Education and Training for Veterans by Veterans

The National Veterans Foundation provides education and training for veterans...by veterans.

Topics and Speakers — Community Education

The Impact of Adversity and Trauma

No one is immune to the impact of adversity and traumatic experiences. Combat stress and trauma affect those in military service, their families, and the community.

Statistics tell us that those entering the military have much higher rates of childhood adverse experiences than those who remain in the civilian world. Trauma disrupts healthy body and brain function, impacting one’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It affects relationships, behaviors, overall functioning, and quality of life.

The wounds are sometimes clear to see, while others are subtle.

Challenges of Reintegration

Reintegration back into civilian society can be difficult. It isn’t always clear why or how experiences make it difficult to connect with others or to readjust to the fast-paced and demanding society.

These invisible wounds can lead to negative coping strategies. Without support and specific tools to make the transition smoother, life can spiral out of control, or it can slowly eat away at our lives.

Hope and Healing

The good news is that healing can take place, and it is possible to build the resiliency needed to succeed in civilian life.

Those who serve the veteran community – therapists, peer supporters, case managers, healthcare providers, and employers – anyone providing personal support or interacting in the workplace can be more effective when they understand how trauma impacts us.

Relationships are a primary factor in the healing process. Programs, policies, and engagement skills that embrace trauma-informed principles promote healthy relationships, emotional regulation, innovation, and collaboration, regardless of the mission of the workplace or agency.

Understanding Trauma-Informed Care

To be a part of the solution, we need to understand how to engage survivors of trauma.

Trauma-informed care seeks to:

  • Realize the widespread impact of trauma and understand paths for recovery
  • Recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma in patients, families, and staff
  • Integrate knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices
  • Actively avoid re-traumatization

(Adopted from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s “Trauma-Informed Approach.”)

4 Points Builds a STAR Program

4 Points Builds a STAR is a full engagement program, created and taught exclusively by Melinda Meshad, LCSW, and Shad Meshad, LCSW CTS, a leading expert in military trauma and reintegration.

This program is endorsed by the leading expert in combat trauma, Charles R. Figley, PhD.

This two-day transformative training provides a thorough overview of trauma and its impact. It links this understanding with evidence-based and trauma-informed engagement strategies that help those with the wounds of trauma gain resilience, emotional regulation, and the ability to maintain healthy relationships that promote successful civilian life.

Training Topics and Speakers

Shad Meshad

Shad is the founder of the Vet Center program, created to provide a safe community place for those struggling with reentry, and the founder of the NVF. The NVF has provided a crisis and information lifeline for the past 40 years.

He is a former Faculty Member of the International Critical Incidence Stress Foundation, a Board Member of the Green Cross Project, Past President of the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists, and a Licensed Social Worker with more than 4 decades of experience treating the psychological wounds of war.

NVF President Shad Meshad conducts workshops to educate, train, and certify first responders, veteran peers, and all those who work with trauma victims and who serve veterans.

Melinda Meshad

Melinda Meshad, licensed clinical social worker, has a long history of working with populations with high rates of trauma – war refugees, those incarcerated, those impacted by domestic abuse, and the veteran population.

She currently trains in trauma-informed care, consults, and maintains a private practice.

Melinda was asked to be on a panel of experts addressing the importance of trauma-informed care for the U.S. Department of Labor, National Veterans’ Training Institute.

Listen to this training module below:

COMING SOON!

For More Information

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To arrange for a speaker for your class, training seminar, or to aid your agency in integrating trauma-informed policies and program development, contact trainer Melinda Meshad at Melinda@nvf.org or 805-660-1452.

Training can be tailored to fit your needs. Please call to inquire today!