Episode 13: Serving Those Who Served: A Conversation with Brad Harper

Transcription:

Kim Cole

Hi everyone and thanks for joining us today. I’m Kim Cole, President of the Community Foundation of Morgan County and with me today is an important guest doing important work traveling the state as the Veteran Suicide Prevention Director for the Indiana Department of Veteran Affairs. Travels the state, identifying veterans and educating them on different programs and benefits, much of which goes untapped every year.

And even though he’s all around the state, Morgan County is the sweet spot. He was born and raised here. He is living in Painted Hills with his wife and children. She is a teacher at Bell Intermediate.

He is one of our own and he is very connected to veterans because he himself is a veteran and his past is filled with some tragedy that is also a connector to him with veterans who struggle with their mental health. Thank you, Brad Harper, for being with us today.

 

Brad Harper

Thank you so much for having me. I’m excited to be here. I know you’re super busy, so this is an important interview and I’m glad you carved out time because the Community Foundation is very into supporting anything related to mental health and your mission is important.
And this role that you’re in is very critical. Everybody has a story, so to the extent you’re comfortable, tell us your story and what led you to this point in time in your personal life and in your career to helping the many veterans that are needing your services. I grew up here in Morgan County. I came from a one-parent household, a single mom taking care of me. My dad was here in Morgan County also, but we did not have a great relationship. A story that is not uncommon for a lot of people in our area. As I was growing up, mom had lots of mental health issues. There were times that we were homeless in the community. There were times when I slept in my truck, or we slept in a car. But the one thing that always stood out was the amount of people from the community, the teachers, the coaches, and other people in the community that really tried to help us as much as they could and really made a difference in mine and my brother’s lives. That sort of commitment to others and commitment to service was foundational for me because I got to see just how people can slip through the cracks, but if the community rallies around it, then makes a huge impact, especially in the lives of kids. My mother died by suicide when I was in high school. Luckily, the community again rallied around me. My aunt and uncle adopted me and my brother. They’re instrumental in our lives.

They were always instrumental in our lives. But after a suicide, there was a lot of my own stigma of when I was going to school and things like, oh, I felt like people were whispering like, did you hear what his mom did? There’s a huge stigma around that. I was getting out of here as soon as I could.

I joined the Marine Corps after a year out in college. That was a foundational moment for me. I grew up playing sports. Coach Kuntz was a huge influence in my life. He was a Marine also. He had a saying all the time, if you don’t know what you want to do with your life, go to the military. It was great advice because he said, by the time you get out of the military, you’ll either know exactly what you want to do or exactly what you don’t want to do, which was perfect. He was so right. When I got out, I didn’t want to be in weather anymore when I didn’t have to because I’d been in cold places and I’d been in hot places and just sitting there and there’s nothing you can do about it. I was like, I’m going to be a desk job. I was just a guy out there, like a lot of veterans. I was just a people person doing people stuff.

I always had a mind to give back through volunteering and just trying to make the world a better place. A couple of years ago, I was in transition and my wife and I were talking about what’s next. I’d been an entrepreneur for so long that I was kind of tired, to be honest, of doing that.

I just said, I think I’d like to work with veterans. I called up a buddy. I didn’t even know what he did. I just knew he worked with veterans. I didn’t know he worked for the state. I didn’t know anything. It just so happened; he knew a little bit about my story. We weren’t great friends, but we knew each other through the Marine Corps. He said, hey, we got something coming.

I think you’d be a great fit. He said, I can get you an interview. I can’t get you the job. Got the interview, got the job. At the beginning, this was part of something called the Governor’s Challenge, which was a challenge put down by SAMHSA and the VA to all 50 states governors and the territories to set up a program to combat veteran suicide.

 

Kim Cole

Under what governor did this program launch?

