Great Energy and Enthusiasm in Killeen
More than one hundred members of the veterans’ community, elected officials, and media attended the kickoff event held at the clinic located at 1103 West Stan Schlueter Loop in Killeen.
Strong Grand Opening Event in Denver
Recap an outstanding opening day for the Cohen Veterans Network in Denver.
Caregiving in Marriage: The Evolution of Battle-Tested Partnerships
Caregiving can present some extra challenges. Providing support for veterans and their partners is a unique aspect of CVN’s array of services that may help couples fill their potential to become battle buddies.
Military Children Serve, Too
Serving in the military is more than just a job. It’s a way of life. And it affects the entire family. After more than 16 years into our longest war, many military families are growing weary.
The Well-Being of Military Families
On Tuesday April 24, one of the Cohen Veterans Network’s own, Silver Spring, MD Cohen Clinic Director Tracy Neal-Walden chaired a panel as part of her role on the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on the Well-being…
FOCUSING ON OUR KIDS DURING THE MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD
April is the Month of the Military Child. Each year the Department of Defense honors military children and recognizes the role they play in their parent’s service. Here at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic in Dallas, we recognize the impact of children in the life of our veterans as well.
Understanding the Experiences of Military Children
In their short lives, both of my children have experienced separation from their father for longer than 6 months. Though he’s not always in a war zone, it still affects them. They also have no clue where he is other than that he is at work.
The Life of a Military Child
The hardest part of this life is explaining the time and distance to our children. Their bright, shiny eyes see the days as an eternity. When my four-year-old sees a stack of clean uniforms sitting on the table and asks, “Is daddy working forever today or just a tiny bit?” it breaks my heart.
The First Recipient of the CVN Founder’s Award
One of the highlights of the CVN Annual Meeting, held this week in Chicago, was the presentation of the first CVN Founder’s Award.
Suicide Prevention Training for all CVN Staff
Another key element in CVN’s commitment to suicide prevention is on display this month throughout our network of mental health clinics.
CVN Continues to Earn High Marks Across the Country
Thanks to strong performances at each Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic around the country, the network continues to earn top scores for Client Satisfaction and Client Improvements. Among the most important measurements is that 93% of all…
Suicide Prevention at CVN
There are so many important data points and risk factors that we need to consistently be aware of when we work with veterans and family members who may be at risk for suicide. And much of this data may seem to contradict each other at times.
Training Specifically to Provide Telehealth Care
CVN has begun rolling out a second phase of training for clinics who have launched CVN Telehealth.
CVN Telehealth Now Available Throughout Texas
The Cohen Veterans Network has moved to greatly increase access to care throughout the entire state of Texas with the introduction of state-wide telehealth services.
Society of Social Work Research Conference: Scholars’ Report
The Cohen Veterans Network sponsored two CVN Scholars to attend the 2018 Society of Social Work Research Conference recently. The SSWR Annual Conference is a scientific program that reflects a wide range of research interests in the contemporary social work field. This opportunity allowed our scholars to learn from and connect with connected with leaders in the field and learn about cutting-edge social work research.
Study Aims to Understand Trauma-Associated Sleep Disorders
Insomnia (sleep disturbance) has been established as a risk factor for mental illness, and is a hallmark symptom of post-traumatic brain disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and major depressive disorder (MDD), according to our sister organization Cohen Veterans Bioscience.
CVN Training Based on Best Practices
CVN Training is focused on strategic targets to promote successful, inclusive impact in the areas of collaboration, innovation and best practices.
Innovation is an integral part of CVN Training
CVN Training is committed to driving advancement in implementation of evidence-based practices.
CVN: Supporting a Community of Learners and Leaders
CVN Training is focused on strategic targets to promote successful, inclusive impact in the areas of collaboration, innovation and best practices.
Care Based on Proven Science
At each Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic, the potential treatment options are built around current best practices based on research. Our clinics deliver client-centered, customized outpatient care and utilize Evidence-Based Practices for therapy and counseling.
Looking Back on a Big 2017
As the year ends, we reflect on the past year as we begin planning for the new year ahead. The reflection and review period always includes lessons learned, how to improve and goals for the new year. But in such…
CVN Listed Among Philanthropy’s Biggest Bets
The $275 million commitment that founder Steve Cohen made to launch the Cohen Veterans Network has been named by Forbes as one of the biggest bets placed to tackle some of society’s toughest problems.
Understanding the Military Family Dynamic
Part of making sure that our veterans receive the care they deserve is understanding the intricacies of the family dynamic. In this sense, providing clinical services to our veterans and their identified family makes the most clinical sense. In doing so, we increase the overall likelihood of improved quality of life for veterans and their loved ones.
Veterans Day: Honoring the Veterans Working to Make CVN Great
Next week the country will take notice and recognize the millions of veterans that have served in the United States military. While many of you will say “thank you” on November 11 to the veterans you know or encounter, as the leader of the Cohen Veterans Network I similarly want to honor the many veterans that are still serving in a different capacity.
Breaking Down Another Barrier to Care
At the Cohen Veterans Network, we take pride in creating access to high-quality mental health care for veterans and military families. We do this in part by removing some common barriers to care.
