Sisters-in-Service
Are you a women veteran who feels unseen and unheard? Do you struggle with finding your purpose after service? Sisters-in-Service is a podcast that gives women veterans the platform to talk about those exact issues and more. Hear from other veterans, military spouses and Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) just like you that have overcome their transition from the military. Every Tuesday this podcast encourages women veterans to stand up and be counted because as a group we have a voice. From your host - Cat Corchado - The Voice Connecting Women Veterans
Sisters-in-Service
Jeans' Fight Against MST Will Change How We Protect Service Members
The silence surrounding Military Sexual Trauma has perpetuated a crisis affecting thousands of service members each year. Navy veteran Jean Ibanez Payne breaks that silence with raw courage in this powerful conversation about survival, advocacy, and reclaiming personal worth.
From her first traumatic experience shortly after boot camp to facing over 20 instances of sexual abuse during her service, Jean reveals how the military's response system failed her at every turn. When she reported her first assault, she was treated as the offender while her abuser received minimal consequences. This pattern of institutional betrayal forced her into decades of silent suffering.
"Nobody knew what I had been through, not even my husband," Jean shares, describing how she maintained an outward appearance of success while battling anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation for twenty years. Her breaking point came in December 2022, when she finally decided to take ownership of her recovery through therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes.
Jean's healing journey led her to write "Reclaim Your Worth," a memoir she completed in just one month that serves both as personal therapy and as a beacon for other survivors. More remarkably, she's now championing VA House Bill 2520 in Virginia, which would establish an independent sexual offense prevention program to protect service members from the conflicts of interest that currently plague military investigations.
The statistics are staggering—Brown University found approximately 75,000 cases of military sexual abuse while the Pentagon reported only 29,000. This dramatic underreporting underscores the urgent need for the independent oversight Jean advocates for in every state.
For those currently suffering, Jean offers this powerful truth: "It's never too late to reclaim your worth, but it's important that you do it on your own terms. Unless you take ownership of your journey, you'll never be able to heal." Her story reminds us that while systems may fail, personal resilience and the courage to speak up can create meaningful change.
Hello everyone and welcome to Season 5 of the Sisters in Service podcast. You guys know me I'm Kat Cortado, and I want all of you to understand that this podcast is a passion project born out of my own experiences as an Air Force veteran. I understand firsthand the unique challenges and triumphs that come with serving in the military and the transition to becoming a veteran. I understand firsthand the unique challenges and triumphs that come with serving in the military and the transition to becoming a veteran. You know, this podcast is a tribute to all our people that serve, but not just the service member, our active duty people, our veterans, our military spouses, military brats and, of course, our veteran service organizations. This platform gives us an opportunity to share, learn and grow together, acknowledging our shared experiences and providing support and encouragement to each other. Alongside this, most of you probably already know this, but I'm also doing the why Not Wellness podcast. It's a little snippet 15 minutes or less but this is a space dedicated to helping everyone rediscover their fitness fabulosity. It's a journey towards feeling good in our bodies and embracing wellness, because I believe that our health and wellness are the pillars upon which we build our lives, especially after service. I'm incredibly grateful for the support of our sponsors. The first one is Small Space Pilates, which is an online fitness platform offering live classes in strength training, stretching and, of course, pilates. These classes are designed to be accessible and effective, no matter where you are in your fitness journey. The second sponsor is the MySexyBusiness. They offer guidance and help you to own a business that doesn't own you. So let's get started with our first guest for our new season.
Speaker 1:Welcome everyone to the newest episode of Sisters in Service podcast. I am your host, kat Corchado. Today I'm honored to have a truly inspiring guest with us Jean Ibanez Payne. Jean is not just a Navy veteran, but she's also a military sexual trauma survivor and a beacon of resilience, courage and survival. She has taken her personal experiences and used them to wage a battle against MST. Jean's journey, as detailed in her bestselling memoir Reclaim your Worth A Story of Abuse, empowerment and Building a Life on my Terms, is a testament to her strength and determination. In her memoir, she bravely shares her experiences of overcoming personal sexual trauma, discrimination and systemic barriers in both military and corporate environments.
