DCoE Tweets to Help Warriors and Families
By Sarah Heynen, DCoE Strategic Communications
Social media is changing the way the world communicates. It is also changing the way that service members, veterans and their families search for information. In recognition of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) held its first-ever “twitterview” Sept. 27, 2011. The live interview was conducted on the social networking site Twitter between Dr. Vladimir Nacev, DCoE resilience and prevention subject matter expert, and Sheri Hall, a Real Warriors spouse.
“Although online services could never replace face-to-face conversations, they can be a valuable resource when people are short on time, too far away, or unable to be seen soon,” said Nacev.
The interview highlighted available resources that promote resilience and provide help when needed. Hall kicked off the interview by sharing her personal experience as a military spouse. When her husband, Army Maj. Jeff Hall, returned from his second deployment to Iraq, she immediately noticed a difference. As Hall began to recognize that his change was something more than the regular challenge of homecoming that many warriors and military families faced, she reached out to her husband’s commanding officer. This led the Hall family to receive treatment at the Deployment Health Clinical Center, a DCoE component center.
Hall stressed the importance of reaching out for help using the many resources available that work for both warriors and families from sources including a service member’s unit, chaplains, Real Warriors Campaign and DCoE Outreach Center. Nacev also emphasized reviewing the many DCoE resources available for service members, veterans and their families, including its page dedicated specifically to suicide prevention.
Nacev discussed risk factors for suicide and the importance of recognizing these factors before they become a problem. The “Success Before Stress” blog series this month on the DCoE Blog examines specific risk factors and the materials available to help.
Nacev stated that it’s normal for service members deployed to hostile environments to have reactions to traumatic experiences.
“It’s also not uncommon for a service member to be reluctant to seek help,” added Nacev. “Since they may be uneasy about reaching out, it’s important for family members and friends to remain supportive and encourage their loved one to seek help from the many resources available.”
“I know many warriors are turning to online resources, including social media, to find information on resources for psychological health care,” said Hall. “Being part of DCoE's first twitterview gave me the opportunity to share the resources that have worked for my family and other tools that are available. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to encourage others to reach out for the care they need, because for total force fitness, our warriors must be physically and psychologically fit.”
If you missed the DCoE twitterview you can still find the conversation on Twitter by searching #DCoE, or download the transcript here. DCoE is active on social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the DCoE Blog.
Useful Resources:
■DCoE Outreach Center
■Real Warriors Campaign
■National Suicide Prevention Lifeline/Veteran’s Crisis Line
800-273-TALK, veterans & service members press 1
■National Caregiver Support Line
855-260-3274
■Afterdeployment.org
■Military OneSource
|
