Free Counseling for Military Families across U.S.

2018 was a wonderful year full of new initiatives and events focused on changing the conversation about mental health both in the United States and around the globe. Thank you to our Global Giving friends and donors for their tremendous support in 2018. We receive notes from providers and clients daily about how Give an Hour has affected their lives positively and we could not do this important work without you.

 "We must change our culture if we are to succeed in saving lives and ending suffering. We must come to accept that mental health and mental illness are elements of the human condition – just as physical health is."

– Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, Founder and President of Give an Hour

We welcomed 2019 with open arms and started off with a bang! In just the first few days of the new year, we hosted the "5K for the Five Signs" in Los Angeles, California. This family-friendly Fun Run (run, walk, stroll….) raised awareness to ensure that all in need get the mental health support they deserve. Our special guests included Barbara Van Dahlen, PhD, Founder and President of Give an Hour, DJ Nash, Producer and Writer of ABC’s A Million Little Things, and Talinda Bennington, Founding Partner, 320 Changes Direction and Executive Advisor, the Campaign to Change Direction, along with many other surprise guests. We were so grateful that hundreds of people came out and participated to promote mental health. 

“Your program is an inspiration.  Seeing it grow over these years has been wonderful.  Generosity is a value that we need to be living and modeling for others in these difficult times.”

- J Marks, LCSW- FL Provider

While Give an Hour has expanded to provide free mental health care to additional populations in recent years, we are proud to continue our focus on providing the military and veteran communities with access to mental health care and resources. A shining example of this work is Give an Hour’s Reserve Component Program (RCP) that provides access to a nationwide network of mental health professionals to support all branches of the U.S. military reserve components. The Reserve Component Program creates a culture that encourages individuals and families to identify and understand the signs of emotional suffering – and if needed, seek help for themselves or their loved ones. Staff, licensed mental health professionals and organization volunteers actively seek opportunities to engage with military personnel to identify barriers to care, develop strategies to increase help-seeking behavior, lead education and trainings, and encourage provider recruitment, retention, and engagement. We are proud to hold a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with both the National Guard Bureau and the Army Reserve to increase mental health care and support for Guardsmen, Reservists and their families.

Impact Summary from RCP Project Year 2018

• 394 providers reported 11, 805 hours to 929 National
• Guard, Army Reservists and loved ones (an estimated $1,180,500 in no cost support)
• 2,628 direct referrals received from Army Reserve Psychological Health, Fort Family USAR, CO Family Assistance Specialists and infomail
• 19% of clients indicated affiliation with the reserve component (GAH optional Client Feedback Survey; 2,034 responses). 50,973 potential clients visited the Get Help Search engine.
• Give an Hour funded over 32,000 print materials supporting reserve affiliated events and outreach.
• Staff engaged 836 NG and Reserve personnel and 653 community contacts.
• The RCP Program has reached 1,166 Community Organizations through direct outreach conversations. 42% of these organizations have resulted in collaboration (events, awareness, outreach, service utilization).
• RCP providers serve in 38 States, 168 Counties, and have access to serve 725,215 reserve component service members and their loved ones.
• In 2018, 28,806 reserve, guard and loved ones learned about the important messages behind the Campaign to Change Direction. Give an Hour delivered information and education to ensure that families know the Five Signs of Emotional Suffering and the Healthy Habits of Emotional Well-being as well as how to access GAH services. Since 2015, RCP has educated over 203,806 reserve and loved ones on the Five Signs.

“I truly believe that through education and making known the available resources, that this will positively impact soldiers.”

-M.M., Health Readiness Coordinator, USAR

“Give an Hour has been THE #1 referral source for therapeutic counseling for our Soldiers and Family members. We have had 100% satisfaction from the Soldiers and Family members we refer and our commanders are always pleased with the progress and outcome of their Soldiers. My team holds each of your in the highest esteem.”

-K.P., 451ESC

Give an Hour is working to provide information and services to address the needs of those who are in emotional pain. Through the generosity, compassion, and expertise of Give an Hour’s skilled volunteers, we are able to increase the likelihood that those in need receive the support and care they deserve. With the continued support of the Global Giving community we will increase awareness and address the need for more providers as we grow our network throughout 2019. Together we will change mental health!

The appearance of any entities does not convey or imply that the United States National Guard or Army Reserve directly or indirectly endorses any product or service provided by Give an Hour.

Links:

• Give an Hour
• Give an Hour - Reserve Component Program
• Campaign to Change Direction