Back to School: Cohen Veterans Network Supports Military Families Amid Concerns Over Mass Violence and School Shootings

CVN Partners with Leading Child Trauma Expert for Free Webinar to Provide Stress & Anxiety Coping Strategies as Kids Prepare for a New School Year

STAMFORD, Conn., Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In its ongoing effort to support the mental health and well-being of military families, Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), a not-for-profit philanthropic organization that serves post-9/11 veterans, service members and their families through a nationwide system of mental health clinics, is set to host a webinar for parents and caregivers in the wake of incessant mass violence and school shooting incidents. A free event that is open to all, Supporting Families After Mass Violence will take place on Thursday, August 11^th at 3pm. It will be hosted by Dr. Melissa Brymer, Director of the Terrorism and Disaster Program of the UCLA/Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress and its National Child Traumatic Stress Network and an expert on how children deal with stress following disasters such as school shootings. 

As families prepare to send their kids back to school, the presentation will highlight ways in which parents and caregivers can support their children who may have experienced a past trauma or loss, who have recently experienced a mass violence event or school shooting, or who have expressed fear after hearing about one of these events in the news.

"For military families, such traumatic events may be compounded by the unique circumstances associated with military life," says Cohen Veterans Network Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Tracy Neal-Walden. "Military children move an average of 6 to 9 times during their school career. Often 'the new kid' without well-established friendships or deep community ties, a lack of greater support could make the circumstances after a mass violence event particularly challenging for military kids. This webinar will help families better prepare for and respond to such tragic incidents in support of their children's mental health and well-being."

CVN serves the entire military family. Since its inception in April 2016, the network has provided mental health services to more than 32,000 individuals, including children of veterans and service members. In fact, 16% of clients served have been children.

"Each family is unique in how they react to the news of a mass violent event," says Dr. Brymer. "Some members are reminded of their past losses, while others worry about their safety. Helping families to tolerate these differences and to support one another is essential to healing."

CVN's national network of 21 Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics offer individual therapy for adults, children, adolescents, and teens as well as family therapy and a number of support groups. Treatment is available for a variety of mental health challenges including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, adjustment issues, anger, grief and loss, family and relationship problems, transition challenges, and children's behavioral problems. Care is available in person or via CVN Telehealth, face-to-face video therapy.

More information on Supporting Families After Mass Violence and a link to register are available here.  

Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) is a 501(c)(3) national not-for-profit philanthropic organization for post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members and their families. CVN focuses on improving mental health outcomes, operating a network of outpatient mental health clinics in high-need communities, in which trained clinicians deliver holistic evidence-based care to treat mental health conditions. It was established in 2016 by philanthropist Steven A. Cohen with a commitment of $275 million to build the network. Learn more about CVN here.

SOURCE Cohen Veterans Network