Lisa’s father entered the Marine Corps at age 17 to serve in the Vietnam War.  He sustained a head injury which resulted in a traumatic brain injury.  Through rehabilitation, he learned to walk and talk again.  He suffered from PTSD, experiencing depression, flashbacks, anxiety, nightmares, and headaches.  Socially, he withdrew from friends and family.  He went on, as so many veterans do, to marry and have 4 children.  Lisa is the youngest of his 4 children.  She describes “walking around on egg-shells” as children, fearing their father and experiencing behaviors that they couldn’t fully understand as children.  She grew up under the full effects of PTSD, with a father who struggled greatly.  She describes how her family struggled to find resources to support her father in his journey living with PTSD. 

 

In 2010, unfortunately Lisa lost her father at the young age of 64 due to direct impacts from the TBI and PTSD.  Lisa describes that while the loss of her father weighs heavily on her soul, she finds comfort in knowing that she will be able to help others the way she wishes help was given to her family.  She has been determined to make a difference in the lives of veterans and those struggling, like her father did for so long.   

 

Lisa began her accomplished professional career over 20 years ago by enlisting in the Air Force, where she served as a paralegal, followed by serving as a property manager.  She has recently shifted her career focus to serving those in need.  She has provided case management services to homeless individuals transitioning into the workforce, has provided 1-on-1 assistance to children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders in the school setting, and is currently serving as a Substance Abuse Counselor where she counsels and supports individuals with opiod addiction.

 

While working full-time, she also is a student at West Chester University pursuing a Master’s of Social Work.   She is in the home stretch and expects to graduate in May 2020.   She is determined to promote and provide services to veterans in need of substance use treatment options.  As a veteran herself, she says she understands how vulnerable and remarkably underserved veterans are as a population. 

 

Further, on top of her job and coursework, she is a single mother to 2 incredible boys. She is very active and engaged in her community of Coatesville.  To say that Lisa has a strong work ethic is an understatement. 

 

Lisa describes community as “a familiar and comfortable place, not always a physical place, but rather, a place of being.  In a community, you are among “family” and you feel secure and safe.  Each person who makes up the community contributes in their own way.  Everyone works together to build the community and make it a stronger unit.”