RVP’s 20th Anniversary Gala!

Chow Down for Vets

Support local this Veterans Day!

This Veterans Day, make a difference in the lives of local Veterans, Service Members, and their Families by dining at local eateries!

Support the Returning Veterans Project and help provide free, confidential mental and physical health services for our Veterans and military communities in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

This fundraising event is a partnership between Returning Veterans Project and participating restaurants. Proceeds from this event will help connect Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families with free, confidential, high-quality health care services, and help us recruit, train, and support our Volunteer Providers.

Contact: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Caliber Collision Golf Tournament 2024

A fun day at Langdon Farms for a charity golf tournament and silent auction, benefiting RVP

Location: Langdon Farms Golf Club
24377 NE Airport Rd #1
Aurora, OR 97002

Our friends at Caliber Collision are hosting their Golf Classic to support RVP that allows Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families to get free, confidential health services they can’t find anywhere else.

This is the third consecutive year for this event. The past two years were a wonderful success and a lot of FUN!! Please join us!

Check In: 10:30AM
Tournament: NOON-5PM
Banquet, Silent Auction & Raffle: 5:30PM - 8PM

Registration is open and event sponsorships are available!

For sponsorship information and other questions, contact sally@returningveterans.org.

2023 Caliber Collision Golf Tournament

A fun day at Langdon Farms for a charity golf tournament and silent auction, benefiting RVP!

Location: Langdon Farms Golf Club
24377 NE Airport Rd #1
Aurora, OR 97002

Get Directions

Caliber Collision Golf Tournament

Caliber Collision Golf Tournament

A fun day at Langdon Farms for a charity golf tournament and silent auction, benefiting RVP

Location: Langdon Farms Golf Club
24377 NE Airport Rd #1
Aurora, OR 97002

May Mission

With your help this month, we can connect more service members and their families to free, accessible health services they can’t find anywhere else.

Location: Online Giving

With your help this month, we can connect more service members and their families to free, accessible health services they can’t find anywhere else.

Cannabis: Evidence, Risks, and Myths

With Dr. Garth Terry, M.D., Ph.D: Cannabis use is increasingly common in clinical populations. Although many benefits are advertised, the relative risks are not always understood. This presentation aims to help clinicians conduct evidence-based discussions with their patients.

Location: Online

Continuing Education: 2 CE Credits (Applied at NASW)

Cost: Free to RVP Volunteers, Vet Center and VA Staff
$29 for Other Community Providers

Who Should Attend: This training is open to all RVP Volunteer Providers, social workers, mental health counselors, and community providers.

What You Will Learn:
Cannabis and cannabinoid products are becoming increasingly common and accepted. While the potentially beneficial effects of cannabis are widely advertised and disseminated, perceived risk of cannabis use has decreased. However, the available evidence for cannabis use is generally more modest for medical applications than is generally described. As well, cannabis use is associated with several important risks, in particular cannabis use disorder, cannabis withdrawal, and negative effects to mental health.

This presentation aims to provide clinicians with evidenced based information on the potential benefits and risks of cannabis use, particularly for patients with mental health concerns. A brief overview of the actions of cannabis on the brain will be followed by a summary of research on common motivations for using cannabis (e.g., pain, anxiety), and important risks associated with cannabis use. To the extent available, these aspects will be described separately for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and synthetic cannabinoids (aka spice, K2).

By the end of this presentation clinicians will be able to identify cannabis use disorder and develop a treatment plan, describe cannabis withdrawal symptoms and anticipate their occurrence, and have an informed discussion with patients/clients on benefits and risks of cannabis use.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this presentation, the learner will be able to:

1. Assess the available evidence of cannabis for therapeutic applications
2. Understand the risks of cannabis, including cannabis use disorder and withdrawal
3. Conduct a discussion with patients/clients on several evidence based benefits and risks of cannabis
4. Describe the differences between cannabis (including phytocannabinoids) and synthetic cannabinoids (aka, spice, K2)
5. Develop a treatment plan for patients/clients with cannabis use disorder

