Behind The Mission

Show Summary On today’s episode, we’re featuring a conversation with Special Operations Spouse KaLea Lehman. She is the Executive Director of The Military Special Operations Family Collaborative, a nonprofit public health initiative to enable the success of America’s special operations warriors and families through collaborative health and well-being research and programs.   Provide Feedback As a...

Show Summary In this episode, we feature a conversation about Moral Injury with Dr. Shira Maguen, Mental Health Director of the Post-9/11 Integrated Care Clinic and Staff Psychologist on the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Team (PCT) at the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS), and Professor in the Dept. of Psychiatry, UCSF School of Medicine. Provide Feedback As a dedicated member...

Show Summary This episode features a conversation with Navy spouse Vicky Perkins, Senior Director for Impact Programs at Blue Star Families. Among other programs, Vicky is responsible for leading the team that manages Blue Star Support Circles, facilitated nonclinical cohorts for veterans and service member supporters to help reduce crisis and suicide in the military affiliated population. Provide...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we’re featuring a conversation with Dr. Julie Goldstein, Director of the Zero Suicide Institute, and Lisa Sabey, President of Parents-to-Parents. We’re going to be talking about a video resource called Parents to Parents: After Your Child’s Suicide Attempt.   Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Plea...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with Denise Olsen, a grief mentor, national public speaker, registered nurse, yoga instructor, and published author. Her book, Strong and Soulful: Graced by Grief is a look at Denise’s personal journey from catastrophic grief and trauma to a life filled with abundance.   Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we’re featuring a conversation with Kari McDonough, Vice President of Welcome. US and Senior Advisor to the Welcome Fund, a program of Welcome.us that provides a source for grantmaking to organizations as they involve community members to welcome newcomers.   Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Plea...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with Dr. Khadija Boyd, a retired United States Army Combat Veteran, who is currently the Editor in Chief for the Journal of Veterans Studies. The mission of the Journal of Veterans Studies is to sustain international research in veterans studies, facilitate interdisciplinary research collaborations, and narrow gaps between cultures, instit...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature Veteran Rocio Palermo, Program Coordinator for Women Vets On Point, a program of U.S. Vets. WVOP is designed and informed by women veterans for women veterans in order to address critical needs and barriers to mental health care after military service.   Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature Tom Chiodo, Executive Producer of Special Projects, National Productions for WETA, he flagship PBS station in Washington DC. We discuss the upcoming PBS Documentary, Caregiving, which will examine both systematic issues within the care system as well as tell personal stories of people who care for loved ones.      Provide Feedback As a dedicated member o...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation that first aired on the Head Space and Timing Podcast on the Psychology of Saving Private Ryan. Dr. Katie Gordon and Dr. Brandon Saxton, hosts of the Jedi Counsel Podcast, join me to explore the film Saving Private Ryan through a mental health and psychology perspective.    Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would l...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a replay of a recent PsychArmor Conversations Webcast, an engaging conversation on the past, present, and future of the LGBTQIA+ community in service and beyond. We hosted a diverse panel of individuals with lived experience in both the military and the LGBTQIA community   About Today’s Guests Allison Jaslow is the CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Robin Johnson, CEO of the Best Medicine Brigade and Executive Director of Heal*arious a nonprofit offering therapeutic humor programming for improved psychological performance.   About Today’s Guest Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Johnson served over twenty years in the U.S. Army before making her transiti...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with Navy Veteran Jenn Kerfoot, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer at DUOS. We talk about accessing healthcare for veterans and a partnership with Humana and a collaborative program to enhance the healthcare experience and improve health outcomes for Louisiana Veteran members of Humana with chronic conditions.   About Today’s Guest Jenn K...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with John Pray, Brig. Gen., USAF (Ret), CEO of Operation Homefront. Operation Homefront provides relief and recurring family support programs and services throughout the year to help military families overcome short-term difficulties so they don’t become long-term hardships   About Today’s Guest John I. Pray, Brig. Gen., USAF (Ret.) has se...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we take a look at year one of the Behind the Mission Podcast, as well as provide listeners with an opportunity to provide feedback on the show  Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey . By doing so, you will be...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with Emma Payne, Founder and CEO of HelpTexts, a company that delivers asynchronous grief, caregiver and mental health support via text message.  About Today’s Guest Emma Payne is a seasoned technology entrepreneur, MIT graduate, and award-winning change-agent, who started building online communities before Netscape was born. Her 25 year c...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we conclude our mini-series of four episodes on LGBTQIA+ Veterans with  returning guests, veterans Erika Hoover and Andrea Norton, as part of  public awareness campaign developed in partnership with the Michigan Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide among Service Members, Veterans and their Families  About Today’s Guests Erika Hoover has been working at the Michi...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with Dr. Alan Teo, a Psychiatrist and Researcher with the VA Portland Health Care System and Associate Professor at Oregon Health & Science University. We talk about a recent article that he and colleagues published on the effectiveness of online VA S.A.V.E. training for veteran families.  About Today’s Guest Alan is a psychiatrist and...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we continue the LGBTQIA+ Veteran Public Health Awareness series with a conversation about myths and misconceptions about members of the LGBTQIA+ community with veteran Ale Hernandez About Today’s Guest Alejandra Hernandez served in the United States Marine Corps for four years a Food Service Specialist with Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Headquarters and Marine Sup...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we have a conversation with Gold Star family member Lupe Urdaneta, surviving spouse of Sergeant First Class Dennis Urdaneta, and her journey with wear blue: run to remember, an organization that honors the service and sacrifice of the American military through active remembrance and programs to support all those who have lost a loved one while in the military. Abou...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with military spouse and family member Ellen Gustafson, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of We the Veterans and Military Families, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that empowers the veteran and military family community to strengthen democracy. We’re going to talk about their work supporting education around information integri...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with Army Veteran and Gold Star Family Member Jennifer Ballou, Chief of Staff of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, an organization that is guiding the development of a national memorial that honors the service and sacrifice of all who have contributed to global counterterrorism efforts since September 11th, 2001.   About Tod...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature Kate DeBartolo, a senior director for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the leader for the conversation project. IHI has public engagement initiative to help people share their wishes for care through the end of their life About Today’s Guest Kate DeBartolo is a Senior Director at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and leads The Co...

Show Summary On today’s episode, we feature a conversation with Navy Veteran Erika Hoover and Air Force Veteran Andrea Norton about their experiences as both veterans and members of the LGBTQ+ Community, as well as a public awareness campaign being developed in partnership with the Michigan Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide among Service Members, Veterans and their Families  About Today’s Gu...