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Greetings!
As we all contemplate the consequences of the sequestration, I have been reflecting on the great progress made by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs toward ensuring the well-being of military members and their families during and after their service. DoD is exploring and supporting new and innovative programs, such as the comprehensive effort to end preventable soldier death being implemented at Fort Bliss in El Paso. And the VA has made great strides in reducing suicide and homelessness among veterans.
But what of the road ahead? It is long and difficult. While many organizations and agencies are pulling in the same direction, some seem to engage in "collaboration for convenience." They are happy to stand on stage with colleagues, they are quick to pledge their support to the shared mission, but they do surprisingly little to actually work with or coordinate efforts with others.
In addition, we are still struggling to determine how best to harness the "Sea of Goodwill" that Admiral Mike Mullen, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, identified as he traveled the country talking to citizens about the importance of community-based solutions to fill gaps in care for those who serve and their families. Joining Forces, Got Your 6, and the Community Blueprint are all great efforts, but we must continue to devote time, energy, and resources to them if they are to achieve their full potential. Heavy lifting is required, and everyone must step up to serve. We must recognize that this is a marathon and not a sprint.
If we continue to encourage and facilitate coordination and collaboration, if we continue to make the care of our military a priority, and if we understand that taking care of those who serve and their families serves our country and serves each of us who enjoy the freedoms they defend, then perhaps at some point in the future we can truly say that we take care of our own.
Take Care,
Barbara Van Dahlen, Ph.D.
Founder & President
Give an Hour
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An Overview of
A Celebration of Service
Give an Hour is hosting A Celebration of Service,
a two-day series of events, June 2-3, 2013, in New York City, that will bring together colleagues from the military, government, corporate, educational, and nonprofit worlds to focus on service and train the next generation of mental health professionals while encouraging voluntarism, engaging communities, and creating awareness of the need for critical mental health services. We are pleased that many more will participate when our full-day conference, "Serving Those Who Serve: Training the Next Generation," is live streamed to multiple college campuses across the country and then given a permanent home on the recently launched Give an Hour-Got Your 6 website for future viewing.
Give an Hour is honored to present the "Commitment to Service" award during the VIP Reception on Sunday evening to Colonel David Sutherland, U.S. Army Retired, for his extraordinary dedication to helping those who serve.
Give an Hour invites you to join this critical mission to educate 100,000 students and spread awareness about the unique issues of veterans and military families. What follows is a brief description of the New York events.
Serving Those Who Serve - Signing Ceremony with Give an Hour and the Army National Guard
Give an Hour is excited to be launching an association with the National Guard for the shared goal of expanding mental health services to military personnel and their families. A formal signing of our joint Memorandum of Understanding will take place at a breakfast on Sunday, June 2, 2013. This will be an inspirational way to start the two days of activities devoted to celebrating service and raising awareness about the challenges faced by military families.
A Celebration of Service Community Project
Working with our partners such as City Year, The Mission Continues, Team Rubicon, and Student Veterans of America, our service project will invite community and military leaders, conference attendees, and students to roll up their sleeves and work side-by-side with veterans during the day on Sunday, June 2, 2013.
A Celebration of Service VIP Reception
Give an Hour will recognize our 2013 "Commitment to Service" award recipients during a VIP reception on Sunday evening, June 2, 2013, at Terminal 5. This two-hour cocktail reception for 300 special guests will be an opportunity to celebrate and honor those who serve in and out of uniform.
A Celebration of Service Benefit Concert
With our new advisory board member Mark Rivera (a member of Billy Joel's band since 1982 and Music Director for Ringo Starr's All Star Band), we are assembling top entertainment and military musicians for an evening of music, healing, and awareness building at our benefit concert at Terminal 5 for an audience of 3,000 on Sunday evening, June 2, 2013.
