Private donor funds three programs to benefit military communities
Family foundation of Army Ranger Vietnam Veteran partners with PsychArmor
SAN DIEGO, January, 2023 — PsychArmor, a national nonprofit and preferred training provider in military culture, has received funding for three new lines of work: military youth suicide prevention resources; military culture training for those caring for Veterans through the end of life; and military culture training for medical students. PsychArmor creates and delivers data-driven and evidence-based training that benefits military-connected populations and those that support them.
“At PsychArmor, we ascribe to a public health model approach, first identifying a need then seeking the best possible solution involving both private and public stakeholders. The generosity of this Vietnam Veteran and his family allows us to address three of our top priority ‘wish list’ concerns,” says Dr. Tina Atherall. “The genuine connection and resource support that will come from these three new learning journeys will improve, even save, lives in the military connected community.”
The largest of the three projects, Military Connected Youth Suicide Prevention: Tools for Parents and Providers, will create a full curriculum to prepare family members, healthcare providers, educators, counselors, and social workers to support military-affiliated children and youth. In collaboration with Dr. Gregory Leskin of UCLA’s National Child Traumatic Stress Network, this series of courses and resource tools will highlight the unique experiences of youth in the community by addressing different needs and risk factors associated with sexual orientation, disability, trauma, military-lifestyle, and complex family dynamics. The program will be implemented through a pilot program in San Diego County, then scaled nationally.
A second project, the Caring for Veterans Through the End of Life curriculum, will provide a compassionate approach to addressing how military service impacts serious illness, death, dying, and grieving. In partnership with Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar, based on her groundbreaking work on Veteran end-of-life care at In Their Honor, the training will offer insights for conversations that may occur related to military experience, coping, and the journey of dying. “For me it’s always about heart-work. I’m a woman Veteran and this is about honoring Veterans and continuing to serve,” says Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar. “We aren’t sparking these difficult conversations enough. What would it look like if we knew how to support these Veterans and loved ones through the end of life.” Medical care professionals, hospice workers, social workers and faith-based professionals will benefit from this education with significant attention also given to the needs of caregivers and/or loved ones.
The third line of work, Military Culture-Informed Medical Care, provides for a custom curriculum for medical students with a focus on military culture, suicide prevention, trauma, and military specific diagnoses. PsychArmor will partner with medical schools to offer students an online training portal and digital toolkit. Additionally, PsychArmor’s Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Heidi Kraft, will be available to address student audiences about the unique needs and strengths of military connected populations. The training portal and resources will be available to existing practices for continuing education purposes. “The lack of military cultural awareness in medical professionals often causes Veterans and service members to drop out of care, be misdiagnosed, or seek care only when their injury or illness is in an advanced stage,” says Dr. Kraft. “Quality care for those who served our country requires military cultural humility.”
All three programs are in the initial stages of creation with planned roll-outs throughout 2023.
PsychArmor harnesses the power of military cultural education to improve financial, social, wellness, and employment outcomes for military, Veterans, their families, and caregivers. Carefully guided by clinical psychologists, Veterans, military service members and leaders in the private and public sector, PsychArmor offers learning journeys, from continuing education to customized training, including online courses, curricula, podcasts, webinars, live speaking engagements, and social media.
About PsychArmor
PsychArmor is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation providing education and support to individuals and organizations that work with, live with, and care for American service members, Veterans, and their families. For more information about PsychArmor, contact Carole Turner, Strategic Communications, PsychArmor, at cturner@psycharmor.org or visit us at www.psycharmor.org.
