Be Crazy Well

Nate Banks, Strategic Director for Concerned Veterans for America in Colorado and US Navy Veteran, about his journey after service to receive healthcare and his experience with the VA Healthcare System. As an advocate for veterans, Nate pursues his passion for accountability and responsibility through the mission at the Concerned Veterans of America to advocate for policies that will preserve the freedom and prosperity that we and our families so proudly fought and sacrificed to defend.

Learn more about the Concerned Veterans for America by visiting cv4a.org

Follow CV4A on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ConcernedVetsForAmerica/

Interested in volunteering for CV4A? Sign up at https://cv4a.actcentr.com/Signup/register

Seven Years After The Phoenix Veteran Affairs Scandal

https://cv4a.org/seven-years-after-phoenix-scandal-va-is-failing-veterans-by-not-fully-implementing-the-mission-act/

NATE BANKS Bio

Nate Banks is the strategic director for Concerned Veterans for America in Colorado and a veteran of the United States Navy.

Nate enlisted in the Navy in 1999. He is a plank owner, meaning he was an original crew member stationed aboard the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). He was preparing for an upcoming training deployment on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) when the September 11th attacks took place. That training deployment turned into a combat deployment, and Nate served on the first carrier battle group deployed after the September 11th attacks. This deployment set a post WWII Record (and pre-pandemic record) for most consecutive days at sea, without a port call at 159 days.

After returning to the USS Ronald Reagan, Nate was again asked to deploy aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, also known as America’s Big Stick. The USS Theodore Roosevelt was the first carrier battle group surged, ahead of her deployment schedule, for the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Theodore Roosevelt was a launching point for air assaults at the beginning of the war in Iraq.

Nate was transferred to shore duty in 2004 and served at Naval Air Station Lemoore California until his honorable discharge in 2007. After leaving the Navy, Nate spent years working in the energy industry in multiple capacities and in law enforcement, while also attending school.

Nate joined CVA in 2018.

Music credit to Kalvin Love for the podcast’s theme song “Bee Your Best Self”

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Suzi talks with Josh Wheeldon about his journey to service, time during the military, his duty as a military police officer and his continued commitment to serve his fellow brothers and sisters. 

Josh's Bio

Joined the Army as a Military Police Officer in December 2004 shortly after I traveled to Korea 2005. In 2006 came to Fort Lewis where I deployed to the Anbar Province of Iraq for 15 months living embedded in an Iraq Police Station with Marines. Upon returning it was time to get out of the Army. When I was attending college in 2011 I was offered a position to go to Afghanistan, so like any other Veteran I left and found myself in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan at FOB Joyce within no time. I supported 25th Infantry Division (235) and 4th Infantry Division (212). 

Since returning I used my GI Bill and obtained a degree in Human Resources Management. I went to work for the Veteran Benefits Administration for the external affairs director. Finding the need for services I assisted in starting a Veteran Social Media group that actively serves nearly five thousands Veterans daily. I have served as Puyallup VFW Post Senior Vice Commander. My daily job is ensuring the Soldiers who are being medically separated from the Army are connected with the best resources to succeed outside of the military. I am what is called a Transition Coordinator at the Soldier Recovery Unit. 

Music credit to Kalvin Love for the podcast’s theme song “Bee Your Best Self”

Tune into our CHW Streaming Radio and the full lineup at cominghomewell.com

Download on Apple Play and Google Play

Online-Therapy.com ~ Life Changing Therapy Click here for a 20% discount on your first month.

Contact Suzi at [email protected] or (818) 470-2013 and share your story.

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Broken Promises ~ Compromised Mental Health Care, Counselor Burnout & Retaliation at VA

Our Veterans are not numbers!

Suzi is joined by Ted Blickwedel, Retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, combat veteran and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, about compromised mental health care and counsel burnout in VA Vet Centers. Ted's journey from clinical social worker employed by the VA to today has been quite a road of discovery, hardship and disappointment in the VA system. Ted's expectation of quality care for his fellow men and women of service who need the support and mental health care from the VA was and is one top tier. Ted experienced first hand the lack of support as a clinician, lack of quality care for his patients and sadly the retaliation of speaking up about the injustice to both veterans needing help and those providing the help. 