Serving Those Who Serve - Training the Next Generation
Conference and Post-Conference Reception
On Monday, June 3, 2013, at Columbia University respected mental health and military professionals from around the country will help us educate students in mental health disciplines on the unique issues of veterans and military families, through a series of panel discussions and presentations. This full-day conference will be live streamed to college campuses around the country. Participants will include students from all of the major mental health disciplines. The conference presentations will be available for future viewing on the Give an Hour-Got Your 6 website.
Our post-conference reception, to be held at Columbia University immediately following the conference on June 3, 2013, will allow time for continued networking and exchange of ideas.
We hope you will join us.
While there are countless admirable causes serving the needs of the military men and women and veterans who have selflessly served our country, Give an Hour is unique in its mission of providing free mental health services not only to those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan but also to their extended families and loved ones, including unmarried partners and their communities. We are also unique in scope: we are a national organization with a network that includes more than 6,700 licensed mental health professionals, providing free counseling services (for as long as it is needed) in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam.
If you or your company would like to sponsor A Celebration of Service, please contact Katherine Wilkins at kwilkins@giveanhour.org.
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Give an Hour Launches Got Your 6 Initiative
to Educate 100,000 Students
in Mental Health
Give an Hour is the lead "activation partner" for the health pillar of the entertainment industry's Got Your 6 campaign (www.gotyour6.org), a national public awareness effort led by the entertainment industry and top-tier national nonprofits.
Named for a military term meaning "I've got your back" (and referring to the six o'clock position, which is the designation of the rear of a military formation), Got Your 6 aims to bridge the growing civilian-military divide in this country and show veterans and military families as civic assets and leaders. The campaign connects ordinary Americans with veterans and military families to better enable military veterans to succeed in civilian life.
Got Your 6 also focuses on tangible outcomes in six key areas that are pillars of veteran reintegration: jobs, education, health, housing, family, and leadership. For each of the pillars, Got Your 6 partners have established goals that can be identified, measured, and reported in quantifiable terms. Their progress will be monitored by the Clinton Global Initiative. Give an Hour has pledged to educate 100,000 students in mental health disciplines about military culture and the unique issues affecting military families and will host a conference in New York City on June 3, 2013, to gather and teach students and mental health professionals.
As part of this effort, Give an Hour is launching a GAH Connected/Got Your 6 website, which will provide training, education, and resources, as well as highlight the great efforts already under way in programs across the country to educate these students. Issues such as PTSD, military sexual trauma, suicide, and TBI, along with deployment, reintegration, family life, and military children, will be explored. Students, whether in undergraduate or graduate programs, will have easy access to numerous research studies, reports, books, films, sites, video clips, and other interactive material. "Our hope is that these students will gain a real understanding of what this particular community faces and what sets it apart," notes Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, founder and president of Give an Hour. Information will also be available for current mental health professionals and for university administrators of programs that address military and veteran needs.
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L-R: Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, Sgt. James Pierce,
and GAH PR Director Lauren Itzkowitz
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Give an Hour Hosts Screening
of Silver Linings Playbook at
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
A couple hundred wounded warriors and their family members gathered recently in the Warrior Cafe at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., to see a screening of Silver Linings Playbook. The movie, which earned Jennifer Lawrence an Academy Award
for Best Actress and Bradley Cooper an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, sheds light on mental health in America.
The screening was followed by a Q&A with Barbara Van Dahlen, Mr. Cooper, and former Congressman Patrick Kennedy. Many wounded warriors and family members shared personal stories of struggle and survival and commended Mr. Cooper for helping to highlight the important issue of mental health in our country.