 

Brad Harper

This launched under Governor Holcomb. When they started it, Joe DeVito and Brian Schmidt, along with Dennis Weimer, who was the director at the time, laid out a bit of a roadmap of what we should be doing. We took some of the principles that SAMHSA and the VA had laid down, which are three priority groups, which is identifying veterans. That’s the priority group. Getting them connected is the priority group number two. Promoting connectedness. That’s a big part of where the community part comes in. Then the third priority group is lethal means safety, storage, and training. We used to say a lot, hey, we’re flying this plane as we’re building it.

There were some bumps and bruises along the way. Earlier this year, when we had a transition to our new director, Jake Adams, under the new governor, we really decided that this is not going to be a governor’s challenge anymore. We’re going to do the same thing they did. We call it a community challenge. Then I hit the road.

 

Kim Cole

I love it.

 

Brad Harper

I hit the road. We can sit in Indianapolis. I tell people all this all the time. We can sit in Indianapolis and come up with all these great ideas, but every community is different.

Every place you go is different. When we talk about how we’re going to enact this, we knew it’s not the governor’s challenge anymore. It’s the community challenge. We really started to look at who’s out there that we know that are serving veterans. We have a program, Grants for Veterans Services, in which we will fund those organizations that are doing services for veterans. Then we also have some other programs for coalitions, some planning grants and things like that for their communities to address not just the veteran suicide because that was also very important to us.

We wanted it to address all the community. When we talk about who we would look for, we talk about the SMVFCG because in the military, we love our acronyms.

 

Kim Cole

I don’t know what you’re talking about, Brad, but you’re going to have to tell us.

 

Brad Harper

Exactly. I knew I was going to have to. Service members, veterans, family members, and caregivers. Really, when you talk that way, that encompasses just about everybody.

 

Kim Cole

That’s a large footprint.

 

Brad Harper

Yeah, exactly. Veterans are about 7% of the population. In Morgan County, it’s a little bit higher. It’s about 11% of the adult population. In Morgan County, 80% of those veterans are over the age of 55. If you look at how the suicide continuum goes, the first five years after separation is the highest rate of suicide. That first year being the highest and it comes down. It flatlines until they get about 60. Then about 60, it starts climbing again. The reason for that is that old adage of the veteran falling on his sword. They start worrying about who’s going to take care of me.

Maybe they’re having financial problems. Maybe they’ve lost a spouse. The kids are all gone. Those types of things. That’s why that’s an important thing. When we talk about going into the communities, at first, I was just going door to door, hoping to find veterans organizations. Then I realized, well, we worked hard with the Military Family Research Institute from Purdue University to come up with something we call the Community Risk Index. We took all these social determinants of suicide, these suicide risk factors, things like poverty level, access to mental health care, access to health care in general, internet access, poor mental health days.

There’s several other factors in there. These factors are measurable in every county, which was important to us. Then we came up with a score that we then weighted based on veteran population and total population of the communities. That gave us our marching orders, our 1 through 92.

 

Kim Cole

Okay. Let me ask you, I’ve got to ask, what’s Morgan County’s number?

 

Brad Harper

We’re right in the middle. I can look specifically, but it’s right in the 40 to 60 range, somewhere in there. We’re better than a lot of the surrounding communities who are higher on there. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to have the most suicides. It just means that there’s some factors that are there.

 

Kim Cole

More at risk. That makes sense. Yep.

 

Brad Harper

After, again, flying the plane while we’re building it, I started to think, okay, what are organizations that are in every county that I can engage? We started with community foundations and United Ways. Those are two organizations that if there’s somebody doing something in the county that’s serving the county, they generally know. Sitting in my office, I can’t tell who’s actually doing work and who’s not. Everybody looks good on the internet.

 

Kim Cole

Sure. Well, not necessarily, but yes, I get your point.

 

Brad Harper

But we also looked at other things, things like public libraries. Every county has a public library.
Parks departments, schools, YMCAs, recovery cafes, recovery centers, food pantries. In all those things, we engage them through something that we want to, for them, we want to partner with them to add maybe a veteran component to something that they’re doing.

