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Beyond competition: The lasting impact of the Warrior Games

For wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans, the Warrior Games represent something powerful: a pathway to recovery, renewed purpose, and future success.  

Magellan Federal had the honor of attending and supporting the 2026 Warrior Games in San Antonio, an event that draws thousands of supporters each year to cheer on recovering service members competing in adaptive sports. Those not intimately involved in the Warrior Games may see medals and competition. What they don’t always see is the recovery journey that brought these service members to the Warrior Games. Throughout the week, we witnessed firsthand how adaptive sports, career development, and community support work together to build resilience, confidence, and hope for the future. 

The Power of Adaptive Sports 

Adaptive sports use specialized equipment, adaptive techniques, and tailored coaching to ensure recovering service members can safely engage in activities such as wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, cycling, rowing, swimming, archery, and track and field. 

Adaptive sports provide wounded, ill, and injured service members with opportunities to rebuild strength, regain confidence, and reconnect with a sense of purpose through competition and physical activity. More than recreation, adaptive sports are a proven pathway to recovery, resilience, and long-term wellbeing. They help participants overcome physical and psychological challenges while fostering camaraderie and teamwork. 

The Impact of Coaching 

Adaptive sports coaches are essential to this process. They do far more than teach athletic techniques or improve performance. As mentors, motivators, and trusted supporters, they help service members navigate their recovery journey, set meaningful goals, and recognize their abilities rather than their limitations. 

Through their leadership, coaches create an environment that promotes growth, independence, and empowerment, enabling athletes to achieve success both in sport and in life beyond military service. 

Magellan Federal, alongside our prime partner, KSA Integration, provided 10 adaptive sports coaches during the Warrior Games through the USMC’s Warrior Athletic Reconditioning Program (WAR-P). Our coaches play a critical role in supporting recovering service members both on and off the field of competition.  

One coach, Coach Lenville P. O’Donnell, shared, “I’ve been coaching at the Warrior Games for nine years, and the success of the program is indisputable. It gives these warriors a purpose and teaches them a process for success they carry forward in everything they will do in life. The Warrior Athletic Reconditioning Program changes lives and benefits not just the service members and veterans but their family and friends.”  

His perspective highlights the lasting impact of adaptive sports programs, where recovery is not defined by limitations but by empowering individuals to recognize their strengths, capabilities, and potential. 

Preparing for Life Beyond Recovery 

The lessons learned through adaptive sports often extend well beyond competition. The same resilience, discipline, confidence, and goal-setting skills that help recovering service members succeed in athletics also help prepare them for the next phase of their recovery journey. While physical rehabilitation is an important part of recovery, long-term success also depends on education, employment, personal growth, and finding renewed purpose for the future. 

During the Warrior Games, Magellan Federal Regional Coordinators supporting the Defense Health Agency Warrior Care Recovery Coordination Program’s Education and Employment Initiative (E2I) and Operation Warfighter (OWF) programs, in partnership with our prime contractor, AMSG, had the opportunity to engage with hundreds of service members, family members, and military leaders.  

Through E2I and OWF, recovering service members receive individualized support to explore career pathways, pursue educational opportunities, gain meaningful work experience, and prepare for successful transitions into civilian life. These programs help participants build the skills, confidence, and professional networks necessary for long-term success, reinforcing that recovery is not simply about overcoming challenges, but about creating new opportunities for growth and achievement.  

By focusing on future goals and personal potential, E2I and OWF empower service members to define their next chapter with purpose, resilience, and optimism. 

A Commitment That Extends Beyond the Games 

At Magellan Federal, we are proud to support initiatives that empower those who have served our nation. The Warrior Games are a powerful reminder that resilience grows when individuals are given the tools, encouragement, and opportunities to succeed, both during recovery and beyond. 

Long after the Games conclude, the confidence, connections, and skills gained through these programs continue to support participants as they pursue new personal and professional goals. The Warrior Games demonstrate that recovery is not defined by limitations or setbacks, but by the opportunities, support, and determination that help individuals move forward with confidence and purpose.




Three easy steps to protect your military family’s finances

Financial readiness means understanding how to protect yourself from predatory practices and make confident, informed financial decisions. Here are some helpful steps to get you started:

1.      Start with Research

One of the best ways to protect your finances is to do your homework before making a purchase. Whether you’re shopping for a new car, applying for a loan, or making another major financial decision, take time to research your options.

Review your budget, understand what you can realistically afford, and learn about the businesses and lenders you’re considering. Are they military-friendly? Do they have a strong reputation for customer service? Have other consumers reported concerns or complaints? A little preparation can help you avoid costly mistakes and make decisions with confidence.

