SUMMARY:

Author Matt Green shares his unique perspective as an embedded reporter with U.S. troops in Iraq, as well as his observations from working with returning British veterans. He has spent the past 14 years working as a correspondent for the Financial Times and Reuters and has reported from more than 30 countries, most recently Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he investigated subjects including the money men bankrolling the Taliban and the kingpins behind Pakistan's heroin trade.

After studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University, Matthew began his career with Reuters, working in east and west Africa and in Iraq, where he was embedded with US Marines during the invasion in 2003.

He later joined the Financial Times, working in Nigeria and then Pakistan and Afghanistan, where he spent time with US forces deployed to Helmand and Kandahar provinces in the Obama administration's troop surge.

Matthew is now based in London and appears regularly as a commentator on the BBC News Channel and World Service radio, and writes for publications including Monocle magazine and the Literary Review. His first book was The Wizard of the Nile: The Hunt for Joseph Kony, which won a Jerwood Award from the Royal Society of Literature and was long-listed for the Orwell Prize.

IN THIS PARTICULAR EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

Similarities between Coalition Forces veteran mental health and U.S. veteran mental health

The gap between resources available and the ability to access those services

Stigma and the military mindset

Posttrauamtic Growth, and the danger of relying on the concept of posttrauamtic growth as a "positive" that comes out of trauma.

Going beyond PTSD to the other mental health concerns

The benefit of Peer Support in recovery and stigma reduction

The impact of psychological injury on military families

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Time for a radical rethink on how we approach veterans mental health services: Guest Editorial, Journal of Public Mental Health, Volume 16, No 1, 2017

Aftershock: The Untold Story of Surviving Peace: Over the last decade, we have sent thousands of people to fight on our behalf. But what happens when these soldiers come back home, having lost their friends and killed their enemies, having seen and done things that have no place in civilian life? In Aftershock, Matthew Green tells the story of our veterans' journey from the frontline of combat to the reality of return.

The Enemy Within: A radio documentary co-produced by Matthew Green on the impact of veteran mental health on a service member's family. Coming home from war can be messy, especially when the battle doesn't stay on the battlefield. This is the story of what it means to love and care for soldiers who have brought the war home with them.

Rock To Recovery: Inspiring the fight against stress in British Armed Forces, Veterans and their Families. Their mission: “To preserve lives of distressed servicemen, veterans and their families by connecting them to appropriate mental health professionals for emergency and routine help. To inspire and motivate sufferers to a better future through the power of creativity."

Theater of War: Theater of War presents readings of Sophocles’ Ajax and Philoctetes to military and civilian communities across the United States and Europe. These ancient plays timelessly and universally depict the visible and invisible wounds of war. By presenting these plays to military and civilian audiences, our hope is to de-stigmatize psychological injury, increase awareness of post-deployment psychological health issues, disseminate information regarding available resources, and foster greater family, community, and troop resilience.

Are you looking for more ways to learn about military and veteran mental health and wellness? Check out Duane's books by going to www.veteranmentalhealth.com/books

About Today’s Guest:

Maureen joined the Army in 2001. During her military career she served in Darmstadt, Germany and Monterey, California. She was promoted to corporal in June 2004 and sergeant in February 2005. Maureen was awarded the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.

Maureen currently lives in Bowie, Maryland and serves as an ambassador for the Travis Manion Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping Veterans and their families. She received a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling in 2017 and is the assistant director for the Veterans Health Council at Vietnam Veterans of America. Since 2017, Maureen also graduated from the Armed Services Arts Partnership program and has been named a High Ground Veterans Advocacy Fellow, the Fort Meade Spouse of the Year and a Veterans in Global Leadership Fellow.