 

Kim Cole

Because what you’re trying to do is you’re trying to identify where these veterans are, and am I right in saying that is because there are so many useful benefits at the state level, and many of those are going untapped, untouched every year, correct?

 

Brad Harper

Yes, yes, yes. A lot of veterans, myself included, until I started this job, I had never filed for any benefits. A lot of veterans think, oh, I didn’t go to a war zone, I didn’t get blown up, I didn’t kill anybody. They think they’re undeserving. So, they’re like, oh, I’ll leave that for somebody else. Well, that’s not actually the way it works. If you don’t access your benefits, there’s a chance in the future that some of those benefits can go away for other people. And as I always jokingly say, who spends your money better, you or the government? And I work for the government.

 

Kim Cole

So you can say that.

 

Brad Harper

Yeah, I can say that. I can say that. I work for the government, believe me. Another joke I always say, if you think the government can fix it, you’re wrong.

 

Kim Cole

Right. Communities fix problems.

 

Brad Harper

Communities fix problems. That’s correct.

 

Kim Cole

And you are an example of someone who is a beneficiary of a fantastic community. So I love the story.

 

Brad Harper

Yeah. And so part of that was, like I said, 27 years saying never coming back to Martinsville. And, but when COVID happened and, you know, we had talked about what we wanted to do, you know, my son wanted to be in the woods. We were, you know, my wife is not from here, so we were, she was a little hesitant to move to a place she didn’t know very well. But once we moved back, we have absolutely loved it. It’s been great to be around that community again, to be, you know, to run into people that you haven’t seen or, and then my wife, you know, was talking with Kip Staggs and Kip talked her into becoming a teacher. And so she had a late career change.

She’s been teaching for four years at Bell Intermediate Academy, and she loves it. She absolutely loves it. She’s found, she’s done, you know, she’s kind of got an entrepreneurial spirit like me. But she, you know, she really has found her calling and teaching and it’s great.

 

Kim Cole

Fantastic

 

Brad Harper

And, you know, and trust me, you know, there’s days where she comes home and cries about, you know, the kids that not, that she can’t do everything for, you know, wants to, and so there is such a disparity. We have a very wealthy contingent of our community, and we have a very poor contingent of our community. And that’s where, you know, foundations, community foundations and, you know, the nonprofit serving organizations in the community, that’s where it really comes, that’s where you put your money, where your mouth is.

 

Kim Cole

Right.

 

Brad Harper

And that’s why I think, you know, you, you asked me to join the Guys Who Give, and I immediately said, yes. So, you know, that’s, you know, anything we can do to give back to the community is important. So, you mentioned the veterans, you know, identifying the veterans.
Well, you know, it used to be that every veteran, as soon as they got out, they joined the American League, their local American Legion, their local VFW. And, you know, a lot of information was passed down that way. And that’s not the case anymore. And, you know.

 

Kim Cole

I was shocked to learn that.

 

Brad Harper

Which, you know, is, you know, those organizations have certainly some aspects of them that aren’t attractive to some people, but their service and their commitment to their communities is great. And so even though I don’t access the American Legion myself, I still am a member because, and I, you know, pay my dues and I pay because I want to make sure that they’re out there in the community. They’re always the first to step up for whatever in the community. And so, but, you know, that identification piece is tough. And, you know, especially.

 

Kim Cole

You say that’s your greatest challenge?

 

Brad Harper

You know, people think there’s just like this big database that we can just go to. And, you know, and part of that is veterans don’t step up and say, you know, I’m a veteran and.

 

Kim Cole

A humble group.

 

Brad Harper

Yes. Yes. And especially when they need help.

 

Kim Cole

I was going to say, I’m sure the other piece of it is for those veterans that are struggling with mental health issues, they don’t feel like, you know, connecting and the camaraderie.

 

Brad Harper

So they’re suffering alone. Absolutely. So, you know, that’s the hardest thing is, you know, you become a part of an organization that you’re, you know, your brother to your left and your brother to your right. They’re, you know, you’re taught, they’re going to be there for you. You got to be there for them. Well, then when you get out, there’s none of that, right? It’s every man for himself.

