We all have painful memories in our lives. Loss. Regret. Mistakes and failures, real or imagined. It’s part of the human condition, and I don’t know anyone who’s immune to it. Those who served in the military, though, have had more opportunity to accumulate painful memories. I’m not talking about Read more
Summary: Betsey Mercado became involved in Objective Zero after seeing the positive influence that intervention had on veterans in crisis. Betsey has committed herself to making a difference in the lives of Soldiers, veterans, and their families. Her experience working with military spouses and leading multiple Family Readiness Read more
He could measure his own progress only in relationship to others, and his idea of excellence was to do something at least as well as all the men his own age who were doing the same thing even better. The fact that there were thousands of men his own age Read more
Summary: Rob Stewart joined Give an Hour in March 2014 as the Project Coordinator in the Detroit, Mich., area for the Wins for Warriors initiative. Rob retired from the military in 2009 as a Master Sergeant after having spent almost 12 years in the U.S. Army as an Indirect-fire Infantryman Read more
September is National Suicide Awareness Month. In a recent conversation, an acquaintance questioned the need for all of these “awareness months.” Why a specific month for checking on your buddy? Why not all the time? Absolutely correct, of course, but having a specific time period that brings it into the Read more
Summary: Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas sees issues of suicide prevention and mental health promotion from a host of perspectives. Clinical psychologist. Mental health advocate. Faculty member. Researcher. And suicide loss survivor. She has earned an international reputation as an entrepreneur and innovator in social change. Along the way, she’s helped establish Read more
This article was an original op-ed published in the Colorado Springs Gazette on June 20th, 2018. You can see the original article here. According to a comprehensive analysis of veteran suicides, an average of 20 active duty military service members, non-activated Guard and Reserve service members, and veterans die by suicide every Read more
Summary: Stacey Freedenthal is a Denver psychotherapist, consultant, and associate professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. Now a therapist with a part-time private practice, she also has extensive clinical experience in crisis and suicide prevention settings. Her book, Helping the Suicidal Person: Tips and Techniques Read more