CIR News
Dr. Hassan Briefs Congressmembers on Military Behavioral Health
21 May 2012 | posted by Center for Innovation and Research | in CIR News Archive, Past Events
Back row, left to right: Captain John Ralph, Colonel John Forbes, Rep. Glenn Thompson, Dr. Anthony Hassan. Front row: Dr. Rebecca Porter, Rep. Grace Napolitano, Dr. Wendy Tenhula
On May 16, 2012, Dr. Anthony Hassan participated in a briefing for Congressmembers regarding behavioral health issues related to servicemembers, veterans, and their families.
The briefing, hosted by Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA) of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus as part of National Mental Health Awareness Month, featured military mental health experts from the Army, Air Force, Navy/Marine Corps, and Veterans Administration to educate members of Congress and their staff on how the U.S. military is addressing its mental health crisis.
The Soldiers Project 2012 Conference — at USC!
15 May 2012 | posted by Center for Innovation and Research | in CIR News Archive, Past Events
THE SOLDIERS PROJECT presents:
A Pathway Home: Challenges and Solutions
June 8 -10, 2012
USC University Park Campus
Davidson Conference Center
3415 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California 90089
About the Conference
The Soldiers Project’s 2012 national conference, “A Pathway Home,” is dedicated to understanding the challenges facing veterans and their families, both for those who are returning home and those who currently serve. The three-day conference is for mental health professionals, servicemembers and their families and loved ones, service providers, and the general public.
Two panels on Saturday, June 9, will feature representatives from CIR and the USC School of Social Work:
- 2:30 – 3:30 pm – Military Children and FamiliesPanelists will include Dr. Eugenia Weiss, along with representatives from UCLA’s FOCUS program and The Soldiers Project’s “Family Ties” program.
- 4:00 – 5:00 pm – Community Reintegration: What To Expect
Dr. Sherrie Wilcox will discuss the stages of the deployment cycle and post-deployment and reintegration challenges.
For information about continuing education credit and the conference agenda, please visit The Soldiers Project conference page or view the conference flyer. Discounts for veterans and early registration are available! Click here to purchase conference tickets.
CIR Policy Brief: Navigating the VA with Invisible Wounds
14 May 2012 | posted by Center for Innovation and Research | in CIR News Archive
NAVIGATING THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WITH INVISIBLE WOUNDS: HOW TO OVERCOME THE STIGMA OF “DELAY, DENY, & HOPE YOU DIE”
April 2012
Susan Thompson, JD
In this policy brief, the author describes the difficulties that veterans with invisible wounds face in obtaining treatment or benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and proposes recommendations for improving VA service to veterans and their families.
To download this policy brief, click here.
CIR Presents at the Western Psychological Association’s Annual Meeting
9 May 2012 | posted by Center for Innovation and Research | in CIR News Archive, Past Events
(left to right) Kelly Turner, Alice Kim, Shawna Campbell, and Sherrie Wilcox
On April 28, at the 92nd annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association in San Francisco, CIR researchers presented a symposium entitled, “Serving Those Who Served: Understanding, Educating, and Intervening.” Chaired by USC School of Social Work Research Assistant Professor Kelly Turner, CIR’s four presentations featured academic and training interventions geared toward addressing the behavioral health needs of men and women returning home from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Alice Kim, CIR Project Manager, presented pilot data from CIR’s continuing education program. Shawna Campbell, CIR Project Specialist, discussed a comparison of attitudes toward Evidenced-Based Practice between MSW students and advanced behavioral health providers. Kelly Turner outlined the development of CIR’s video vignette-based military Clinical Skill Assessment Tool, and Sherrie Wilcox, Research Assistant Professor, presented an evaluation of a component of CIR’s Reintegration Partnership Program, a cognitive-behavioral skills training intervention designed to better equip members of the California National Guard to transition from combat deployment to civilian life.
CIR Supports Local School in Celebrating Month of the Military Child
8 May 2012 | posted by Center for Innovation and Research | in CIR News Archive, Past Events
An entry to Leland Elementary's postcard contest
San Pedro, CA, is home to many servicemembers and their families. To celebrate the Month of the Military Child in April, Leland Elementary School – the geographic home school for Fort MacArthur Housing Facility – hosted a number of activities for all of its students, including some events specifically for military-connected children. Children shared stories about their military family members, participated in a military/patriotic postcard contest, and enjoyed an ice cream social with representatives from the L.A. Air Force Base Airmen and Family Readiness Center!
CIR and other organizations – such as Ralph’s, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, Port of Los Angeles VFW Post #2967, and LAAFB Airmen and Family Readiness Center – donated funds to help pay for materials given to the students, including American flags, ice cream, stickers, and wristbands.
Great thanks to all who work to support military children and their families!
CIR Brown Bag: Trauma-Informed Care for Homeless Women Veterans
7 May 2012 | posted by Center for Innovation and Research | in CIR News Archive, Past Events
Join CIR on Thursday, May 24, for a Brown Bag session: “Trauma-Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: A Guide for Service Providers” with Ms. Kelly Jenkins-Pultz. Ms. Pultz will provide information about the Department of Labor Women’s Bureau initiative on women veterans and discuss the publication of a guide for service providers regarding how to help homeless women veterans. 1.5 CEUs are available for MFTs and LCSWs!
RSVP here!
Kelly Jenkins-Pultz serves as the Program Analyst for the U.S. Department of Labor Region 9 Women’s Bureau office. In this position she coordinates programs for the Bureau’s initiatives on fair pay, workplace flexibility, higher paying jobs for women, and women veterans. She began her career in Washington, DC, and in addition to the Women’s Bureau, has worked for a variety of elected officials and nonprofit organizations. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Women’s Studies from George Washington University.
UPDATE: To view this archived lecture, CLICK HERE.
CIR Launches Military Behavioral Health Journal
4 May 2012 | posted by Center for Innovation and Research | in CIR News Archive, Past Events
Dr. Jeffery Wilkins, Senior Editor for the Military Behavioral Health Journal, welcomes colloquium attendees.
On April 18, CIR held a colloquium to launch its new journal — Military Behavioral Health – the first academic journal dedicated to the biopsychosocial health and well-being of servicemembers, veterans and families impacted by military service.
The colloquium featured presentations by several contributors to the first issue of the journal, to be published later this year. Members of the local community, CIR’s Advisory Boards, and USC faculty and staff were in attendance at the event. Information on the presenters, as well as presentation slides, are available below:
“Correlates of the Perceived Value of a Third-Location Decompression Program for Canadian Forces Personnel Returning from Afghanistan” (PRESENTATION SLIDES)
Colonel Rakesh Jetly, M.D., FRCPC, Mental Health and Psychiatry Advisor, Canadian Forces Surgeon General
“Facilitators and Barriers in Effective Clinical Practice with Redeployed Military and Veteran Couples”
Kathryn Basham, Ph.D., LICSW, Professor, Smith College School of Social Work
“Impact of Deployment to Iraq on Marital Relationships of UK Military Personnel” (PRESENTATION SLIDES)
Nicola Fear, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London
“Systemic Approaches to Thinking About Military Families” (PRESENTATION SLIDES)
Patricia Lester, M.D., Director, FOCUS Project and UCLA Child Trauma Clinic
For more information on Military Behavioral Health, including submission guidelines, visit CIR’s webpage on the journal or the publisher’s website. If you are interested in submitting a manuscript, please contact the Senior Editor, Dr. Jeff Wilkins (jnwilkin@usc.edu).
See more photos of the Military Behavioral Health Colloquium on CIR’s Facebook page. This event was recorded — video will be available soon!