Veterans Mental Health Training Initiative

In July 2020, NASW-NYS announced the launch of the One Team VMHTI Listserv. One Team is a resource for clinical providers and students to engage with a network of peers to connect, to discuss, share knowledge, information, and professional resources focused on work with military service members, veterans, and their families. This platform provides an opportunity for members to:

Share Information on best practice and relevant issues regarding:

• Clinical practice with Military/Veterans (and their families)
• Serve as a source for referrals
• Increasing cultural competence
• Share relevant community resources
• Serve as a conduit to promote communications among practitioners, either actively working with a Military/Veteran population or those who wish to increase their cultural competence with this population and to identify emerging needs with the NASW-NYS Advocacy and Government Relations (AGR) Committee as they identify annual legislative priorities
• Explore bi-weekly/monthly topics as identified by Listserv Moderator and/or Veteran Advisory Committee Member

One Team Listserv is free and open to anyone that is committed to meeting the needs of our Veterans and military family members.

To join the One Team Listserv, click here to complete the One Team submission form. You will receive an email to the email you submitted confirming that you have been added to the One Team Listserv within 2 business days.

The One Team Listserv is moderated by Alyssa Gibbons, LCSW-R, BCD, LCDR, US Navy Medical Service Corps 2009-2016 and other members of the VMHTI Advisory Committee.

The VMHTI introduced Voices of Veterans in 2020  to give social workers and allied mental health professionals in depth opportunity to hear from Veterans about their lived experiences prior to, during, and after their service. These panels include focuses LGBTQIA+, female veteran, & BIPOC experiences, 9/11, moral injury, peer support, the veteran family unit, and more. See below to view the recordings of past panels, and any upcoming events. Viewing the below recordings does not count for CE credit. This is for cultural humility and informational purposes only.

Click here to view the Veteran and Military Service Family Members Panel
Description: This will be an educational lecture and interactive panel; incorporating awareness and understanding of the military family experience. Speaker and panelists will address military culture, family dynamics, deployments (including pre and post), and reintegration, as well as the potential impact of PTSD and TBI on veteran families. Speaker will discuss roles in the family system that shift and change from deployment to returning home, such as co-parenting, communication, and home responsibilities. Workshop will cover healthy coping strategies that might be helpful for military families, as well as resources, such as VA caregiver support program, and others.

Click here to view the Peer Support Panel
Description: Our first panel featured the Joseph P. Dwyer program and included representatives of Joseph P. Dwyer county programs across the State, detailing who they differ and how they all support veterans through a peer support model. We were also joined by Dwyer Program legislative champions, Senators David Carlucci, Susan Serino, and John Brooks.

Click here to view the first panel on the 9/11 experience, and click here to view the second panel
Description: In these panels, we heard from Veterans about their experiences of 9/11. Whether it was the motivation for them to enter service, if they were already deployed, or were already a veterans, these panels discussed the diverse meaning of 9/11 for servicemembers.

Click here to view the Female Veteran Experience Panel
In this panel we heard from female military veterans and service members about their experiences breaking through sigma and overcoming biases in service.

Click here to view the Minority Experiences in the Military panel
In this panel, we focused on what it means to be a minority in the military, specifically Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

Click here to view the Closer Look at Moral Injury: Existential Challenges Faced by Returning Veterans panel
Service Members and Veterans are faced with biological, social, familial, psychological, and existential challenges when coping with the tension that exists between military and civilian cultures. This workshop will provide an overview of military culture and transitional challenges, as they relate to values and morality. Trends of Moral Injury will be clearly outlined and discussed. Moral Injury touches on one’s spirituality, identity, and ethics, in a way that has large potential to be misunderstood. This workshop will depict the factors that can lead up to a Moral Wound, as well as it’s lasting implications. Presenter will also discuss ways to build meaningful narratives around this societal trend, in order to learn how we can better bridge gaps and create avenues for collective support within our communities. Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

Click here to view the Veterans’ Day Panel: An Exploration of Coming Home
Veterans Day honors all American Veterans — those still with us and those who have passed— while expressing particular gratitude to living Veterans who have served their country during war or in times of peace. Just as the individuals who make up the military and their motivations for serving are diverse, so are their experiences upon returning and integrating into civilian culture. In this panel, we heard from a panel of Veterans about their journey leaving the military, how they are processing the recent withdrawal from Afghanistan, their experiences of anti-military sentiments, and successes and challenges integrating into civilian life.