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Written by: Matt Wilson - Breese Journal Reporter

A free course for veterans who are living with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and moral injury will be offered in Clinton County starting the end of the month.
    "Warrior Hope: Basic Training for Living on mission" is a free course for those veterans living with PTSD and moral injury.
    The course is presented by The Jared Burke Foundation in support of Crosswinds Foundation.
    Books will be provided.
    The 12-week course begins on Jan. 27. It will be at 10520 Old Route 50 East in Breese.
    The course will be taught by Deb Bullen, who is a veteran. Bullen spent 25 years in the Air Force and has gone through PTSD and depression following her time in the military.
    "The Jared Burke Foundation has been a big help in getting me through some of my issues," Bullen said. "So this is just a way that I can give back to them."
    The 12-week course will run from 7-8 p.m. and each lesson will last about 40 minutes. The last 20 minutes will be discussion about the lesson or about the issues the veterans are facing.
    "I feel like this is a course that can benefit a lot of people," Bullen said. "This is a way that veterans can connect with other veterans that are going through the same thing they are."
    Bullen said a lot of veterans come back from wars with PTSD and moral injury.
    Moral injury is the psychological, social or spiritual impact of events involving betrayal or transgressions of one's own deeply held moral beliefs and values occurring in high stakes situations. It is not recognized as a mental health disorder, but it may be associated with PTSD or depression.
    "It is not just physical injury that a veteran can go through when they go to war," Bullen said. "It also can affect a veteran mentally."
    The course also discusses how the brain works and why the veterans feel the way they do.
    This is the first time that "Warrior Hope: Basic Training for Living on mission" will be offered as a class in Clinton County. Bullen said the goal is to offer the class a couple of times a year.
    Contact Bullen at 618-210-7965 to register or get more information.
    Seats are limited.