Betsey Mercado

Betsey Mercado became involved in Objective Zero after seeing the positive influence that intervention had on veterans in crisis. Betsey has committed herself to make a difference in the lives of Soldiers, veterans, and their families. Her experience working with military spouses and leading multiple Family Readiness Groups supporting active-duty units gives her a unique perspective that she brings to the Objective Zero team. She volunteers her time to assist with the development of the Objective Zero mobile app, maintain the website, and manage Objective Zero’s administration. Betsey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. In This Particular Episode You Will Learn: Betsey's background and experience The origins of the Objective Zero App Becoming an OZ Ambassador Collaboration with other veteran organizations Building a community with the OZ App--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/changeyourpov/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/changeyourpov/support

When Army Ranger Maj. Chris Mercado spoke with his former combat buddy in 2014, he discovered that his friend, a veteran with a distinguished service record, was suffering from the post-service trauma and mental anguish that plagues so many of our nation’s veterans and active-duty military personnel — his friend was contemplating self-harm. A long, caring conversation saved his friend’s life and inspired a project that now has the capacity to save many others. Together with several friends, Chris and Betsey Mercado have created Objective Zero, a mobile app aimed at preventing military and veteran suicides by making a network of supportive professionals and volunteers available at the touch of a button. Today the network includes trained “ambassadors” in all 50 states and 26 countries, and lives are being saved. Objective Zero has been so innovative, and so effective, that it has been widely praised by the media. The Army Times named Chris “Soldier of the Year” in 2017, and Fast Company tapped him as one of the “Most Creative People in Business” in 2018. Chris and Betsey reminded us that situations like the COVID-19 pandemic have only heightened the need for services like Objective Zero. While at-risk individuals shelter-in-place, their social interactions are often diminished, and their sense of belonging and connectedness can be undermined. Especially for veterans transitioning out of uniformed service, where they previously took part in something so self-evidently larger than themselves, the isolation and detachment caused by quarantine can be overwhelming. In fact, usage of the Objective Zero app has never been higher, including use by many former military doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who are on the front lines of the pandemic. To learn more about Objective Zero and Chris’ and Betsey’s mission, visit www.objectivezero.org. You’ll find links to donate and to sign up for training as a suicide prevention “ambassador,” and you’ll find lots of additional media coverage. Join TendingBar for this sobering, yet encouraging conversation with Chris and Betsey, as they demonstrate what can happen when creativity, vision, teamwork and drive combine to make a positive impact on society. Key Interview Moments (minutes:seconds) 5:30 What is Objective Zero? 9:00 A personal success story of OZ counseling 10:17  Understanding the scope and severity of veteran and active-duty suicides 11:25  What prevents veterans from receiving the mental health services they need? 14:27 Understanding stress factors that veterans face / Impact of COVID-19 16:15 Prescriptions for society to help veterans in need 19:21  How can individuals get involved and help? About the Mercados Betsey Mercado is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Objective Zero, where she oversees the day-to-day operations of a vibrant 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  Betsey holds a master’s degree in Human Services from Purdue.  Leveraging her prior experience leading multiple Family Readiness Groups that support active duty units and their families, Betsey brings an especially valuable perspective to an organization designed to help veterans and active-duty service members in need. Chris Mercado is a Major in the U.S. Army with more than 20 years of military service.  Chris is “XO” (Executive Officer”) in the Combined Armed Center for Training at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  He’s also a proud graduate of Georgetown’s Center for Security Studies in the School of Foreign Service, where he received a master’s degree as the recipient of the prestigious Downing Scholarship, awarded by the Army’s Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point.  Chris previously deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, and the West Bank.

Betsey Mercado became involved in Objective Zero after seeing the positive influence that intervention had on veterans in crisis. Betsey has committed herself to making a difference in the lives of Soldiers, veterans, and their families. Her experience working with military spouses and leading multiple Family Readiness Groups supporting active duty units gives her a unique perspective that she brings to the Objective Zero team. She volunteers her time to assist with development of the Objective Zero mobile app, maintain the website, and manage Objective Zero’s administration. Betsey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration.Links Mentioned in this Episode:Objective Zero Foundation Web siteJoin our Facebook Group:Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on FacebookShauna's latest book: Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect UsDuane's latest book: Military in the Rear View Mirror: Mental Health and Wellness in Post-Military LifeHow to Leave a Podcast ReviewLeaving a podcast review at iTunes isn't intuitive. But positive ratings are hugely important: they help the podcast get discovered by new people. Please spend 5 minutes of your time to leave a review using one of the methods below.How to leave a podcast review using Apple’s Podcast app1. Navigate to Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad.2. Click "Listen on Apple Podcasts"3. Scroll down and click or tap "Write a Review." Enter your iTunes password to login.4. Rate the podcast using 1 to 5 stars.5. Submit a brief honest review.Bonus: get a thank-you noteYour feedback is greatly appreciated. When you leave a review, drop us a line at info@veteranmentalhealth.com and you'll get a message with the warmest appreciation, and a bonus gift!For Android users, Google Podcasts does not allow for ratings or reviews, but you can certainly let us know how you think we're doing on Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadioMany thanks, Duane and Shauna  ★ Support this podcast ★

Summary: Betsey Mercado became involved in Objective Zero after seeing the positive influence that intervention had on veterans in crisis. Betsey has committed herself to making a difference in the lives of Soldiers, veterans, and their families. Her experience working with military spouses and leading multiple Family Readiness Groups supporting active duty units gives her a unique perspective that she brings to the Objective Zero team. She volunteers her time to assist with development of the Objective Zero mobile app, maintain the website, and manage Objective Zero’s administration. Betsey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. In This Particular Episode You Will Learn:  Betsey's background and experience  The origins of the Objective Zero App Becoming an OZ Ambassador Collaboration with other veteran organizations Building a community with the OZ App Links Mentioned in This Episode:The Objective Zero AppWant to keep up with all of the Head Space and Timing content? Subscribe Here You can be sure to find future episodes of Head Space and Timing, and all of the CYPOV Podcast Network Shows, by subscribing through your Podcast player of choice, like iTunes.Using an app makes subscribing and listening to podcasts (both ours and others) so much simpler. Just subscribe to Change Your POV Podcast within your app and it will automatically update every time a new episode is released.Do you want to check out Duane's latest book, Combat Vet Don't Mean Crazy? Check it out by  finding it on Amazon ★ Support this podcast ★

Summary: Betsey Mercado became involved in Objective Zero after seeing the positive influence that intervention had on veterans in crisis. Betsey has committed herself to making a difference in the lives of Soldiers, veterans, and their families. Her experience working with military spouses and leading multiple Family Readiness Groups supporting active duty units gives her a unique perspective that she brings to the Objective Zero team. She volunteers her time to assist with development of the Objective Zero mobile app, maintain the website, and manage Objective Zero’s administration. Betsey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. In This Particular Episode You Will Learn: Betsey's background and experience  The origins of the Objective Zero App Becoming an OZ Ambassador Collaboration with other veteran organizations Building a community with the OZ App Links Mentioned in This Episode: The Objective Zero App Want to keep up with all of the Head Space and Timing content? Subscribe Here You can be sure to find future episodes of Head Space and Timing, and all of the CYPOV Podcast Network Shows, by subscribing through your Podcast player of choice, like iTunes. Using an app makes subscribing and listening to podcasts (both ours and others) so much simpler. Just subscribe to Change Your POV Podcast within your app and it will automatically update every time a new episode is released. Do you want to check out Duane's latest book, Combat Vet Don't Mean Crazy? Check it out by finding it on Amazon