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When my two daughters were little girls I took them to visit our local fire station each holiday season. One would carry the bag of toys we brought with us to donate to our local Toys for Tots campaign while the other carried a plate of cookies for the fireman. My daughters loved this tradition - because it allowed them to give to those in need and it allowed us to share our blessings with those who serve our community.
I am very proud of my daughters. They have grown up to become compassionate and caring young women who continue to value service to others, providing for those less fortunate and giving back to their community.
Our nation is going through a time of transition - and 2017 will most certainly bring many changes and new challenges. And while change can be unsettling, it can also be an opportunity for exploration and growth. At Give an Hour we see the need - and the opportunity - to expand our model to provide free mental health care to other populations in need.
We will continue to provide critical mental health support to those who serve, our veterans and their families - this will always be our core mission. But our friends in the military and veteran service community agree that we must all work together to reach all who are hurting. Together with partners like the VFW and 125 other VSOs and MSOs, we are working to educate Americans about the Five Signs of emotional suffering so that those in need are better able to receive the care and support they deserve.
Our mental health partner organizations and our colleagues in the mental health field agree that there is a need to expand our reach. State and local mental health associations and individual providers are signing up to support our efforts. Pools of providers will soon be available to provide critical mental health care and support to additional populations.
As you gather with family and friends to celebrate this holiday season, I hope that your traditions bring you comfort and joy. And may 2017 be a Happy, Healthy, and Peaceful year for you and those you love.
Take care,
Barbara
Barbara Van Dahlen, Ph.D
Founder and President
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Give an Hour and Change Direction Sign Expanded
MOU with Army National Guard Bureau
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General Joseph Lengyel and Dr. Van Dahlen sign the MOU as Dr. Jill Biden looks on
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On Monday, November 21, 2016,
in a ceremony at the Pentagon, General Joseph L. Lengyel,
Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen signed a Memorandum of Understanding expanding the partnership between the National Guard Bureau, Give an Hour, and the Campaign to Change Direction.
Taking the first step and asking for help can be difficult, but as General Lengyel stated, "Reaching out is a sign of strength." This initiative makes reaching out a little easier because it enhances the availability of mental health services through Give an Hour's network of volunteer mental health professionals.
This work will focus on educating all members of the Guard and their families about the Five Signs of emotional suffering so that those in need are more easily identified and can receive the care and support they deserve.
The signing ceremony was attended by Dr. Jill Biden, who presided over a Sirius XM Town Hall event earlier that day.
Dr. Biden provided opening remarks at the ceremony marking the signing of this critical agreement
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Support Those Who Serve and Their Families
This Holiday Season
As you consider your end-of-year giving, please remember Give an Hour and the thousands of military service members, veterans, and loved ones we serve. Many Americans don't fully understand the challenges our nation's military and veteran communities face. Those who serve must contend with frequent relocations, limited opportunities for their spouses to find and maintain jobs, stressors on their children and of course the brutality of war itself. As caring Americans, it is our honor to show our appreciation for those who serve and their families. We can and should take steps to ensure they receive the support they need to lead healthy, productive lives.
You can help support our nation's military and veteran communities by recognizing their sacrifices with a financial donation to Give an Hour. For over 11 years, Give an Hour has provided confidential, free, and unlimited mental health counseling through our volunteer network of nearly 7,000 licensed professionals.
Our generous providers have contributed over $21 million in free mental health care.
We thank you for your support and wish you the happiest of holiday seasons!
Your contribution is fully tax deductible (Tax ID # 61-1493378)
to the extent allowed by law.
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Give an Hour's 2016 Celebration of Service
Films, Service, Awards, and Music Honor and Inspire
Give an Hour continued its annual Celebration of Service tradition this year with a series of inspiring events, weaving together critical themes of mental health awareness and military culture while launching a new
Film Changes Direction initiative and concluding with a benefit concert by country music artist Chris Stapleton.
This year's Celebration kicked off with a fireside chat on October 5, 2016, at the Canadian Embassy, where Rear Admiral William Truelove of the Canadian Forces underscored his government's initiatives to bolster attention to mental health issues in general and among the military community in particular. Acclaimed filmmaker Oren Moverman joined Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen for a conversation about the power of film to change our culture, which kicked off
the Film Changes Direction
initiative. Mr.
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Dr. Van Dahlen and filmmaker Oren Moverman at the fireside chat
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Moverm
an shared a clip from his forthcoming film,
The Dinner,
and Dr. Van Dahlen explained how film is a medium capable of truly transforming cultural understanding of key issues, including mental health and emotional suffering.