Speaker 1:In 2025, jean took her advocacy to new heights by championing VA House Bill 2520 in the Virginia legislature. This bill aims to establish an independent sexual offense prevention and response program within the Virginia Department of Military Affairs to protect individuals from sexual abuse. Jean's goal is to see every state in the United States to consider establishing similar legislation here here. I totally agree. But before we go there, hi, jean, hi. Thank you so much for having me today. Well, welcome to the Sisters in Service podcast, and it's a pleasure to have you and to speak about this, because it's still going on, and you know it's been 25 years since I've been out of the military, so I can't believe that this is still happening. It is, and we're going to speak about that today. So, jean, I always ask my veterans and active duty military did you pick the Navy or did the Navy pick you?
Speaker 2:I picked the Navy because I went to the mall and, literally like most stories that you hear, everybody was out to lunch. The only guy that was there with his legs on the desk was the Navy guy, so I ended up going to the Navy.
Speaker 1:Well, I like to tell this story. I almost went in the Navy because I thought the Navy whites were amazing, Like the dress uniform. I was like, oh yes, and I went to the Air Force recruiter and he goes you know, they only wear those on special occasions, right?
Speaker 2:And I was like okay, I always wanted to go into the Air Force, but my ASCAP scores were not high enough because English was my second language, so I ended up going to the Air Force only because it was what I knew.
Speaker 1:I grew up in the Air Force, so I thought, if I'm going to go in, I'm going to go in with what I know, and I'm glad that I did. I was happy doing that. So, jean, let's talk a little bit about the journey that you have been through since your MST. Okay, how long had you been in the military before this happened? Actually, I'm going to backtrack when you first went into the military, when you first went into the Navy and I don't know if you thought this, as a woman I didn't going into the Air Force. Maybe I should have, but did you think you were going to be treated differently because you were a woman or did you think you were on equal footing with the men that were in the Navy?
Speaker 2:I really didn't know what to expect, especially, you know, being born in the US and raised in Columbia, south America. I came back when I was 15 years old. So the culture Latino culture is very much a male dominated environment and I wasn't really sure what to expect. So when I went into the military I went in very much with a naive, innocent mentality. So it was very much an aha moment when I started experiencing the sexual abuse.
Speaker 1:Now, what was your job? And was it male dominated in the job? Were you like the only female that was working among all these men, or was it kind of mixed?
Speaker 2:So I was the recipient of 20 plus instances of unwelcome sexual abuse and encounters which went from you know, abuse, rape, assault, many different things. I was a. I enlisted in the military. English was very much my second language. I went into an environment. My first sexual harassment or assault happened literally right after boot camp and I was not necessarily, I would say, in an environment that was you know well. I would say it was mostly males, but people in positions of authority.
Speaker 1:So you were the low man on the totem pole.
Speaker 2:So to speak, to work in one of the offices with the highest exposure, which was directly supporting the commanding officer and executive officer of the base Wow.
Speaker 1:So what did I mean? What was going through your head the first time Because I'm trying to think that the first time you kind of go maybe, maybe I'm overthinking it, but then it keeps happening. And I mean what was going through your head while this was? You know, you said several. So after a few of these have happening, did you think you have to tell somebody and did you know who to tell?
Speaker 2:You know that's the. That's a that's a great question. I was growing up in the Latino culture. I was sexually abused from the time I was five years old and the recipient of different aspects of sexual abuse. And so when I joined the military and you know that's very much of a taboo when you are growing in this Latino culture is you don't say anything, you don't talk to anybody, and when you do speak up, typically your parents are more like to say don't say anything. That's going to make our family look really bad. So when I joined the military I really wasn't sure what to expect. I went in really for money for college and I did. I did. I was 18 years old, right after boot camp I had not been in my duty station very long at all, I would say a month or so and I did speak up Because the morning that the first sexual harassment or assault happened we had received a sexual harassment training.