In this Episode, you will learn:

• Maureen's background and experience
• The 2019 VA/DOD Suicide Prevention Conference
• Sharing the research around SMVF Suicide Prevention
• Suicide Risk Prevention Workshops
• Workshop participants
  • Community members
  • First Responders
  • Department of Transportation
• Barriers to treatment
• Creating a safe space for sharing painful experiences
• Maureen's personal experience with suicide
• The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide
• Effective legislative advocacy

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Connect with Maureen on Social Media:

LinkedIn

Join the Head Space and Timing community on Flick

Want to learn more about Service Members, Veterans, and Military Family Member Mental Health?

Check out this webinar series.

Do you want to help offset some of the costs of the Head Space and Timing Blog and Podcast? Want to show your appreciation and support? You can put some paper in the tip jar by going here

Want to keep up with the latest Head Space and Timing content?

Click here to sign up to receive a weekly newsletter with all new content released that week

Using an app makes subscribing and listening to podcasts (both ours and others) so much simpler. Just subscribe to Head Space and Timing within your app and it will automatically update every time a new episode is released. You can also find all of the podcast players here.

Do you want to check out Duane’s latest book, Combat Vet Don’t Mean Crazy: Veteran Mental Health in Post-Military Life

Would you like to be a guest on Head Space and Timing? Follow This Link.

Are you looking for more ways to learn about military and veteran mental health and wellness? Check out Duane's books by going to www.veteranmentalhealth.com/books

About Today’s Guest:

Maureen joined the Army in 2001. During her military career she served in Darmstadt, Germany and Monterey, California. She was promoted to corporal in June 2004 and sergeant in February 2005. Maureen was awarded the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.

Maureen currently lives in Bowie, Maryland and serves as an ambassador for the Travis Manion Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping Veterans and their families. She received a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling in 2017 and is the assistant director for the Veterans Health Council at Vietnam Veterans of America. Since 2017, Maureen also graduated from the Armed Services Arts Partnership program and has been named a High Ground Veterans Advocacy Fellow, the Fort Meade Spouse of the Year and a Veterans in Global Leadership Fellow.

In this Episode, you will learn:

• Maureen's background and experience
• The 2019 VA/DOD Suicide Prevention Conference
• Sharing the research around SMVF Suicide Prevention
• Suicide Risk Prevention Workshops
• Workshop participants
  • Community members
  • First Responders
  • Department of Transportation
• Barriers to treatment
• Creating a safe space for sharing painful experiences
• Maureen's personal experience with suicide
• The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide
• Effective legislative advocacy

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Connect with Maureen on Social Media:

LinkedIn

Join the Head Space and Timing community on Flick

Want to learn more about Service Members, Veterans, and Military Family Member Mental Health?

Check out this webinar series.

Do you want to help offset some of the costs of the Head Space and Timing Blog and Podcast? Want to show your appreciation and support? You can put some paper in the tip jar by going here

Want to keep up with the latest Head Space and Timing content?

Click here to sign up to receive a weekly newsletter with all new content released that week

Using an app makes subscribing and listening to podcasts (both ours and others) so much simpler. Just subscribe to Head Space and Timing within your app and it will automatically update every time a new episode is released. You can also find all of the podcast players here.

Do you want to check out Duane’s latest book, Combat Vet Don’t Mean Crazy: Veteran Mental Health in Post-Military Life

Would you like to be a guest on Head Space and Timing? Follow This Link.

Are you looking for more ways to learn about military and veteran mental health and wellness? Check out Duane's books by going to www.veteranmentalhealth.com/books

About Today’s Guest:

Bobby Herrera is the author of The Gift of Struggle, a book about leadership and the life-changing lessons we learn through our struggles. He is also the co-founder and president of Populus Group. With a passion for building strong culture and communities through trust and storytelling, his leadership style is about empowerment, connections, and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

Bobby grew up in a big family with parents who immigrated to America without much. While this is not an uncommon story, the leadership style and company culture that it inspired is. The belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed is at the core of Bobby’s philosophy in business and in life.

Everyone has struggles and business leaders are no exception. Bobby’s passion is helping others understand how their individual struggles can help them connect with their communities and inspire other is what will ultimately transform their leadership style.