Ted's Bio

Retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel and combat veteran who became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker after he retired from the military. He worked as a counselor at the VA VET Center in Warwick, RI from 2009 to 2018 where he provided mental health care for fellow veterans. In 2017, during his tenure at the VET Center, he began to ‘speak truth to power’ in an effort to have VA VET Center Management revise their clinical productivity policies that were harmful to counselors and compromising quality care for veterans. His subsequent whistleblowing campaign came at great price, personally, professionally, financially and health wise. He is currently urging the United States Congress to pass legislation that has been introduced to the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees, as a result of a federal GAO investigation he helped instigate which substantiated his allegations. This legislation will protect the quality of services to our veterans and their families, as well as safeguard the welfare of counselors who care for them at over 300 VET Centers nationwide. Blickwedel’s crusade to rectify compromised mental health care and counselor well-being within the VA VET Center program has been featured on NBC and NPR, to include the Military Times, other publications and local news broadcasts.

Energy Psychology (EP)

Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP)

www.energypsych.org

veterans.energypsych.org

https://www.vabreakingpromises.com/

Senate: S. 1944 - Vet Center Improvement Act of 2021

House of Representatives: HR

Music credit to Kalvin Love for the podcast’s theme song “Bee Your Best Self”

Tune into our CHW Streaming Radio and the full lineup at cominghomewell.com

Download on Apple Play and Google Play

Online-Therapy.com ~ Life Changing Therapy Click here for a 20% discount on your first month.

Contact Suzi at [email protected] or (818) 470-2013 and share your story.

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Completing the mission is the target. Using your techniques, skills, and resources learned in the military to complete the mission should be no different when it comes to mental health and wellbeing. Complete your mission in finding the best ways to live the life you so deserve by completing the mission for your mental health well being. 

Suzi has the honor of taking with Retired 1SG U.S. Army Tom Cruz about his journey recovering from attempted suicide while still in service and rebuilding his life one day at a time. Tom has experienced first hand the importance of a strong support system and the importance of using this knowledge to help others to build and repair their own team.

Tom's Bio

My name is Tom Cruz, Retired Army 1SG, 26 years, deployed to Kosovo in 1999 then to Iraq 05-06, 06-07, 07-08 and Jordan in 2017. Stationed at locations from Ft. Bragg, Ft. Campbell, Puerto Rico, the Maryland/DC area and Tampa, Florida and Belgium. I was a Soldier that thought I could take care of everything on my own, had all the answers for everyone else until 3 November 2010 when that came all crashing down. That day changed my life and those around me forever, I realized I could not handle the pressure of doing everything on my own and “One” person stopped me from not being able to tell this story today.

I have gone through the (MRT) Master Resilience Training Level One at UPenn, (ASIST) Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, (ASIST T4T) ASIST Training for Trainers, (QPR) Questions, and Persuade and Refer online, Crisis Intervention / Mental Health Training through Mid-Continent University, (ACE SI) Ask, Care Escort Suicide Intervention Trained, and (safeTALK) Safe Tell, Ask, Listen, and Keepsafe; amongst others because I want to be that “One” for someone else, so no one has to go through what I went through.

Over the past 12 years I have been a part of multiple organizations, two I helped start from the foundation that deal with the social media realm particularly Facebook. I now work with incarcerated Veterans and Civilians getting their lives on track after coming out of prison.

Follow Tom on LinkedIn 

Music credit to Kalvin Love for the podcast’s theme song “Bee Your Best Self”

Tune into our CHW Streaming Radio and the full lineup at cominghomewell.com

Download on Apple Play and Google Play

Online-Therapy.com ~ Life Changing Therapy Click here for a 20% discount on your first month.

Contact Suzi at [email protected] or (818) 470-2013 and share your story.

suzilandolphi.com

vetsandplayers.org

wildhorserescue.org

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Andi has arrived! Having traveled through life's challenges from being raised in a cult, sexual molestation, coping with alcohol and drugs, military sexual trauma and coming out on the other side with strength and perseverance, Andi is a story of resilience and survival. 

Join Suzi in this episode to hear more about Andi's story and how even though life gives you a crappy stack of cards you can still find the inner strength to build your foundation. Find your superpowers from the trauma and live your best life. Everyone deserves it. 

Bio

Andi Ward is the Director of Training and Resources for the nonprofit Merging Vets and Players and is a Strength Coach at Unbreakable Performance in West Hollywood, CA. Andi served as a construction electrician with the U.S. Navy Seabees and deployed to Iraq and Africa. Andi has her B.S. in Kinesiology, and on top of being a fitness enthusiast, she is passionate about helping others live healthier, more fulfilled lives. Andi enjoys working out, exploring the outdoors, and going on adventures with her boyfriend, Steven and their 90lb pitbull, Jedi.

