Ed Mattson interviews Joe LaBranche of About Face

Joe LaBranche is a former U.S. Marine, Vietnam veteran and member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Joe serves as the Veterans Service Officer for VFW Post 9143, located in Cumming, Georgia and has created “About Face”, a support center which helps veterans make the transition from warrior to citizen by providing financial and emotional assistance to veterans and their families.

As a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Joe serves on several boards, to include the Forsyth County Mental Health and Criminal Justice Task Force, the NAMI Georgia Veterans Advisory Council, the Crisis Intervention Team, and In Our Own Voice (IOOV) presenter’s program.

Recently Joe has been elected to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) Planning Board by the Forsyth County Commissioners and is trained in the Vet-to-Vet program, a mutuality based program to assist veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other behavioral issues.