Sexual assault is a pervasive problem in the United States, including in the Armed Forces. Through our conversation with Lucie Piper, we hope to bring knowledge to the public and be an overall resource for military sexual trauma (MST) victims and the community to help individuals they love. This topic isn’t spoken about enough.

In this interview, Lucie and Tesa discuss:

• How military sexual trauma (MST) differs from sexual trauma in the civilian world
• The trauma responses created from MST
• How mental health conditions can come with MST, such as PTSD, and what to consider for treatment
• The benefits of mental health professionals “having a toolbox” in order to provide a holistic approach for MST victims
• The process of sexual assault and harassment reporting as active-duty military and as a veteran and how reporting can impact the victim
• Why analyzing MST data is so difficult
• Why many MST victims need to re-learn coping mechanisms
• Why reporting sexual assault and harassment is so difficult in the military
• How to care for veterans who are MST survivors also dealing with other military-related mental health issues
• DOD and VA programs in place to prevent MST and support survivors and what this requires of the victim
• How MST relates to greater systemic issues and why we need greater change to support all sexual assault survivors

Episode Resources:

• VA MST Program Information: Veterans do not need to be service-connected or have a VA disability to access MST care. In many cases, veterans can receive this benefit even if they are not eligible for other VA care. Veterans can receive MST services even if they did not report the MST during their service. The MST does not need to be in your military medical records to access VA MST support.
• The Invisible War documentary

Links:

• Lucie Piper and The Piper Perspective:
  • The Piper Perspective LinkedIn
  • The Piper Perspective Facebook
  • The Piper Perspective Instagram
• Tesa Saulmon:
  • Instagram
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Newsletter