Give an Hour? Calls on Mental Health Professionals and Others to Honor Volunteer Month by Joining Network, Recruiting Colleagues

Give an Hour™ Calls on Mental Health Professionals and Others to Honor Volunteer Month by Joining Network, Recruiting Colleagues

Washington, DC (PRWEB) April 12, 2011

April is Volunteer Month. Give an Hour™, a national nonprofit organization providing free mental health services to members of the military, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, their loved ones, and their communities, is calling on mental health professionals to assist in the effort.

“No community is more needed to address the psychological and emotional issues faced by our military men and women and their families than the mental health community. We have the resources and, therefore, the power to save generations from potentially debilitating mental health problems,” says Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, founder and president of Give an Hour™. “It is my hope that more mental health professionals will join our network. Furthermore, it is my hope that the work we are doing to reduce stigma and educate families and communities will result in even more of our providers being connected with clients through Give an Hour™.”

Give an Hour™, founded in 2005, has created a network of volunteer mental health professionals pledging an hour a week of their services, free of charge, to members of the military—including active duty, reserve, and guard—veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq, their families, and their communities. Give an Hour™ is also offering free services to parents, siblings, unmarried partners, grandparents—in short anyone who loves someone affected by the current conflicts. Their services range from one-on-one counseling to substance abuse treatment, addressing the many needs of the individuals and families of the armed services.

The approximately 5,400 licensed mental health professionals working with Give an Hour™ have contributed over 37,000 hours as of March 2011 to support our troops and their families. These volunteers include psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, pastoral counselors, and other mental health professionals. Providers are located across the country—in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam.

Give an Hour™ is helping to capitalize on the spirit of service that so many of our military men and women embody. Although it is not required, Give an Hour™ encourages those who have received help to give back in their own communities.

“We are proud of the opportunity to bring the military and mental health communities together as we strive to provide critical services to these deserving men, women, and families,” notes Dr. Van Dahlen.

Licensed mental health professionals agree to sign on for a minimum of one year, providing one hour of service per week. Mental health professionals interested in joining Give an Hour™ can complete an easy online form at http://www.giveanhour.org.

Give an Hour™ also utilizes volunteers in non-mental health capacities such as marketing, outreach, fund development and administration. Interested volunteers can contact info(at)giveanhour(dot)org for more information.

Visitors in need of services can log on and use the provider search to locate a mental health professional in their area who meets their needs.

Give an Hour™ (http://www.giveanhour.org) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), founded in September 2005 by Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a psychologist in the Washington, D.C., area. The organization’s mission is to develop national networks of volunteers capable of responding to both acute and chronic conditions that arise within our society. Currently, GAH is dedicated to meeting the mental health needs of the troops and families affected by the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Give an Hour™ has more than 5,400 providers across the nation—in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam—and continues to recruit volunteer mental health professionals to its network.

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