2020 Hero’s Journey Symposium

Panel videos

Panel 1: Improving Mental Wellbeing For Children And Families

We open our 2020 Symposium with Founder Col. Mary Lowe Mayhugh (Ret.) providing us with the overwhelming data on Veterans’ mental health issues today, followed by heartfelt remarks from Congressman David Trone, our 2019 Health Defender Award recipient, regarding his connection to the troubling opioid crisis.

Panel 1 discusses improving mental health awareness in families and their children.

Panelists:
Facilitator Deborah Harmon-Pugh (Healthy Caregiver Foundation, National Campaign Manager, Women Veterans Rock!), Trish Glowacki (Executive Director, The Glowmedia Project), Kayla Berry (Military family member), and Dr. Neil Bernstein (Child/Adult Psychologist)

PANEL 2: NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND INTEGRATIVE MODELS OF CARE IN MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Our 2020 Health Defender Award Recipient, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, discusses her plans for improving the mental health and suicide prevention services for Veterans as part of her work on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, followed by the completion of the 22 Pushup Challenge by Col. Mike Cannon (Ret.) to honor the 22 Veterans we lose to suicide each day.

Congressman Greg Steube, our 2020 Hero Defender Award Recipient, discusses his numerous efforts to expand access to quality care for Veterans, including two bills that have already been signed into law.

Panel 2 discusses embracing innovation and the role that new technologies play in advancing care and how we understand mental health.

Panelists:
Facilitator Mr. Gregg Pane (Principal, MITRE Health Innovation), Dr. Brian L. Meyer,  Ph.D., LCP, PTSD-SUD Specialist (Interim Workplace Violence Prevention Coordinator, Veterans Administration), Dr. Jarrod Reisweber, Psy.D. (Substance Abuse Psychologist, Veterans Administration), Matt Miclette, MPH, MS, RN (Director of Clinical Operations, Neuroflow)

PANEL 3: THE HEALING ARTS AND THE ART OF HEALING

We introduce our Legislator Of The Year Award recipient, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, who discusses her efforts to improve mental healthcare, including her proposed VA Clinical Team Culture Act.

Panel 3 discusses incorporating Mindfulness, Yoga, and other Art into the healing process and supporting long term mental health and resiliency.

Panelists:
Facilitator Dr. Susie Carmack, PhD, MFA, MEd, ERYT, NBC-HWC (Assistant Professor, Department of Global and Community Health Senior Scholar, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being George Mason University), Alexis Hartwick, MA, RYT 200 (Creative Artist and Author and Director of Education, Keegan Theatre), Billie Krishawn (Actor, Visual Artist, and Teaching Artist), Amy D. Yamashiro, Ed.D. (Reiki Master & Tao Practitioner)