My Red Cross Volunteer Story: Charlie Brown

Helping Families Reconnect After Deployment: Charlie’s Story as a Red Cross Reconnections Workshop Facilitator and Instructor

Written by: Rosalind SE Carney, volunteer

Charlie Brown (center in picture), a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, is part of the Reconnections Workshop team of volunteers with the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region. Walmart sponsored the development and initial operation of the Workshops, which aid in the successful reintegration of service members to civilian life after deployment. The five adult Workshops are: “Communicating Clearly’, “Exploring Stress and Trauma, “Identifying Depression, “Relating to Children” and “Working Through Anger”. The two children/teen Workshops are: “Roger That! Communication Counts” and “Operation 10-4: Confident Coping.” These workshops run 90-120 minutes for adults and approximately 60-90 minutes for children and teens.

Charlie has 22 years of experience in the military as a Transportation Officer for the United States Air Force. This post included providing transportation and logistics support to the Red Cross during worldwide disaster relief efforts. So when Charlie retired from the military, she felt it was a natural move to volunteer with the Red Cross. She was initially interested in disaster relief efforts, but when the Service to the Armed Forces contacted her she realized this would become her passion. With degrees in psychology, education and extensive expertise in counseling, the Red Cross Reconnections program was a perfect fit.

Charlie’s Workshops focus on providing communication and coping skills to children of service members transitioning back into civilian life. The children learn how to reconnect with their parent and adjust to new family dynamics. In some cases, children need to learn how to cope when their parent returns from deployment with a life-changing injury, paralysis or an amputated limb. Other children face the overwhelming grief of learning their parent has sacrificed his or her life during active duty.

The Workshops are crucial as they provide a unique, supportive and confidential environment. Being around other children dealing with similar challenges helps participants normalize their own experiences and find their voice.

Charlie describes how children are taught visualization skills to help them create a “safe space,” a place of mindfulness that helps them ground negative emotions. Another exercise gives children a “pause button” that helps them control their emotions and realize that words can be powerful and damaging. These exercises are so effective that Charlie is often approached by parents who ask, “How do I get a pause button?”

Charlie gets the most satisfaction from knowing she is helping these children develop skills to make them more resilient. Her vast experience in the mental health field enables her to keep the focus on the Workshops as community skill-building environments, avoiding a therapy-based or institutionalized feel. In her capacity as a Facilitator, Charlie also trains new Instructors how to run Workshops.

The Red Cross Reconnections Workshops are free thanks to the support of the Department of Defense. The Red Cross is also partnering with the USO to reach out to the military and their family members with a program called Warrior Reset. Anyone impacted by a military deployment is eligible, including all branches of the Armed Forces, which includes Reserve, National Guard, active duty service members, veterans and their families.

Learn more about Red Cross Reconnection workshops.