Two nights later, at George Washington University, women's basketball superstar Chamique Holdsclaw and Dr. Van Dahlen led a panel discussion about mental health, with a focus on how Ms. Holdsclaw overcame her mental health challenges and her view about the pressures of college and the professional athletes' experience. The panel was followed by a screening of
Mind Game, the film about Ms. Holdsclaw's life. The
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Chamique Holdsclaw talks about mental health during a panel discussion at GW University
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screening drew a number of George Washington student athletes and coaches.
Give an Hour collaborated with one of its newest partners, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), on the first annual
Day to Change Direction for this year's service project on October 8, 2016. The VFW led projects at 202 posts across the country and even overseas. Some posts gathered members of the community to discuss mental health and the Five Signs of emotional suffering, while others worked on projects to benefit the public good. In Washington, D.C., Give an Hour, VFW leadership, volunteers, and country music artists Chris and Morgane Stapleton came together for discussions with residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home and to do projects to improve the facility's library and common areas.
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| B.J. Lawrence of the VFW sits with a veteran at the Armed Forces Retirement Home at this year's service project |
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Country music superstar Chris Stapleton meets with a veteran during our service project
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Dr. Van Dahlen, Chris and Morgane Stapleton, VFW Leadership, GAH and VFW employees, and volunteers from across the community show they know the Five Signs after a successful service project at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, DC.
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Every year, Give an Hour presents Commitment to Service Awards to celebrate individuals who demonstrate lifelong contributions of service. Beginning last year, Give an Hour also began recognizing outstanding contributions to the Campaign to Change Direction. At a special dinner reception held at the American Psychological Association in Downtown Washington, Give an Hour presented Oren Moverman and VFW Commander-in-Chief Brian Duffy with the 2016 Commitment to Service Awards, and Chris and Morgane Stapleton with this year's Agents of Change Award.
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Dr. Van Dahlen presents Oren Moverman (right) and VFW Commander in Chief Brian Duffy (accepted by B.J. Lawrence and Collette Bishop - above) the 2016 Commitment to Service Awards
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The Celebration of Service concluded on October 9, 2016, with a rocking concert by Chris and Morgane Stapleton at DAR's Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., the proceeds of which went to Give an Hour. Give an Hour is grateful to the Stapleton team and all those who supported this year's successful Celebration of Service.
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Chris Stapleton performs at DAR's Constitution Hall in Washington, DC., to cap off a successful Celebration of Service
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Help Spread the Word about the MilSpouse Mental
Health Professional Network
Since the Military Spouse Mental Health Profession Network launched six months ago, more than 800 members have joined and 74 military spouses have been matched with mentors or pro bono licensure supervisors. We are proud and excited to be able to help so many military spouses achieve their career goals while working to reduce the national shortage of mental health providers and equip providers with a deeper understanding of military culture.
Give an Hour is currently looking for more volunteer mentors and supervisors, as well as for help spreading the word about the MilSpouse Network. Mental health professionals can join as a volunteer, gain access to numerous resources, and network with this group. Spouses of active service members, veterans, and reservists who are students or experienced mental health professionals are qualified to receive the additional benefits of mentorship and pro bono supervision.
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GAH Signs MOA with Department of
Veterans Affairs
January 16, 2016, Give an Hour signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand our partnership. These efforts include the sharing of training opportunities and outreach to reduce negative perceptions associated with mental illness and seeking mental health care.
Give an Hour is now listed as a resource on the VA Community Provider Toolkit website. The toolkit supports the behavioral health and wellness of veterans receiving services outside the VA health care system. GAH providers are encouraged to visit the site for information on screening for military service, handouts, training modules to increase knowledge on military culture, and mini-clinics focused on relevant aspects of behavioral health and wellness. To find more information please go to
http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/communityproviders/index.asp.
Give an Hour has also included the VA's "Make The Connection" website as a resource on its Connected page. Make The Connection is an online resource designed to
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Katie Civiletto, GAH Program Specialist, at the Bath, NY VA Mental Health Summit
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As an example of our partnership, Give an Hour attended several of the 105 Mental Health Summits hosted by VA Medical Centers around the country. The summits were attended by Give an Hour staff and 182 volunteer providers. Participants manned information tables, attended panel discussions, and contributed in break-out sessions on the many topics associated with veteran mental health and access to services.
