Table of Contents
Meeting with Tennessee State Capitol Leaders
Dr. Arnell was invited to the Tennessee State Capitol to meet with two Commissioners for the State of Tennessee. This meeting was initiated by State Representative Clay Doggett and included discussions on mental health and trauma healing for veterans, first responders, and their families.
Attendees included:
- State Representative Clay Doggett
- Commissioner Major General Baker – Tennessee Department of Veterans Services
- Commissioner Marie Williams – Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
- Their respective staff
22ZERO’s Mission and Trauma Healing Approach
Dr. Arnell shared the mission of 22ZERO, a nonprofit dedicated to helping:
- Veterans
- First responders
- Spouses and minor children living in the home
- Gold Star Families
At no cost to mission clients, 22ZERO provides innovative trauma-healing processes designed to address the lingering effects of PTSD and emotional trauma.
Dr. Arnell’s Personal Experience with 22ZERO
During the meeting, Dr. Arnell recounted her personal journey with 22ZERO, explaining how she was first introduced to the program by her Fire Chief. She described how she was “amazed at how simple it was to heal the trauma”, despite experiencing several traumatic calls during her time as a:
- Reserve Deputy (two critical incidents)
- Firefighter (three problematic calls)
Discussions included the impact of fear, horror, guilt, and shame—common emotions among mission clients—and how the Emotions Management Process significantly alleviates these feelings.
Collaboration with Arizona State University
Dr. Arnell also shared details about her ongoing collaboration with Arizona State University (ASU), where a research team is currently studying first responder data collected from 22ZERO. She emphasized the importance of peer-reviewed research to further validate the efficacy of 22ZERO’s trauma-healing protocols.
Invitation to the Governor’s Challenge for Suicide Prevention
Following an hour-long meeting, Major General Baker extended an invitation for Dr. Arnell to participate in the Governor’s Challenge for Suicide Prevention Task Force—a newly established initiative focusing on suicide prevention among veterans and their families.
Dr. Arnell accepted the invitation and now serves as a volunteer on the Governor’s Task Force, working towards the mission of ending military and veteran suicides in Tennessee.