The Latest News From the Cohen Veterans Clinic

July is National

Minority Mental Health Month

In This Issue

NAMI Spotlights Mental Health Awareness in Underrepresented Communities
Cohen Clinic at Cape Fear Valley Celebrates Three Years
VSO Spotlight - Onward to Opportunity
Anniversary Giveaways
Upcoming Events
COVID-19 Updates

NAMI Spotlights Mental Health Awareness in Underrepresented Communities

In 2008, the US House of Representatives designated July as “Bebe Moore Campbell Minority Mental Health Month." The posthumous honor was in memory of the best-selling author and journalist whose works such as Your Blues Ain't Like Mine, Singing in The Comeback Choir and 72 Hour Hold delve into race relations and mental health issues.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition.

Mental Health does not discriminate. Many communities of color can be more likely to experience socioeconomic disparities and discrimination that impact access to care.

Taking on the challenges of mental health conditions, health coverage and the stigma of mental illness requires all of us. In many communities, these problems are increased by less access to care, cultural stigma and lower quality care. (source: National Alliance on Mental Illness).

To learn more, visit:

National Alliance on Mental Illness

Health and Human Service Office of Minority Health

Additional Resources:

This is My Brave is accepting submissions for “This is My Brave: Black Stories Matter". Click here to learn more.

Mental Health America has a robust BIPOC Mental Health Toolkit along with many mental health resources across their site.

Celebrating 3 Years in the Community

When the clinic doors first opened in July 2017, no one could have predicted how much the world would change in three short years!

However, two things have not changed. First, is the warm welcome from our community partners and our community of Veterans, Military and their family members. We have had the honor of providing critical mental health services to 1,431 people since our doors opened.

Scenes from Opening Day July 2017

Second, is our commitment to you. While the pandemic has changed the way we do business, the clinic was able to pivot almost immediately to continue providing quality care via CVN Telehealth. In fact, 74% of our current clients receive care via Telehealth and many intend to continue with this way of receiving care.

The future has many uncertainties but your Cohen Clinic will continue to remain a steady resource of professionals who stand ready to work with you. We will continue to provide the best available mental health care, work to remove barriers to and stigmas about care, and ensure inclusion and equity in all we do.

Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your journey.

VSO Spotlight

Onward to Opportunity (O2O) is a free career training program that provides professional certification and employee support services to transitioning service members, veterans, military and veteran spouses.

O2O combines industry-validated curricula, strong partnerships with leading veteran service organizations and private sector companies, and comprehensive career coaching services to prepare and match participants with their new careers.

A variety of professional certificates are available in three categories: Information Technology, Customer Service Excellence and Business Management. Some of the most popular programs include, Six Sigma, Project Management, Information Security, Cloud Services and more.

Onward to Opportunity is a grant funded program and it is being executed by the Institute of Veterans and Military Families (IVMF).

For more information about the program contact our local Fort Bragg representative is Alicia H Mock at [email protected] or 910-429-5454.

Anniversary Giveaways

Come Celebrate with Us!

There's still time to join in the fun with three more anniversary giveaways from Winterbloom Tea, Hummingbird Candle Co., and Fayetteville Wellness!

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and watch for the weekly posts. All you have to do is like and comment on the post to be eligible to enter these amazing wellness packages curated just for you by our local downtown business owners!

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendars for Fri., July 24,. 11:30-4:30 for the Fayetteville Vet Center's Virtual Resource Fair! There's a full line up of local resources available to Veterans and their families.

NCServes Central Carolina
NC4VETS
The Cohen Clinic
Fayetteville VA Coastal Health Care System's Healthcare for Homeless Veterans, Caregiver Support and VA Suicide Prevention departments
Insight Human Services
Womack Army Medical Center's Intrepid Spirit Clinic
Partnership for Children of Cumberland County's Care Center

To register, click on the flyer above.

Learn about stress-management and relaxation techniques in a live, interactive virtual environment.

Participants are encouraged to share in the discussion as though they were in person.

Topics covered:

Managing stressors such as isolation and multi tasking
Defining stress and recognizing the impact
Healthy communications during high stress times
Learning relaxation exercises
Setting goals for building wellness plans
Getting healthy sleep
Finding a positive perspective
Practicing gratitude

You will walk away empowered with therapy tips and strategies will enhance your life well beyond the pandemic crisis.

Click here to register for this FREE event.

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COVID Resources

The COVID Coach app was created for everyone, including Veterans and Service members, to support self-care and overall mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Features include

Education about coping during the pandemic

Tools for self-care and to improve emotional well-being

Trackers to check your mood and measure your growth toward personal goals

Graphs to visualize progress over time

How to Use COVID Coach

COVID Coach can be used as a stand-alone education and self-care tool, or as a supplement to professional mental health care. You can mark your favorite coping tools and track your mental health over time. Set reminders to visit the app each day and work toward your goals. The app can also help you create your own personal support network.

NOTE: COVID Coach is not intended to replace needed professional care related to COVID-19 or mental health conditions, such as PTSD.

Several of the questionnaires used in COVID Coach, including the PTSD Checklist (PCL-5), are reliable and valid self-report measures used across VA, Department of Defense (DoD), and the community, but they are not intended to replace professional evaluation.

Source: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/COVID_coach_app.asp

Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at

Cape Fear Valley | 3505 Village Drive

Fayetteville, NC | 910-615-3737

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