About:
The Veterans Health and Wellness Foundation is pleased to present the third conversation of our Veteran Lived Experience Series special edition in collaboration with the Alphas & ACE’s Leadership Foundation to discuss adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Our first discussion, “A Courageous Conversation” introduced a challenging and important dialogue for high achieving, high performing individuals (Alphas) regarding the internal experiences that might drive us, block us and inspire us. Our second conversation was titled, “A Collective Conversation” and drew upon the role key relationships play in the ecosystem of those who have experienced ACE’s. In our third and final discussion, “A Confusing Conversation”, we will explore the difficult reactions those who have experienced ACE’s discover when they reveal their trauma and how these relationships can be restored through radical vulnerability. Alphas & ACE’s is designed as a peer-to-peer (P2P) experience informed and supported through the clinical expertise of expertise of our subject matter experts Dr. B. Nilaja Green, PhD and moderator Dr. Evelyn Lewis Evelyn L. Lewis MD, MA, FAAFP, DABDA (VHWF).
Date and Time:
Tuesday, Nov 26th 1:00 – 2:15 PM ET
Registration:
To register for this free event, please use the URL:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUqdOytqzMpGdBQ_AxoOmOy8ytpbvkKgKGQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar
Guest Speakers:
Dr. B. Nilaja Green. PhD writes, speaks and engages at the intersections of individual psychological distress and collective sociocultural oppression. As an Atlanta-based Licensed Clinical & Community Psychologist, Dr. Green is an expert in trauma care and delivering specialized, culturally responsive trauma treatments to vulnerable populations such as military Veterans, Black women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community through her unique, integrative private practice, Standpoint Wellness. She has engaged in several community level initiatives, including collaborating with the mayor of East Point in Atlanta to create community-level conversations addressing issues of race, class, history and equity. Dr. Green strives to share expertise in culturally relevant, holistic mental health practice.
John Sterling is a medically retired U.S. Army Noncommissioned Officer and completed his active-duty service as a Military Intelligence professional. He also served and was certified as an Army Master Resiliency Trainer. In this role he taught critical resiliency skills for career sustainment and enhancement to hundreds of service members and their families on military installations throughout the world. In 2017, Mr. Sterling founded Azimuth Leadership LLC, a behavioral health leadership platform which focuses on providing faith-informed direction and resiliency through robust and culturally competent conversations in sports, military, recovery/mental health and clinical communities. In 2022, he made his most authentic and important leadership decision which resulted in the creation of Alphas & ACE's Leadership Foundation. The genesis of this foundation was being “awoken from broken” after he discovered and began to understand how an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) impacted his life.
Jon Seidl has been telling stories as a writer, author, speaker, and digital media veteran for the last decade. He’s written nearly 10,000 stories after helping start a top-50 news site, then as the editor-in-chief of the popular non-profit I Am Second and culminating in his leadership as head of actor Kirk Cameron’s content website and digital course business and working with some of the biggest names in culture like Chip and Joanna Gaines, Glenn Beck, and having the privilege to interview NFL Hall of Famers and celebrities as a podcast host. He now runs his own digital media consulting and content creation firm called The Veritas Creative. Jon has seen how the power of storytelling can transform people, businesses, and culture, especially after sharing his own story of battling anxiety and OCD. His passion is to help people with mental health struggles. He’s passionate about transformative storytelling as well as erasing the stigma around mental health. He lives in Dallas, TX, with his wife, Brett, and two kids, Annie and Jack. His book on anxiety, “Finding Rest,” instantly became a #1 Amazon bestseller, topping the charts in several categories like anxieties and phobias, mood disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In fact, it shot up to become the #17 new release on all of Amazon and became a top 100 bestseller!
Purchase tickets for VHWF Salute to Heroes Gala HERE
About:
The Veterans Health and Wellness Foundation is pleased to present a second special edition conversation of our Veteran Lived Experience Series in collaboration with the Alphas & ACE's Leadership Foundation to discuss adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Our first discussion, "A Courageous Conversation" introduced a challenging and important dialogue for high achieving, high performing individuals (Alphas) regarding the internal experiences that might drive us, block us and inspire us. Our next conversation, "A Collective Conversation," will draw upon the role key relationships play in the ecosystem of those who have experienced ACEs. Alphas & ACE's is designed as a peer-to-peer (P2P) experience informed and supported through the clinical expertise of our subject matter experts Dr. B. Nilaja Green, PhD and moderator Dr. Evelyn Lewis Evelyn L. Lewis MD, MA, FAAFP, DABDA (VHWF).