Speaker 2:It was literally that morning we had all of us received. So you know, during that training you are told to speak up. You know, make sure that you denounce. So I was very much when it happened that afternoon. It happened around 4.30 in the afternoon. Everybody had left the office and my superiors actually were behind closed doors having a meeting. I was left with this individual and it happened in the next morning. I told my immediate supervisor, who was a female, and it was the biggest mistake that I made was telling my supervisor about it, because I was treated like the offender and the offender got away with it, even after he basically admitted to doing, you know, doing the harassment.
Speaker 2:So after that, I mean I was, when I say ostracized literally people would treat me like, well, you did it for attention. This person didn't do anything. I even confronted my abuser, you know, and I asked him you were lying, you know? And I asked him you're lying, you know, you did this. But I was literally treated like the offender and that was the first of two or three times that I reported. And then I stopped because I was not protected. Instead of being, you know, I was. Instead of being protected, I was ostracized and you know we can get more into some of the things that happened. But I was, I was. I was given alcohol by superiors. I ended up in the hospital with bruises on my legs, inner thighs, and I was giving alcohol by superiors who were twice my age and then, instead of me receiving any type of counseling, when I woke up and returned to base, I was sent to alcohol rehab, and I was Good.
Speaker 1:Lord, are you kidding me? I?
Speaker 2:was, I was, I was. I got in trouble. And the person who gave me the alcohol was Nobody, ever even offered me any type of counseling. They got away with it. So I just you know not feeling protected. I just I stopped. Why continue to lose my reputation and be seen as the, you know, the troublemaker or the SLUT who just gets drunk?
Speaker 1:Yes, and that makes sense. So the training you had was pretty much just lip service. It was we're checking the box, we have to do this per blah blah blah, regulation, whatever. But they don't really follow whatever you know. Whatever that training was, they were like okay, did it, and then they just go do what they want the person. The first time that you were sexually harassed, did they relocate this person, or this person stayed in the office with you.
Speaker 2:They stayed in the office with me. We were left here. It was a very profound experience. I was a young one. The Navy is your administrative assistant, right? You can just imagine the stereotype and the stigma that comes with. Or you just have an assistant, you're a senior recruit, I was a group one and I was left in a work environment with this individual after they admitted that he exposed himself in the office and he went as far as admitting I unzipped my pants that he exposed himself in the office. He went as far as admitting I zip my pants I did and they sent them to do some community hours. I was left in an environment and I was subsequently harassed by two more men in the same office and there was no protection.
Speaker 1:Your resilience and strength is unbelievable, because I can't even imagine, you know, I, I I'm not even sure what I would do, because my husband had asked me. There were several instances that came out, some of them, you know, that were on the national news. And my husband looked at me and he goes were you ever did this everything, anything ever like this, happen to you? And I said no, there was one person and he would. When I was on my computer he liked to look over my shoulder like this, and one day I just looked back at him. I go, do you mind? Liked to look over my shoulder like this. And one day I just looked back and I go, do you mind? And I've said it, just like that. He stood back, you know, and I was like, oh okay, that works. So how long did you serve in the military and did you get out because of everything that you went through?
Speaker 2:I served in the Navy for active and for inactive. I served in the Navy for active and for inactive. Yes, after having officers and enlisted men use their position of authority to have either harassed me or have sexual relations with me yes, I ended up leaving the military and I held all of that as a private battle for 20 plus years.
Speaker 1:You were reporting this to any other women. Even though they may or may not have reported it, did they come up to you and say I know this is happening because it's happened?
Speaker 2:to me, or did you feel like you were in this box by yourself? I felt like I was in a box by myself, but some of those women who were supposed to protect me, I remember one of them saying, well, you're making this up, you just want attention.
