The National Association of Social Workers New York State Chapter (NASW-NYS) will host Women Veterans' Definitions of Peer Support: Importance for Mental Health & Well-being, a webinar, on Thursday, October 20, 6-7pm ET.

Presenter: Amanda Matteson

Amanda Mattseon, PhD, MSW, NYS Army National Guard, OIIF Veteran, earned her master's in social work (MSW) in 2018 and her PhD in social work in 2022 from SUNY University at Albany.  She is a Fahs-Beck Scholar (dissertation funding award), and her dissertation examined women veteran peer support.  She worked as the Program Coordinator for the evaluation of the Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Programs in New York State from 2017-2022.  She served veterans while working at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) for four years.  She is also a veteran of the New York Army National Guard, serving from 2005-2011 and deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) from 2008-2009.

This continuing education training presents findings from a qualitative research study examining peer support among women who have served in the military. The presenter will describe characteristics of the study and provide a background on women veterans. The training will explain the results of the study including how women veterans define peer support as well as methods of engagement and the impact of this intervention. Finally, the presenter will discuss the implications for social work practice with women veterans. 

Learning Objectives

After the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

Describe how women veterans define peer support.

Explain when peer support is indicated for women veterans.

Analyze how using peer support can complement social work practice.

This workshop is approved for 1.0 continuing education credit hours.

Register here.

The Bronx Vet Center presents Sergeant's Time: VA Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, October 3, 12-1pm ET via Webex.  

Learn about:

What Types of Research the MIRECC Conducts

How to Volunteer to Participate in Paid MIRECC Research

Register here.

Once you register, you will be provided a web link and password to access the presentation.  If you would prefer to join the presentation by phone, please contact Marco Bongioanni at [email protected] and a phone number will be provided to you.

Keep Our Veterans Alive (KOVA) will host a Veteran Suicide Prevention & Secure Firearms Storage Presentation at the VFW Post 3117 in Edison, NJ on Thursday, September 29, 9:30am-2:00pm. 

A panel of experts will discuss how you can be part of the solution and what actions communities can take to prevent Veteran suicide.

Topics to be covered:

The KOVA story

Firearms safety

Safe storage

S.A.V.E. - signs of suicide

Open to Veterans, Veteran Service Organizations, National Guard, Reserve, Family Members, Veteran Service Providers, Law Enforcement, Behavioral Health Professionals, Health Professionals, Employers and anyone who wants to help prevent Veteran Suicide.

Register here.

DE-CRUIT is offering a free veteran theater arts workshop that will run on Tuesday & Thursday nights from September 28 to October 14.

DE-CRUIT is a veteran-led, nationally recognized program that uses techniques from theater arts and verses from Shakespeare to support healthy, productive lives for military veterans. 

For more information, contact:

Ayesha Ganguly

[email protected]

1-206-612-2509

Click here for the program flyer.

The new Veterans Crisis Line is 988. 

They have published a step-by-step guide to saving the number into your phone.

For more information about the Veterans Crisis Line, visit the website here.

The US Deparment of Veterans Affairs encourages you to Make the Connection with veterans who understand your struggles because they've been there too.  Discover how veterans like you have overcome life's challenges. 

Don't be afraid to reach out.  Make the Connection today!

You can also find local support resources here.

WorriedAboutaVeteran.org (WAV) is an innovative website that was developed as a resource for family members and loved ones of military Service members and Veterans in New York State. Its purpose is to support families with information and resources around firearm safety and lowering suicide risk.

This website is the culmination of dedicated efforts by the New York State Governor’s Challenge team over the past two years. A comprehensive approach to the creation of this website included several public and private partnerships and collaborations with the co-creators of Counseling for Lethal Means (CALM) Training. Incorporating perspectives from families and Veterans with lived experience was critical.  Thirty interviews were conducted with family members and loved ones who lost a Veteran to firearm suicide, experienced a Veteran firearm suicide attempt, and/or lived with a Veteran who owned firearms.

This website includes video vignettes of family situations involving firearms including examples of how to detect concerning behaviors, start conversations about safety, ask for help, and navigate safe storage options.

Are you worried about a veteran?

Visit the WAV website here.

Team RWB has joined Humana Military's Military Health and Resilience Collective Impact Project alongside the Military Family Advisory Network and Blue Star Families.  The collective is designed uniquely to provide holistic support to military families, focusing in particular on physical health, mental health, and influencing policy.  The collective has launched Operation Family Resiliency (OFR) with the goal of advancing military families through physical, nutritional, mindfulness and sleep tools.

Click here for more information.

Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM) is a therapeutic intervention for those struggling with PTSD that works to dissociate clients from trauma memories. Workshops focused on RTM instruction will be held in July for mental health professionals looking to incorporate RTM into their clinical practice and graduate students interested in learning more about this effective intervention technique. Most licensed professionals can receive 21 Continuing Education Units for completing this workshop.

Scholarships for free tuition are available.

To learn more and register, click here.

DE-CRUIT is offering a veteran theater arts workshop that will run on Monday nights from July 18 to August 22.

DE-CRUIT is a veteran-led, nationally recognized program that uses techniques from theater arts and verses from Shakespeare to support healthy, productive lives for military veterans. 

Not only is the program free, but it also pays veteran participants $200 for their participation.

For more information, contact [email protected].