Bobby is a proud Army veteran and currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and three children.

In this Episode, you will learn:

• Bobby's book and background
• The Bus Story - an event that changed Bobby's life
• The most important part of leadership: recognizing the potential in others
• Overcoming the internal battle with ourselves
• Asking for help is building trust
• Participating in our own rescue by doing the smart thing
• Sharing what drives you
• Slowing down to figure out YOUR bus story
• Deliberately seeing the unseen people
• Trying the uncomfortability of kindness
• About The Gift of Struggle
• Helping just one person

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Bobby's Website

Bobby's Book:

Connect with Bobby on Social Media:

LinkedIn

Join the Head Space and Timing community on Flick

Want to learn more about Service Members, Veterans, and Military Family Member Mental Health?

Check out this webinar series.

Do you want to help offset some of the costs of the Head Space and Timing Blog and Podcast? Want to show your appreciation and support? You can put some paper in the tip jar by going here

Want to keep up with the latest Head Space and Timing content?

Click here to sign up to receive a weekly newsletter with all new content released that week

Using an app makes subscribing and listening to podcasts (both ours and others) so much simpler. Just subscribe to Head Space and Timing within your app and it will automatically update every time a new episode is released. You can also find all of the podcast players here.

Do you want to check out Duane’s latest book, Combat Vet Don’t Mean Crazy: Veteran Mental Health in Post-Military Life

Are you looking for more ways to learn about military and veteran mental health and wellness? Check out Duane's books by going to www.veteranmentalhealth.com/books

About Today’s Guest:

Bobby Herrera is the author of The Gift of Struggle, a book about leadership and the life-changing lessons we learn through our struggles. He is also the co-founder and president of Populus Group. With a passion for building strong culture and communities through trust and storytelling, his leadership style is about empowerment, connections, and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

Bobby grew up in a big family with parents who immigrated to America without much. While this is not an uncommon story, the leadership style and company culture that it inspired is. The belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed is at the core of Bobby’s philosophy in business and in life.

Everyone has struggles and business leaders are no exception. Bobby’s passion is helping others understand how their individual struggles can help them connect with their communities and inspire other is what will ultimately transform their leadership style.

Bobby is a proud Army veteran and currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and three children.

In this Episode, you will learn:

• Bobby's book and background
• The Bus Story - an event that changed Bobby's life
• The most important part of leadership: recognizing the potential in others
• Overcoming the internal battle with ourselves
• Asking for help is building trust
• Participating in our own rescue by doing the smart thing
• Sharing what drives you
• Slowing down to figure out YOUR bus story
• Deliberately seeing the unseen people
• Trying the uncomfortability of kindness
• About The Gift of Struggle
• Helping just one person

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Bobby's Website

Connect with Bobby on Social Media:

LinkedIn

Join the Head Space and Timing community on Flick

Want to learn more about Service Members, Veterans, and Military Family Member Mental Health?

Check out this webinar series.

Do you want to help offset some of the costs of the Head Space and Timing Blog and Podcast? Want to show your appreciation and support? You can put some paper in the tip jar by going here

Want to keep up with the latest Head Space and Timing content?

Click here to sign up to receive a weekly newsletter with all new content released that week

Using an app makes subscribing and listening to podcasts (both ours and others) so much simpler. Just subscribe to Head Space and Timing within your app and it will automatically update every time a new episode is released. You can also find all of the podcast players here.

Do you want to check out Duane’s latest book, Combat Vet Don’t Mean Crazy: Veteran Mental Health in Post-Military Life? Check it out!

Are you looking for more ways to learn about military and veteran mental health and wellness? Check out Duane's books by going to www.veteranmentalhealth.com/books

About Today’s Guest:

As Vice President of Community Partnerships at Cohen Veterans Network, Dr. Caitlin Thompson is responsible for establishing and maintaining critical national and local collaborations between CVN and public-private partners.

