Community Clergy Training to Support Rural Veterans Mental Health
May 10, 2017 - May 11, 2017
Many Veterans and their family members seek help for their problems from clergy. An upcoming event at the Nevada Governor’s Mansion can help prepare you to support them. Rural and smaller-town Veterans in particular have limited choices for healthcare. As a member of the clergy, you and your house of worship are an important contact point for Veterans in your community. Sometimes clergy members aren’t aware of the Veterans in their congregation or how they might help a Veteran and their family following deployment. Clergy may recognize Veterans who are struggling in their return to civilian life, but not know how to support them. The Governor Brian Sandoval and National Chaplain Center of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) invite you to attend a free interactive training.
Training topics will include:
- Identifying potential conflicts between civilian and military cultures.
- Identifying actions community clergy can take to assist military personnel and their families with a healthy adjustment to a civilian culture.
- Types of common military events that can cause adjustment problems for military personnel and the psychiatric and psychological responses that often follow from them.
- Identifying the relationship between spirituality and “meaning making.”
- The importance of Personal Narratives and Past, Present and Future Stories.
- Identifying pastoral responses and resources for clergy and their congregations.
This workshop will be held May 10-11, 2017, from 8:30am until 4:30pm at the Nevada Governor’s Mansion, 606 N. Mountain St. Carson City, NV 89701.
Check-in begins at 8:00am. Light snacks will be provided by the NV Department of Veterans Services. Seating is limited for this free event, so reserve your seat TODAY. Registration closes May 3, 2017. You can reserve your seat by contacting Chaplain Johann Choi at 404-432-1208 or johann.choi@va.gov. Please provide your name, faith community affiliation, and contact info when leaving a message. The chaplain will confirm your registration by responding to your message.