Music credit to Kalvin Love for the podcast’s theme song “Bee Your Best Self”

Tune into our CHW Streaming Radio and the full lineup at cominghomewell.com

Download on Apple Play and Google Play

Online-Therapy.com ~ Life Changing Therapy Click here for a 20% discount on your first month.

Contact Suzi at [email protected] or (818) 470-2013 and share your story.

suzilandolphi.com

vetsandplayers.org

wildhorserescue.org

Thank you for listening! Be sure to SHARE, LIKE and leave us a REVIEW!

As we are celebrating our annual holiday traditions many incorporate various practices and behaviors that we often find the norm. But are they truly celebratory by everyone? Do they truly have a joyful resonating effect for everyone attending?

Suzi talks about behaviors and practices that often come with overly celebrating during the holidays. Alcohol can sometimes be part of that celebration but as the alcohol flows so does tempers and bad behavior. The holidays are times of celebration from old to young that reflect joy, love and gratitude. Bad behavior can change the dynamics and instead inflict fear, sadness, pain and regret.

Be conscious of your holiday celebration traditions. Do they bring joy and happiness or fear and sadness? 

Music credit to Kalvin Love for the podcast’s theme song “Bee Your Best Self”

Tune into our CHW Streaming Radio and the full lineup at cominghomewell.com

Download on Apple Play and Google Play

Online-Therapy.com ~ Life Changing Therapy Click here for a 20% discount on your first month.

Contact Suzi at [email protected] or (818) 470-2013 and share your story.

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Send us a Text Message.

Suzi talks with Jason Jarman, US Army Veteran and Program Manager for MVP Seattle about childhood trauma, service and creating his own wellness practices for healing. 

Jason's Bio
I was raised in a very chaotic household. My Dad left when I was 7 y/o, leaving my Mom to raise 4 boys on her own. I am the youngest of those 4. Looking back, I realized that I attached to anyone that gave me attention, which made me very vulnerable to childhood sexual abuse. I was molested by two men, with two very different agendas. One groomed me with gifts and vacations that a father would’ve normally done for me. He, honestly, was a good person and never hurt me. Weird to say, but I never felt “used” by J.R. The other man, however, was all about his sick satisfaction. He later was caught and spent the rest of his life in jail where he died from testicular cancer. Poetic justice, I say.

That leads me to getting out of “Dodge” by joining the Army out of high school. I served as an Infantryman in Fairbanks Ak. @ Ft. Wainwright. The Army seemed to embrace me because I embraced it. I fit in and I became someone. Someone that stood out. I set the record for time in the night land navigation test for the Expert Infantry Badge and received an ARCOM for that. I placed 1st in consecutive marksmanship competitions for the 6th Inf. Division for all 3 bases in Alaska. I received another ARCOM for that. I never fired a weapon before the Army, and I was honored to have received the E.I.C. Excellence In Competition badge. A badge rare enough that while wearing it during an inspection the CSM asked what it was. To that my squad leader answered, “That means he can put a round up a tick’s ass from 1,000 meters.” I say this not to brag, but to show that the Army and I just clicked.

I got married and had 3 kids in Alaska. I got out of the Army due to the wife, now ex, talked me into leaving. I came back home to Renton, WA. That’s my hometown. I was working for Boeing until the 9/11 attacks. That is when I was laid off. Instead of going to school and collecting unemployment, I reenlisted as an Infantryman and went to Iraq to fight. I was a good Infantryman and wanted to do my part in this generation’s war.

After discharge, I struggled as most of us do. I didn’t let the VA help me. I turned to the streets for instant gratification. During that time, I lost my wife of 20 plus years to liver failure. This was almost enough to finish me. I didn’t want to be here anymore. I started doing things that were very outrageous to end my life so it would look like an accident to my family. I eventually ended up in a long-term treatment facility where I began to work on myself. I was asked by another veteran, “Jason, did you win any firefights in Iraq by yourself? What makes you think you can win any battles here at home on your own?” That was the moment that I “got it.” I spent a total of 5 months in 2 separate inpatient facilities. I got out and

Music credit to Kalvin Love for the podcast’s theme song “Bee Your Best Self”

Tune into our CHW Streaming Radio and the full lineup at cominghomewell.com
Download on Apple Play and Google Play

Online-Therapy.com ~ Life Changing Therapy Click here for a 20% discount on your first month.

