In this episode, we sit down with members of the California National Guard to talk about what makes the guard unique, the wide range of missions they support, and how they are taking new approaches to support the mental health of service members and their families. LTC Harris and MAJ Burns offer a behind-the-scenes look at the people, missions, and support systems that make the California National Guard a vital part of both national defense and local community response.

Featured Links:

You can find the California Military Department app in your preferred app store.

Want to get connected with our team or guests? Have feedback, suggestions, or recommendations? Send us an email at milpsychpodcast@gmail.com

Successful decrease in the stigma toward mental health services has led to an increase in the number of Service Members seeking care, resulting in challenges to military mental health providers and systems in meeting the increased demand. In this episode, Dr. Ethan Bannar sits down with Colonel Elisha Parkhill Pippin, Director of Psychological Health for the United States Air Force, to discuss her 2024 article in the Air Force Times and her recommendations for balancing evidence-based practice with satisfaction-based medicine. Together they explore the current difficulties faced by providers, the impact of homegrown/unit-based efforts to meet the increasing needs of the force, and discuss ways that providers can utilize available resources to better serve the populace. Tune in to hear more about the Air Force Targeted Care Initiative and Mental Health Strategic Initiatives Group, aiming to change the culture surrounding evidence-based practice in our Armed Forces!

Col. Pippin can be reached at elisha.p.pippin.mil@health.mil, and her article can be found here: https://www.airforcetimes.com/opinion/2024/05/20/mental-health-professionals-overlooked-in-air-forces-resilience-push/

Want to get connected with our team or guests? Have feedback, suggestions, or recommendations? Send us an email at milpsychpodcast@gmail.com

One of the biggest limitations in Disaster Mental Health (DMH) training has always been the difficulty in replicating high intensity environments within a structured training space. In this episode, Dr. Jeremy Jinkerson sits down with Dr. Ryan Landoll, former Chief of the Behavioral Health Optimization Program of the United States Air Force who now serves as Assistant Dean for Preclinical Sciences at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Together they explore the limitations of standard mental health training models for military DMH and the importance of scalable training programs that can offer practical experience without the risks of a war zone. If you're interested in learning more about trauma-based simulation, the role of trauma familiarization, patient flow management, and psychological first aid in Disaster Mental Health, or the role that Generative AI can play in DMH training, this episode is for you!

Dr. Landoll can be reached at ryan.landoll@usuhs.edu

Want to get connected with our team or guests? Have feedback, suggestions, or recommendations? Send us an email at milpsychpodcast@gmail.com