In this season’s final episode, Butch sits down with T’Liza Keil, director of alumni engagement with The Mission Continues, for an inspiring conversation about volunteerism, veterans service organizations, and finding a sense of community and purpose.

Following her service in the Army National Guard, T’Liza saw firsthand the debilitating effects of untreated mental health conditions. Recognizing her military skills could be put to use in the community, T’Liza dedicated herself to service. At The Mission Continues, she develops strategies to ensure that the more than 2,300 current and future program alumni are informed, connected, and supported as they continue to develop their skills and experiences as community leaders.

T’Liza and Butch discuss the difficulty many veterans face when transitioning and explore how veteran service organizations can help veterans build a sense of belonging and trust. T’Liza offers a powerful message to veterans and non-veterans alike that will deepen your understanding of the veteran experience and the many pathways to finding peace and purpose.

As a veteran and licensed clinical social worker, RanDee McLain Malone, Ph.D. has been a driving force behind helping justice, treatment, and social service professionals better respond to female veterans. In this episode, RanDee shares her insight into the unique challenges female veterans face and talks with Butch about overcoming barriers to identifying female veterans, ways to avoid retraumatizing them, understanding where to find additional gender-specific support, and the many ways in which our justice and treatment responses can better offer a "whole-person approach."

“As a law enforcement liaison in a treatment court, you are going to be that first point of contact. So you need to be able to show them that not only can you trust me as a fellow veteran, but I am going to have a pathway that doesn’t lead to a jail cell, I am going to have a pathway that leads to resources, and success, and empowerment.”

After 9/11, Jesse Holton put his law enforcement career on hold and joined the United States Marine Corps. Following his decorated service, he returned to law enforcement with a new perspective on the challenges some veterans face when they come home. In episode 6, Jesse sits down with Butch to discuss how law enforcement can support veterans in crisis and the often-untapped benefits of ensuring law enforcement is an active part of any community-based intervention. He offers keen insight into building trust with veterans and how this work is changing the culture of law enforcement. As Butch says, “This dude just gets it.”

"There really is a light at the end of the tunnel, and there are people there for you. I don’t care what you are going through. I am not going to judge you. I’ve been there."

Paige Ott served in the United States Navy. Her experience was transformative and positive, but her transition out of the military was anything but smooth. Her life was changed in a Nebraska courtroom, where instead of punishment, she was connected to treatment and recovery support. As a certified peer recovery support specialist, Paige now uses her lived experience to help other veterans going through similar difficulties. As the founder of a nonprofit supporting veterans, she fosters community and empowers veterans to achieve and sustain recovery. You won’t want to miss her sit-down with Butch in episode 5 of "When Thank You Is Not Enough."

“It flips the justice system on its head from this notion that it has to be incapacitation or retribution or deterrence. And instead, we think, how can we make sure that this individual, after they've touched the justice system, that they leave healthy?”

In episode 4, Butch continues the conversation about peer support with Dr. Jacqueline van Wormer, director of the All Rise Center for Advancing Justice. Dr. van Wormer offers insight into the vital role peer recovery support plays in assisting justice-involved individuals with accepting, sustaining, and thriving in treatment and recovery. An expert in program implementation and sustainability, Dr. Van Wormer walks through the steps of implementing peer support and the elements critical to its success with the justice-involved population.

For more on peer recovery support, click here.

Episode 3 kicks off a two-part series on peer support, starting with how the VA is expanding peer support to ensure justice-involved veterans have access to veterans with lived experience who provide individualized assistance connecting to VA services. Butch talks with the VA’s National Peer Services Coordinator Antonio Harris, LCSW, about the difference between VA peers and veteran mentors and the way in which both roles compliment each other and offer a more robust network of support and guidance to justice-involved veterans. Stay tuned for episode 4 which will dive into community peer support.

Veterans who are homeless or at risk for homelessness often face legal issues that make it difficult for them to obtain or maintain stable housing. Thanks to the VA's Legal Services for Veterans program, these needs are now being met in unique and effective ways. Butch sits down with program's national coordinator Madolyn Gingell to talk about how veterans can access legal support and the new grant program that is empowering local legal providers to assist.

If you are a veteran in crisis please call the Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988 and press 1

Click here for more on the Legal Services for Veterans program.

In the first episode of season 2, Butch sits down with Katie Stewart, L.C.S.W., national coordinator of the Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Program for a deep dive into the the many ways VJOs ensure that justice-involved veterans have access to the care, services, and other benefits they’ve earned. VJOs help maximize veterans’ potential for success and stability in the community, including by helping them avoid homelessness and ending their involvement in the justice system. The discussion includes an explanation of the Veterans Re-Entry Search Service, a vital resource for identifying justice-involved veterans and linking them with care.

If you are a veteran in crisis please call the Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988 and press 1

Click here for more on the Veterans Justice Outreach Program.