What we’re about
Have you ever wondered what it's like to practice social work in a combat zone? Or how lessons learned from that experience can enhance therapy with Veterans back home? I served in the Army Reserve for over 30 years, mostly as a Social Work Officer, and deployed to Afghanistan in a Combat Operational Stress Control (COSC) role. I've
made it my life's work to use lessons learned from my COSC experience to help
Veterans in a different context, in a different way, in civilian life, and to share those
insights with other clinicians like you.
I am the founder of Operation Strong Mind (OSM), a nonprofit in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. I also operate a solo Mental Health practice focused on the treatment of
members of our military community, including Active Duty, Reservists, National Guard,
Veterans, Military Contractors, and their Families.
At OSM we are starting an in-person support/networking group for mental health
professionals who work with or are interested in treating members of our military
community. We will meet at the Shaler North Hills Library, 1822 Mount Royal Blvd,
Glenshaw, PA 15116 in the small Conference Room on the second floor. Light
Refreshments will be provided. We will be meeting on the second Saturday of
each month at 10am, focusing on military culture and its role in mental health
treatment and in the day-to-day lives of members of the military community. Our
first meeting will be on January 11th, 2025.
I will present on my personal experience in theater conducting mental health
support to the warfighter, the lessons learned from that experience, and how it
informs my clinical practice today. We plan to keep the meeting interactive and
conversational so feel free to jump in and ask questions or share your own
experience working with Veterans!
We want to use our time together to keep this group open and exploratory for any
spontaneous questions or topics you may want to bring in. We also want to have a
group that is supportive of each other and caring. Together we can make a positive
difference in the lives of members of our Military Community by sharing our knowledge.
If you are interested in joining us, please contact me to let me know you will be
attending.
My email is tstokes@operationstrongmind.org
There is no cost or ongoing obligation; you can just drop in and stop by as your
availability permits.
Take Care,
Tom Stokes COL (Ret) USAR
ACSW, LCSW, BCD, RN
