HERE. IS. BETTER. — MODERATED BY PAUL RIECKHOFF
Mental Health Panel Inspired by the film HERE. IS. BETTER., this cutting-edge discussion will focus on mental health at this critical moment in history when suicide is a leading cause of death in both the veteran and civilian communities. Moderated by Paul Rieckhoff, with panelists Dr. Kathleen Chard and Jason Kander. Dr. Chard will discuss how the world is tackling PTSD and the role of the VA in this fight, and Jason will share his personal story of recovery from PTSD. The panel may also include other members of the HERE. IS. BETTER. filmmaking team, other veterans from the film, and/or first responders from the local community who have recovered from trauma.
Panelists:
Paul Rieckhoff, activist and veterans’ advocate, is founder and president of Righteous Media, host of the podcast Independent Americans, and a frequent contributor on CNN and MSNBC. After serving in Iraq, he rose to prominence as the hard-hitting and respected Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the highly-regarded, non-partisan powerhouse advocacy organization for a new generation of veterans.
Dr. Kathleen M. Chard, PhD, is Associate Chief of Staff for Research at the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati. As the VA Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Implementation Director, Dr. Chard oversees the dissemination of CPT to VA clinicians across the United States. She is an associate editor of the Journal of Traumatic Stress and a board member of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Dr. Chard has worked with frontline workers, in addition to military veterans. She is featured in the film HERE. IS. BETTER.
Army veteran Jason Kander, is host of the podcast Majority 54 and President of National Expansion for Veterans Community Project. When he returned home from Afghanistan, where he served as a military intelligence officer, Kander became a rising figure in the national political scene — serving in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2009-2013, before becoming the first millennial to hold a state-wide office in the country as Missouri’s 39th Secretary of State. In 2016, he lost the election for a Missouri senate seat by a slim margin before deciding to campaign for mayor of Kansas City as a potential stepping stone for a presidential run. On October 2, 2018 — 12 years after stepping foot in Afghanistan — Kander decided to walk away from politics and the public life, announcing to his thousands of social media followers that he would go seek help at the Kansas City VA. In HERE. IS. BETTER., Jason shares his journey through treatment for the first time.
Additional panelists TBD
Use Code: WhiteFeatherFifty for 50% off community discount!
Food and beverages served after each panel, catering provided by Raspberry Fields Farm.
Come for the conversations, stay for the food.
Please wear sensible footwear, fit for a farm.
Sponsored by White Feather Farm.