Seeking the Military Suicide Solution - Military Times

Shauna’s latest book: Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us

Duane’s latest book: Military in the Rear View Mirror: Mental Health and Wellness in Post-Military Life

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Leaving a podcast review at iTunes isn’t intuitive. But positive ratings are hugely important: they help the podcast get discovered by new people. Please spend 5 minutes of your time to leave a review using one of the methods below.

How to leave a podcast review using Apple’s Podcast app

1. Navigate to Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts”

3. Scroll down and click or tap “Write a Review.” Enter your iTunes password to login.

4. Rate the podcast using 1 to 5 stars.

5. Submit a brief honest review.

Bonus: get a thank-you note

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. When you leave a review, drop us a line at info@veteranmentalhealth.com and you’ll get a message with the warmest appreciation, and a bonus gift!

For Android users, Google Podcasts does not allow for ratings or reviews, but you can certainly let us know how you think we’re doing on Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio

Nevada’s Mayors and Governors Challenge

Seeking the Military Suicide Solution Podcast, Episode 49: Chris Jachimiec – Listener Response to STMSS Series

migration — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 14:00:00 +0000

About this week’s guest

Chris Jachimiec is a recently retired member of the United States Air Force. Over the course of his 20-year career he served in multiple military leadership roles in Nevada, Germany and Korea, and is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. He was named the Air Combat Command First Sergeant of the Year in 2016.

In July 2017, he lost his brother, Lance Cpl. Adam Jachimiec, United States Marine Corps, to suicide after a courageous battle with post traumatic stress. As a wounded warrior himself, Jachimiec dedicates his life to finding and utilizing multiple pathways to recovery from mental health issues, grief and trauma. Jachimiec is a Warrior Games athlete and distinguished member of the governor’s and mayor’s challenge teams in Nevada and Las Vegas. He has recently been named the first PREVENTS ambassador for Nevada and is working with Sen. Jacky Rosen on legislation for veterans issues.

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Join our Facebook group:

Shauna’s latest book: Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us

Duane’s latest book: Military in the Rear View Mirror: Mental Health and Wellness in Post-Military Life

How to leave a podcast review

How to leave a podcast review using Apple’s Podcast app

1. Navigate to Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts”

3. Scroll down and click or tap “Write a Review.” Enter your iTunes password to login.

4. Rate the podcast using 1 to 5 stars.

5. Submit a brief honest review.

Bonus: get a thank-you note

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. When you leave a review, drop us a line at info@veteranmentalhealth.com and you’ll get a message with the warmest appreciation, and a bonus gift!

For Android users, Google Podcasts does not allow for ratings or reviews, but you can certainly let us know how you think we’re doing on Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio

Follow Michael on LinkedIn

Seeking the Military Suicide Solution Podcast, Episode 47: Michael Sugrue – Similarities between veteran and first responder suicide

migration — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 14:00:00 +0000

About this week’s guest

Michael Sugrue began his law enforcement career in the United States Air Force as a security forces officer in 1998. As a security forces officer, Sugrue specialized in law enforcement, global force Protection, anti-terrorism, nuclear security, foreign air field assessments and air base ground defense.

Sugrue served in a variety of assignments including: flight leader, flight commander, senior watch officer, chief of command post and chief of security forces.

Sugrue served all over the United States, Europe, the Middle East and South America. He was also a security forces Phoenix Raven with the unique identifier of #1173. Sugrue honorably separated from the Air Force as a captain in 2004.

Immediately after the Air Force, Sugrue was hired by the Walnut Creek Police Department where he served in a variety of assignments including: patrol officer, driver training instructor, field training officer, SIU detective, undercover California DOJ narcotic task force agent (Contra Costa County), public information officer and patrol sergeant.

Sugrue was awarded the Walnut Creek PD Distinguished Service Medal in 2014 for his heroic and life saving actions during a fatal officer-involved shooting in 2012.

Sugrue ultimately medically retired in 2018. He is now a peer volunteer at the West Coast Post Trauma Retreat (WCPR) and an ambassador for Save A Warrior (SAW).

Sugrue is a dedicated advocate for awareness, prevention, education, training on post traumatic stress injury (PTSI) and first responder suicide prevention. Sugrue continues to speak at law enforcement agencies all over the United States.

