The chaplain’s test
But when her phone rang, the global battlefield vanished, replaced by a personal crisis. It was her daughter. The “uneasy feeling” she’d had all week was about to be reality.
Then came the call.
“Mom … don’t be mad at me,” her daughter began, revealing that she had a suicide plan that had gone wrong.
On that day, her work as a military chaplain and her role as a mother collided. This phone call would become a real-world test of the very principles she now teaches leaders across the Coast Guard: connection, readiness and the unwavering belief that every life has value.
Her path to that moment began years earlier. As a young, former enlisted corpsman, Jefferson witnessed firsthand how a service member’s unaddressed trauma could lead to tragedy at home. That moment defined her career and ignited a passion to help servicemembers navigate the complex space between their service and their personal lives.
In that moment, her mission became clear.
“I wanted to be able to help service members reconcile going to war and their faith,” Jefferson said. “I want them to know that there are people out there who care for them, that they’re not alone.”
The mission is also deeply personal and rooted in her own journey. Jefferson entered the Navy as an E-1 and saw firsthand how critical it was to have mentors who would “pour into you.” Her work today, she said, is a way of “paying it forward” for the guidance she received. It is a philosophy she also views through the lens of a parent.
“Every person in here is somebody’s child,” she said.
That is why she treats service members with the care she would want her own child to receive.
This deep sense of purpose made the events leading up to that Saturday morning even more significant. Just weeks earlier, she and her daughter had taken a trip to celebrate her daughter’s college graduation. But after they returned, something shifted. Her daughter, once her “little road dog,” grew distant.
Jefferson recognized the behavior.
“I knew what she was doing was intentional,” she said. “I knew something good was not going to come out of it.”
In that instant, Jefferson’s focus narrowed. The mother in her felt the pain, but the professional took over.
“I’m literally having to be a chaplain,” she recalled thinking. “I’m a corpsman, and I’m a chaplain. So, all my medical instincts are kicking in … and I’m suppressing the mother portion.”
Despite being multiple states away, Jefferson took action. While keeping her daughter on the line, talking with her and reassuring her, she simultaneously called her husband and directed him to contact 911 dispatchers in her daughter’s area.
Finally, through her daughter’s phone, Jefferson heard loud banging on the door. Help had arrived.
The call ended when an emergency medical technician took the phone. In the hours that followed, a police officer on the scene, a parent himself, became her “lifeline,” providing updates until her daughter was secure.
She had survived. Today, she lives.
That experience solidified the lessons Jefferson now imparts to Coast Guard leaders. It is why she speaks with such passion about the need for “intrusive leadership.”
She encourages leaders to check on their “strong” people, those who seem to have it all together but often carry the silent burden of perfection. The simple, direct question, “How are you really doing?” can be the key that unlocks the door.
“The expectation of ‘I must be great’ is a heavy one,” Jefferson said.
Beyond leadership, Jefferson stresses the importance of using available resources. She makes it clear that chaplains are for everyone, regardless of belief.
“You don’t have to be religious to go talk to a chaplain,” Jefferson said. “We just want you to come and get help.”
She also recommends therapy and points to [Military OneSource](https://www.militaryonesource.mil/) as a key resource.
“You can actually go on there and pick your provider … you can literally design your therapist,” Jefferson said, noting that she has a therapist herself.
For Jefferson, the story ends in hope and recovery. Her mission now is to prevent others from ever having to make that call. She works to build a culture in which every service member understands the “forest” of their life is more important than the “tree” of their current problem. She fights to ensure every leader is a lifeline, and every shipmate knows their worth.
When asked what message she would share with Coast Guard members and others struggling through a challenging time, Jefferson said: “You bring value. We need you. You’re loved, you’re cared for and you’re appreciated.”
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