Help4VetsPTSD Unfunded...Again

August 23rd, 2012 - Kansas City, MO: Retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Chris Sorrentino, President and Executive Director of Help4VetsPTSD, made an announcement at Help4VetsPTSD's semi-annual board meeting last night, commenting on the disappointment he felt upon hearing the bad news about another grant lost: "We have a great organization that is just starting out and in desperate need of funding. Our mission, to help military and veterans (and their families) with PTSD, is critical and can actually SAVE LIVES! I do not understand how 'quality of life' programs can be funded over such a noble cause as ours, a program that CAN SAVE LIVES!".

On average, one military member and 18 veterans commit suicide EACH AND EVERY DAY, and PTSD is a significant factor in many. Sorrentino added: "Every day we go unfunded, another 19 lives are lost and that is absolutely appalling! The military and VA cannot keep up with demand and there are a shortage of trained, qualified therapists in the private sector. Help4VetsPTSD can help alleviate some of the suffering and many senseless suicides committed by over 6,900 of our military and veterans EVERY year...senseless!"

We as a nation waste billions on political campaigns, needless spending, and luxuries each year while many of our nation's heroes go jobless, homeless, with no mental health treatment, and ALMOST 7,000 of them choose to end their lives...7,000 MILITARY AND VETERANS COMMIT SUICIDE EVERY YEAR!

Stop the insanity! Help end the negative mental health stigma in the military and among veterans, leading directly or indirectly to joblessness, homelessness, and suicide.

PLEASE DONATE TO Help4VetsPTSD TODAY...EVERY DAY YOU WAIT, 20 HEROES DIE!

Visit http://www.Help4VetsPTSD.org for details.

You can follow them on Twitter @Help4VetsPTSD or "LIKE" their Facebook page


Help4VetsPTSD is a 501(c)(3) non-profit (pending) and donations are tax deductible.

Help4VetsPTSD Not Selected for Newman's Own Grant for Second year in a Row

August 10th, 2012 - Kansas City, Missouri: Vicki Reeping of Newman's Own and Fisher House Foundation announced that Help4VetsPTSD was unsuccessful for the second year in a row, not being selected for a grant they so desperately need.

Ms. Reeping stated: "We received 164 eligible programs this year, displaying a broad range of ideas to improve the quality of life for service members, Veterans, and their families. The judges had a difficult time narrowing it down, but have made their selections. The 6 programs recognized in 2012 will be posted on the Fisher House website on September 20, 2012....We wish you all success in your current efforts to support our Nation's heroes.

According to their website, Newman's Own Grant winners are chosen based on" potential impact on their respective communities, creativity, and innovation" and ability to "improve the quality of life for service members, Veterans, and their families." Six "civilian" judges, four female and two male, made the final decisions, decisions reflected in the charities chosen for the grants: 

Two Great New Apps for Clients...and Therapists

For those with psychological "issues", there are a couple of great new apps out there for troops (and civilians) to use . LifeArmor and PE Coach (prolonged exposure) are available for Android and iPhones and each has a place in a therapeutic context.

LifeArmor is for more general issues, offering a lot if great information and tools for A VARIETY of problems, including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, stress and much more. It is easy to use and interactive, making psychoeducation portable, easy, and fun!

PE Coach is much more specific, focusing on prolonged exposure (hence the PE), the "empirically supported treatment" (EST - that's short for "supported by lots of research") for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) developed by Foa, et al. PE Coach helps therapists and clients develop SUDS anchors, exposure hierarchies, homework assignments and even has an appointment tool and session recording/review option! This is a tool any therapist providing the EST of choice, PE, for PTSD should utilize! It's so simple and useful, I'm surprised nobody thought of it sooner.

Both apps are useful for INFORMATION PURPOSES, but are designed to augment, be used in conjunction with, therapy, conducted by A COMPETENT, LICENSED CLINICIAN.

LifeArmor and PE Coach are both available FOR FREE at Google's PlayStore, for those with Android phones. If you have an iPhone...you paid too much (and know where to go - I don't!).

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