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Join our Facebook group:

Shauna’s latest book: Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us

Duane’s latest book: Military in the Rear View Mirror: Mental Health and Wellness in Post-Military Life

How to leave a podcast review

How to leave a podcast review using Apple’s Podcast app

1. Navigate to Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts”

3. Scroll down and click or tap “Write a Review.” Enter your iTunes password to login.

4. Rate the podcast using 1 to 5 stars.

5. Submit a brief honest review.

Bonus: get a thank-you note

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. When you leave a review, drop us a line at info@veteranmentalhealth.com and you’ll get a message with the warmest appreciation, and a bonus gift!

For Android users, Google Podcasts does not allow for ratings or reviews, but you can certainly let us know how you think we’re doing on Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio

Dr. Kudler’s research and background

Seeking the Military Suicide Solution Podcast, Episode 46: Dr. Harold Kudler – Historical Perspective on Suicide Prevention

migration — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 02:00:00 +0000

About this week’s guest

Dr. Harold Kudler received his M.D. from Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, trained in psychiatry at Yale and is adjunct associate professor at Duke. He has received teaching awards from the Duke Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychoanalytic Association.

From 2002 to 2010, Kudler coordinated mental health services for a three state region of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and from 2000 through 2005 co-chaired VA’s Special Committee on PTSD which reports to Congress. He founded the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies’ (ISTSS) PTSD Practice Guidelines taskforce and has served on the ISTSS Board of Directors. He co-led development of the joint VA/Department of Defense Guideline for the Management of Posttraumatic Stress and serves as adviser to Sesame Street’s Talk, Listen, Connect series for military families.

From 2006 to 2014, he co-led the North Carolina Governor’s Focus on Returning Military Members and their Families. In 2012, he was appointed to the North Carolina Institute of Medicine. From 2004 to 2014, Kudler was associate director of the VA’s Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) which focuses on deployment mental health. From 2010 to 2013, Kudler was also medical lead for the VISN 6 Rural Health Initiative. In July, 2014, he joined VA Central Office in Washington, where he serves as chief consultant for mental health services.

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Join our Facebook group:

Shauna’s latest book: Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us

Duane’s latest book: Military in the Rear View Mirror: Mental Health and Wellness in Post-Military Life

How to leave a podcast review

How to leave a podcast review using Apple’s Podcast app

1. Navigate to Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts”

3. Scroll down and click or tap “Write a Review.” Enter your iTunes password to login.

4. Rate the podcast using 1 to 5 stars.

5. Submit a brief honest review.

Bonus: get a thank-you note

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. When you leave a review, drop us a line at info@veteranmentalhealth.com and you’ll get a message with the warmest appreciation, and a bonus gift!

For Android users, Google Podcasts does not allow for ratings or reviews, but you can certainly let us know how you think we’re doing on Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio

Danica’s Story: Life After Suicide

Seeking the Military Suicide Solution Podcast, Episode 45: Danica Thomas – Suicide Loss Survivor and Advocate

migration — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 16:17:37 +0000

About this week’s guest

Danica Thomas is the widow of Army Staff Sgt. Allen Thomas. In March of 2010, her husband was severely injured in Afghanistan and brought to Walter Reed. Danica was pregnant with their first daughter. She became a caregiver overnight and quickly learned they had a very long road to recovery. They were stationed back at Fort Bragg in August 2010, where he would rehabilitate and transition to medical retirement at the Warrior Transition Battalion and Womack. They had their first daughter in October. Danica experienced the hard trials and errors of being a new mom and caregiver, as well as Army wife. They welcomed a second daughter in the Spring of 2013. Tragically in the late summer of 2013, her husband lost his long battle to suicide. As a widow and mother of two, she has now made it a mission to work closely within the military community. Danica has put her heart into helping other caregivers and wounded veterans like her husband.

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Join our Facebook group:

Shauna’s latest book: Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us

Duane’s latest book: Military in the Rear View Mirror: Mental Health and Wellness in Post-Military Life

How to leave a podcast review

How to leave a podcast review using Apple’s Podcast app

1. Navigate to Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts”

3. Scroll down and click or tap “Write a Review.” Enter your iTunes password to login.

4. Rate the podcast using 1 to 5 stars.

5. Submit a brief honest review.

Bonus: get a thank-you note

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. When you leave a review, drop us a line at info@veteranmentalhealth.com and you’ll get a message with the warmest appreciation, and a bonus gift!

