On Episode 19 of Untold Valor, we're joined by Nena Stetson, a licensed clinical social worker, and an army spouse for more than 20 years.

Nena shares her unique perspective on the struggles and support systems within military families and delves into the challenges faced by spouses and children of veterans, emphasizing the importance of their mental well-being. Nena opens up about her own experiences, including multiple deployments and military moves.

The discussion also touches upon post-retirement and the transition to civilian life, shedding light on the obstacles faced by military spouses in redefining their identities and pursuing their careers. Nena reminds us to embrace curiosity and seek available resources on our journeys toward healing and personal growth.

Highlights of this episode:

2:03 – The perspective of being a family member of someone in the military.

4:28 – Reflecting on how deployment impacts the children in military families.

9:35 – Nena: “A lot of us who are in the mental health field have had our own mental health journeys. And we want to share that with others.”

15:35 – We talk a lot about resources for veterans, but Nena highlights a great resource that can help military families at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic.

More About Nena:

Nena Stetson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 20+ years of experience in the fields of education, human services, higher education, and clinical social work. As an Army spouse of 20 years, Nena served alongside her husband, LTC Eric Stetson (RET), through four deployments and ten military moves. In addition to working for the Department of Defense with children and youth, Nena’s service as a military spouse included multiple volunteer roles, such as Family Readiness Group (FRG) leader, Army Family Team Building (AFTB) instructor, Spouses Club board member, and American Red Cross volunteer.

Nena has served as a family member representative on the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at UPenn advisory board since 2017, advocating for the unique needs of spouses and children of veterans. Nena currently serves as the Director of Counseling for Neumann University.

Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic: https://bit.ly/43rp1bI

(National) Cohen Veterans Network: https://bit.ly/43nQn25

FourBlock Career Support for Veterans and Spouses: https://fourblock.org

Life After Military - D’Aniello Institute for Veterans & Military Families: https://ivmf.syracuse.edu

Resources:

Voice & Vision: https://bit.ly/3miwFoy

CompeerCORPS: https://bit.ly/3GgKryU

Information on how to apply for VA Healthcare Benefits from anywhere in the USA: https://bit.ly/40PtrrN or call 877-222-8387 (M-F 8am-8pm EST)

To apply for veteran’s benefits and find resources in Pennsylvania veterans need to contact their County Office of Veterans Affairs as listed in this document: https://bit.ly/3m8PBWS

Need immediate help? Contact the Veterans Crisis Line via phone, text or online chat. Dial 988 then Press 1 or text 838255 or use the online chat at https://bit.ly/3OunXzg

View more about PA’s resources for veterans: https://bit.ly/416cf0Q

Financial support for Untold Valor is provided by a Veterans' Trust Fund grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.