Speaker 1:Them saying well, you're making this up, you just want attention. So what were the years that you served? Just to give our audience some frame of reference.
Speaker 2:So I served from active from 92 to 96. And then from 96 to 2000,.
Speaker 1:I served as inactive Enough to mess me up for the rest of my life. That's, I mean, I, I am. I'm so sorry that happened to you, I am it, it, it's. It just should never happen, ever in any circumstance. In the military, I don't care, even out of the military, I don't care. It's taking advantage and for my listeners, if I sound a little pissed off, it's because I am. I don't even know what to say about this. The story just angers me to a point where I'm just like I don't know what to do. I mean, what? What do you do? And I noticed that you have written a book and you've done. You know, you've got legislature, legislation coming up, and I wanted to ask you, ask you, what needs to happen if you could put it into play today. What needs to happen to stop this? Or, and if this does happen, what kind of circumstances happens to the offender that you would like to see?
Speaker 2:The cover-ups, the collusion needs to stop, because it's not just women. Four men and five women are the recipients of some type of sexual abuse every day and nothing has changed. The numbers are underreported by the Pentagon and they like to celebrate the low numbers, but in reality is that they are being underreported by two to four times. Brown University did a study recently, last year it came out where in actuality there were 75,000, but it's not gone, only reported 29. In actuality there were 75,000, but it's not gone, only reported 29. So there needs to be more accountability and there needs to be more protection for the victims so they can report.
Speaker 1:enough fear of retaliation. Oh man, jean, how did you? That's such a heavy load to carry by yourself. How did you help yourself through this time?
Speaker 2:It's funny. It's like I still tear up when you ask me that kind of question.
Speaker 1:It's okay, Take your time.
Speaker 2:It's a day-to-day battle. I suffer 1996 to 2016, with anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation. Nobody knew what I had been through, not even my husband. We had been together almost 30 years and nobody knew the fight that I was fighting. And nobody knew the fight that I was fighting. And one of the things that really happened is and that's why I call my book sorry Reclaim your Worth, because I spent from 1996 to 2016,. I fought the battle right. Everybody saw the successful. I don't know what happened. I fought the battle of genus. I fought the battle privately, but what everybody saw externally is that I was six figures on my corporate world. I had it all together, and I was also the recipient of sexual harassment in the corporate environment and I was betrayed by women. I went to women and say this is happening to me and instead of them protecting me, they made me work under the harasser. So I ended up leaving the corporate world, but what I was dealing with, like I was telling you, and then I developed power of my own. I was still up to this date, but I was outsourcing my work. That meant that, yeah.
Speaker 2:So once I decided to come clean to my family in 2016, what I was going through. I started going to you know, like some therapists and psychologists, but I really didn't take it serious. I continued to suffer in silence and I would not use any of the tools that they were giving me, and so it was very much. I was going through the motions, right, and I was thriving. I mean, if you saw Jim Payne, I was thriving with. You know, I have a small business. A small company he was doing super well. Multimillion dollars, you know I was. I looked like the million, you know like a billion bucks every day and, uh, literally, it wasn't until, uh, december of 2022 when everything just kind of came crashing down.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's usually that one and it's not even. Sometimes it's not even affiliated with it. It's one little thing and it's like the exterior just shatters and then you have to. Then you have to rebuild from there. Did your book help any? And tell us a little bit about your book and why you wrote it and who you wrote it for?
Speaker 2:So so when in 2022, when, basically, I have the aha moment, right, this is the moment where I I tell myself, either I am going to take ownership of my recovery and really take it serious when I go to my psychiatrist, my psychologist, my medicine and everything that kind of does, the day where I say, you know, I'm going to live or I'm going to commit suicide or I'm going to die, and so that was kind of the moment for me, is that I needed to reclaim my worth and I spent the 2023 and 2024 and January of 2025, no 2024, that's when I decided that I was ready to pour my story into a book and I wrote my book in one month 50,000 books 45,000 in one week and the rest of the time.