For Android users, Google Podcasts does not allow for ratings or reviews, but you can certainly let us know how you think we’re doing on Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio

The Third Star Foundation

Seeking the Military Suicide Solution Podcast, Episode 44: Dr. Amy Taft, suicide prevention in children of military families

migration — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 20:29:34 +0000

About this week’s guest

Amy Taft is the wife of retired Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Ward Taft. Together they have two girls and live in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Taft is the founder of Third Star Foundation, an organization that provides ongoing support to children who live in a house with a veteran or service member who has sustained an injury or wound as a result of their time in service. Taft founded the organization after witnessing her own children go through drastic behavior changes after their father returned home from combat with a moderate brain injury. Her goal is to allow children to meet other peers who have a shared experience and give them the tools they need to express their emotions in a healthy way. Taft also wants to bring awareness to child suicide and the devastating effects that isolation has on children.

Taft spent seven years as a classroom teacher just outside Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and currently serves as the senior director of education for the COMMIT Foundation. Taft was also part of the inaugural GW Bush Institute Veteran Stand To Leadership Program. To learn more about Third Star Foundation, email amy@thirdstarfoundation.org

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Join our Facebook group:

Shauna’s latest book: Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us

Duane’s latest book: Military in the Rear View Mirror: Mental Health and Wellness in Post-Military Life

How to leave a podcast review

How to leave a podcast review using Apple’s Podcast app

1. Navigate to Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts”

3. Scroll down and click or tap “Write a Review.” Enter your iTunes password to login.

4. Rate the podcast using 1 to 5 stars.

5. Submit a brief honest review.

Bonus: get a thank-you note

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. When you leave a review, drop us a line at info@veteranmentalhealth.com and you’ll get a message with the warmest appreciation, and a bonus gift!

For Android users, Google Podcasts does not allow for ratings or reviews, but you can certainly let us know how you think we’re doing on Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio

Air Force / MIT Artificial Intelligence Accelerator

Seeking the Military Suicide Solution Podcast, Episode 43: Capt. Michael Kanaan, AI and machine learning in suicide prevention

migration — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 18:44:56 +0000

About this week’s guest

Michael Kanaan was the first chairperson of artificial intelligence for the U.S. Air Force, Headquarters Pentagon. In that role, he authored and guided the research, development, and implementation strategies for AI technology and machine-learning activities across its global operations. He is currently the director of operations for Air Force / MIT artificial intelligence. In recognition of his fast-rising career and broad influence, the author was named to the 2019 Forbes “30 Under 30” list and has received numerous other awards and prestigious honors — including the Air Force’s 2018 General Larry O. Spencer Award for Innovation as well as the U.S. government’s Arthur S. Flemming Award, an honor shared by past recipients Neil Armstrong, Robert Gates, and Elizabeth Dole. Kanaan is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and previously led a national intelligence campaign for Operation Inherent Resolve in Syria and Iraq.

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Michael’s book: T-Minus AI: Humanity’s Countdown to Artificial Intelligence and the New Pursuit of Global Power

Join our Facebook group:

Shauna’s latest book: Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us

Duane’s latest book: Military in the Rear View Mirror: Mental Health and Wellness in Post-Military Life

How to leave a podcast review

How to leave a podcast review using Apple’s Podcast app

1. Navigate to Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts”

3. Scroll down and click or tap “Write a Review.” Enter your iTunes password to login.

4. Rate the podcast using 1 to 5 stars.

5. Submit a brief honest review.

Bonus: get a thank-you note

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. When you leave a review, drop us a line at info@veteranmentalhealth.com and you’ll get a message with the warmest appreciation, and a bonus gift!

For Android users, Google Podcasts does not allow for ratings or reviews, but you can certainly let us know how you think we’re doing on Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio

USAF Article on Personal Resiliency

Seeking the Military Suicide Solution Podcast, Episode 42: Col. Rob Swanson, suicide survivor

migration — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 16:27:33 +0000

About this week’s guest

Colonel Robert “Rob” Swanson retired from active duty after serving nearly 35 years. Since retirement, he completed an Executive MBA from the Shidler School of Business and has been actively involved as keynote speaker, senior mentor and advisor for the award-winning Fight For Each Other suicide prevention program in Hawaii.