CE Faculty
Garth Terry, M.D., Ph.D. is a Physician/Research Career Development Award Associate in the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) at the VA Puget Sound in Seattle, and an Acting Assistant Professor in the UW School of Medicine Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Radiology. He has experience in neuropsychiatric research of cannabinoid pharmacology, cannabis use, and positron emission tomography (PET). He completed his Ph.D. in the Graduate Partnership Program between the National Institute of Mental Health (Bethesda, MD) and Karolinska Institute (Stockholm, Sweden) with the dissertation, “In vivo imaging of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor using positron emission tomography.” He received his medical degree from George Washington University (Washington, DC), trained in psychiatry at UCLA where he served as chief resident and provided medical support to numerous clinical trials studying substance use disorders, including the NIDA Clinical Trials Network sponsored study, ACCENT, on the use of N-acetylcysteine for cannabis use disorder in adults. He is a board-certified psychiatrist and completed a research fellowship at the Northwest MIRECC at VA Puget Sound, where he is currently principal investigator of the UW Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute sponsored study, “Pilot study to assess the feasibility of prazosin for cannabis use disorder in individuals with or without post-traumatic stress disorder.”

Registration is closed, please contact staff for more information.

Sponsored by

The Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) of Oregon is a community health coalition, with a focus on raising awareness of opioid addiction. RALI Oregon represents communities across the state that have been impacted by this crisis including employers, veterans, children, rural Oregonians, health care providers, and law enforcement.

In Partnership with

The VISN 20 Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (NW MIRECC) improves the health and well-being of Veterans by developing, evaluating, and disseminating novel effective treatments for military posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its complex comorbidities or co-occurring diagnoses.

Contact: RVP Staff .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
503-954-2259

Military Trauma - The Sacred Wound and the Warrior’s Journey Home

Edward Tick, Ph.D., LMHC, has been working to heal the wounds of violent trauma and warfare in our vets, families, society and the world for over forty years. This is a learning opportunity you do not want to miss!

Location: Online

Continuing Education: 6 CE Credits (Applied at NASW)

Cost: Free.

Who Should Attend: This training is open to all RVP Volunteer Providers, social workers, mental health counselors, and community providers.

What You Will Learn:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Moral Injury have proven to be of epidemic proportions in our military and veteran populations but very difficult to treat. Healing efforts must not merely strive for symptom reduction and control but match the transformed inner worlds, life experiences and values of the survivors, provide corrective experiences that counteract the traumas, and offer a life and growth path consistent with military service. Our training day will present a proven holistic and psycho-spiritual-communal model for the understanding and practices that bring true healing, homecoming and transformation to our military and veterans.

Learning Objectives
Participants will:

1. Be able to present relevant lessons from world warrior traditions.
2. Understand the sacred and moral dimensions of military service and warriorhood.
3. Gain a holistic understanding of Post-traumatic stress disorder.
4. Understand and be able to apply the concept of soul wounding to PTSD and Moral Injury.
5. Understand and be able to report the Necessities of Warrior Return.
6. Understand the Soldier’s Heart Transformational Model and Path of Homecoming and apply it to direct work with veterans.
7. Understand the concept of Moral Injury and be able to offer strategies for Healing and Recovery.
8. Understand and apply the concept of restoring the warrior archetype.

CE Faculty
Edward Tick, Ph.D., LMHC, has been working to heal the wounds of violent trauma and warfare in our vets, families, society and the world for over forty years. Dr Tick is recognized as a pioneer and international leader in developing holistic, spiritually and culturally based trauma healing. A transformational healer, psychotherapist, writer, educator and poet, he was co-founder and director of Soldier’s Heart, Inc. and has served as subject matter expert on healing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Moral Injury for the U.S. military.

Dr. Tick is the author of six books including the groundbreaking War and the Soul and most recently Warrior’s Return, as well as over 200 articles in the trauma field and others documenting radical holistic healing. Dr. Tick has been leading annual healing and reconciliation journeys to Viet Nam since 2000 and Greece since 1995, and works toward international healing and reconciliation between nations. Learn more about Dr. Tick’s work >

Registration is now closed. Contact RVP staff for further assistance.

