Caregiver Mental Wellness

Care Groups

Care Groups offer a safe virtual space for caregivers to connect monthly with peers experiencing similar life situations. Care Groups are held once a month for one hour via Zoom and are facilitated by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s Mental Wellness Specialist and a Caregiver Peer Facilitator.

We offer four Care Groups, tailored to caregivers with the following experiences:

• Caregivers who care for someone with Post Traumatic Stress (The first Tuesday of the month at 5pm EST)
• Caregivers who care for someone under 60 (The second Tuesday of the month at 5pm EST)
• Caregivers who care for someone over 60 (The third Tuesday of the month at 5pm EST)
• Caregivers experiencing divorce or separation from their care recipient (The fourth Tuesday of the month at 5pm EST)

Care Groups are open to any military or veteran caregiver over the age of 18 whose caregiving experience aligns with the group topics. There is no commitment to attend every session, however we encourage you to join as often as you can. Care Groups are not mental health counseling nor therapy and are not a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment.

According to participant feedback:

• 100% of caregivers strongly agreed or agreed the Care Group provided them with a safe and welcoming space to share with peers about their caregiving experience
• 90% of caregivers strongly agree or agree that their experiences were validated by their peers during the Care Group
• 60% of caregivers reported that the Care Group “most definitely” helped them feel less isolated and alone in their experience, while 30% reported it “somewhat” helped

Providing one self-care practice before signing off each session has helped me to give myself what I need after an often long day of caregiving, difficult decision making, and other stressful events.

Mental Wellness Workshops

The Caregiver Mental Wellness Workshop is a 6-week virtual program that provides military and veteran caregivers with a safe and structured space to connect with up to 10 caregiver peers to put words around, make sense of, and feel supported in their mental wellness journeys. This workshop does not constitute mental health counseling nor therapy and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment.

May 2026 Workshops:

• Mondays from 12:00 pm-1:00 pm ET beginning May 18 through June 22
• Thursdays from 5 pm-6 pm ET beginning May 21 through June 25

In this workshop, caregivers will:

• Reflect on their mental wellness experience as it relates to their role as a caregiver;
• Receive and provide support with peers;
• Identify and improve current coping strategies and knowledge of resources;
• Develop an understanding of how to practice self-care.

In our effort to create a meaningful and engaging experience where everyone can participate fully, workshop enrollment is limited to 10 caregivers. This means that we may not be able to accommodate everyone who completes the form, but we’ll do our best! After completing the sign-up form, please keep an eye on your inbox for a confirmation email from our team to let you know about your enrollment status. If space fills up for these upcoming workshops, we’ll make sure to reach out to you when we open up registrations for future workshops. Your interest in participating means a lot to us, and we’re excited to connect with you!

Please use this link to sign up to participate in either of these workshops no later than May 11. We ask that you only sign up to participate if you can make the majority of the sessions as workshop content builds upon itself each week.

According to participant feedback:

• 100% of caregivers strongly agree or agree that they have a better understanding of their mental wellness journey.
• 100% of caregivers strongly agree or agree that they felt supported by their peers during the workshop.
• 88% of caregivers strongly agree that the workshop provided them with a safe and welcoming space to reflect on their mental wellness journey.

The facilitators were really good about making sure everyone spoke up and was heard. It was also taught in such a way that it really made me think about myself and my mental wellness. Honestly, I’ve never given it much thought as it seems I’m always busy doing something or another. I almost didn’t sign up for the workshop but decided I wanted to hear what was being offered and I’m so glad I did. I’m still thinking and digesting the workshop in my mind and slowly realizing how I can do more for myself without sacrificing the care he gets.

Mental Wellness Book Club

Looking to learn about mental wellness, read great books, and build peer connection? We welcome you to join EDF’s Mental Wellness Book Club where each quarter we will dive into a new mental wellness focused book. The book club will meet four times over the course of 3 months and members will stay connected via weekly emails full of book-related questions, journal prompts, and wellness ideas.

The Mental Wellness Book Club is facilitated by Rebecca Mullaney, EDF’s Mental Wellness Specialist, and is open to any military and veteran caregiver who is interested in investing in their mental wellness and connecting with other caregivers.

Our book this quarter will be Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson!

We will hold our first meeting on Thursday, April 9th. Participation is limited to 20 caregivers. We strongly encourage you to check your local library for a copy of the book, but if it’s not available, EDF will mail you a copy.

When:

• First Meeting: April 9th 6:00pm-7:00pm ET
• Second Meeting: April 23rd from 6:00pm-7:00pm ET
• Third Meeting: May 7th from 6:00pm-7:00pm ET
• Fourth Meeting: May 21st from 6:00pm-7:00pm ET

Where: Zoom (link to be provided after registration).

Interested? Sign up here: https://forms.office.com/r/zdTHYrT25x

Questions? Email Rebecca Mullaney at rebecca@elizabethdolefoundation.org

Don’t see registration link above? Fill out Interest Form below, and we will notify you when an offering is scheduled: