Greg Jensen
He’s using his skills to help Iowa soldiers and their families
Greg Jensen’s skills as a mental health professional reach a whole new community thanks to his son joining the Army.
This is because Jensen, director of Social Services at University Hospitals, decided to become involved with the Enduring Families Workshop, a program that works with Iowa National Guard soldiers and their families after deployment overseas and the three-month respite period once they return home.
“I wanted a volunteer experience that would help me stay connected with him,” he said. “I have a sense of his experience by doing this type of work.”
The daylong program is mandatory for soldiers, providing them time in the morning to talk openly with other soldiers. Spouses and significant others have their own peer groups, as do parents. Each group has one mental health professional and one lay person who facilitate the discussion, Jensen said.
Because the soldiers usually are deployed at least a year — meaning that they are gone from home for close to a year and a half because of training — re-entry into civilian life can sometimes be difficult, Jensen said. Common are feelings of anger for being gone and missing important milestones in their children’s lives, but it’s important for the soldiers and their families to know the warning signs of those feelings turning into rage and physical anger.
In the afternoon, there are educational breakout sessions, including couples’ focus groups, parenting focus groups, stress management sessions and single soldier focus groups.
“I’ve learned a lot about the soldiers — about their experiences, about how strongly they feel about relationships they’ve developed while overseas,” considering the soldiers in their unit like brothers, Jensen said.
— Rachel Gallegos
