2020 VA Be Connected
Thank you to all who joined us for the virtual VA Be Connected Community Mental Health Summit, focused on Arizona’s 500,000+ service members, veterans, their families and communities.
Weren’t able to join us? No worries! We have uploaded video recordings of the General Session and Breakout Sessions below.
Agenda Overview:
7:45 – 8:00: Signing In
8:00 – 9:00: Introductions and General Session
9:05 – 9:50: Breakout Session 1 (below)
9:50 – 9:55: Break
10:00 – 10:45: Breakout Session 2 (live repeat of below sessions, choose one)
10:45 – 11:15: Return to General Session & Wrap Up
Check out the General Session here!
The General Session included remarks from Be Connected partner leadership, including
VISN Director Michael Fisher, all three Arizona VA Health Care System Directors, the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services Director and the Director of the Arizona Coalition for Military Families.
Summit Breakout Session Recordings
SAVAHCS Mental Health COVID Response
Speaker: Lucretia Vaughan, MD
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
Speakers: Kathryn Doyle, Ph.D; Courtney Baker, Ph.D
COVID and Homeless and Those at Risk for Homelessness (Central/Southern AZ)
Speakers: Danna Auriana, Angie Lane, Jocelyn Muzzin, Shane Groen
Northern AZ Homelessness Challenges and Solutions
Speakers: Markham Breen, Mike O’Donnell, Carole Benedict
Threat Assessment and Threat Management:
Current Best Practice and Application in VHA
Speakers: Adriana Weyer, Ph.D, Alysha Teed, Ph.D, Justin Crawford, RN, Michael Moore, Ph.D
Opioids and the Brain
Speakers: Nicki Bartram, Veronica Welch, Dana West
Mindfulness, Self Care and Whole Health
Speakers: Teri Davis, Karen White, Marcy Newman
“Getting to Zero” Suicide Prevention & Postvention
Speakers: Kady Walker, Dimitri Ntatsos
Veteran Employment: Southern/Central AZ
Speakers: Pat Kuykendall, Randy Salazar
Veteran Employment: Northern AZ
(Get Back to Work, VHA Vocational Rehabilitation, U.S. Vets HVRP Program)
Speakers: Maria Esposito, Sean Hankison, Sheryl Gillum
Peer Support Panel
Speakers: Jose Castillo
Panelists: Buzz Hickox, Richard Brown, Ray Perez, Regina Locke, Richard Sandoval
Caregiver Support Expansion
Speakers: Michele Keck, Natasha McTaggart, Brittany Duarte, Tracy Schrunk, Amanda Mason
Rural AZ: Building Capacity to Be Connected
Speakers: Chessa Emmons, Joyce Hospodar
PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP BY:

Questions? Email events@arizonacoalition.org
Contact Be Connected at 1-866-4AZ-VETS(429-8387).
Available to all service members, veterans, family members and helpers.