How Policy Works

How to go about being an effective advocate for issues you care about? Longtime advocate Kevin Hull was a legislative staffer in Springfield and has taught law students the art of drafting bills for more than a decade. He shares his tips and insights.

Having a connection with someone who shares the lived experience you've had can make a difference in transitions. Alberto Lopez tells us how that works. He is the founder and CEO of Phoenix Legacy, which helps veterans, active duty personnel, and first responders and their families with difficult transitions. • Learn more about our work with those who have served http://smartpolicyworks.com/veterans/

Women are one of the fastest growing groups of veterans, but they frequently report that they feel invisible as veterans. Abbie Holland Schmit of the Women Vets Ambassador Program was asked to put together a program that basically educates people about "how cool it is to be a woman who has served." • Learn more about our work with those who have served http://smartpolicyworks.com/veterans/

A pervasive myth among counselors about why they can't work effectively with survivors of military sexual trauma is they aren't going to want to talk about the experience, or can't handle revisiting it. Dr. Ashton Lofgreen, clinical psychologist at Rush University Medical Center explains why that's not the case. • Learn more about helping survivors: http://smartpolicyworks.com/training/

An MST survivor can often find treatment, but the family or romantic partner, who is also impacted, is typically left out of the treatment. Eilene Ladson, LMFTA, the military therapist for ChildServ's Military and Veteran Family Program, co-authored a 2015 scholarly article on the topic. • Learn more about helping survivors: http://smartpolicyworks.com/training/

How is it different from PTSD, and how does such an injury fit with military sexual traum? Eric Herskowit is Illinois' moral injury coordinator for the Volunteers of America, and he helps us understand this concept. • Learn more about helping survivors: http://smartpolicyworks.com/training/

Medical care can present unique challenges for trauma survivors. Jenny Sitzer, the women veterans program manager at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, discusses how care teams at the hospital make accommodations for women survivors of military sexual trauma. • Learn more about helping survivors: http://smartpolicyworks.com/training/

Certain behaviors can tell a story of what may be otherwise left unsaid. Kelly Caroll, a clinical social worker who providers therapy to surivors of military sexual trauma and combat trauma as part of Rush Medical Center's Road Home program, explores these behaviors. • Learn more about helping survivors: http://smartpolicyworks.com/training/

What is it like to be immobilized by emotional pain? Grounding is an exercise that helps trauma survivors, and it's one that you don't need to be a clinician to use. Social worker Lydia Zopf, director of Thresholds' Veterans Project, tells us about it. • Learn more about helping survivors: http://smartpolicyworks.com/training/

Military sexual trauma is often considered a female issue, but there are actually more male surivors of MST. Dr. Joseph Yount discusses how support groups can be a way for those survivors to begin to heal. • Learn more about helping survivors: http://smartpolicyworks.com/training/

Trauma has ripple effects that go beyond the person who experienced it. Dr. Jonathan Goldner from Rush University Medical Center, discusses the complexities of parenting with a trauma history and its impacts on children. • Learn more about helping survivors: http://smartpolicyworks.com/training/

It's known as "vicarious trauma." Social workers and others in the helping professions can start to see in themselves the symptoms of trauma they see in their clients. This can lead to burnout. Alex Champaign, clinical social worker at the YWCA, discusses how this can manifest. • Learn more about helping survivors: http://smartpolicyworks.com/training/

Challenging the idea that civilian healthcare providers "just don't get it," military cultural competency is becoming a greater focus among providers. Megan Everett, director of veteran programming at the McCormick Foundation, discusses military culture and her own experience serving in the Navy. • Learn more about our work with those who have served http://smartpolicyworks.com/veterans/

Military victim advocates, armed with more than 80 hours of training, exist in all military units to support survivors of sexual assault. Tiffany Tinker, sexual assault response coordinator at the Illinois National Guard, talks about their work. • Learn more about helping survivors: http://smartpolicyworks.com/training/

In addition to dealing with all the same social and legal issues as civilians, such as housing or divorce, veterans also face needs for upgraded discharge status and benefits advocacy. Zach Zarnow of the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation discusses his experiences and challenges in setting up a statewide legal network for veterans in Illinois (https://ilaflan.org/). Call the hotline at 855-IL-AFLAN (855-452-3526). • Learn more about our work with those who have served http://smartpolicyworks.com/veterans/

Are you committing any faux pas when talking to veterans? Probably so. Kawryine Holmes, our assistant director and a major in the National Guard, explains that most people do not understand military culture because they haven't experienced the military - and the difference that can make. • Learn more about our work with those who have served http://smartpolicyworks.com/veterans/ If you're interested in learning more about veteran culture, visit smartpolicyworks.com or email us at info@smartpolicyworks. We would love to meet you and continue this important discussion. (Listen closely and see if you can hear the number one indicator of a downtown Chicago office...)