Next Wave of CVN Expansion Taking Shape
The next three Steven A. Cohen Military Family clinics to open will be in Denver, CO, Killeen, TX, and Clarksville, TN.
What Veterans Want in Mental Health Treatment
The VA Center for Innovation and the Public Policy Lab have produced a report that provides an extensive look at the state of mental health for veterans. Many of the findings and anecdotes from veterans around the country parallel the basic principles that the Cohen Veterans Network was founded upon.
Breaking Down Barriers via Telehealth
Cohen Clinic clients can receive comprehensive therapy services from the comfort of their own homes or offices via CVN Telehealth, currently available in Texas and Pennsylvania.
SERVING ALL VETERANS
What are we doing to support these veterans who separate from service and are ineligible for VA care due to less-than-honorable discharge? The answer is not much, and that is a travesty.
The Importance of Implementation Science
The concept of Implementation Science is at the core of what the Cohen Veterans Network does. CVN will continue this important conversation with a workshop at the second annual Cohen Veterans Care Summit in DC on September 27-28.
A landscape with depressions, steep hills, and gaps
The cost to deliver mental health care is high and the Medicaid/Medicare/Private Insurance reimbursement rates are low. So, how do other community-based mental health organizations survive in this high demand, high acuity, and low reimbursement environment?
The Fusion of Business and Non-Profit Ideals
When it comes to doing social good, for- and non-profits have historically had an arm’s length relationship with each other. But some of the savviest non-profits and funders today are bringing the two closer together by drawing on principles we’re more used to seeing in the business world.
The Slippery Slope of Data Science in Healthcare
Sometimes it’s not about how much you do or have of something … but rather about the quality of the things you do. Or in other words, it’s about answering the right question, not having answers to all the wrong questions.
Remembering 9/11 and the Call to Serve
Today we remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001 and honor the people who joined the armed services after 9/11.
It will be months before the true costs are tallied
In the mental health literature that has emerged from psychological interventions following large-scale disasters, we have learned that psychological responses typically have distinct stages.
The Opioid Crisis: Impact on Veterans
CVN is a learning organization, committed to measuring performance and making changes to improve patient outcomes. Well, CVN is now operating in a USA where each day, 142 people die in our country from a drug overdose.
Our Focus on Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
September is national Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and the initiative holds the utmost importance in the veterans’ community. The Cohen Veterans Network is working to address this by offering a series of public webinars and messaging for the public to combat the issue.
Network-wide Back to School Bash
As Back to School time approaches, CVN and Point72 gifted backpacks and school supplies to our Cohen Clinics to provide to their local military families. The Cohen Clinics each gave away at least 50 backpacks and school supplies, such as…
Support Through Communities
When we think of a support system, a family member or a friend may come to mind. Although less common, a support system can be found unexpectedly within anyone’s community. Unique relationships form between veterans and their friends in unlikely places, shown through these three stories.
We Stand By Our Military Leaders
Pursuant to our core values of Integrity, Community and Excellence, we stand with our nation’s military leadership in condemning racism, intolerance and bigotry.
Friends Share Stories of Support
It is important for every individual to have a support system, which can take many forms. Friends can serve as each other’s support systems, and in some cases, a friend may also be a fellow veteran. Today we would like to share the stories of friendships between Paul & Nathanael and as well as Duery & Rick.
Military Families Share Stories of Support
Throughout the month of August, CVN will share a series of stories focusing on different types of veteran support systems. These compelling stories come from the StoryCorps Military Voices Initiative. Today we would like to share two stories of family support: Papsy & Griselda and Scott & Zach.
The “Oath of Exit” is a very bad idea
Last week, Task and Purpose published an article regarding an extremely concerning bill that has already passed the House of Representatives as a part of the National Defense Authorization Act. This bill creates a voluntary “Oath of Exit” for Service Members to take upon retiring from service which states that they will not attempt or die by suicide.
Fantastic Opening Day for CVN in Fayetteville
The Cohen Clinic in Fayetteville, N.C. opened to great acclaim this week.
Dallas Morning Radio Examines Our Growing Network
Dallas news radio station KLIF featured the Cohen Veterans Network recently on its morning show with Dave Williams and Amy Chodroff.
Serving Those Who Serve, Part Time
As providers, it is critical to understand the unique challenges that members of the reserve forces may face, especially in light of the increased risk of suicide. National Guard and Reserve members, face the challenges and stressors of military and civilian lives, working to balance careers, fitness and readiness, family obligations, and more without the supportive infrastructure most active duty members experience.
Innovative Training Across the Network
The Cohen Veterans Network has launched a progressive two-day training workshop on Emotionally Focused Therapy across the country, originating out of our Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York.
Part two: Stress in the Military
There is no simple way of predicting what will be the thing that unravels an individual who was otherwise able to hold up well under stress. As I noted in part one, there isn't always a direct correlation between a mental health diagnosis and poor stress response.
Proven Treatments for PTSD
Much has changed in the widespread development and availability of effective treatments for PTSD. There is also growing recognition of the need to treat the couple or family when one member is suffering from PTSD.
Stress in the Military
Just about everyone who has been in uniform has had an early interaction with mental health in the military: someone — a recruiter or possibly a medical officer at a Military Entrance Processing Station will ask, “any history of mental health issues?” and if you want to stay in (of course you do, you just got here!) you will say “no!”