About

The Hero’s Journey Symposium is comprised of facilitated panel discussions and a closing synthesis session. The panel discussions bring together a wide array of stakeholders, including brain health researchers, physicians, military leaders, public policy experts, and community advocates. Our outcomes include shaping a “call to action” for a public information campaign; providing a collective sharing of best practices; identifying policy and research gaps; and providing a white paper summarizing the current state of affairs and offering solutions to create “better pathways to recovery, from wounds to wellness”.

Panels

• Panel 1: Improving Mental Well-Being for Children and Families

• Panel 2: Improving the Clinical Experience & Connections to Care

• Panel 3: Healing Arts Community - Building Wellness & Strengthening Resiliency

• Panel 4: Moral Injury

Special Guests

The Honorable James Carroll
Former Director of White House Office of National Drug Control Policy

The Honorable Seth Moulton
Congressman, Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District

The Honorable Mariannette Miller-Meeks
Congresswoman, Iowa’s 1st Congressional District

Itinerary

8:00 AM - Doors Open and Networking

9:15 AM - Opening Remarks

• Col. Mary Lowe Mayhugh (Ret.) - Founder & President, John P Mayhugh Foundation

• Mistress of Ceremonies: Deb Harmon Pugh

9:20am - Opening Keynote

• Barbara Van Dahlen, PhD - Co-Founder and CEO WeBe Life
  Hero’s Journey Advocacy Leader Award

9:45am - Hero Defender Award

• Rep. Mariannette Miller Meeks, Iowa 1st District

10:00am - Panel 1: Improving Mental Well-Being for Children and Families

• Facilitator: Thomas Trail - Senior Behavioral Scientist, RAND Corporation

• Cheryl Austein Casnoff - Managing Director, MITRE Healthcare Payment Innovation & Quality Division

• Grace Caulfield - Easter Seals Cohen Military Familiy Clinic

• Rachel Katherine Linsner - D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University

11:00am - Health Defender Award

• Rep. Seth Moulton, Massachusetts 6th District

11:15am - Panel 2: Improving the Clinical Experience and Connections to Care

• Facilitator: Dr. Kimberly Albero, DNP, RN, FNP - Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy Nurse Corps

• Justin Dahse - National Suicide Prevention Coordinator

• Emily Bentley - Director of Opioid Response, City of Alexandria, Virginia

• Lisa Eggebeen - Regional Director, The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics at Centerstone

12:15Pm - Lunch

Break

1:15 Pm - Afternoon Keynote

• The Honorable James Carroll - Former Director of White House Office of National Drug Control Policy - “US Drug Czar”, John P Mayhugh Foundation Hero’s Journey Lifetime Achievement Award

1:30pm - Panel 3: Healing Arts Community - Building Wellness and Strengthening Resiliency

• Facilitator: Ben King - Armor Down, Mindful Memorial Day

• Edward Krzysik - Chief Strategy Officer, The Washington Tattoo

• Annette Polan - Faces of the Fallen, Professor Emeritas at Corcoran College of Art & Design, George Washington University

• Dr. Sharon Jennings-Rohas - DOM; M.Ac.; L.Ac.; RT (NADA), MUIH, Department Chair

3:00pm - Panel 4: Moral Injury

• Facilitator: Kathleen Koch - Founder, LeadersLink

• Dr. Barton D. Buechner - Captain, US Navy (Ret), Senior Adjunct Faculty, Military Psychology MA Program Adler Global Campus

• Timothy Torres - Executive Director of Moral Compass Federation

• Dr. Melissa Smigelsky - VA Integrative Mental Health, Doctor of Philosophy

• Dr. Jason Nieuwsma - Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Associate Director for VA Integrative Mental Health

4:15pm - Closing Remarks

• Col. Mary Lowe Mayhugh (Ret.), Founder & President

4:30pm - Reception

Thank You To Our Sponsors!

About

The Hero’s Journey Symposium is comprised of facilitated panel discussions and a closing synthesis session. The panel discussions bring together a wide array of stakeholders, including brain health researchers, physicians, military leaders, public policy experts, and community advocates. Our outcomes include shaping a “call to action” for a public information campaign; providing a collective sharing of best practices; identifying policy and research gaps; and providing a white paper summarizing the current state of affairs and offering solutions to create “better pathways to recovery, from wounds to wellness”.