 | | L-R: Academy Award-nominated actor Bradley Cooper and Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, and former Congressman Patrick Kennedy (not pictured) discuss mental health in America |
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Barbara Van Dahlen Joins Actor Bradley Cooper and Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy to Discuss Mental Health in America
 Barbara Van Dahlen joined Bradley Cooper, star of Silver Linings Playbook, an Oscar- winning film about a man living with bipolar disorder, and former Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy for a press conference at the Center for American Progress on February 1 to discuss how the recent film
is making progress toward removing the stigma of mental illness. Also participating
in the panel discussion were Topher Spiro, Director of Health Policy at the center,
and Andrew Sperling, Director of Federal Legislative Advocacy for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Silver Linings Playbook is a film that touches on the serious subject of mental illness in a real-life, relatable way. At its core it is an honest and loving portrayal of someone living with a mental illness and what life is like for him and his loved ones. In America today, approximately 5.7 million American adults are affected by bipolar disorder. In fact, many of the film's creators have personal experience with mental illness, which contributes to the film's realness: Matthew Quick, the author of the novel upon which the film is based, struggles with depression; and David O. Russell, the film's director, has raised a son living with mental illness. As Russell said, because of this movie his son now knows that "he is part of this world."
The Center for American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to promoting a strong, just, and free America that ensures opportunity for all. With the belief that Americans are bound together by a common commitment to these values, the center aspires to ensure that our national policies reflect these values and works to find progressive and pragmatic solutions to significant domestic and international problems, developing policy proposals that foster a government that is "of the people, by the people, and for the people."
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L-R: Topher Spiro, Tara McGuinness, Senator Debbie Stabenow, Bradley Cooper,
Barbara Van Dahlen, Patrick Kennedy, and Andrew Sperling
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Give an Hour Welcomes New Members to the Executive Board
Give an Hour could not function without the assistance and wise counsel of its Executive Board. We are thus very pleased to announce the addition of three new members, whom we began profiling in December. Please welcome Justin Constantine (introduced in our last issue), General (ret.) Mark Graham, and attorney Brian Nichols. Keep a look out for Brian's profile in the next newsletter.
Major General Graham retired from the U.S. Army on August 1, 2012, after almost 35 years of service. He had been in his final position, as the Director (G-3/5/7)
 U.S. Army Forces Command,since September 2009. In this capacity he oversaw the plans, operations, and training for Army forces (active and reserve component). Major General Graham was stationed in the Continental United States and ensured conventional forces were prepared for worldwide deployment and combat. Prior to this position, General Graham Commanded Fort Carson, Colo., and served as the Deputy Commanding General of Army North during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In addition to serving as an Executive Consultant for Homeward Bound Adirondacks, Major General Graham and his wife, Carol, are tireless champions of military and civilian efforts to promote mental health and suicide-prevention awareness and to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health care. They both speak to audiences across the nation to honor the memory of their two sons, 2LT Jeff Graham, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in February 2004, and their Senior Army ROTC cadet Kevin, who died by suicide in June 2003 while studying to be an Army Doctor at the University of Kentucky. The Grahams established the Jeffrey C. and Kevin A. Graham Memorial Fund to provide the "Question, Persuade, Refer" suicide prevention program at the University of Kentucky, and the Jeffrey and Kevin Graham Memorial Endowed Lectureship in Psychology for the study of depression and suicide prevention at Cameron University, in Lawton, Okla. They also support the ongoing efforts of the Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention Partnership, Colorado Springs (El Paso County), Colo., through the Jeff and Kevin Graham Memorial Crisis Hotline and Jeffrey and Kevin Graham Support Services. Major General Graham holds a Master's of Business Administration from Oklahoma City University and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National Defense Universit y in Washington, D.C., in addition to his bachelor's in political science. Major General Graham's numerous military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal.
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Verizon Convenes Summit to Help Prevent Domestic Violence
A Day to Connect, Inspire, and Heal was a groundbreaking summit on domestic violence prevention intended to spark a national conversation about domestic violence and to drive solutions to this societal issue affecting millions.
Give an Hour's Barbara Van Dahlen participated on a panel with Julie Bush, a domestic violence survivor, and Maria Hinojosa, anchor and executive producer of NPR's Latino USA.
Watch the live stream below and view thought-provoking conversations on topics ranging from engaging men and boys as part of the solution to working with youth to prevent teen dating violence.
