterans Day, November 11, in Philadelphia. Helping them on their journey are the Guides, a group of rock's elite players including Mark Rivera (Music Director, Ringo Starr's All Starr Band), Kasim Sulton (Utopia/Todd Rundgren), Mike Visceglia (Music Director, Suzanne Vega), Anton Fig (CBS Orchestra), and Andy York (John Mellencamp). Show your support: catch up with the premiere of the September 13th show online now. And tune in every Thursday evening from now to November 15 to cheer, laugh, and be inspired. Bands of Brothers is a nonprofit with the mission to give veterans living with PTSD hope and connect them with help. Give an Hour is a partner in that pursuit.
Add your voice to those standing up for our troops. Visit Bands of Brothers online, like BoB on Facebook, follow BoB on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter. Be with the band. |
  
Give an Hour Launches New Ad in Times Square Give an Hour has just launched a new Jumbotron ad on the CBS "Super Screen" in Times Square.
Capital One Bank, Got Your 6, and the Community Blueprint have joined us in shining a spotlight on our nation's service members, veterans, and military families and the sacrifices they have made.
A special shout out to Capital One Bank, for their generous support of this amazing opportunity for our entire three-month run in Times Square, and to (once again) the creative team of Chris Nott and Mackie Blaylock, for their continuous dedication and and creative energy.
If you get to Times Square, post your photo on the Give an Hour Facebook page or on Connected site right from your phone.
If you can't get there, click here for a preview
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VA Continues PTSD Outreach with AboutFace Campaign;
Veterans Provide Video Testimonials
on Experiences with PTSD
The Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has begun a new online initiative, AboutFace, focused on helping Veterans recognize PTSD symptoms and motivating them to seek treatment.
"We must do all we can to help Veterans identify possible indicators that they may be suffering from PTSD," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "It requires a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to be effective. We hope that this initiative, while just one aspect of our program, will play an important role in that effort."
The AboutFace campaign introduces viewers to Veterans from all eras who have experienced PTSD and turned their lives around with treatment. Through personal videos, viewers will meet Veterans and hear how PTSD has affected them and their loved ones. Visitors will also learn the steps to take to gain control of their lives, and family members who don't know what to do as they watch their loved ones struggle to recover from trauma will also gain understanding.
AboutFace, which is PTSD-specific, was designed as a complementary campaign to VA's current Make the Connection (www.MakeTheConnection.net) intiative. Make the Connection uses personal testimonials to illustrate true stories of Veterans who faced life events, experiences, physical ailments, or psychological symptoms; reached out for support; and found ways to overcome their challenges.
"VA is committed to ensuring the men and women who bravely served our Nation can access the resources and services tailored for them that can lead to a more fulfilling life," said Dr. Robert Petzel, VA's undersecretary for health. "We want Veterans to recognize themselves in these stories and to feel optimistic that they can overcome their challenges with proper treatment."
For more information on AboutFace, visit www.ptsd.va.gov/aboutface/ or contact the National Center for PTSD at (802) 296-5132.
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Veterans, Trauma, and Treatment
Best Mind-Body Practices
Professional Conference Addressing Resiliency to Recovery
The number of veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been estimated at 25 to 35 percent of those who return from deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq. Support services are under an enormous amount of pressure to help veterans and their families find creative solutions to the myriad problems that come with PTSD.
Veterans, Trauma, and Treatment is an unprecedented gathering of experts in resiliency, trauma, and the treatment of trauma for veterans using complementary and alternative medicine. Health-care professionals, psychologists, social workers, caregivers, and counselors working with veterans suffering with PTSD and their families are are invited to learn and share successes so that this population can be served more effectively.
PTSD finds expression in suicide, homelessness, abusive behavior, addiction, and other issues at great cost to individuals, families, and society. According to Omega, this growing crisis calls for creative and alternative approaches in the search for successful treatment, a fact recognized by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, which actively support many mind-body modalities ranging from yoga to mindfulness practice.
For more than 20 years, Omega has been engaged with veterans and family members dealing with issues of PTSD. During the conference, keynote speakers and concurrent workshop leaders will discuss many complementary and alternative mind-body approaches.
Tuition is regularly $350. Give an Hour providers are eligible for a $100 tuition discount for attendance. When registering online, please enter the code "VETFAC" in the promotional code box. Housing or commuter fee not included. This offer cannot be combined with other discounts.
For more information, contact Omega Registration at 877.944.2002.
