One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
SoCal veterans therapy advocate Judith Broder to receive White House recognition
Judith Broder
(
EncoreCareers/Flickr Creative Commons
)
The White House announced Monday that a Southern California psychiatrist has been chosen to receive the Presidential Citizens Medal.
Walking on a beach seven years ago, clinical psychiatrist Judith Broder came across temporary white crosses honoring soldiers who’d died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The impact was powerful, she says. It led her to realize that a soldier’s psychological wounds, often left untreated, are no less serious than losing an eye or a leg.
Broder created The Soldiers Project to help them return to civilian live, and ease the suffering caused by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, drug abuse, and domestic violence.
The program’s made up of a network of 700 mental health professionals across the country who’ve provided nearly 10,000 hours of free mental health care to soldiers, veterans and their families. For these efforts, founder Judith Broder will be one of 13 people to receive a Presidential Citizens Medal on Thursday at the White House.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
