The Power of Partnership: Real Warriors Campaign Partners to Promote Psychological Health

July 16, 2009

The Real Warriors Campaign Partnership Program allows organizations and programs to demonstrate support of the campaign mission and provides a forum for collaboration toward shared goals.

Since the kick off of the Real Warriors Campaign, our partners and affi liates have played an integral role in our ability to reach the widest audience possible. For example, the Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2), posted a blog by Brig. Gen. Sutton about the campaign (https://www.aw2.army.mil/_blog/ post/2009/05/21/Join-Us-in-The-Real- Warriors-Campaign!.aspx).

Our partners and affi liates continue to distribute campaign materials at events, include the profi les in their training sessions, mention the campaign and its highlights in their newsletters, blog on their Web sites about it, and distribute campaign materials locally to help others fi nd the necessary resources to getting care.

Partners and affi liates were also asked to support the campaign through a variety of more targeted activities, including:

Establishing a link to the Real Warriors Campaign Web site on the partner Web site.
Publishing a news brief or article about the campaign launch, using DCoE press releases and ready-topublish copy.
Distributing the Real Warriors Campaign announcement in an e-blast, e-newsletter and/or blog to employees, members and stakeholders — and encouraging them to forward the news.
Displaying Real Warriors posters and distributing hard copy and Web versions of campaign materials to offi ces and clinics and through seminars and other events.

In return, the Real Warriors Campaign has provided materials and information to help partners and affi liates with quick, easy and inexpensive outreach, such as:

Logo, link and organization featured in the “Partner Spotlight” on the Real Warriors Campaign Web site Partner page.
A partnership toolkit that includes campaign information, partnership information, an offi cial partnership recognition certifi cate and collateral materials such as fact sheets and brochures.
Collateral materials for distribution to their members/potential participants and ready-to-print copy about campaign issues for newsletter/publication content.
Quarterly e-newsletter featuring partner highlights and campaign updates.
Invitation to participate in DCoE monthly video teleconferences, focused on timely psychological health issues within the military.
The opportunity to participate in the annual Real Warriors Partner Roundtable, a collaborative forum to discuss future partnership initiatives that will unite leaders of partner organizations and DCoE leadership.

Additionally, the Real Warriors Network offers an interactive opportunity for those interested in staying apprised of the campaign’s initiatives. Those who join the network will receive regular updates on campaign activities and will be given the opportunity to provide feedback on campaign materials. There are currently 188 campaign network participants. To become a part of the Real Warriors Network, please visit http://www.realwarriors.net/listserv.

The 24 partner and affiliate organizations confi rmed to date include military and other federal organizations and programs, nonprofit organizations, advocacy organizations and local groups. To learn more about our existing partners, or to find out how to become a Real Warriors Partner, visit www.RealWarriors.net/Partners or e-mail realwarriors.partners@tma.osd.mil.