Sponsored by

Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. As a top U.S. exporter, the company supports commercial and government customers in more than 150 countries. Building on a legacy of aerospace leadership, Boeing continues to lead in technology and innovation, deliver for its customers and invest in its people and future growth.

Sponsored by

The Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) of Oregon is a community health coalition, with a focus on raising awareness of opioid addiction. RALI Oregon represents communities across the state that have been impacted by this crisis including employers, veterans, children, rural Oregonians, health care providers, and law enforcement.

Contact: RVP Staff .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
503-954-2259

Suicide Prevention Strategies with Women Veterans

Monireh Moghadam, LCSW: Suicide rates continue to increase in the US and disproportionately so for women Veterans. Attendees will learn about the prevalence of suicide and risk factors for women Veterans and learn clinical strategies to mitigate risk.

Location: Online

Continuing Education: 1 CE Credit (Applied at NASW)

Cost: Free

Who Should Attend: This training is open to all RVP Volunteer Providers, social workers, mental health counselors, and community providers.

What You Will Learn:
Suicide rates for the Veteran population have been rising faster than for non-Veteran adults, with women Veterans nearly twice as likely to die by suicide than their non-Veteran female counterparts. While many risk factors for suicide are universal, research into unique risk factors for women has been quite limited.

The VA’s highest priority is suicide prevention, and greater efforts are being made to improve healthcare for women Veterans. This presentation will include data on the prevalence of suicide in the U.S., including for women Veterans; review unique healthcare needs, barriers to care, and suicide risk factors for women Veterans; and discuss strategies for how to mitigate risk and promote recovery.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

1. Gain an understanding of the prevalence of suicide for women Veterans
2. Be able to identify suicide risk factors unique to women Veterans.
3. Learn 3 clinical strategies for mitigating suicide risk with women Veterans.

CE Faculty
Monireh Moghadam is a licensed clinical social worker, and earned her graduate social work degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her clinical background includes working in jail mental health services, the California state hospital system, and emergency department psychiatric services. She joined the VA Portland Health Care System in 2012, and has since worked in the Suicide Prevention Program. She is also a trainer to provide CALM: Counseling on Access to Lethal Means workshops for healthcare providers. In her spare time, Monireh enjoys long-distance running with her spirited dog.

Sponsored by

Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. As a top U.S. exporter, the company supports commercial and government customers in more than 150 countries. Building on a legacy of aerospace leadership, Boeing continues to lead in technology and innovation, deliver for its customers and invest in its people and future growth.

Sponsored by

The Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) of Oregon is a community health coalition, with a focus on raising awareness of opioid addiction. RALI Oregon represents communities across the state that have been impacted by this crisis including employers, veterans, children, rural Oregonians, health care providers, and law enforcement.

Contact: RVP Staff .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
503-954-2259

Returning Hope Campaign

Now more than ever, veterans and families need your help to get the care they need!

Location: Online

Now more than ever, veterans and families need your help to get the care they need.

Brain Injury and Its Effect on Behavioral Health Treatment

Traumatic Brain Injury Training with Dan Overton, LMHC

Location: Clark College
Anna Pechanec Hall RM 201,
1933 Fort Vancouver Way
Vancouver, WA 98663

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Cost: Free for RVP Volunteer Providers
Community Providers: $99.00

CE Credits: 6

Who Should Attend: This training is open to all Returning Veterans Project Volunteer Providers and community mental health providers who work with veterans.

What You Will Learn

One in five service members returning from the Global War on Terror report a traumatic brain injury (TBI), yet it is suspected that the true occurrence of TBIs among service members is even higher. TBIs are notoriously under reported, especially in the veterans population, yet veterans do incur TBIs at four times the rate of their civilian counterparts. Having a TBI puts individuals at a higher risk for suicide, substance abuse, inter-personal violence, contact with the justice system, and incurring another TBI. This workshop will take a thorough examination of what a TBI is/isn’t, how TBIs occur, the effects of a TBI on behavioral health evaluations, TBI diagnosis and treatment processes, and more. Completing this workshop will give participants a better understanding of how to identify a TBI within their caseload and best practices once identified.