 

Kim Cole

And so you would lose that connectivity.

 

Brad Harper

And so that’s why, you know, the priority group, too, is that promoting connectedness. And that’s why things like, you know, veterans, coffee, socials or, you know, veterans’ conservation clubs at parks or having a vet come in and read a book about the military to kids at the story hour at the library. Those are great things to do because then it connects the vet not only back to themselves, but it connects them to their community. And then communities can do great things like when we do our veterans days, and we acknowledge our veterans. That’s always great.
But the bigger thing is getting those veterans out of that isolation. OK, it’s 76 percent, I think, of suicides in Indiana happen in isolation. So that means that they’re all by themselves.

And so that’s a, you know, that’s a huge that’s a huge thing. So, we got to get them out. We got to get them in there. And so, you know, where are they? Well, they’re, you know, they’re just Brian Schmidt says they’re just they’re just people out there doing people stuff. Right. And another friend of mine, Josh Tolan, said that, you know, a veteran is a mother, a father, they’re, you know, a husband, a wife, a coach, a teacher, a plumber. You know, they’re so the last thing they are is a veteran. And by saying that, what he means is the last person that a veteran takes care of, because all of those other things are commitments to others.

 

Kim Cole

Sure.

 

Brad Harper

The last thing a veteran takes care of is themselves.

 

Kim Cole

I’m sure. So, Brad, what can we do as a community foundation? What can we do to support you?

 

Brad Harper

Yeah. So, you’re already doing some of it. You’re supporting great organizations that serve in the community. You know, the men who give.

 

Kim Cole

Guys Who Give Morgan County

 

Brad Harper

Sorry. Sorry.

 

Kim Cole

That’s okay

 

Brad Harper

Guys Who Give Morgan County Morgan County just awarded Heroes Wildlife Adventures

 

Kim Cole

Over eighteen thousand dollars in a grant money.

 

Brad Harper

Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, those are the types of things that and there’s all kinds of different ways to serve the veterans in the community. And, you know, we also are putting our money where our mouth is with our grants for veteran services. We also have given money to Heroes Wildlife Adventures. And so, you know, finding those organizations are great when they have just that one veteran thing, but also veterans are in your community. So anything that you’re doing to help the community, you know, you mentioned I was not able to be there. I was traveling for the last one. But, you know, the YMCA and the public libraries donating to the school systems, you know, donating to the food pantries and the shelters and the recovery centers. Every time you do that, you are helping a veteran.

 

Kim Cole

Sure

 

Brad Harper

you are.

 

Kim Cole

So in a more of a direct sense, let’s say somebody who’s watching us here today is like, oh, my gosh, my neighbor is or my whatever is is exactly this person struggling, isolated, keeps to themself. I know they have trouble. How do they reach out to you?

 

Brad Harper

Well, I’m a public figure. So, you know, all my information is readily available on the Internet phone number, email. We’ll post it in the chat if you want. But, you know, they can always just contact the Department of Veterans Affairs or here in Morgan County, we have a county veteran service officer. OK, Lindsay and her and her team.

 

Kim Cole

And who is that again?

 

Brad Harper

Lindsay Smith. She just got remarried, so I’m not sure what. Well, let’s just go with Lindsay. Lindsay, Courtney and Missy, they’re awesome.

 

Kim Cole

And their office is?

 

Brad Harper

The County Veteran Service Offices, you know, they are in the new building.

 

Kim Cole

OK, the Justice Center,

 

Brad Harper

And so I was I was just in there the other day.

I was just in there the other day. It’s beautiful.

 

Kim Cole

I was just in there the other day. It’s beautiful.

 

Brad Harper

So if you haven’t gone, go check it out. They’re kind of the front line. They’re the ones who file for federal benefits for veterans.

 

Kim Cole

That’s fantastic.

 

Brad Harper

And they’re part of this community too. Every community has a County Veteran Service Officer, and you can find that officer on our website. It’s the very first thing you see—“Find Your County Veteran Service Officer.”

