For Immediate Release

December 17, 2010
Contact: Bev Carlson
Director of Public Relations
Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska
bcarlson@LFSneb.org or (402) 978.5646, cell (402) 639.0957

2nd Annual At Ease USA Fundraising and Awareness Luncheon featuring Medal of Honor Recipient Senator Bob Kerrey

Monday, January 31, 11:00 a.m.
News Conference with Bob Kerrey
Qwest Center Media Room 213

11:45 a.m.
Luncheon/Keynote Address
Qwest Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St.
Cost $50 – registration online at www.LFSneb.org or call (402) 689.7750

Luncheon with Bob Kerrey benefits Lutheran Family Services’ At Ease - Trauma treatment and therapeutic support for active military, veterans and their loved ones

Former U.S. Senator and Medal of Honor Recipient Bob Kerrey will be in Omaha to serve as keynote speaker for the Lutheran Family Services At Ease^® fundraising and awareness event at Qwest Center Omaha Monday, January 31.

Senator Kerrey, who served two terms in the U.S. Senate, is currently the President of the New School in New York City. He is a former Nebraska Governor and a 1992 candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.  Kerrey served in the United States Navy as a SEAL from 1966 to 1969 during the Vietnam War. He lost the lower part of one leg in combat and received the Medal of Honor.

At Ease^® is a trauma treatment and therapeutic support program that serves active military, veterans and their loved ones affected by untreated trauma reactions and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The program complements existing services offered by military and veterans’ organizations, with a focus on eliminating barriers to treatment for those suffering from the effects of deployment and the uncertainty of war.

At Ease USA is the fundraising organization founded and led by Omaha’s Scott Anderson. At Ease USA is the primary sponsor and fundraising support for LFS’ At Ease^® program.

In its first year of operation, LFS’ At Ease^® program served 53 service personnel and their families, 83 percent of whom reported a reduction in symptoms during and after treatment. Service personnel and family members who have benefited from the program recently shared their stories in an Omaha World-Herald report by Matthew Hansen. Link to article here.

The At Ease^® program provides confidential, individualized counseling and treatment using a combination of individual and group approaches, including specialized therapies, families/couples and peer-to-peer mutual support groups.

Services are coordinated out of the Lutheran Family Services’ Bellevue office, but veterans and their loved ones may also be served at LFS locations in Blair, Fremont, Plattsmouth, Papillion and four Omaha-area locations. Additionally, Telehealth sessions may be used to accommodate veterans and/or their loved ones living in Greater Nebraska. 

All active military, veterans and their loved ones are accepted into the At Ease program regardless of ability to pay. LFS Behavioral Health services are made available through insurance payments, sliding scale fees and contributions.   

Debra Jones (MSW, LCSW, LIMHP) serves as the At Ease^® program coordinator and can be reached at (402) 292-9105 or AtEase@LFSneb.org.