2.      Stay Vigilant

Service members and their families are often targeted by aggressive sales tactics and predatory financial practices. These may come from lenders, retailers, or even individuals who claim a military affiliation.

That is why it is important to stay vigilant. If someone is asking you to spend your hard-earned money, take the time to understand who they are and whether their offer is truly in your best interest. The more informed you are, the better equipped you will be to recognize red flags and avoid financial pitfalls.

3.      Know Your Rights and Resources

In addition to the consumer protections available to all Americans, service members and their dependents may be covered by laws such as the Military Lending Act (MLA) and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA).

You do not have to become an expert on consumer law, but it is important to know where to find reliable, unbiased information. Resources such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) offer valuable guidance on consumer rights, financial products, and common scams.

You also do not have to navigate financial decisions alone. Service members and their families have access to free, confidential support on the Department of Defense Financial Readiness (DoDFINRED) website. Counselors can assist with budgeting, credit management, and consumer education.

Additional assistance is available through Military OneSource and your installation’s legal assistance office.

Consumer Awareness Supports Financial Readiness

Being an informed consumer puts you in control. By researching before you buy, understanding your rights, and taking advantage of available resources, you can make confident financial decisions and better protect your financial future.

Make consumer awareness part of your financial readiness strategy. Taking a few extra steps before making a financial commitment can help ensure you are making decisions that support your goals, protect your finances, and safeguard the resources you have worked hard to earn.




Grow together through challenges

Working parents juggle two demanding roles at once, showing up daily for their family and striving to bring their best self to work. Whether the day goes smoothly or gives way to chaos, the ability to bounce back and manage it all is vital for your wellbeing.

  • Start with self-compassion: Cut yourself some slack. You won’t always be perfect, and that’s okay. Treat yourself with the same kindness you would show to a friend.
  • Build a support network: You don’t have to do everything alone. Identify a friend, family member or neighbor you can lean on, and ask for help before you get overwhelmed.
  • Set boundaries: Protect your energy by saying no to non-essential commitments. You can’t be at every event or volunteer for every school function. Choose what matters most and let go of the rest without guilt.
  • Take a time-out: When stress builds up, recharge with small breaks. A five-minute walk, deep breathing or a quick call with someone you trust can help you reset with a clearer mind.

Working on social wellbeing

Being a busy parent and professional whose life often revolves around other people’s schedules can sometimes feel isolating. Build a support network of at least two people you can turn to when you need help or a break.

  • Choose people who make you feel safe, respected and genuinely listened to, and let them know that you’d like to include them in your support circle.
  • Describe the signs that might indicate you’re stressed and how they can best support you.
  • Ask for help before you become overwhelmed to prevent a stress snowball.



Rethinking Veteran Care: Building Trust Through Workplace and EAP Support

Veterans often blend in, avoid drawing attention to themselves, and put others first. A career defined by efficiency, mission focus, and resilience shapes not only their service but their approach to life afterward. Transitioning from caring for others to seeking support can be challenging. Recognizing when help is needed, identifying trustworthy resources, and prioritizing personal wellbeing are not always straightforward. The impact of military service is long-lasting, influencing how Veterans engage with support systems in both their personal and professional lives.

For many Veterans, the first place they encounter support after leaving the military is the workplace. Employer-sponsored services such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) play an important role in helping Veterans navigate stress, life transitions, and personal challenges while maintaining their professional responsibilities. As more Veterans transition into civilian careers, workplace-based behavioral health and wellbeing services serve as an important bridge between military culture and civilian life.

Understanding the unique experiences Veterans bring to the workplace enables organizations and EAP professionals to support their wellbeing better, strengthen engagement, and foster successful long-term reintegration.

Understanding the Veteran Employee

Veterans come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, yet many share common values shaped by military service. Responsibility, loyalty, teamwork, and dedication to mission often remain central to how Veterans approach their work and relationships.

These strengths can also create challenges when it comes to seeking support. Many Veterans are accustomed to pushing through discomfort, solving problems independently, and prioritizing the needs of others over their own. In workplace environments, these tendencies may appear as increased stress, difficulty asking for help, or reluctance to use available resources.

EAP counselors and workplace support professionals are uniquely positioned to recognize these patterns and offer confidential guidance that encourages early support before challenges begin to affect wellbeing or job performance.

Moving Beyond the Stereotype

Veterans do not fit a single profile. They represent every age group, background, profession, and personality. Some may openly share their military experience, while others may never mention it unless asked directly.

This is especially true for individuals who served in the National Guard or Reserve, or those whose roles did not involve combat. Some Veterans prefer not to receive special attention, while others may have complex or mixed feelings about their service.

For workplace leaders and EAP professionals, avoiding assumptions and maintaining genuine curiosity is essential. A simple question such as “Have you ever served in the military?” can open the door to better understanding an employee’s experiences and identifying resources that may be helpful.

Integrating Veteran-Centered Support Across the Employee Experience

Veteran-centered support requires attention at multiple points of interaction. Whether through workplace programs, Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), or other support services, understanding when and how to engage Veterans can help ensure they feel supported both personally and professionally.

  • Intake: Early identification of Veteran status can help connect individuals with appropriate workplace and community resources. A simple question such as “Have you ever served in the military?” can open the door to meaningful conversations about experiences that may shape how Veterans approach work, stress, and support. Within an EAP model, early awareness allows counselors to provide guidance, share relevant resources, and help employees navigate challenges before they begin to affect workplace engagement or overall wellbeing.
  • Treatment Planning: Military service often instills traits such as mission focus, resilience, and a high tolerance for discomfort. While these qualities are valuable strengths in the workplace, they can sometimes make it difficult for Veterans to prioritize their own wellbeing or ask for support. EAP counselors and workplace support professionals can help by creating space for open dialogue and ensuring that support strategies feel practical and realistic. Asking questions such as:
    • “Does this plan work for you?”
    • “Is this realistic?”
    • “What concerns or hesitations do you have?”

Awareness of a chain-of-command mindset can also be helpful. Some Veterans may ask fewer questions or assume important information will be shared proactively. Providing clear explanations and direct communication helps build trust and ensures employees understand the support available to them.

  • Discharge Planning: Veterans may report they are “fine” even when they are experiencing ongoing stress or challenges. Continued encouragement to engage with available resources helps ensure support does not end after an initial conversation or counseling session. EAP counselors and workplace leaders should remain attentive to subtle signals such as overworking, emotional detachment, irritability, or dismissiveness toward mental health support. These cues may indicate that additional support or resources could be helpful.

By maintaining open lines of communication and encouraging ongoing engagement with support services, organizations can help Veteran employees build stability, strengthen resilience, and succeed both personally and professionally.

Building Trust and Strengthening Workplace Wellbeing

The foundation of effective Veteran support in the workplace is trust. Respect, transparency, direct communication, and consistency demonstrate that organizations value the experiences Veterans bring to their teams. Workplaces that adopt Veteran-informed approaches within EAP and wellbeing services help create environments where employees feel seen, understood, and supported. These efforts not only benefit Veteran employees but also strengthen organizational culture and resilience across the workforce.

By approaching Veteran support with awareness, curiosity, and empathy, organizations can better meet the needs of those who have served. When integrated with Employee Assistance Programs and workplace wellbeing initiatives, these efforts help Veterans thrive both personally and professionally while contributing their strengths and leadership to civilian workplaces.




Staying grounded when life feels overwhelming

Tough times can leave you feeling disconnected, anxious or off balance. Grounding techniques help shift your attention back to the present moment by engaging your body, mind or emotions. These small actions can support your mental wellbeing anytime, anywhere.

Anchor yourself with physical grounding

Physical grounding helps you feel present through breath, movement and your senses.                                           

  • Breathe and stretch: Inhale deeply, stretch overhead and notice your body release tension.
  • Feel with focus: Pick up a nearby object. Notice its shape, weight and texture.
  • Pause and listen: Close your eyes. Listen to all the sounds you can notice for one minute.

Stay steady with mental grounding

Mental grounding helps redirect your focus from distressing thoughts to facts, patterns or tasks.

  • Spot five things: Look around and name five things you see.
  • List it out: Name as many animals or foods as possible in 30 seconds.
  • Challenge your brain: Say the alphabet backward.

Find calm with emotional grounding

Emotional grounding helps you reconnect with comfort, strength or safety.

  • Speak kindness: Say a calming phrase like, “I’m doing the best I can.”
  • Press play: Listen to a song or podcast that makes you feel strong or uplifted.
  • Picture peace: Close your eyes and imagine a place where you feel calm, safe or grounded.

A small moment of calm can be the first step toward steadiness. Try different grounding techniques and notice what helps you feel more present, supported and in control.

Visit MagellanHealthcare.com/Mental-Health for more information and helpful resources.




Boost Productivity and Resilience with Wellbeing Coaching: A Game-Changer for Workplace Success

At a time when workplace distraction and stress have never been a greater impediment to productivity, it would be ideal to have a resource that could help employees deal with specific issues that may be holding them back in work or personal areas.

Magellan’s Wellbeing Coaching targets problem areas for employees and helps them achieve resolutions that clear the way for improved performance.

 

Workplace inattention

60% of employees can’t go 30 minutes without getting distracted (Fortune 2024) and employees lose over 5 work hours per week thinking about stressors (American Psychological Association).

 

What is Wellbeing Coaching?

This service, part of Magellan’s Employee Assistance Solution, helps employees and their family members focus on and manage challenging issues, build their resilience and thrive in all aspects of their lives.

Each Magellan Wellbeing Coach is a board certified coach (BCC) through Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE), and receive continual training and supervision to improve their skills and areas of expertise.

How does it work?

In confidential sessions conducted by phone or video, Wellbeing Coaches engage employees by listening and using motivational interviewing to help them clarify their goals and objectives, identify their relevant strengths and recognize potential roadblocks to goal attainment. Coaching sessions are typically 50 minutes long and scheduled based on the employee’s needs, with 30-minute follow up sessions usually once every two weeks.

Wellbeing Coaches assist employees in developing customized plans to achieve their goals via a strengths-based approach, building on the positive inner resources of an individual to make changes. Employees are encouraged to take an active role in managing their wellbeing through making behavioral changes and being accountable for their progress.

 

Providing a different perspective

We’re often consumed by our own opinions, life experiences and way of thinking. A coach can provide a new and often helpful perspective on things (INLP Center).

 

How does Wellbeing Coaching benefit employers?

Wellbeing Coaching motivates and empowers employees to take action to feel fulfilled in all aspects of their lives. When they focus on wellbeing in one area, other areas naturally improve, and employees experience increased confidence, engagement and loyalty. This supports a healthier, more present workforce.

Proven results

Magellan Healthcare members report a 96% overall satisfaction rating. The 4.8-out-of-5 rating includes Overall Service Quality, Achieving Goals, Coach Helpfulness, Coach Responsiveness and Resources Provided. These results demonstrate a tangible positive impact for employees and their families.

Learn more about Magellan’s Employer Solutions




Two Easy Tips to Stay Present on Summer Vacation

We’ve all been there. The moment when our anticipation for the long-awaited vacation quickly turns to unwanted anxiety and stress. Will it be a good vacation? Will the family enjoy it? Will the photos look good? How much will it cost? How will I make sure I can break away from work? So much uncertainty can start to emerge. This can be especially true for military families taking their precious leave or perhaps connecting a vacation to their Permanent Change of Station, moving to their next installation and home.

It’s natural to have frequently changing thoughts, so here are two ways to intentionally shift your mentality to make the most of your summer vacation.

1. Identify the opportunity each moment presents ahead of time.

When on vacation, it is human nature to pay attention to annoyances, even the mundane ones. We worry about work, get annoyed at the heat, high prices, crowds, or loud commotion around. Frustrations can run higher when you add in the challenges of a kid, significant other, or friend who found all the right buttons to press. When we focus on these annoyances, our focus becomes trapped on them. We feel drained and need a vacation from our vacation!

Try looking through a lens of opportunity, shifting your focus to notice and savor the little pleasures that a vacation offers. Enjoy the laughter of children playing, the warmth of the sun on your skin, and the vibrant colors of blooming flowers. In amusement parks, choose to notice the joy of those around you, the incredible engineering and designs around each ride, and growing excitement as you wait for your turn for fun. In every instance, there is an opportunity to connect with others, perhaps learn something new about someone, or see them in a different light. The learning can even be about yourself: “I can’t believe I actually went skydiving!” Anticipating and being on the lookout for these opportunities sets the stage for us to be fully immersed in the joy the present has to offer. Ask not what you need to do for your vacation but what your vacation can do for you!

2. Slow down to become present in the moment.

When you find yourself caught up in the chaos that is often part of a vacation, take a moment to pause and breathe. Focus on your senses and the beauty around you. This practice can bring a sense of calm and clarity, allowing you to experience and enjoy the moment fully.

Slowing down helps us remember that this moment is something we’ve been waiting for. This moment may not be the exact image we had in our mind as plans can go awry, but it often isn’t the specific event that makes something special; it’s the presence that squeezes out every bit of meaning that sticks with us.

May you welcome the opportunities a summer vacation brings by being open to new experiences and adventures. Whether trying a new outdoor activity, exploring a new place, or simply relaxing and unwinding, allow yourself to engage fully and appreciate these moments.

During a ride, remain seated and always keep your arms and legs inside. During a vacation, stay present and keep your mind focused on opportunities at all times. Wishing you a safe and enjoyable vacation!




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