Learning Objectives
Participants will:

1. have a working knowledge of the causes, signs, and symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
2. have an understanding of the impact TBI may have on behavioral health and ability to comply with orders/plans/goals.
3. have an understanding of the prevalence of TBI populations in their caseload and how intervention/compliance approaches may differ from the general population.
4. leave with practical applications in evaluation, screening, referrals, and intervention techniques they can put into practice with TBI populations.
5. be able to identify three practices associated with identifying, documenting, and treating mental health clients with traumatic brain injury.
6. be able to describe the relationship between traumatic brain injury with mental health disorders and the increased risks of suicide and other dangerous behaviors that co-occur in the clinical setting.
7. understand the proper coding of a TBI per the DSM V and how to incorporate TBI treatments into a behavioral health treatment plan.
8. be able to distinguish different types of traumatic brain injuries.
9. be able to identify at least three potential resources available to mental health providers related to the treatment of TBI in the behavioral health setting.

CE Faculty
Dan Overton is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist, holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling, and is currently a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Washington state. For over a decade he was an adjunct professor with Western International University, and his professional work with veterans dates back to the beginning of his professional career at the Seattle VA Medical Center in the mid-1980s. Dan has helped develop programs for inpatient and outpatient substance abuse and mental health programs - both in the public and private sector - as a clinician, a clinical supervisor, as well as a program manager. Moreover, Dan has professional experience with court-ordered treatment and crisis intervention. His expertise supported his work in program development for: social and health agencies; law enforcement; the court system; corrections; and community corrections in Arizona, Wyoming and Washington. Dan’s work was formally recognized by the Arizona Governor’s office in addition to receiving Washington’s State Innovation Award. He has also presented his professional work to groups of 400+ and at “brown bag” meetings with local professionals.

Day of the Event: Registration and doors open at 8:30AM.
Coffee and lunch provided for all attendees.
Parking is free in the BROWN LOT.

Clark College Map >

Contact: RVP Staff .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
503-954-2259

“Dine with Intention” at Sixth Avenue Bistro

20% of Proceeds from Dine with Intention, 3-6PM Happy Hour Every Tuesday Night, Will Benefit RVP!

Location: Sixth Avenue Bistro
Hazel Dell Marketplace, 7904 NE 6th Ave
Vancouver, WA 98665

What could be better than enjoying funky fabulous food while supporting our local veterans, service members, and their families?

Come to Sixth Avenue Bistro any Tuesday night in July for 3-6PM Happy Hour (which includes the $5 Tuesday drink specials) and 20% of the proceeds will benefit RVP!

There’ll be live music from Monty Eldon, too! He will be playing from 4-6pm (weather permitting) on July 16th and July 30th.

Special Kickoff Event on Tuesday, July 2 from 5 - 8PM!

Be part of Sixth Avenue Bistro’s first Felida Fine Living event introducing
Dine with Intention™ - Bringing Communities Together

Get your 4th of July vibes going early with $5 beers, poured by Barrel Mountain, and other drink specials. Plus, for only $12 there will be a ¼ BBQ chicken, potato salad, and grilled corn. If you’re a veteran, your BBQ meal is free! Monty Eldon will provide live original music from 5:30-7:30PM on the patio. Come celebrate with us!

You will help connect members of our local veterans and military community with FREE, confidential mental and physical health services. You’ll also be supporting volunteer provider outreach, recruitment and orientation, clinical trainings, and crisis referral services.

Sixth Avenue Bistro’s vision is bringing communities together to redefine the “bistro” while serving quality, funky fabulous food in classy comfortable digs and introducing food trends and healthy choice options. They also want to directly give back to our community while supporting various charitable organizations and raising awareness of the causes they represent.