 

Kim Cole

Let’s tell viewers what your website is.

 

Brad Harper

It’s dva.in.gov
dva.in.gov

That page also has resources and updates on what I’m doing out in communities. When I visit counties, I talk with community foundations, YMCAs, librarians—you name it. They tell me who’s doing what locally, and I go out there to connect the dots.

 

Kim Cole

Brad, you’re really out there. That’s fantastic.

 

Brad Harper

Yeah—I’ve put about 36,000 miles on my government car this year. Sorry—“govie.” Military speak there for a second.
We gather all those resources and add them to our site under “Veteran Resources” by county. You can search your county and find what’s available.
We also have a transparency portal on our site. It was important to us to show the facts.

You know the saying— “Don’t let a little thing like facts get in the way of a good story.” So, we put it all out there:

• How many veterans are in each community

• How much federal compensation is coming in

• Age groups and demographics of veterans

In Morgan County alone, there’s been over $3 million in direct compensation over the last five years.

 

Kim Cole

Wow—that’s a number!

 

Brad Harper

It is, and that doesn’t even include health care, which is roughly the same amount—about double over that same time frame. Then you add in VA home loans, which people often forget about, and that’s another big impact.

All of that information is on the transparency portal—number of veterans, age breakdown, and even our communications portal, showing how many veterans, we’ve reached and engaged.

That helps us justify what we do—why I’m putting 30,000-plus miles on a car, why we’re out in communities.

My business card says “Veteran Community Engagement Program Director” or something like that—but we didn’t want the title “Veteran Suicide Director” to close doors. There’s still stigma, even though it’s getting better.

 

Kim Cole

It is getting better.

 

Brad Harper

It really is.

 

Kim Cole

What you’re doing is incredible. And as a community foundation and member of the community, we’re going to support you in any way we can. I hope this podcast enlightens folks and sends people our way, because the bottom line is—we’ve got to reach these people. There are resources they just don’t know exist.

 

Brad Harper

A lot of people think the VA only offers hospital care—but that’s not true. There are so many other resources available.
Even at the state level, we have programs people don’t know about—like the Military Family Relief Fund.

That fund is supported by veteran license plates, not taxpayer money. When a veteran chooses a specialty plate, they pay an extra $15, and that money goes directly into the fund. It also supports our Grants for Veterans Services program.

 

Kim Cole

And what kinds of programs does that fund?

 

Brad Harper

The Grants for Veterans Services fund nonprofits serving veterans—organizations like the ones right here in Morgan County.

The Military Family Relief Fund helps individual veterans whose household income is less than twice the national poverty limit. It provides up to $2,500 lifetime for emergency expenses—groceries, utilities, car repairs, you name it. If you show a need, we’ll help.

That’s a huge program, and we want to get the word out. Veterans gave that money specifically to help other veterans, so we want to get it back into their hands.

 

Kim Cole

Lots of programs, lots of veterans—we’re going to help in any way we can.

 

Brad Harper

And you know, many veterans think only about federal health care, but there’s so much more.
Like me—I’ve had my own mental health struggles. Part of my self-care is therapy once a month. I’ll be honest—I hate it. I joke that I’m lying on the couch, and the therapist is dissecting me, telling me all the things I need to fix. That’s not my style.

So, I do something called Give an Hour every Wednesday—a group of 10 to 12 veterans from across the country. It’s online, and I can talk if I want or just listen.

We’ve also started a facilitator group for Alternatives to Suicide, an online peer group that meets every Monday from 1600 to 1730 (that’s 4:00–5:30 PM). You can find it on our website and on our events calendar. I’m one of the facilitators for that.

 

Kim Cole

If someone watching wants to connect with you or these groups, how can they reach you?

 

Brad Harper

They can email me at bharper@dva.in.gov or call me directly. Every County Veteran Service Officer knows me, so you can always start there too.

Links:

bharper@dva.in.gov

dva.in.gov