Home Base Nation

Actor, Author, Advocate & U.S. Army Veteran JR Martinez | #MentalHealthAction Day

Episode Summary

This is the second of two episodes this week in honor Mental Health Action Day which this year falls on Thursday, May 19th. Dr. Ron Hirschberg talks with U.S. Army Veteran, burn survivor, actor, motivational speaker, The New York Times best-selling author of the book "Full of Heart: My Story of Survival, Strength, and Spirit", and Dancing with the Stars Season 13 winner. Ron and JR talk about service, survival - or rebirth as JR describes it - overcoming trauma and resilience, the importance of connecting with the world and with others, and much more.

Episode Notes

This is the second of two episodes this week in honor Mental Health Action Day which this year fell on Thursday, May 19th. Dr. Ron Hirschberg talks with U.S. Army Veteran, burn survivor, actor, motivational speaker, The New York Times best-selling author of the book Full of Heart: My Story of Survival, Strength, and Spirit, and Dancing with the Stars Season 13 winner. Ron and JR talk about service, survival - or rebirth as JR describes it - overcoming trauma and resilience, the importance of connecting with the world and with others, and so much more. 

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May is mental health awareness month. The second annual Mental Health Action Day was Thursday May 19, 2022. Setting the theme of “connection,” MTV and about 1,700 companies and organizations will drive calls to action to address the surge of loneliness and isolation felt by millions because of the pandemic. Mental Health Action Day is an open-source movement to drive culture from mental health awareness to mental health action. The 1,700 partners will encourage people to take their first steps towards mental health action. Free resources and tools, such as an employer toolkit and platforms for hosting and organizing events, are available for organizations and groups to help support their audiences through a myriad of ways – from starting a meditation practice to learning how to support a friend to advocating for change. For more information on how you can participate, please visit MentalHealthActionDay.org.

On Thursday, May 19 at 4:00m ET,  Home Base, Paramount Veterans Network, Movember, GI GoFund, FourBlock, Veterans In Media & Entertainment, Empire Vets, Student Veterans of America, Operation Homefront, Wounded Warrior Project, and JobPath came together to create an amazing panel on “Making Connections for Mental Health & Wellness”. The session was moderated by CBS New York’s very own, John Elliott joined by an esteem panel of mental wellness experts including veterans. Opening remarks were  given by Stephen Hill of CBS’ Magnum P.I. You can watch the event here. For more information you can visit Paramount Veterans Network at www.paramountvetnet.com.

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If you are your loved one is experiencing any emotional, mental health struggles, you are not alone and please contact Home Base at (617) 724-5202, or visit www.homebase.org  

**REMEMBER FOLKS THE ANNUAL RUN TO HOME BASE IS 7-30-22 THIS YEAR! ALL FUNDRAISING GOES DIRECTLY TO THE CARE OF OUR VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES, SO SIGN UP HERE: www.runtohomebase.org

Theme music for Home Base Nation: "Rolling the tree" by The Butler Frogs

Additional music credits include "Cadillac" by Ron Hirschberg. 

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The Home Base Nation Team is Steve Monaco, Maureen Roderick, Laurie Gallagher, Karianne Kraus, Lucy Little, Taylor Orlando, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth

Producer and Host: Dr. Ron Hirschberg
Producer, Sound, Editor: Lucy Little
Chairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter Smyth

Home Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation. To learn more and connect with us at Home Base Nation: www.homebase.org/homebasenation. To Donate to Home Base where every dollar goes to the care of veterans and military families that is cost to them, go to: www.homebase.org/donate.

The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.