MAPJ supports and works with the Civilian Medical Resource Network (CMRN) which works alongside the GI Rights Hotline. Below is information about the project and their need for more volunteer mental health workers. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please contact the project at the address/telephone below. Or you can discuss further with Anne Cowan at 785-537-2025.
About 11 years ago, colleagues and I organized this civilian-sector, voluntary network that tries to address the unmet medical and mental health needs of active duty military personnel. As you know, this group of people is at high risk of suicide (currently averaging about one per day) and a variety of physical and mental health problems deriving from their military experiences.
We’re having a continuing increase in referrals, but unfortunately three of our regular volunteer women therapists have needed to take leaves of absence due to serious health reasons that they or their family members are experiencing. In addition, a fourth volunteer needs to take a leave due to unexpected challenges of his practice, partly related to his work with members of the Orlando, Florida, LGBTQ community after the shootings there. I’m wondering if you and/or others you know might be interested in volunteering.
We can tailor make therapists’ responsibilities based on their preferences and schedules. Usually people take call one week every six weeks more or less. During that week, a therapist usually receives one or two referrals. We try to respond to GIs who are stationed anywhere in the U.S. and also at times in Europe and even Afghanistan or elsewhere. Most of the contacts between therapists and clients are by phone, Skype, or FaceTime.
Our therapists generally find these experiences extremely gratifying, as very fragile and high-risk GIs transform favorably when they obtain services that they have not been able to receive in the military.
We would very much like to discuss our work with therapists who may be interested, and we will be able to use flexibility in assuring that participating therapists do not experience too much stress or burnout.
Further information appears at our website (http:// http://www.civilianmedicalresources.net), which we are currently updating.
Civilian Medical Resources Network
P.O. Box 2965 Taos, NM 87571
Phone: 815-904-6520
Email: info@civilianmedicalresources.net
Originally published in the MAPJ NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2017 p. 7.
Manhattan Alliance for Peace & Justice 