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L-R: Dr. Richard Heyman, Professor, New York University; Pamela Collins, Clinical Director,
U.S. Armed Forces Family Advocacy Program; Julie Bush, domestic violence survivor;
Maria Hinojosa, Latino USA; Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, GAH
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 Help Raise Awareness about the Psychological Issues Affecting Military Families by Sharing 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.
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Introducing Meg Leahey 
Acting as our new Community Facilitator, Meg Leahey is helping Give an Hour support the Hampton Roads Community Blueprint. Meg brings considerable experience with community outreach and has served as a long-standing Blueprint member. We are pleased to have her join our team! Meg can be contacted at mleahey@giveanhour.org.
Meg graduated from Clemson University and with a Bachelor's Degree
in Community and Economic Development and a minor in Nonprofit Leadership. Her professional career has been based in the nonprofit
sector working at the Make a Wish Foundation, Operation Bling Foundation, and Services to the Armed Forces as a caseworker. She
also served as an AmeriCorps VISTA for the American Red Cross. Most recently, Meg worked for VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads, where she served on the Blueprint volunteerism working group. As the spouse of a naval aviator, Meg enjoys spending her free time hiking with her husband and two rescue dogs and serving as a disaster caseworker for the American Red Cross Southeastern Virginia Chapter.
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Show Your Give an Hour Colors!
Shop Give an Hour!
Just in time for your spring travels: handy items at the Give an Hour online shop. Whether it is a coffee mug, a tote bag, a t-shirt, or a Give an Hour baseball cap, you can purchase it at our Cafe Press shop and help us raise awareness and funds for the valuable work we are doing all over the country. Show your colors and your support.
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Partnerships & Special Projects
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Give an Hour Invites Providers to Participate in
Wounded Warrior Project's Retreats
Over the past nine months, Give an Hour providers have been volunteering with our partners at the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), assisting with Project Odyssey and Family Support retreats.
 On Project Odyssey retreats, Give an Hour mental health providers spend between two and five days with veterans and WWP staff participating in outdoor activities. Providers help lead small group discussions, offer psychoeducation, and give individual consultation about combat stress. For more information about the Project Odyssey program, click here. Similar to the Odyssey retreats, WWP's Family Support retreats are hosted at numerous locations around the country. They provide an opportunity for family members of  those struggling with the invisible wounds of combat stress to get some much-needed rest and rejuvenation. The intimate retreat size, usually 25 participants, allows family members to connect with others experiencing a similar range of emotions in a safe and comfortable setting. For more information about the Family Support program, click here. Each retreat gives participants with the opportunity to expand their relaxation and coping skills with small group activities led by trained and licensed counselors from Give an Hour. Other activities may include spa treatments or outdoor team building. Retreat weekends are filled with exciting opportunities to build new friendships that continue long after the retreat ends. WWP staff members assemble a comprehensive contact database to ensure everyone can stay connected. Flight, lodging, and food expenses are covered by WWP for Give an Hour providers who attend these retreats. 
