Organizing as a Healing Process: A Fresh Perspective on PTSD
PTSD is best known as a condition suffered by returning vets. Few realize that individual survivors of trauma or even entire communities can experience the altered state of consciousness known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This state of consciousness can become an opportunity for new political and spiritual growth. Panelists explore new ways of looking at, healing from and organizing to address PTSD.
Author of Moving a Nation to Care: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and America’s Returning Troops, Ilona is editor of the top-ranked blog in its niche, PTSD Combat: Winning the War Within. In 2005, she began collecting OEF/OIF PTSD-related incidents that became the ePluribus Media PTSD Timeline, a comprehensive database accessed by federal bodies, media outlets, and researchers. In December 2007, Ilona testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee on the issue of PTSD and veterans' suicide. Completing her studies at Northern Illinois University, in 2008 she received the Illinois Journalist of the Year Award-Student Scholarship.
Lauren Reichelt is director of a Health and Human Services Department in New Mexico where she oversees jail-based substance abuse treatment programs, intensive case management services for IV Drug Users and high-risk pregnant women, DWI prevention and treatment, and health care planning activities. She has worked with mothers of murdered children, substance abusers, and refugees. She uses organizing as a tool to help heal wounds resulting from historical trauma. She earned her MA in Comparative Culture from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. She blogs for Daily Kos and ePluribus Media as TheFatLadySings.
Richard Smith enlisted in the US Army at the age of 18. In 2007, he deployed to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division and served as a non-commissioned officer for 14 months. During this deployment, he began blogging from the front lines on the VoteVets.org blog "VetVoice" under pseudonym "RockRichard". Richard has also written at Daily Kos, Attackerman, the defunct Wordsmiths blog, and the randomly updated Rock the Boat. He has been quoted or featured in the Wall Street Journal, New Yorker magazine, the Washington Independent, on Air America Radio, Indie Talk Radio, and several other media outlets.
Adam is not last year's American Idol runner up. However, he is a tax consultant who works and lives in the NYC area. Blogging under the name "clammyc", Adam is a front page contributing editor at BlueJersey.com and has written hundreds of essays about framing and messaging on a number of progressive issues and campaigns.
He has worked on various campaigns (NJ Governor - 2009, NJ-5th Congressional District, 2006, 2008, 2010), doing online outreach and strategy. Adam previously hosted weekly online radio shows at BlogTalkRadio.com, where he also managed the progressive lineup of shows.
Currently, Adam is advising the Congressional candidate in his district, and was one of the founders of Retire Garrett (and RetireGarrett.com), a grassroots organization dedicated to the Congressional Race in NJ's 5th District.
Denise is a practicing licensed clinical social worker and political strategist, serving on the board of directors of ePluribus Media. She treats PTSD/trauma spectrum disorders in military and civilian populations. A critical measure of a civilization is its treatment of its warriors. Their neglect is diagnostic of sickness in the cultural “soul”. She serves on the board of directors of the Community Area Resource Team in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, a public/private partnership that provides support to military members, veterans and their families. Her current projects are the development of a Veterans Court and expanding trauma integrated jail diversion programming.