Contact Suzi at [email protected] or (818) 470-2013 and share your story.
suzilandolphi.com
vetsandplayers.org
wildhorserescue.org

Thank you for listening! Be sure to SHARE, LIKE and leave us a REVIEW!

The Wonder Women of the Military 

Suzi talks with U.S. Army Sergeant Major Evelyn Azzaria about service and family. Evelyn was part of the Cultural Support Team (CST) and has been in service for 20+ years. Her skills, knowledge and resilience has propelled her into a journey of exploration, perseverance and creating a path of accomplishment. Evelyn talks about being part of the team, motherhood and her plans once she hangs up the uniform. 

Evelyn Mayoral( Eve) was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and is the first in her family to join the military- Army. Eve is currently stationed in North Carolina and is a Sergeant Major serving 20 years. 

Eve has five combat deployments- 3x Afghanistan and 2x Iraq. She looks forward to retirement in a few years and aspires to complete her Master's Degree and own a small rescue farm. 

Links

Cultural Support Team

https://www.soc.mil/CST/about.html

https://arsof-history.org/articles/v12n2_cst_timeline_page_1.html

Music credit to Kalvin Love for the podcast’s theme song “Bee Your Best Self”

Tune into our CHW Streaming Radio and the full lineup at cominghomewell.com

Download on Apple Play and Google Play

Online-Therapy.com ~ Life Changing Therapy Click here for a 20% discount on your first month.

Contact Suzi at [email protected] or (818) 470-2013 and share your story.

suzilandolphi.com

vetsandplayers.org

wildhorserescue.org

Thank you for listening! Be sure to SHARE, LIKE and leave us a REVIEW!

What are your traditions? What are you grateful for in your life?

Holidays can be tough and many experience the anxiety of expectations. In this episode, Suzi talks about creating your own traditions to help ease the anxiety and the expectations of giving, working and connecting with family. Suzi created her new tradition of connection with those around her and makes it her mission to honor those that matter the most to her through gratitude. 

Music credit to Kalvin Love for the podcast’s theme song “Bee Your Best Self”

Tune into our CHW Streaming Radio and the full lineup at cominghomewell.com

Download on Apple Play and Google Play

Online-Therapy.com ~ Life Changing Therapy Click here for a 20% discount on your first month.

Contact Suzi at [email protected] or (818) 470-2013 and share your story.

suzilandolphi.com

vetsandplayers.org

wildhorserescue.org

Thank you for listening! Be sure to SHARE, LIKE and leave us a REVIEW!

Suzi talks with Lt.. Col. Brian Slade, Apache Pilot and author of "Cleared Hot", about his seven principles and leadership skills that helped build his foundation to manage PTSD and trauma. Be resilient when facing your storms and work towards seeing obstacles as opportunities. 

Check out Brian’s book “Cleared Hot with Lt. Col. Brian Slade.” Find it on on Amazon or at https://www.clearedhot.info/

LEARN HOW TO:

• Grow a Healthy Perspective
• Practice Chair Flying
• Value a Higher Cause
• Build Healthy Support Systems
• Avoid Festering Emotional Wounds
• Release Hate
• Define and Embrace Honorable Missions

Author Bio

Brian L. Slade has held command positions in the Army and the Air Force and received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and fourteen combat air medals. He attended Utah State, where he earned a BA and was commissioned as an Army Aviation second lieutenant. He’s also earned an MA in aviation instruction. Brian currently serves as a lieutenant colonel for Air Force Combat Search and Rescue.

Co-Author of None Braver and The Liberators, journalist Michael Hirsh earned his Combat Infantryman Badge as an army combat correspondent with the 25th Inf. Div. in Vietnam. He’s produced numerous documentaries and is the recipient of the Peabody and Writers Guild Awards and the Vietnam Veterans of America Excellence in the Arts Award.

Music credit to Kalvin Love for the podcast’s theme song “Bee Your Best Self”

Tune into our CHW Streaming Radio and the full lineup at cominghomewell.com

Download on Apple Play and Google Play

Online-Therapy.com ~ Life Changing Therapy Click here for a 20% discount on your first month.

Contact Suzi at [email protected] or (818) 470-2013 and share your story.

suzilandolphi.com

vetsandplayers.org

wildhorserescue.org

Thank you for listening! Be sure to SHARE, LIKE and leave us a REVIEW!