We’re honored to be their selected organization for the month of July!

Giving Day at RVP -        May 18

This Armed Forces Day, we're bringing together our RVP community to celebrate those serving our country and to help service members and families withstand the unique challenges of military life!

The Returning Veterans Project (RVP) connects post-9/11 veterans, service members, and their families with the mental and physical health services needed to withstand the unique challenges of military life. We need you to ensure this free, life-saving support remains available to our service members, especially those coming home this year.

You can help returning service members connect with free, confidential mental health counseling, acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, and naturopathic services to manage their stress and pain.

Sip and Strum and SING!

Please join us at Say Ciao! for this musical fundraiser to benefit the Returning Veterans Project!

Location: Say Ciao Columbia River Tap Room and Eatery
2501 SE Columbia Way, Ste 270
Vancouver, Washington 98661

Get Directions

Cost: $10 gets you in the door. But the more you're able to give, the more veterans and families we can support!

Please join us at Say Ciao! as we raise our voices and strum our instruments to benefit the Returning Veterans Project! Proceeds go directly to connecting members of the veterans and military community with FREE, confidential health services.

Your support will help us continue bridging the health care gaps for those who serve our country. It’s going to be a wonderful evening of food, music, and fun, so let’s get together and support our veterans, service members, and military families! 

Light refreshments provided. Song requests accepted! We’ll see you there!

Contact: Returning Veterans Project .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
503-954-2259

Attend an Event

Check out the Events Calendar.

Suicide Risk Among Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma (MST)

Research has shown that experiencing Military Sexual Trauma (MST) is a significant risk factor for suicide. This presentation will provide information to enhance understanding of the impact of MST and how providers and organizations can offer trauma-informed services.

Location: Online

Continuing Education: 1.5 (Applied through NASW Oregon)

Cost: Free to RVP Volunteers and partnering clinics who are listed in our directory and who have an active MOU with RVP. We also welcome our OR/WA Vet Center and VA staff to join for free. All other community providers, please pay $29 (or apply to become a RVP volunteer provider).

Who Should Attend:
This training is open to all RVP Volunteer Providers, social workers, mental health counselors, and community providers.

What You Will Learn:

Research has shown that experiencing Military Sexual Trauma (MST) is a significant risk factor for suicide. A meta-analysis showed MST is independently linked to suicidal ideation and attempts in both male and female veterans, even after adjusting for psychiatric conditions. This presentation will explore how MST impacts suicide risk among Veterans and how providers and organizations can offer
trauma-informed services. The role of shame and betrayal and how that can impact disclosure of MST and seeking care will also be discussed. Finally, the presentation will review available resources.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define Military Sexual Trauma and describe the prevalence of MST.
2. Discuss risk factors that increase risk for suicide in Veterans with MST.
3. Identify barriers to disclose of MST and accessing care.
4. Identify available resources.

CE Faculty
Georgia Gerard, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker with the Mental Illness, Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Colorado. She has been with the VA since 2012 providing clinical services to Veterans and serving as a clinician on research studies focused on Veterans at risk for suicide. She also provides implementation support for national VA suicide prevention programs and serves as a consultant on the VA’s Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program (SRM) which includes providing suicide postvention support and consultation.

Dr. Ryan Holliday, PhD, is also a Senior Clinical Research Psychologist and a member of the Central IRB in the Department of Veterans Affairs. He received his doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and completed an Advanced Psychology Fellowship at the Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center for Suicide Prevention. Dr. Holliday is passionate about understanding the intersection between stressful life events (such as homelessness and justice involvement), traumatic experiences, health factors (e.g., traumatic brain injury), and suicide. He is further interested in translating research on this intersection into evidence-based suicide prevention practice.

Want to attend our trainings for free? Become an RVP Volunteer and gain access to free CE trainings and other great benefits! Learn more about volunteering >

Contact: Jennifer Keeling, RVP Director of Retention and Recruitment .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
503-954-2259

Register