Foreign Born Veteran Panel

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Foreign born veterans have a unique perspective, being that their life stories originate outside of America, but they then go on to join the US military, and some even put their life on the line for the United States. This panel will provide an overview of what it means to join the military as an immigrant, naturalization through service, cultural adjustments and needs, potential for challenges, and different examples of what a foreign-born veteran may go through. Panelists (Gavin Walters, Adrian, Polina Washington, TBD) will discuss their personal stories, and outline how they have been affected by citizenship as it correlates with service. Potential challenges and needs will be discussed, and dissected, as we look at the cross-section of culture, service, belonging, cause, and family, as these areas relate to foreign-born veterans. We will review areas for improvement with how this classification of the veteran population is seen and treated, as well as clinical recommendations for holding space, encouraging narrative, reducing stigma, and offering validation.

Foreign Born Veteran Panel 

📅 Date: October 29, 2025 
⏰ Time:  1:00PM-3:00PM EST 
💻 Format: Live Webinar
🎙️ Presenter: Aynisa Leonardo
📢 Earn 2.0 Continuing Education Credit Hours
(For licensed social workers, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists.)

Pricing

Workshop Description

Foreign born veterans have a unique perspective, being that their life stories originate outside of America, but they then go on to join the US military, and some even put their life on the line for the United States. This panel will provide an overview of what it means to join the military as an immigrant, naturalization through service, cultural adjustments and needs, potential for challenges, and different examples of what a foreign-born veteran may go through. Panelists (Gavin Walters, Adrian, Polina Washington, TBD) will discuss their personal stories, and outline how they have been affected by citizenship as it correlates with service. Potential challenges and needs will be discussed, and dissected, as we look at the cross-section of culture, service, belonging, cause, and family, as these areas relate to foreign-born veterans. We will review areas for improvement with how this classification of the veteran population is seen and treated, as well as clinical recommendations for holding space, encouraging narrative, reducing stigma, and offering validation.  

Learning Objectives:  

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Identify some key differences between experiences of American born and foreign born veterans.

  • Describe how naturalization, citizenship, and culture relate to military service for foreign born veterans.  

  • Outline significant cultural adjustment made by immigrants who serve.   

  • Identify clinical recommendations in working with foreign born veterans.   

  • Explain challenges foreign born veterans may face in accessing care and navigating benefits. 

About the Presenter

Aynisa Leonardo is a Licensed Clinical Art Therapist (LCAT, ATR-BC), who has been in the field of addiction and mental health services for over a decade. She is the VP of Clinical Outreach at Water Gap Wellness, in support of community outreach, treatment placement, education, and program development. She has concentrated on advanced clinical education, locally and nationally, providing evidence-based and interactive presentations for the community, medical facilities, non-profits, and corporate agencies, to raise awareness on current trends, reduce the stigma associated with accessing care, and improve collaboration within the healthcare community. 

When
October 29th, 2025 from  1:00 PM to  3:00 PM
Information for Certificates
Presenter(s) Aynisa Leonardo
Instruction Method Live Webinar
Total Contact Hours/CEUs Awarded 2