Podcast: Mental Health of Our Military Children

After years of working with military children, military spouse, mom and nonprofit leader Kelcey Liverpool has identified many of the social and emotional struggles that come with military life. She shares what they are and how she works with military children to get help — and what’s at stake if we let stigma get in the way of seeking help for their mental health.

“I think that we really have to be mindful of where our military children are now and really be talking about — not just with our civilian friends and providers and community — but also our military and DoD around how we’re talking and thinking about mental health as it relates to the kids now because they really are our future.”

photo of man in military uniform — Mental health impacts both service members and their families.

Guest: Kelcey Liverpool, co-founder and executive director of Kids Rank

Mental Health & Medical Waivers

Kelcey’s own daughter wanted to join the Coast Guard, but was flagged for having seen a counselor during college.

“She did what she was supposed to do [by getting mental health help]. Fast forward two years, as she’s applying to go into the Coast Guard. She got flagged and almost did not get into the Coast Guard,” Kelcey said during the podcast. “You have now this whole new generation of young people (according to statistic statistics, more than 50% of our current currently serving are children of veterans) so you have these young people now that are, you know, more aware of mental health, more aware going counselor seeking out help…you can have a large portion of our potential future military members that could be disqualified, based on [getting] the help that they should be getting.”

Bio: Kelcey Liverpool is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Partners in PROMISE Resource Partner, Kids Rank, founded in 2012 as a nonprofit organization designed specifically to support the social and emotional well-being of military and veteran children. As a Navy spouse for 17 years, moving with her family a total of 9 times and volunteering in several roles at various military installation agencies, she understands first-hand the challenges that are faced by children and families of service members. Inspired by her own children’s resilience through many moves, separations and constant transitions Ms. Liverpool felt it was important to focus on the whole child recognizing both their strengths and challenges.

Episode 4 Resource Links

DoD Suicide rate report
Focusing on Children Under Stress (FOCUS) program
Mental Health resources for kids can be found via Military OneSource
Military Crisis Line/Veterans Crisis Line for confidential support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, text to 838255 or chat online at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.
I Love Lucy – chocolate factory episode (totally unrelated, but funny)
DoD Instruction (DoDI6130.03 Volume 1) that “flags” mental and physical health conditions during the military enlistment process.

Disruptive Storytelling with Military Changemakers is a bi-weekly podcast presented by Partners in PROMISE, a nonprofit dedicated to Protecting the Rights Of Military children In Special Education (P.R.O.M.I.S.E.). This season of the podcast is sponsored by the Modern Military Association of America with music by Stephen McDonough.