Prior to retirement, Colonel Swanson was Chief, Weather Strategic Plans and Interagency Integration Division, Directorate of Weather, Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. The Division plans weather, climate and space environmental support for the Air Force Weather functional area and oversees integration of technology and weather into C4I and modeling systems.

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Article about Col. Swanson

Join our Facebook group:

Shauna’s latest book: Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us

Duane’s latest book: Military in the Rear View Mirror: Mental Health and Wellness in Post-Military Life

How to leave a podcast review

How to leave a podcast review using Apple’s Podcast app

1. Navigate to Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts”

3. Scroll down and click or tap “Write a Review.” Enter your iTunes password to login.

4. Rate the podcast using 1 to 5 stars.

5. Submit a brief honest review.

Bonus: get a thank-you note

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. When you leave a review, drop us a line at info@veteranmentalhealth.com and you’ll get a message with the warmest appreciation, and a bonus gift!

For Android users, Google Podcasts does not allow for ratings or reviews, but you can certainly let us know how you think we’re doing on Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio

Nevada Mayor’s and Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Veteran Suicide

Seeking the Military Suicide Solution Podcast, Episode 41: Kim Donohue on suicide prevention at the state and local level

migration — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Kim Donohue has worked for the Nevada Department fo Veteran Services as the suicide and homelessness prevention program manager and organizational integrator since January 2018. Donohue has been actively participating in the SAMHSA Mayor’s Challenge Teams, which is a suicide prevention initiative that fights against suicide among service members, veterans, and their families since the inauguration in January 2018. In December of 2018, Gov. Steve Sisolak designated Donohue to lead the Governors Challenge team and continue efforts towards preventing suicide on a state-wide level.

Prior to working for NDVS, she taught early childhood education. Donohue spent over five years living in Ireland and Great Britain, establishing European offices in England and the Middle East for an International Engineering Software Company.

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Join our Facebook group:

Shauna’s latest book: Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us

Duane’s latest book: Military in the Rear View Mirror: Mental Health and Wellness in Post-Military Life

How to leave a podcast review

How to leave a podcast review using Apple’s Podcast app

1. Navigate to Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts”

3. Scroll down and click or tap “Write a Review.” Enter your iTunes password to login.

4. Rate the podcast using 1 to 5 stars.

5. Submit a brief honest review.

Bonus: get a thank-you note

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. When you leave a review, drop us a line at info@veteranmentalhealth.com and you’ll get a message with the warmest appreciation, and a bonus gift!

For Android users, Google Podcasts does not allow for ratings or reviews, but you can certainly let us know how you think we’re doing on Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio

J Article highlighting USMC Peer Support Retreats

Seeking the Military Suicide Solution Podcast, Episode 40: David Bachmann — Peer Support in Suicide Prevention

migration — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 23:00:00 +0000

About this week’s guest

David Bachmann is a Marine Corps infantry combat veteran. He served with E Co, 2nd Battalion 7th Marines from 2001-2005. After being discharged from the Marine Corps, he began to ride and build motorcycles. He currently resides in Texas where he raises cattle and quarter horses. Bachmann is active in an ongoing healing movement developed by Marines that brings the tribe of veterans together throughout the year for warrior reunions. He has also been an invited suicide prevention speaker at Marine reunions.

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Join our Facebook group:

Shauna’s latest book: Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us

Duane’s latest book: Military in the Rear View Mirror: Mental Health and Wellness in Post-Military Life

How to leave a podcast review

How to leave a podcast review using Apple’s Podcast app

1. Navigate to Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Click “Listen on Apple Podcasts”

3. Scroll down and click or tap “Write a Review.” Enter your iTunes password to login.

4. Rate the podcast using 1 to 5 stars.

5. Submit a brief honest review.

Bonus: get a thank-you note

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. When you leave a review, drop us a line at info@veteranmentalhealth.com and you’ll get a message with the warmest appreciation, and a bonus gift!

For Android users, Google Podcasts does not allow for ratings or reviews, but you can certainly let us know how you think we’re doing on Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio