As a case manager supervisor for the Harris County Veteran Services Department, LaShonda Johnson oversees suicide prevention, “justice-involved” cases and crises for the veteran community in Houston. She supervises a team that visits veterans in prisons to reduce recidivism and strategizes re-entry plans for them.
“It’s the passion that I have for the things that, that are as experienced, that are left silent and not spoken too much about, that encouraged me to do what I do today,” Johnson said. “ They [veterans] experience the after-effects of going to war, coming back and not talking about what happened at war.”
She, too, has faced several difficulties in life.
But now, she advocates for those with “silent disabilities,” such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma from active duty, sexual abuse, brain injuries, and incidents in one’s childhood.
Johnson says the secret to being a trustworthy case manager is to listen.
Sometimes, she encounters homeless veterans who are skeptical of those lending a helping hand. “I think that some people forget just because we’re veterans, we’re still human, we still have a life,” Johnson said.
Malishya “Mali” Lott, the Veterans Program Coordinator at VSD and Johnson’s co-worker, who has known her for years through their time volunteering, says Johnson’s understanding of people makes her easy to work with.
“She [Johnson] has a wealth of knowledge,” Lott said. “She’s compassionate, she’s even influential…There’s no difference between her outside of work and inside of work, which I can’t say for a lot of people.”
Lott, who also served in the Marine Corps for four years, says what sets Johnson apart is her care for the veteran community. She helps the incarcerated and rehabilitates them into being “productive members” of society.
“She cares so much. Veteran work is her life’s work now,” Lott added. “Her whole life has revolved around the military, from her family being military to her going into the military, to her getting out of the military, going into law enforcement, and then now she’s back into the veteran community. So everything is intertwined around veterans.”
LaShonda Johnson’s life so far
Johnson, also a veteran, was raised by her grandparents as her mother believed they would be a “better fit” for Johnson and her twin sister. Her father was also a Marine.
She joined the Marine Corps in 2000 when few women made up the force.
She spent 13 years at the U.S. Marines, entering service as a legal services specialist and then rising through the ranks to a staff non-commissioned officer.
Johnson earned bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice from the National University in San Diego and health care management from the University of Phoenix. She is currently pursuing an MBA from Sam Houston University.
Soon after serving in the U.S. military, she joined the Texas State Troopers, “which was her dream job,” but in 2013, she resigned and returned home to handle personal issues. Later, she worked for a little over a year at the Veterans Affairs Department for Harris County and the nonprofit Wounded Warrior Project.
Johnson has encountered traumatic events herself. In 2004, her daughter’s dad died, and she suffered a traumatic brain injury during military duties, for which she still needs physical therapy every week and injections for her frequent migraines. These events left an indelible mark on her mind.
“After it happened, still moving forward, getting married to someone, having two other beautiful children…life is just…life,” she said.
These traumatic events shaped her life but did not define it. As a disabled veteran, she finds peace in service and faith.
“Knowing that the God that I serve is real, and when I pray, my prayers are answered,” Johnson said. “It might not be answered on my time, but they’re answered in due time.”
She attributes a part of her recovery to a support system and therapy. She also indulges in hunting, fishing, and being outdoors.
Johnson’s life philosophy is to keep moving. She focuses on bringing about change in the lives of Houston’s veterans. Often, she encounters those who need treatment and help with benefits paperwork, among other issues.
“To be able to go in there [prisons] and actually see what the need is and how we can help those who are not in there long term” is a feeling John cannot describe, she said. “I enjoy helping people. It’s a passion to help especially those who are not connected and to know that there are services out there.”
For the veterans who are struggling, Johnson suggested reaching out to the VSD office at (281) 876-6600 or email vsdinfo@harriscountytx.gov.