Date and Time:
Tuesday, Oct 8th 1:00 – 2:15 PM ET
Registration:
To register for this free event, please use the URL:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJErfuCtrzopH9w6lIdLZ0xBcr6K3kVArlBk
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar
Guest Speakers:
Dr. B. Nilaja Green. PhD writes, speaks and engages at the intersections of individual psychological distress and collective sociocultural oppression. As an Atlanta-based Licensed Clinical & Community Psychologist, Dr. Green is an expert in trauma care and delivering specialized, culturally responsive trauma treatments to vulnerable populations such as military Veterans, Black women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community through her unique, integrative private practice, Standpoint Wellness. She has engaged in several community level initiatives, including collaborating with the mayor of East Point in Atlanta to create community-level conversations addressing issues of race, class, history and equity. Dr. Green strives to share expertise in culturally relevant, holistic mental health practice.
John Sterling is a medically retired U.S. Army Noncommissioned Officer and completed his active-duty service as a Military Intelligence professional. He also served and was certified as an Army Master Resiliency Trainer. In this role he taught critical resiliency skills for career sustainment and enhancement to hundreds of service members and their families on military installations throughout the world. In 2017, Mr. Sterling founded Azimuth Leadership LLC, a behavioral health leadership platform which focuses on providing faith-informed direction and resiliency through robust and culturally competent conversations in sports, military, recovery/mental health and clinical communities. In 2022, he made his most authentic and important leadership decision which resulted in the creation of Alphas & ACE's Leadership Foundation. The genesis of this foundation was being “awoken from broken” after he discovered and began to understand how an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) impacted his life.
Brandon Puffer is an American former professional baseball player for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants. Puffer was promoted to Boston Red Sox in 2004 when they won the World Series and received the world series ring that would later be featured on an episode of Pawn Stars. In 2007, Puffer signed with the Texas Rangers, playing for their Double A affiliate, the Frisco RoughRiders. After a playoff game, Brandon joined his teammates for a celebratory night out which led to a night of drinking and poor choices. As a result, he was arrested for the intent of a crime and sentenced to 5 years in prison. After three and a half years, he was eligible for parole and was free to start his new life. Today, Brandon Puffer is the co-founder of GPS Legends where he serves as a coach and mentor to high school players. It's his story of redemption that he shares with the hope of helping others navigate through the challenges of life and how to fill that "God - shaped hole" that has us seeking true fulfillment and satisfaction.
About:
The Veterans Health and Wellness Foundation is pleased to present a special edition of our Veteran Lived Experience Series in collaboration with the Alphas & Aces Leadership Foundation to discuss adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This event introduces a challenging and important conversation series for high achieving, high performing individuals (Alphas) about the internal experiences that might drive us, block us and inspire us. Alphas & Aces is designed as a peer-to-peer (P2P) experience informed and supported through the clinical expertise of subject matter experts such as Dr. Green (guest speaker) and Dr. Lewis (VHWF).
Date and Time:
Tuesday, Sept 10th 1:00 – 2:15 PM ET
Registration:
To register for this free event, please use the URL:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0ud-6grj4oHdAYQ25qXp-fjn2v8i3Wrsqe
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar
Guest Speakers:
Dr. B. Nilaja Green. PhD writes, speaks and engages at the intersections of individual psychological distress and collective sociocultural oppression. As an Atlanta-based Licensed Clinical & Community Psychologist, Dr. Green is an expert in trauma care and delivering specialized, culturally responsive trauma treatments to vulnerable populations such as military Veterans, Black women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community through her unique, integrative private practice, Standpoint Wellness. She has engaged in several community level initiatives, including collaborating with the mayor of East Point in Atlanta to create community-level conversations addressing issues of race, class, history and equity. Dr. Green strives to share expertise in culturally relevant, holistic mental health practice.
John Sterling is a medically retired U.S. Army Noncommissioned Officer and completed his active-duty service as a Military Intelligence professional. He also served and was certified as an Army Master Resiliency Trainer. In this role he taught critical resiliency skills for career sustainment and enhancement to hundreds of service members and their families on military installations throughout the world. In 2017, Mr. Sterling founded Azimuth Leadership LLC, a behavioral health leadership platform which focuses on providing faith-informed direction and resiliency through robust and culturally competent conversations in sports, military, recovery/mental health and clinical communities. In 2022, he made his most authentic and important leadership decision which resulted in the creation of Alphas & ACE's Leadership Foundation. The genesis of this foundation was being “awoken from broken” after he discovered and began to understand how an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) impacted his life.
