How SAFE Project Is Strengthening What Protects Us

Written By David Closson

Adam spent twenty-six years in the Air Force doing resilience work for other people. About a year into retirement, he was in a depression, scrolling through Facebook, when he found a wellness workshop. He figured, why not.

That workshop is now his job. Adam Swift directs SAFE Veterans at SAFE Project, and he joined me and his colleague Ronna Yablonski to talk about what prevention looks like when it is not a program, not a slogan, and not something we remember once a year.

What this episode is about

Ronna has spent 23 years in this field, including time as executive director of two Drug-Free Communities coalitions. I asked her for one lesson, and she did not give me one. She gave me a direction. Prevention is ongoing. It is every day. As she put it, the work of prevention is not the work of me, it is the work of we. And when we say everybody plays a role, we owe people an honest answer about what that role is.

Adam took that into the veteran community. He described a military that is full of protective factors, built in by design. Routine. Purpose. Connection. Accountability. Belonging. Then the uniform comes off, and relationships, routines, and supports can all change in the same season. Adam did not paint that as a collapse. He called it a chance to strengthen what keeps people well, if someone is paying attention.

"You don't have to be in a crisis to benefit from prevention." Adam Swift

Why it matters

I hear it from people in this field all the time: we do not have veterans in our community. You do. You just have not met them yet. They are in your schools and your workplaces, and so are their families. Most of us were never taught to ask who they are before something goes wrong. Ronna and Adam make a strong case for asking now, and they get specific about who can start, from coalition leaders to coaches to employers.

We also get into what SAFE Project has lined up for Prevention Month, including a youth-led effort that has students teaching the teachers. Ronna and Adam also invite listeners to collaborate with them, and they are clear that the door is open to traditional and non-traditional partners alike.

If you lead a coalition, coach a team, or work with families, I think you will walk away with something to try this week. Start with one question: who is missing from the table you sit at? Listen here: [EPISODE LINK]. Then go find the veterans you already have.

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David Closson
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Culture Is Prevention: What Changes When We Lead With Protective Factors