As we open Season 3 of Brainstorms, we kick off the new year with a powerful January conversation featuring retired Navy Chief Joe Pisano, returning for his third annual appearance to reflect on the lessons of 2025 and cast a bold vision for 2026.

This episode centers on unity, service, and action as the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the United States. Chief Pisano and Dr. Gordon explore what it truly means to honor our veterans—not just with words, but with systems that work.

In this episode, we discuss: Why 2026 is a pivotal year for veterans, families, and communities Reframing “veterans” as Guardians—those who stood between our freedoms and harm The upcoming book Guarding Our Guardians, focused on healthcare, education, and employment reform Chief Pisano’s powerful art installation “The Guardian: Wings of Sacrifice”, featuring 2,500 dog tags and a battlefield cross The growing VISTA (Veterans Standing Together Across America) initiative and its role in suicide prevention How art, community ceremonies, and civic leadership can help heal the invisible wounds of service What it will take in 2026 to move from awareness to real, measurable action

This episode is both a reflection and a call to action—reminding us that honoring those who served means building a future where no Guardian feels forgotten, burdensome, or alone.

🧠 If you or someone you love is navigating traumatic brain injury, military transition, or mental health challenges, this conversation offers insight, hope, and direction. 📍 Learn more about VISTA: VeteransStandingTogetherAcrossAmerica.org 📍 Learn more about Resurrecting Lives Foundation: ResurrectingLives.org If you’re thinking about harming yourself or someone you love needs help, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 👉 Please like, subscribe, and share to help grow this movement. We’ve got a lot to fix in ’26—and it starts together.

In this end-of-year episode of Brainstorms, Dr. Justin Baker — clinical psychologist, Navy veteran, and Director of STRIVE (the Suicide and Trauma Reduction Initiative) — joins us for a powerful and genuinely hopeful conversation to close out 2025.

Building on November’s discussion about de-escalating stressful holiday moments, Dr. Baker dives into what happens after things get hard. He breaks down how to recognize real crisis signals, how to support the people we love when they're struggling, and why his team’s groundbreaking Crisis Response Plan (CRP) is changing national standards for suicide prevention — not just in clinics, but in communities, families, and across the military. We talk about grief, expectations, holiday overwhelm, the weight veterans carry, and the simple but game-changing idea that listening can be life-saving. Dr. Baker also shares the origins of caring-contact research, his work with active-duty service members, and how STRIVE is using evidence-based treatment to reduce suicide attempts by more than 70%.

This episode is equal parts grounding, educational, and inspiring — the perfect send-off as we move from “Strive to be Alive in ’25” into what we can fix, learn, and heal in 2026.

If you or someone you love is struggling this season, you are not alone — and this conversation is full of tools, hope, and forward motion.

In this special Brainstorms episode, host Dr. Chrisanne Gordon welcomes Dr. Lauren Khazem, Research Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Together they explore how suicide prevention and trauma recovery intersect for veterans and people with disabilities, particularly those living with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Dr. Khazem shares how her work with OSU’s STRIVE (Suicide and Trauma Reduction Initiative) is helping veterans across the nation through evidence-based therapy, telehealth access, and compassionate, practical support. The conversation offers timely insight as the holidays approach—covering topics like grief, belonging, and how families can create safe, inclusive environments for loved ones struggling with invisible wounds.

Learn more: https://medicine.osu.edu/departments/psychiatry-and-behavioral-health/strive