Give an Hour is expanding its reach to include victims, families, and first responders dealing with the aftermath of the shootings at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.

 

"We will learn more details about this situation as things unfold in the coming days and weeks.  When the community is ready, Give an Hour plans to step up and offer mental health services to anyone, including young children, affected by the tragic event at the Navy Yard," says Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, founder and president of Give an Hour. 

 

While primarily focused on members of the military, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, and their families, Give an Hour has expanded its services to assist in the aftermath of such tragedies as the Sandy Hook shootings, Hurricane Sandy, the Boston Marathon bombings and the explosions in West, Texas.  "With thousands of licensed mental health professionals on our national network, Give an Hour has the capacity to help those who are experiencing grief, loss, and anxiety as a result of these horrible events, and we want to do our part," adds Dr. Van Dahlen.

 

Mental health professionals interested in joining Give an Hour can complete an easy online form at www.giveanhour.org. 

 

Those seeking help from Give an Hour can visit www.giveanhour.org and click on "visitors" to locate a provider in their area.

 

for a Give an Hour Benefit!

 

Give an Hour is proud to announce that Barbara Van Dahlen, its founder and president, was awarded the Presidential Citation during the American Psychological Association's 2013 Annual Conference, held in August in Honolulu, Hawaii.  

 

APA President Donald N. Bersoff presented the Presidential Citation to Dr. Van Dahlen  for her devotion to the treatment of psychologically wounded veterans returning from war and her dedication to psychology. Dr. Bersoff noted, "Although she is a clinical psychologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of children, Dr. Van Dahlen is renowned for her efforts in serving those 

who have served this country."

 

One of Dr. Bersoff's three major presidential initiatives is to ensure that psychologists are at the forefront of providing services to our country's military personnel, veterans, their families, and military service people who have experienced sexual trauma. Through this initiative, he hopes to increase attention to the research and practice aspects of providing services to military personnel and their families.

 

"While I have received many awards and recognition for my work in the field of military mental health, it is particularly gratifying to be recognized by my peers," says Barbara Van Dahlen.  "I am honored to be a part of this esteemed group of mental health professionals who recognize the importance of research, education, and training and who have been at the forefront of ensuring our military members, their families, and their communities have access to appropriate mental health services."

 

On your mark, get set, Run, Jog, or Walk on behalf of Give an Hour! Once again, Give an Hour will be represented in the Marine Corps 10K on Sunday, October 27, 2013. Come run alongside our wounded warriors who have sacrificed so much in defense of our great nation. Help bring awareness to Give an Hour and support military members, veterans, and their families. Sign up is first-come, first-serve, so if you're interested, please sign up today.  Our team would love to have you join them!  Please click here to register.

 

Runners 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, Virginia. Opening festivities begin at 7:45 a.m. with the start of the race at 7:55 a.m. Runners are required to maintain a 15 minute-per-mile pace to participate in this event. The start is located at the intersection of 12th St and Madison Dr. on the National Mall. The first two miles of the course tours the National Mall from the National Gallery of Art to the Capitol and past the Smithsonian Castle. After two miles, the course crosses the Potomac River on the 14th Street Bridge and runs to Crystal City. The MCM10K course diverts from the marathon's by making a right onto 15th Street.

More information on the Marine Corps Marathon 10K can be found here.

 

Cheyenne Pease-Carter, Ph.D., LPC, brings a wealth of counseling experience to the Give an Hour team. For the past ten years she has provided counseling services to children, teens, adults, couples, and groups in a variety of settings including community agencies, hospice, and private practice. Her clinical passions include grief/loss, relationship concerns, and life transitions. Before moving to Virginia in July, she facilitated the Department of Labor's Employment Workshop for transitioning and retiring service members and their families at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. 

 

Dr. Pease-Carter is a published author and sought after speaker and has served as an adjunct faculty member for multiple graduate counseling programs across the nation. The spouse of an active duty Marine, she is excited to be transitioning her own career to a primary focus on military mental health. When not working, you can find Dr. Pease-Carter hanging out with her black lab, Tank, who gave himself an early retirement from being a therapy dog to live a life of non-therapeutic leisure. 

 

The U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress (Psych Congress) was established 26 years ago as an educational platform where experts in the mental health field could explore cutting-edge science, share comprehensive best practices, and generate stimulating discussion. In 2013,  Psych Congress is still thinking forward, providing attendees with advanced knowledge and unique tools from which they can confidently diagnose and develop effective individualized treatment plans, by applying evidence-based management into daily practice.

Read more at http://www.psychcongress.com/psychcongress#ixzz2dqqHf3np.

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 tool kit. In this collection of materials, you will find useful information and opportunities to "give an hour" in your community while you are waiting for your first GAH client or in between clients.

 

Give an Hour sends a heartfelt thank you to all Federal Employees who designated Give an Hour on their CFC forms last fall. Please support our work again this year or, if you haven't already done so, consider adding Give an Hour to your preferred charities. We operate with very low overhead and leverage every dollar to provide free, confidential, convenient and unlimited mental health services to our country's veterans and military service members and their loved ones.

 

Give an Hour is listed as "Military Families Receive Free Mental Health Care - Give an Hour" in the CFC catalogue.  CFC# 65498

 

Just in time for Give an Hour's upcoming golf tournament and tennis extravaganza: Give an Hour apparel and all sorts of other cool items at our online shop. Whether it is a water bottle, coffee mug, tote bag, t-shirt, or 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.