An upcoming educational series will focus on peer counseling and helping veterans and their family and friends understand mental health.

Frank Sindelar with Mosaic Life Care said Mosaic is involved with the three-part series of seminars and workshops because they have a desire to get out into the community.

“Veteran’s Day is right around the corner and there’ll be a lot of attention for a short period of time on the sacrifices that veterans and their families have made,” Sindelar said. “So we thought this would be a perfect time to see if this workshop concept could gain some traction going forward. We would like it to continue as an ongoing educational series but there’s no sign in, there’s no obligation, you can come and go as you please, we just want to try to be there to help, to listen and to provide good factual information or resources.”

Michael Focke is with the VA and works with an organization providing readjustment counseling. He said the seminars and question and answer sessions are offered as a safe and relaxed atmosphere to help with understanding the complexity of PTSD and more. Focke said these sessions are not just for veterans.

“This is for the families and the friends,” Focke said. “If we can reach them, they can reach the veterans, because maybe that veteran doesn’t want to come out of reclusion, maybe they’re stuck in their house because of overwhelming Post Traumatic Stress issues. But they have a next door neighbor that notices this and you want the information so you can know how to help, because that’s what it’s all about, doing something for someone else.”

Speakers at the three sessions include St. Joseph School District Trauma Counselor Jean West, Major Marty Clary and Colonel Scott Jensen.

The sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on November 10th and 17th and December 1st in the Community Room at the Rolling Hills Public Library, 1904 North Belt Highway.

For more information, contact Frank Sindelar at (816) 752-2624.