She was most recently Executive Director of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Suicide Prevention, leading VA’s integrated public health approach to suicide prevention. She was responsible for the Office’s vision and mission, including the development of VA suicide prevention policy initiatives, education for Veterans and health care providers about suicide awareness and prevention, and dissemination and implementation of assessment and treatment strategies across the Veterans Health Administration. A licensed clinical psychologist, Thompson directed VA’s epidemiological and clinical research in suicide prevention and is recognized internationally as an authority on Veteran suicide prevention. Prior to her work in the VA Suicide Prevention Office, she spent five years as the clinical care coordinator for the Veterans/Military Crisis Line.

Thompson has a BA in music from Brown University and an MEd and PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Virginia.

In this Episode, you will learn:

• Caitlin's background and experience
• The common experience of suicide
• Access to mental health for various types of service members and veterans
• Cultural competence for mental health providers
• Mental health resources for spouses and family members
• "Bad paper" as a barrier to care

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Cohen Veterans Network Website

Cohen Veterans Network on Social Media:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Join the Head Space and Timing community on Flick

Want to learn more about Service Members, Veterans, and Military Family Member Mental Health?

Check out this webinar series.

Do you want to help offset some of the costs of the Head Space and Timing Blog and Podcast? Want to show your appreciation and support? You can put some paper in the tip jar by going here

Want to keep up with the latest Head Space and Timing content?

Click here to sign up to receive a weekly newsletter with all new content released that week

Using an app makes subscribing and listening to podcasts (both ours and others) so much simpler. Just subscribe to Head Space and Timing within your app and it will automatically update every time a new episode is released. You can also find all of the podcast players here.

Do you want to check out Duane’s latest book, Combat Vet Don’t Mean Crazy: Veteran Mental Health in Post-Military Life

Would you like to be a guest on Head Space and Timing? Follow This Link.

Are you looking for more ways to learn about military and veteran mental health and wellness? Check out Duane's books by going to www.veteranmentalhealth.com/books

About Today’s Guest:

As Vice President of Community Partnerships at Cohen Veterans Network, Dr. Caitlin Thompson is responsible for establishing and maintaining critical national and local collaborations between CVN and public-private partners.

She was most recently Executive Director of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Suicide Prevention, leading VA’s integrated public health approach to suicide prevention. She was responsible for the Office’s vision and mission, including the development of VA suicide prevention policy initiatives, education for Veterans and health care providers about suicide awareness and prevention, and dissemination and implementation of assessment and treatment strategies across the Veterans Health Administration. A licensed clinical psychologist, Thompson directed VA’s epidemiological and clinical research in suicide prevention and is recognized internationally as an authority on Veteran suicide prevention. Prior to her work in the VA Suicide Prevention Office, she spent five years as the clinical care coordinator for the Veterans/Military Crisis Line.

Thompson has a BA in music from Brown University and an MEd and PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Virginia.

In this Episode, you will learn:

• Caitlin's background and experience
• The common experience of suicide
• Access to mental health for various types of service members and veterans
• Cultural competence for mental health providers
• Mental health resources for spouses and family members
• "Bad paper" as a barrier to care

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Cohen Veterans Network Website

Cohen Veterans Network on Social Media:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Join the Head Space and Timing community on Flick

Want to learn more about Service Members, Veterans, and Military Family Member Mental Health?

Check out this webinar series.

Do you want to help offset some of the costs of the Head Space and Timing Blog and Podcast? Want to show your appreciation and support? You can put some paper in the tip jar by going here

Want to keep up with the latest Head Space and Timing content?

Click here to sign up to receive a weekly newsletter with all new content released that week

Using an app makes subscribing and listening to podcasts (both ours and others) so much simpler. Just subscribe to Head Space and Timing within your app and it will automatically update every time a new episode is released. You can also find all of the podcast players here.

Do you want to check out Duane’s latest book, Combat Vet Don’t Mean Crazy: Veteran Mental Health in Post-Military Life

Would you like to be a guest on Head Space and Timing? Follow This Link.