Below is a list of upcoming retreats. If you are a Give an Hour provider fluent in military culture, trauma treatments, and the impact of combat on warriors and/or families, and are interested in participating in this program or receiving pro-bono clients following these retreats, please email Stephen Shields, GAH Clinical Coordinator, at sshields@giveanhour.org. Charlotte, SC ~ Project Odyssey Xtreme Challenge ~ March 22-25, 2013 Lake Geneva, WI ~ Caregiver Retreat Grand Geneva Resort ~ April 15-19, 2013 Hilo, HI ~ Project Odyssey Hawaii ~ April 15-19, 2013 Park City, UT ~ Project Odyssey NAC ~ April 15-19, 2013 Kingston Springs, TN ~ Project Odyssey Adventure Works ~ April 15-19, 2013 Hilo, HI ~ Project Odyssey Hawaii Reunion ~ April 19-21, 2013 Canyon Ranch, AZ ~ Caregiver Retreat ~ April 19-22, 2013 Mountain Rest, SC ~ Project Odyssey Long Creek ~ April 12-25, 2013 Marathon, FL ~ Project Odyssey Hawks Cay ~ April 28 - May 2, 2013 Park City, UT ~ Project Odyssey NAC ~ April 29 - May 3, 2013 Luray, VA ~ Project Odyssey Luray ~ May 6-10, 2013 Santa Barbara, CA ~ Project Odyssey Casa de Maria Reunion ~ May 10-12, 2013 Lakeville, CT ~ Project Odyssey Interlaken ~ May 13-17, 2013 Nashville, TN ~ Caregiver Retreat ~ May 17-20, 2013 Truckee, CA ~ Project Odyssey Tahoe ~ May 20-24, 2013 Park City, UT ~ Project Odyssey NAC ~ May 20-24, 2013 Twin Harbors, MN ~ Project Odyssey Grand Superior ~ May 20-24, 2013 Delta, AL ~ Project Odyssey Delta ~ May 20-24, 2013 |
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News for Providers, Research, & Resources
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 Give an Hour Unveils New and Improved Provider Toolkit
Whether you are a provider new to Give an Hour or an old hand who has been giving your services to Give an Hour for years, we encourage you to take a look at the new provider toolkit. In this collection of materials, you will find all sorts of useful information and opportunities to "give an hour" in your community while you are waiting for your first GAH client or in between clients.
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GAH Providers Benefit from
Free HelpPRO Listing
Did you know that over 910 Give An Hour providers list their practice in the HelpPRO Therapist Finder ( www.HelpPRO.com), taking advantage of the free offer for GAH members (at www.helppro.com/counselingforsoldiers), a $75 value? HelpPRO, the oldest and most comprehensive therapist listing, and GAH have partnered for more than five years to help returning soldiers and their families find the mental health help they need.
William L. Blout, LICSW, HelpPRO's president, says, "HelpPRO would like to see every one of the 6,700+ professionals volunteering with Give an Hour take advantage of our free offer to list in the HelpPROŽ Therapist Finder."
Most recently HelpPRO has decided to focus on suicide prevention, also an issue for returning vets. HelpPRO signed partnership agreements in January with two major suicide prevention organizations, the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and the Carson J. Spencer Foundation (CJSF) to help people find qualified mental health professionals with experience assessing and treating individuals at risk for suicide.
Of course, you can only help people who can find you. More and more people are searching for specific mental health service using Google and other search engines. Searches like "military trauma therapist Boston MA" or "therapists who make home visits St Louis MO" are common. The HelpPRO site's optimized search engines allow GAH providers to come up in specific searches such as those. And if you have the HelpPRO Premium Listing, your practice description, in your own words, will show up if people search for you by name.
Barbara Van Dahlen says, "We are pleased to partner with HelpPRO. HelpPRO is committed to GAH's mission to help returning vets and their families, and the free listing is a nice gift for all of you stepping up to provide critical mental health care to our returning troops and their families. We hope this proves useful to you and your practice."
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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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 You may also make an online donation here: Donate to Give an Hour. |
January Provider Survey
Results AnnouncedGive an Hour Providers Donate
over 82,000 Hours of Free
Mental Health Services
Using a nationwide average of $100 per hour for mental health services, Give an Hour estimates that providers responding to our recent survey have donated more than $8.2 million since Give an Hour began providing these critical services in July 2007. Give an Hour now has over 6,700 licensed mental health professionals on its network, in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico.
We periodically survey our volunteer providers to assess our impact and effectiveness and to determine how programs and services can be adapted to best meet the needs of the military population.
We thank our providers for taking the time to help us measure the important work we are doing and we value all the ways of supporting our military communities.
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Give an Hour At-a-Glance
- Increased volunteer provider network by 570% from 1,000 in February 2008 to 6,700 in January 2013
- Increased number of volunteer hours donated by mental health providers by nearly 5,700% from 1,415 in August 2008 to 82,000 hours in January 2013
- Increased non-mental health volunteers over 4,000% from 15 in 2008 to 620 currently
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If you are a provider and considering
Unsubscribing,
please know that you will no longer be able to receive any
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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