Panels

• Panel 1: Improving Mental Well-Being For Children And Families
  Discussion on improving mental health awareness in families and children

• Panel 2: New Technologies and Integrative Models of Care In Managing Mental Health and Well-Being
  Embracing innovation and the role that new technologies play in advancing care and how we understand mental health

• Panel 3: Supporting Healing through the Healing Arts
  Discussion on incorporating Mindfulness, Yoga and other Art into the healing process and supporting long term mental health and resiliency

• Panel 4: Supporting Wounds to Wellness – Connecting
  Community Resources: How do we build collaborative relationships with the public and private sectors to shape sustainable pathways for mental health recovery and create a community blueprint to support resilient communities?

Special Guests

• The Honorable Dr. David Shulkin
  9th Secretary of the US Department of Veterans Affairs

• The Honorable John Boozman
  Senator, Arkansas

• The Honorable Elaine Luria
  Congresswoman, Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District

Itinerary

9:00 AM - Opening Remarks

• Col. Mary Lowe Mayhugh (Ret.) - Founder & President, John P Mayhugh Foundation

• Master of Ceremonies: Lou Celli, Executive Director, Bravo Victor

9:05am - Keynote

• The Honorable Cheryl L. Mason, Senior Advisor and Executive Director for Veteran and Military Spouse Employment Programs and Partnerships for The Department of Veterans Affairs

9:20am - Panel 1: Improving Mental Well-Being for Children and Families

• Facilitator: Dr. Sybil Russell MD MPH, Chief Scientist & Health Innovation Area Lead in the Health Innovation Lab at the MITRE Corporation

• Kelly Hurska, Director, Government Relations at National Military Family Association

• Trish Glowacki, Founder and Executive Director of the glowmedia project

• Thomas E. Trail, Senior Behavioral Scientist at RAND Corporation

10:30am - Panel 2: New Technologies and Integrative Models of Care in Managing Mental Health and Well-Being

• Facilitator: Dr. Kimberly Albero, DNP, RN, FNP, Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy Nurse Corps

• Dr. Brian Marx, Deputy Director of the National Center for PTSD at VA Boston Health Care System

• Dr. David R. Kraus, PhD, President, Chief Scientific Officer at Outcome Referrals, Inc.

• Professor Renata Gomes, BSc, MBAS, PhD, Professor of Veterans’ Health and Biomedical Research, and Chief Scientific Officer at BRAVO VICTOR

11:30Am - Keynote

• The Honorable Dr. David Shulkin, 9th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs

12:45Pm - Lunch

Break

1:30pm - Panel 3: Supporting Healing through the Healing Arts

• Facilitator: Dr. Alicia Christy, MD, Artist and Veteran (Col. Retired), and VA Deputy Director of Reproductive Health

• Leila Hertzberg, EAGALA-certified Equine-Specialist with Military Designation, Executive Director of Lifeline Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation, Lifeline Equine Therapy Services

• AnnMarie Halterman, PhD, DM, Executive Director, Uniting US

• Dr. Marilyn Peppers-Citizen, PhD, NBC-HWC, C-IAYT, Col (Retired), USAF

2:40pm - Panel 4: Supporting Wounds to Wellness – Connecting Community Resources

• Facilitator: Brigadier General (PA Ret), Maureen H. Weigl, Deputy Adjutant General for Veterans Affairs

• Karl Hamner, Ph.D., Clinical Professor in Education Studies and Director, the Office of Evaluation Research, for The University of Alabama College of Education

• Justin Phillips, MA (She/Her), Executive Director at Overdose Lifeline, Inc.

• Bob “Shoebob” Carey, CAPT, USN (Ret), Executive Director at National Defense Committee

• Capt Carey Handout

3:40pm - Closing Remarks

• Col. Mary Lowe Mayhugh (Ret.), Founder & President

4:00pm - Reception

Thank You To Our Sponsors!