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Writing War: A Guide to Telling Your Story Nonprofit Organization Helps Troops Heal and Provides Forum for Creative Expression The Veterans Writing Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., offers no-cost writing seminars and workshops for veterans, active and reserve service member,s and military families. They publish a quarterly literary review, a podcast, and an ongoing scroll of writing on their sister site, O-Dark-Thirty. Led by combat veterans with MA or MFA degrees in writing, the Veterans Writing offers a two-day intensive seminar, a six- or fourteen-week workshop, and customizable workshops on elements of craft. The focus is on using writing as a form of therapy. The core curriculum is "Writing War: A Guide to Telling Your Own Story." Written by a veteran for veterans, it details the elements of craft involved in writing both fiction and nonfiction. Beginning with the basic questions, "Why do we write?" and "What's different about writing the military experience?" the book includes chapters on scene, setting, dialogue, narrative structure, character motivation and development, point of view, and more. Writing War includes detailed examples demonstrating each element of craft. All examples used in the book were written by writers who are also veterans. It is written to be accessible to beginning and more experienced writers. Veterans, serving members of the armed forces (active or reserve), and military or veterans' family members are all invited to participate in the seminars and workshops. Veterans of any age who have served in combat and those who have never left stateside are welcome. Family members of veterans, whether they are spouses, parents, or adult children are welcome, too. The only requirement is that participants want to learn about writing in order to tell stories. If those stories are relevant to serving in the armed forces or being part of a military family, so much the better. As the organization expands, it will open seminars to government civilians and contractors. An article recently published in the quarterly NEA Arts magazine profiles the Veterans Writing Project and discusses the power of writing to heal:  http://www.nea.gov/about/nearts/story. Ron Capps, founder and director of Veterans Writing Project, suffered from PTSD. After retiring from 25 years of service in the military, he received his MA in writing from Johns Hopkins University in 2011 and founded the Veterans Writing Project the same year. Today, he lives and works in Washington, D.C. as a writer. To learn more or to register, visit http://veteranswriting.org or contact Ron Capps at ron@veteranswriting.org. |
You Joined the Military to Serve Your Country.
Here's Your Chance to Serve Your Community.
Veteran Leader Corps is a force multiplier for communities, supporting the Community Blueprint, a national initiative consisting of a set of solutions and a framework of organizations committed to addressing the most common challenges facing veterans and military families, from unemployment to housing and reintegration. As a Points of Light Veteran Leader Corps member, you will: - Help veterans build workforce skills;
- Mentor and coach returning veterans to find jobs;
- Provide leadership opportunities for veterans in your community; and
- Develop volunteer projects to serve veterans.
Veteran Leader Corps members are part of AmeriCorps, a national service force for good, 87,000 strong. Members serve with nonprofits around the country, full time for one or two terms of 11 months, and receive the following benefits each term: - A modest living allowance of a minimum of $12,100
- Health insurance
- Child care subsidy (if eligible)
- $5,550 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion of term (at least 1,700 hours)
- Leadership training from Points of Light, the world's leading volunteer organization
- Opportunities to lead people and projects
- The chance to build professional skills in others and yourself
Our national network of organizations are hosting Corps Members in these communities: Atlanta, Georgia; Macon, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; Fairfax, Virginia, Miami, Florida; Huntsville, Alabama; West Lafayette, Indiana; Los Angeles, California; and Washington, D.C. *** - Do you want to learn unparalleled leadership skills?
- Do you want to become engaged in your community through service to others?
- Do you want to actively support veterans reintegrating into the community and empower them to lead others?
- Have you persevered through professional and personal challenges?
- Are you ready to be a leader and change-maker?
If you answered YES to any of those questions, then we WANT YOU!
Click here to see a map of host organizations and to apply. |
Give an Hour At-a-Glance
- Increased volunteer provider network by 530% from 1,000 in February 2008 to 6,300 in August 2012
- Increased number of volunteer hours donated by mental health providers by nearly 4,000% from 1,415 in August 2008 to 57,000 hours in August 2012
- Increased non-mental health volunteers over 4,000% from 15 in 2008 to 620 currently
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Get Connected with Give an Hour
 Give an Hour Connected is a community site where our partners, friends, and supporters come together to share their news, photos, videos, and upcoming events. We invite you to visit the site and join this online community at connected.giveanhour.org. Click here to join the conversation. Give an Hour also has a mobile app now available for free on iTunes. |
 What's Your Story?
Do you have a story about your experience with Give an Hour you'd like to share? Do you know someone else who does? We often receive requests from reporters who would like to talk to people who give or receive services through Give an Hour. In fact, we've featured some of these folks in marketing videos and public service announcements. Some veterans who have received services have gone on to share their stories through national media outlets and public speaking engagements. Personal stories underscore the value of the services we provide and go a long way in reducing the stigma so often associated with mental health care.
If you are a veteran, service member, family member, or provider and would like to share your story, please contact Lauren Itzkowitz at litzkowitz@giveanhour.org. |
 You may also make an online donation here: Donate to Give an Hour. |
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 Underwrite the Cost of an Hour of
Free Mental Health Service
Thanks to generous supporters and donors, Give an Hour is able to provide free mental health services to members of the military and veteran communities, their loved ones, and their communities at a cost to us of only $17 per hour.
Click here to underwrite an hour (or more!) of services
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If you are a provider and considering
Unsubscribing,
please know that you will no longer be able to receive important communications from GAH to all providers. Please also know that we try very hard to keep our group e-mails to a minimum.
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