Sharing Lived Experience: A Veteran’s Story

Veterans Service Organizations and Finding Your Purpose

In this season’s final episode [https://allrise.org/resources/podcasts-jfv/], Butch sits down with T’Liza Keil, director of alumni engagement with The Mission Continues, for an inspiring conversation about volunteerism, veterans service organizations, and finding a sense of community and purpose. Following her service in the Army National Guard, T’Liza saw firsthand the debilitating effects of untreated mental health conditions. Recognizing her military skills could be put to use in the community, T’Liza dedicated herself to service. At The Mission Continues [https://www.missioncontinues.org/], she develops strategies to ensure that the more than 2,300 current and future program alumni are informed, connected, and supported as they continue to develop their skills and experiences as community leaders. T’Liza and Butch discuss the difficulty many veterans face when transitioning and explore how veteran service organizations can help veterans build a sense of belonging and trust. T’Liza offers a powerful message to veterans and non-veterans alike that will deepen your understanding of the veteran experience and the many pathways to finding peace and purpose.

Responding to female justice-involved veterans

As a veteran and licensed clinical social worker, RanDee McLain Malone, Ph.D. has been a driving force behind helping justice, treatment, and social service professionals better respond to female veterans. In this episode, RanDee shares her insight into the unique challenges female veterans face and talks with Butch about overcoming barriers to identifying female veterans, ways to avoid retraumatizing them, understanding where to find additional gender-specific support, and the many ways in which our justice and treatment responses can better offer a "whole-person approach."

From the Front Line to the Thin Blue Line: How Law Enforcement Supports Veterans

“As a law enforcement liaison in a treatment court, you are going to be that first point of contact. So you need to be able to show them that not only can you trust me as a fellow veteran, but I am going to have a pathway that doesn’t lead to a jail cell, I am going to have a pathway that leads to resources, and success, and empowerment.” After 9/11, Jesse Holton put his law enforcement career on hold and joined the United States Marine Corps. Following his decorated service, he returned to law enforcement with a new perspective on the challenges some veterans face when they come home. In episode 6, Jesse sits down with Butch to discuss how law enforcement can support veterans in crisis and the often-untapped benefits of ensuring law enforcement is an active part of any community-based intervention. He offers keen insight into building trust with veterans and how this work is changing the culture of law enforcement. As Butch says, “This dude just gets it.”

Sharing Lived Experience: A Veteran’s Story

"There really is a light at the end of the tunnel, and there are people there for you. I don’t care what you are going through. I am not going to judge you. I’ve been there." Paige Ott served in the United States Navy. Her experience was transformative and positive, but her transition out of the military was anything but smooth. Her life was changed in a Nebraska courtroom, where instead of punishment, she was connected to treatment and recovery support. As a certified peer recovery support specialist, Paige now uses her lived experience to help other veterans going through similar difficulties. As the founder of a nonprofit supporting veterans, she fosters community and empowers veterans to achieve and sustain recovery. You won’t want to miss her sit-down with Butch in episode 5 of "When Thank You Is Not Enough."

Peer Recovery Support: What It Is and Why It Works

“It flips the justice system on its head from this notion that it has to be incapacitation or retribution or deterrence. And instead, we think, how can we make sure that this individual, after they've touched the justice system, that they leave healthy?” In episode 4, Butch continues the conversation about peer support with Dr. Jacqueline van Wormer, director of the All Rise Center for Advancing Justice. Dr. van Wormer offers insight into the vital role peer recovery support plays in assisting justice-involved individuals with accepting, sustaining, and thriving in treatment and recovery. An expert in program implementation and sustainability, Dr. Van Wormer walks through the steps of implementing peer support and the elements critical to its success with the justice-involved population. For more on peer recovery support, click here [https://allrise.org/publications/incorporating-peer-recovery-support-into-treatment-courts/].