International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Webinar | Invisible Wounds: Addressing Veterans’ Mental Health Challenges by Centering Their Experiences and Perspectives, 28 October 2026

The three talks in this webinar reflect the brave steps veterans have taken to address their invisible wounds and show up for one another, speaking out about trauma, injustice, and what they and their communities need to heal.

First, we will hear from Dr. Cindy Chang and Ms. Amy Hoang, who will present their paper “‘Do I Even Belong Here?’: Treatment Needs, Preferences, and Experiences of LGBTQ+ Veterans with a History of Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors”. Dr. Chang is a research psychologist at VA San Diego Healthcare System and assistant adjunct professor at the University of California, San Diego. Ms. Hoang is a research assistant at the San Diego VA who has been instrumental in supporting the work in the paper to be presented.

Next, Dr. Kim DeFiori will present her paper “Navigating Uncertainty in Care: Suicide Risk and Protection in LGBTQ+ Military and Veteran Healthcare”. Dr. DeFiori is a retired Army officer and postdoctoral fellow at the UNC Charlotte Violence Prevention Center.

Finally, Dr. Louisa Kane will present her paper “Finding Your People for the Journey: Women Veterans’ Reflections on the Role of Relationships in Substance Use Recovery”. Dr. Kane recently completed her internship in clinical psychology at the VA Puget Sound, and she is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Center on Alcohol, Substance use, And Addictions (CASAA) in New Mexico.

Date: 28 October 2026 at 6:00 p.m. CET | 1:00 p.m. EDT
Webinar ID: 822 6388 0600

Program:

Speaker/Presentation	Time in CET	Time in EDT
Dr. Tracy Simpson Chair Introduction	6:00–6:10 p.m.	1:00–1:10 p.m.
Dr. Cindy Chang and Ms. Amy B. Hoang “Do I Even Belong Here?”: Treatment Needs, Preferences, and Experiences of LGBTQ+ Veterans with a History of Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors	6:10–6:30 p.m.	1:10–1:30 p.m.
Dr. Kim DeFiori Navigating Uncertainty in Care: Suicide Risk and Protection in LGBTQ+ Military and Veteran Healthcare	6:30–6:50 p.m.	1:30–1:50 p.m.
Dr. Louisa Kane Finding Your People for the Journey: Women Veterans’ Reflections on the Role of Relationships in Substance Use Recovery	6:50–7:10 p.m.	1:50–2:10 p.m.
Q&A Session	7:10–7:25 p.m.	2:10–2:25 p.m.
Dr. Tracy Simpson Closing of Webinar	7:25–7:30 p.m.	2:25–2:30 p.m.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway and we’ll let you know when the recording is available to watch.

Webinar Chairs and Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Tracy Simpson, University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; VA Puget Sound, Seattle, United States;
Dr. Nicholas Livingston, Boston VA Medical Center; Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, United States;
Dr. Cindy Chang, VA San Diego Healthcare System; University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States;
Ms. Amy B. Hoang, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, United States;
Dr. Kim DeFiori, University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, United States;
Dr. Louisa Kane, Center on Alcohol, Substance Use, and Addictions at University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, United States.

Relevant Special Issue/Topics:
“Invisible Wounds: Addressing Veterans’ Mental Health Challenges by Centering Their Experiences and Perspectives”
Guest Editors: Dr. Tracy L. Simpson, Dr. Nicholas Livingston and Dr. Ashley C. Mog
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027

For more information about this webinar, please visit the following website: https://sciforum.net/event/IJERPH-16.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact journal.webinar@mdpi.com.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Journal Webinar Secretariat