Speaker 2:And you know, I wrote my book. One was it was therapy for me. But two, I wanted to show men and women who have been sexually assaulted that it is okay to tell your story, that we should never be ashamed of speaking up, in that it is okay for us to look in the mirror every day and meet ourselves where we are. So for me, it was just really important to share my story and tell people that you know what you should never be ashamed to speak up. And it has been like a life-saving experience for me because because people are coming to me, men and women, and saying thank you for writing the story, thank you for sharing Now.
Speaker 1:I can speak up.
Speaker 1:So it sounds like it was very cathartic for you to just it got it out. It kind of cleansed you a little bit. Not saying it was, you know, complete, but it felt like you could get it out on paper and you got it out of your body on paper. I think when we hold things in it ends up eating us from the inside out until we feel like we're just a shell and we're not really worth. You know what people say we're worth For anyone, male or female, active duty military specifically, what kind of advice would you give to them? Because you did what I would have done. I went to go tell somebody and you got shunned. You not shunned, you were betrayed, you were all of those things. How can someone who is active duty military be able to? Who do they go to? Or is it a crapshoot? Do you just hope that somebody's gonna say, oh okay, we'll help you, and then they don't?
Speaker 2:You know, I think it varies by command and I would say speak up, there are a lot more resources.
Speaker 1:These days.
Speaker 2:If you remember Vanessa Gwiland from Texas now they're're more independent office who handle the sexual abuse investigations, but I would also anybody who's listening to me. There's a point where you have to decide when you're ready to reclaim your worth. Have to decide when you're ready to reclaim your worth. For me, it was easy to blame everybody around me of why I was breaking down and why I was so broken, but not until I took ownership of my recovery. That is when healing started. For me, the first thing is really to speak up, but then second is to not be ashamed to ask for help and take ownership.
Speaker 1:I think it's. You know, when you talked about that independent office, I always felt like I've I've had other women talk about, you know, their military sexual trauma, and I kept saying the same thing why isn't there an independent office on each base that is not military affiliated, meaning there aren't military people working in the office, but they're very, they're full fledged and well and renowned and they know about the military. They know. You know, maybe it's a lawyer or somebody, I don't know, but you could go to them and they could keep your story, like keep your identity secret until they do what they need to do. And then I mean, because it just doesn't make sense for you, you know, you to tell somebody and then you get blamed for it, and I think that's so unfair on so many levels. Jean, tell us a little bit about your legislation as the Independent Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Program. How did that start?
Speaker 2:So it really started with Vanessa. There was a similar legislation enacted in Texas and the reason why Dallas legislation is so important and it's important to separate that from the chain of command is because sometimes either the people who are the offenders or people who are in cahoots with a commanding officer, executive officer are the ones who are placed in your place to conduct investigations. So you can just imagine what the outcome of that's going to be right, and then there might be a little bit of an inconvenient truth when there's an independent office. But the idea is to prevent any collusion, right, and have a very transparent and confidential environment to protect the victim. So that's what it is. That is bottom line up front is protecting the victim's interest so the perpetrator can be brought to justice.
Speaker 1:You know, I always one of the things I was told in the military is you know something, you know and I don't think they were talking about this because or maybe they were, I don't know but they said always write things down name, dates, places, what people are wearing, all of this other stuff. Do you think that that's helpful or it's not?
Speaker 2:it was helpful for me because I used it when I was writing my book. Yeah, you know it. It is helpful when the first time that my that my incident happened right after book camp, I was actually told this was even by the family members to talk about betrayal is what did you do to deserve that? Okay, and so, because because when sexual abuse happens, the first thing that the natural thing for a chain of command or somebody who doesn't believe you is to try to discredit the victim.
Speaker 1:It was your fault.