Rennie Curran is a former professional athlete who currently serves as an active Keynote Speaker, author, and the CEO of Game Changer Coaching. Recently Inducted into the Gwinnett County Sports Hall Of Fame, Georgia vs. Florida Hall of Fame, and UGA 40 Under 40, he uses his platform to inspire students, athletes, and business professionals to reach their fullest potential. In 2013, he published a motivational self-help book entitled ‘Free Agent’ The Intangibles for Overcoming Adversity and Times of Transition. He also has a children’s book entitled “What Does It Take to Be a Star” which was co-written with his daughter, Eleana Curran. When Rennie is not speaking, coaching, or writing, he is usually spending time with his daughter or catching up on one his favorite hobbies, music. Curran is a man of faith, humility, integrity, and resilience.
About:
Military service can be difficult, demanding and dangerous. But returning to civilian life can also pose challenges for those who have served in the armed forces. While most say readjusting to civilian life was very or somewhat easy, roughly one-in-four say it was at least somewhat difficult. Join me as I talk with my guest AnnMarie Halterman about her transition from "conflict to creativity" as she talks to me about how her real life-threatening transition challenge was wrapped up in her acceptance and willingness to address her own service-connected injuries and trauma and not the search for meaningful employment.
Date and Time:
Wednesday, July 10th 1:00 – 2:00 ET
Join via Zoom:
https://zoom.us/j/97771944121?pwd=BVvfz5fPgg0k0J5XH6B9KvuwwkKuSa.1
Meeting ID: 977 7194 4121
Passcode: 247833
Guest Speaker:
AnnMarie Halterman
AnnMarie Halterman, born and raised in Wisconsin, began her military career at the Air Force Academy. Commissioned and given the Civil Engineer career field, AnnMarie was mentored by many Airmen, enlisted, civilians, and officers. She was taught professionalism, dedication to the mission, and tenacity when problem solving at home station and in deployed situations.
As a Senior Advisor at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), AnnMarie heard military and veterans discuss the healing and uniting power of the arts. As evidence-based academic research findings report on the healing, wellness, and uniting impact of art (Creative Arts Therapy and therapeutic art) and hearing hundreds of testimonials, AnnMarie was inspired to focus on community nonprofit, inclusive arts initiatives.
As a collective group, the Uniting US artists and team are representative of the diversity seen across our nation and work diligently to create an environment for personal biases to be set aside so respectful conversations can promote learning and broaden understanding.
Join VHWF for a FREE virtual event discussing substance use disorder as part of the Veteran Lived Experience Series.
About:
Upon leaving the military and transitioning back into civilian life, all Veterans undergo a period of readjustment that can present them with unique mental health challenges as they navigate relationships with family, friends, and their community. Various stressors specific to military personnel, including deployment, combat exposure, and post-deployment civilian reintegration challenges, have been associated with an increased risk of substance use disorder (SUD). Studies indicate that around 11% of Veterans seeking care within the Veterans Health Administration system meet the criteria for a SUD diagnosis.
Date and Time:
Tuesday, May 14th 1:00 – 2:00 ET
Registration:
To register for this free event, please use the URL:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEldeqprjMvEtzTCjU1eqtv0Iw7seyrEGGe
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar
Guest Speaker:
Beau Payne
Born in Tennessee and raised between Vancouver, BC and Miami, FL, Beau excelled in football, basketball, baseball, and was a MLB draft pick of the Florida Marlins. Beau also served his country as an 11B Infantry Soldier with the Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne Division among other units.
Despite these outwardly facing images of success and happiness, Beau’s years of poor choices, childhood and adult trauma combined with alcohol and drug abuse derailed his life leading to over 10 years of incarceration in State Prison. These days, Beau’s number one goal in life is the daily maintenance of his sobriety and helping others avoid the same roads he once traveled upon.
Beau’s brand of leadership is powerful because he’s leveraged his own life experiences with the utmost authenticity and vulnerability by sharing his message of redemption, resiliency and a “never give up” attitude.
Beau is a published author, keynote speaker, host of The Beau Payne Show Podcast, recovery coach, as well as fierce recovery advocate for men and women struggling with mental health and addiction.