Intimate Partner Violence in the Military and Veteran Community

Stacey Owens is the Military and Veterans Affairs Liaison for SAMHSA. She is honored to have the opportunity to facilitate collaborative efforts to improve the mental health of our nation’s SMVF. She has 20 years of experience in various healthcare and social service settings; prior to joining SAMHSA she served the SMVF population for 13 years as a clinical social worker at VA and the Department of Defense. Ms. Owens also works as a PRN mental health clinician conducting suicide risk assessments with people who are incarcerated. She earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Texas and a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Prairie View A&M University. She comes from a proud military family. Her father is an Army retiree, both of her grandfathers were combat Veterans, and her niece is currently serving in the US Army.

Kyleanne M. Hunter, Ph.D., M.A. | Political Scientist, RAND

Dr. Kyleanne Hunter is a Senior Political Scientist at RAND and a Professor of Policy Analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. She came to RAND from the United States Air Force Academy where she was director of the Strategy and Warfare Center, associate director of the Institute for Future Conflict, and a professor of military and strategic studies. She was the cochair of the Culture and Climate Line of Effort for the Independent Review Commission on Military Sexual Assault and chair of the Employment and Integration Subcommittee for the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. Her other previous positions have included vice president of Programs at Brady: United Against Gun Violence and researcher in residence at the Kroc School of Peace and Justice at University of San Diego. She is a Marine Corps combat Veteran with several deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as an AH-1W Super Cobra attack pilot and worked in the Office of Legislative Affairs. Her research interests include military gender integration, suicide prevention, sexual assault and harassment prevention, gun violence prevention, and the impact of emerging technologies on military personnel policies. She has published extensively on the above topics in both peer reviewed journals and the popular press. She holds a Ph.D. in political science and international relations from the University of Denver.

Tovah Kasdin, J.D. | Public Health Advisor, Center for Mental Health Services/Office of Policy Coordination and Innovation, SAMHSA

Tovah Kasdin, J.D, (she/her), is a Public Health Advisor at SAMHSA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where she leads the gender-based violence and human trafficking portfolios. Prior to working at SAMHSA, she led the violence against women and elder rights portfolios at the Administration for Community Living, HHS. During her career in violence prevention as a domestic violence prosecutor, nonprofit leader and consultant, Ms. Kasdin has created innovative programs and improved systems to prevent abuse and advance the rights of survivors across the life course. Ms. Kasdin directed the ElderSAFE Center in Rockville, Maryland, (2014-2022), where she created an award-winning trauma-informed shelter and elder abuse prevention center for older adults and adults with disabilities experiencing abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. She consulted with the World Bank Group’s Domestic Abuse Prevention Program (2009-2023) on best practices in serving diverse survivors around the world and connecting them to survivor-centered resources.

Ms. Kasdin received her J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law and her B.A. with honors in English literature, women’s studies, and American studies from Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut.

Dr. LeAnn Bruce serves as the National Program Manager for the IPVAP under the National Care Management and Social Work Office, VA. For over 25 years, Dr. Bruce has been involved in the prevention and intervention of domestic violence and IPV across a variety of settings throughout her social work career serving active-duty military, Veterans, and their families. Dr. Bruce has served on several national committees and organizations dedicated to social work and ending violence. She has also served as a Special Assistant to the Caregiver Support Program, supporting growth to prepare for program growth to meet the mandates outlined in the MISSION Act. She is also an adjunct professor at Western Kentucky University School of Social Work. Dr. Bruce received her Ph.D. in social work in December 2016 upon completion of her dissertation, entitled Assessing Moral Injury and Existential Well-Being in Returning Service Members. She is also the author of a book series for children, Miss Kindheart’s Class, that teaches children about compassion and overcoming challenges.