Kristen J. Vescera, PhD, MPH, MA

Dr. Kristen Vescera is a combat Veteran having served overseas in Afghanistan in 2012-2013. She spent ten years enlisted in the United States Army Reserve as a Psychological Operations Staff Sergeant and Instructor. She received her PhD in clinical psychology at Palo Alto University in 2021 where she studied suicide and resilience factors for Service Members and Veterans. She earned her master’s degree in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, concentrating on public mental health, holding certifications in health communication and health education. Dr. Vescera also received a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and Counselor Education from the University of Colorado Denver. She has published numerous book chapters and articles related to suicide prevention and resilience in multiple settings. She has held a faculty position at the University of Maryland, University College Europe and has engaged in several presentations and lectures around military culture, suicide risk and resilience factors, and other psychological principles. Dr. Vescera is currently working at the Department of Veterans Affairs Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention in Canandaigua, NY as Associate Director of Education focusing on developing, disseminating, and evaluating national training and education programs aimed at preventing and reducing Veteran suicide.