The military community is striving to open more conversations about mental health and wellness. Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) works tirelessly to continue those conversations, reach post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members, and their family members, and provide accessibility with ease and flexibility.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Giselle Vallejo, a bilingual clinician working at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at VVSD in San Diego, California. She was able to provide even more insight into this amazing organization and its priorities for veterans, service members, and their families. She also detailed why CVN is an easy and affordable way to receive support and services.
Ms. Vallejo initially learned about CVN from a friend in graduate school. She grew up in San Diego and was familiar with the military community; now as a clinician, she wants to continue to find ways to support the community. She is also a military spouse and married to her US Air Force husband, which ties her to the community both personally and professionally.
But what makes CVN different from mental health care on base or other external providers?
As she explained, many military service members, veterans, and their families struggle with obtaining mental health services. They are unsure of what their insurance options might be or find that services have limited access on base or in the surrounding area. There is also a stigma attached to seeking support for mental health and wellness, especially in the military community. Some people do not want their commands or supervisors to know their private healthcare matters; they do not want to be seen as “weak” or unable to cope; they do not see the importance of overall wellness, including mental and physical care.
Cohen Veterans Network takes care of all these barriers and worries.
As Ms. Vallejo explained, each Cohen Clinic offers a wide range of services. They offer mental health care for couples, families, adolescents, and some even provide child care services in addition to therapy. While CVN is not located in every state just yet, they are expanding every year. With their newest clinics coming soon to Oceanside and Los Angeles, California, they are growing to reach as many people as possible.
Cohen Clinics offer both in-person and telehealth appointments, too! So long as the clinic is in your state and you are physically in the same state, you can receive telehealth, face-to-face video therapy, appointments in your own home. This is a huge benefit for families. In 2020, they completed 65,000 telehealth sessions! That is a lot of support given in an easy, accessible way.
When I asked how people and organizations can best support CVN, the answer was simple: spread the word, help destigmatize mental health support, and keep awareness up.
Ms. Vallejo stated, “Everyone is resilient and has so many experiences. But we want to provide support and let them know that it’s OK to seek help.” CVN wants to keep building authentic discussions on mental health and accessibility. Without support from the community and the help of all of us, the road is more challenging for CVN and those it serves.
So continue making mental health just as big a priority as physical health. Talk with your family and friends about reaching out for support as often as needed. And when you are looking for services for yourself or others, try the Cohen Veterans Network. They are ready, easy to use, and waiting to help you.
Giselle Vallejo, LPCC
Giselle is a bilingual clinician at the Cohen Clinic. Born and raised in Chula Vista, she received her Bachelor’s degree in religious studies at San Diego State University and received her Master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at the University of San Diego. During her graduate studies, Giselle completed her practicum at the residential program at Veterans Village of San Diego, providing services to homeless veterans with co-morbid diagnoses. Prior to becoming a part of the Cohen Clinic team, Giselle worked with non-profit organizations providing Flexible Integrated Treatment (FIT) to underserved communities, specifically to children between the ages of 2-21 and their families. Giselle has been trained in utilizing Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Parent-Child Interaction Treatment, and Prolonged Exposure. Giselle likes to take on a strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally inclusive approach when working with individuals. She has a strong passion for working with people who have generational and complex trauma and believes every person should have their own space to feel heard. Giselle’s passion in working with the military population stems from having veteran family members and being a military spouse. Her husband is in the U.S. Air Force and they currently reside in Northern California. In her spare time, Giselle enjoys playing the violin, exploring new places, trying new foods, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.
✨ Get Your AMSE Swag Now! ✨
Order T-shirts, stickers, and more in our AMSE Store. All-Access Pass holders can use their discount code over and over again in the store! Click here to see our products and rep AMSE every day!
Rachel is the co-owner and editor of The Military Mom Collective. She has been an Air Force spouse for 18 years and is a mother of four children. She holds a BA in English and a MA in Management. When not busy with work or her family, she enjoys reading as many books as possible and drinking all the coffee.
Rachel is also the Copy Editor at AMSE and a freelance writer. She has been featured on We Are The Mighty, Her View From Home, AMSE, PCSgrades, The Beautifull Project, Hand-in-Hand QC, and other publications. She has been blogging for herself and other organizations for over 10 years. She is always trying to stay on top of SEO practices and loves using the power of experiences and storytelling to empower businesses and individuals.