Speaker 2:You know, I was asked as a. When I wrote my book, I actually had a woman asked me she goes, if you kept getting abused and alcohol was part of the equation why did you keep drinking? And I said, well, the people. The people summoning me to the dark alley so they could expose their privacy to me, or the people who were giving me alcohol, who were almost 40 years old and I'm 18. I'm a seaman recruit and they are a pity officer. What do you think I'm going to say? Right, I'm going to submit.
Speaker 1:And so I always think that it is important because we are it's us against the world and proving that we, that it did happen. It always helped to have evidence and to be able to deserve that. And you're like wait what I'm just being me. And then you have this. You know you have, you know you're a petty officer. No, you're what's? He enlisted in the Navy. He was a petty officer.
Speaker 2:Petty officer, and then you have officers.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So and your commanding officer says you need to do this, and you're like, ok, because you're following orders, and it's, it's. It's like this, it's like this huge cluster. It's just like it keeps going around in a circle, in a circle and you keep trying to get out. It's like one of those, those mazes. You know you're in a maze, yeah, and you're in this maze and you can't get out. And I think that's horrible, Jean. What was your? You know I understand why. Okay, but what? How is it that? How did you start to do this? Because a lot of people say, oh well, it's easy to start legislation, you know, and. But some people are like, well, how can I start something to? You know what I mean. Like, how did you go about doing this? Was it after you wrote the book and then you? Then your next step was what? To get this legislation in Virginia.
Speaker 2:I think it was part of the healing process. I have to be ready to take the next step. As I was writing the legislation, then I'm actually still working with my delegates in Virginia. I actually have senators text me and try to discredit me and tell me about how my values, that what I was doing was unnecessary, that there was no issues in the military. So I needed to be mentally ready, and that's what I did, is that I reclaimed my worth.
Speaker 2:I got strong by seeing my therapist, my psychologist. I'm not ashamed to say I have to take medicine every day. You know I have to quit. You know limiting the drinking, watching what I eat, doing yoga, doing Pilates, and so once I it's because it's a nothing, nothing, it's never one thing right. In order to recover, in order to heal, you need all these pieces, and so that's what I did is is that I felt like I was in a good place and now I'm angry. Right now I'm ready and I decided to write my book, decide to tell my story. You know what's fascinating is when you start being very vocal and then you have to be ready to become a liability for those people, the so-called friends right, and be okay with that it was an evolution. It was for me to heal, to get better, to become strong. Now that I was ready, okay, let's go.
Speaker 1:Were these senators that were trying to discredit you? Did they have any military service?
Speaker 2:Yes, male, male officers, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:I can say that, girl, you're on fire and I hope that, whatever this is and you said that you hope to see it in every state I hope that happens, because if not now, then when? And if you need backup, girl, I got you. I got you, I'll be back there.
Speaker 2:Thank you. You know, because you know.
Speaker 1:I consider you to be. I was my husband. I love dogs and we love bulldogs in particular. And whenever someone says something to my husband who's like six, four, he's's like 250, you know he's a big guy and my husband will say oh, you know, such and such said this. I'm like where is she, where is he? He's like I got you.
Speaker 1:I said there's nothing like being a bulldog and having a bulldog who has your back. Girl, you got a bulldog who's got your back, because I'm at a point in my life. I don't care, I'm going to speak up and say what I need to say. And I think it's important for women to hear that, because I was one of those quiet little mouse women Women are supposed to be seen and not heard. And I learned how to speak up because I was a single parent in the military and I spoke up for my son when my son was mistreated. You know, in any way, shape or form, I spoke up and I thought why can't I speak up for myself? And I started doing that. And you're right, you're going to lose friends. You might even lose family members because of it. But you know what it's worth the journey, because they're going to lose friends. You might even lose family members because of it, but you know what it's worth the journey, because they're going to want to come back and you're going to be like, nope, we're done, we're done.
Speaker 2:You know I talk about in my book. I talk about it's important for me to know my protectors, cheerleaders and acquaintances. And I love you know I like, I love Delta.