If you are interested in attending a VA Mental Health Summit in 2017, please
contact Rob Stewart at [email protected]
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Community Collaborative Events in Tacoma, Wash., Attract Military Families
The Tacoma Community Collaborative team created two great events this fall, attracting military families and community members eager to celebrate those who serve and their families. In late October, the Collaborative participated in Trunk or Treat at Camp Murray, which is adjacent to Joint Base Lewis McChord. Approximately a dozen individuals and organizations parked their vehicles in one of the large parking lots and gave out candy from their trunks to the children of Washington Army National Guard families. In the gym, there were another dozen organizations giving out candy and other goodies, as well as running carnival games.
In November, the team hosted an information table at the Auburn 51st Annual Veterans Day Parade. The Auburn Parade is a strong tradition for the local veteran community and is the largest Veterans Day parade west of the Mississippi. Despite the downpour of rain and chilly temperature, 6,000 participants came out to show their support. Over 200 units participated in the parade, including marching bands, military vehicles, veterans' units, honor guards, and more.
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Shaida and Dug at the Auburn Veterans Day Parade
51st Annual Celebration.
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Home Base
Offers Free Online Classes Dedicated to Healing the Invisible Wounds of War
We are excited to introduce to you a series of free online education sessions by
One in three U.S. Service Members will experience signs of combat stress, depression, post-traumatic stress or symptoms of a traumatic brain injury. As more veterans and service members choose to receive care health outside the VA, it is critical that community clinicians are prepared to recognize and address the challenges faced by Post 9/11 service members, veterans, and their families who are patients in their clinical practices. Trainings from The Home Base Training Institute are led by clinical experts at Massachusetts General Hospital who specialize in diagnosing and treating PTSD and TBI with traditional and complimentary evidence-based therapy; recognizing and addressing emotional stresses in families of Veterans with PTSD or TBI; supporting the needs of military families including spouses, partners, parents, and children.
All courses from the Home Base Training Institute are completely free and offer CE/CME/CEU credits.
Four
NEW courses are available at the links below:
For more information about Home Base's current education offerings or to register for a course,
click here .
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Fourth Annual Layne Martin Golf Tournament
to Benefit Give an Hour Is a Huge Success!
The Fourth Annual Layne Martin Golf Tournament was held at the beautiful Woodside Acres Golf & Country Club on Long Island on September 27, 2016. Give an Hour Board Member Layne Martin, DDS, hosted another tremendous
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| Dr. Martin takes a swing |
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event, raising more than $15,000 to support our mission.
Approximately 77 players enjoyed a full day of great golf, good food, good friends, and a wide-ranging array of high-end auction items.
Please keep an eye out for the Save the Date for September 2017 and join us next year for a great day of golf to support Give an Hour.
Thank you, Layne, for another amazing day on the course!
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The beautiful Woodside Acres Golf & Country Club
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Help Us Get 10,000 Likes!
LIKE us on Facebook!
You can help us get to 10,00 likes by the end of the month! Stay up-to-date with new initiatives, trainings, and partner news in 2017. Join our Facebook page today.
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Provide
r Tool Kit Offers Easy Ideas to
Promote Your Affiliation with
Whether you are a provider new to Give an Hour or an old hand who has been giving your services to Give an Hour for years, we encourage you to take a look at the new outreach tool kit. In this collection of materials, you will find useful information and opportunities to "give an hour" in your community while you are waiting for your first GAH client or are in between clients.
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Promote Your Involvement with GAH's Provider Logo!
Give an Hour provider logos are available on our website,
www.giveanhour.org. Log in to the provider section of the website, and you will find a logo that can be downloaded to your business website (and made into a live link to our website) or included in printed material.
We are grateful for your involvement with Give an Hour and want to help you receive recognition for your choice to serve military families. |
Buy Your Give an Hour
Holiday
Gifts and Apparel Here!
Give an Hour apparel, and other cool items, are available at our online shop. They make great holiday gifts. Whether a water bottle, coffee mug, tote bag, t-shirt, or Give an Hour baseball cap, you can purchase it at ou
r
Cafe Press shop
and help us raise awareness and funds for the valuable work we are doing all over the country. Show your colors and support and help celebrate Give an Hour!
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Give an Hour At-a-Glance
- Increased volunteer provider network by 600% from 1,000 in February 2008 to nearly 7,000 currently.
- Increased number of volunteer hours donated by mental health providers by more than 10,000% from 1,415 in August 2008 to over 200,000 hours today.
- Increased non-mental health volunteers over 6,000% from 15 in 2008 to 1,000 currently.
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| If you are a provider and considering Unsubscribing,
please know that you will no longer be able to receive
any communications from GAH to all providers.
Please also know that we try very hard to keep our
group e-mails to a minimum.
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