04/01/2026
As a crisis intervention counselor at U.S.VETS Washington, D.C., Katrina Messer recalls responding to a high-risk call involving potential su***de intent. With limited identifying information, the Air Force veteran began a series of crisis efforts, including attempting a three-way call with 911, contacting the crisis hotline and coordinating with authorities to locate the veteran and ensure immediate safety.
The situation required hours of crisis management and coordination to ensure the veteran’s well-being and connection to support services.
"It was such an amazing feeling just to make sure someone was doing OK,” she recalls.
Seeing her community come together energizes Katrina, who is finishing a clinical practicum and last year completed a SkillBridge internship with U.S.VETS—a federal program that puts active-duty military into the workforce toward the end of their service to help prepare them for civilian employment. She is a team member among specialists brought on by a VA su***de prevention grant helping vulnerable veterans regain a sense of purpose.
Her dedication is rooted in her own lived experience. Katrina experienced a sexual assault while in the Air Force, an incident that left her feeling unsupported and overlooked in the system. She struggled with her mental health and faced a period of profound hopelessness—challenges that inspired her commitment to ensuring other veterans have the support, advocacy and compassion she once needed herself.
Katrina founded a military chapter of Young People in Recovery, serves on the advisory board for Healing Path Recovery, and coordinates outreach for Project Rebirth focusing on 9/11 trauma and SeaWaves, which brings awareness to eating disorders among veterans.
“I love the community this work brings,” Katrina adds. “The clients, the partnerships and the people doing this work. It brings me so much joy watching people realize they don't have to feel alone."