Speaker 1:And then I will say the way how I treat my circle is you have first class, you got comfort, you got a name and you know and don't forget the baggage in the trunk of the, so you may have the protectors, the cheerleaders, and don't forget the baggage in the trunk of the exactly, so you may have the protectors, the cheerleaders and acquaintances.
Speaker 2:It's okay, you know, and you have to really realize who are those.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes, absolutely, and you know that's for any woman or any man listening. You have to know who's in your circle, you have to know who has your back, and sometimes, being in the military, I didn't have a whole lot of close friends, so I had to be my own best advocate, my own supporter, my own cheerleader, which is OK, because I am one strong woman because of it and so I can see strong woman because of it, and so I can see that in you, Jean. You know just everything you've been through. I'm a huge fan. I didn't know who you were at first, but now that I've heard you speak, I'm a huge fan of yours and I hope this happens in Virginia and I hope it happens all over the United States because it needs to be done. And if you need signatures you need anything, you let me know. And I hope it happens all over the United States because it needs to be done. And if you need signatures you need anything you let me know.
Speaker 2:Jean, any last words for anyone listening. It's never too late to reclaim your worth, but it's important that you do it on your own terms and unless you take ownership of your journey, you'll never be able to heal.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's a mic drop right there. Jean, I want to thank you for coming on today. This was such a horrific story, but such a story of resilience on your part of you. Know you're here to speak about this, which proves just how strong you are as a person for you to go through what you went through and to still be here today and talk about that, and I want to thank you for being on the Sisters in Service podcast and for anyone listening. If you are going through something you know, I hope that you would be able to contact someone and wait a minute before I go there. Jean, how can we find your book? Where's your book?
Speaker 2:So I you can go to amazoncom or reclaimyourworthnowcom. I have an English version, I have a Spanish version and I also released a children's book which is called Jean and the Magnificent Mirror, and I have another book coming out here at the end of 2025, which is called Intentionally Worthy. And what I have done is there's the adult version of Reclaim your Worth, there's the children's version, children's version and the one for young adults. So you can go to Amazoncom or you can go to reclaimyourworthnowcom.
Speaker 1:Jean, if someone's going through something and they feel as though they have no one else to speak to or they're just looking for some advice, you know, can you tell people, you know, kind of explain, you know, especially if they're a veteran? Sometimes you know you can go to the VA and well, you know, we're going to, we're going to leave that right there, but they're having problems coping with what happened to them. You know, what can they do? Is the VA an option? Or should they not? Should they? But is it possible for them to look at everything that's available to them and then picking out one of those that maybe they can handle in such a way and take their time with it?
Speaker 2:I dedicated a chapter to the VA in my book because, as you can imagine, that is how broken the system is. But I have been surprised that, once you're able to get into the system, I have been very blessed with the services that I received. I have been assigned a psychiatrist, a psychologist. I always say you know, there is shelters and abuse, nonprofits that are a great support. But I also said you know what? Finding those cheerleaders and protectors who you can go to, who I know that I can call Kat? I said, kat, I'm having a bad day today. Can I talk to you? It's just creating, creating this circle of support.
Speaker 1:A safe place.
Speaker 2:A safe place. That is what's going to help you here.
Speaker 1:I feel like I could keep talking about this, but I know that you've got it Like we're having yes, we're having a three hour podcast today.
Speaker 2:No, we're really not.
Speaker 1:Jade. Thank you so much for being on the Sisters in Service podcast and for anyone listening. You know, if you are going through something, start at the VA, don't give up. Find who your circle of people are who have your back and support you, and knowing that they're there for you. I know that it's probably hard to step out of that circle of I'm tired of I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired, and so if you're feeling that way, then you know we I can't, jean, can, I can't, but could probably walk you through. You know, going through the VA, what other options are available to you, and you always have people that to talk to, and if you don't, there are lots of nonprofits out there that help in this realm. So, jean, thank you very much for being here today and for everyone. Please stay safe, take care of each other until next time and please remember it's never too late to start your impossible. Thank you.