UCAN’s Counseling and Youth Development Services recently jumped at the opportunity to participate in a special project hosted by Duke University known as The Veteran Culture and Clinical Competencies (V3C) Breakthrough Series Collaborative.
The initiative’s primary focus is on increasing access to mental health services for military families and children. Funded by the McCormick Foundation and Major League Baseball, the collaborative aims to develop a model for service delivery through partnerships across communities.
Four UCAN therapists and managers recently participated in six educational modules to become a referral source for military populations in the future. The training allowed them to gain knowledge on military terminology and culture, and provided the tools necessary for handling sensitive issues such as deployment, moral injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Jeff Blythe, UCAN’s Director of Counseling and Youth Development Services, explained, “We’ve noticed a lot of similarities and transferrable practices from this training that apply to the youth we currently see suffering trauma from community violence and gang affiliation.”
UCAN hopes to increase access for military families to find effective treatment by promoting our organization as a resource for this specialized care and knowledge-base.
Blythe added, “Coming together and gaining knowledge to fully and effectively care for the youth and families we serve is so important. I’m glad to see UCAN making strides to stay on top of important initiatives like V3C.”