Military Spouse, Caregiver, and Mother, Amy Taft, joins the show to talk about the need to focus on suicide in children of military and veteran families.

Show Notes

About Today’s Guest:

Amy Taft is the wife of retired Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Ward Taft. Together they have 2 girls and live in Jacksonville, NC. Amy is the founder of Third Star Foundation, an organization that provides ongoing support to children who live in a house with a veteran or service member that has sustained an injury or wound as a result of their time in service. Amy founded the organization after witnessing her own children go through drastic behavior changes after their father returned home from combat with a moderate brain injury. Her goal is to allow children to meet other peers that have a shared experience and give them the tools they need to express their emotions in a healthy way. Amy also wants to bring awareness to child suicide and the devestating effects that isolation has on children. Amy spent 7 years as a classroom teacher just outside Marine Corps BaseCamp Lejeune and currently serves as the Sr Director of Education for the COMMIT Foundation. Amy was also part of the inaugural GW Bush Institute Veteran Stand To Leadership Program. To learn more about Third Star Foundation, email amy@thirdstarfoundation.org

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

The Third Star Foundation

Join our Facebook Group:

Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Facebook

Shauna's latest book: Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us

Duane's latest book: Military in the Rear View Mirror: Mental Health and Wellness in Post-Military Life

How to Leave a Podcast Review

Leaving a podcast review at iTunes isn't intuitive. But positive ratings are hugely important: they help the podcast get discovered by new people. Please spend 5 minutes of your time to leave a review using one of the methods below.

How to leave a podcast review using Apple’s Podcast app

1. Navigate to Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Click "Listen on Apple Podcasts"
3. Scroll down and click or tap "Write a Review." Enter your iTunes password to login.

4. Rate the podcast using 1 to 5 stars.

5. Submit a brief honest review.

Bonus: get a thank-you note

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. When you leave a review, drop us a line at info@veteranmentalhealth.com and you'll get a message with the warmest appreciation, and a bonus gift!

For Android users, Google Podcasts does not allow for ratings or reviews, but you can certainly let us know how you think we're doing on Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio

Many thanks,

Duane and Shauna

★ Support this podcast ★

What is Seeking the Military Suicide Solution?

The statistics about suicide in the military affiliated population are alarming, and many are aware of them. Awareness is no longer enough, however. Communities must pair that awareness with meaningful action in order to make a difference. Brought to you by Military Times, join combat veteran and clinical mental health counselor Duane France and nationally recognized suicide prevention expert Dr. Shauna Springer every week as they bring the knowledge of experts on suicide in the military affiliated population to communities that need it.