Christy Amacker

Christy Amacker, Ph.D., J.D., is a military caregiver whose research has focused on the intersection of veteran care, family systems, and institutional accountability. Her work centers on how caregiving families navigate and are often constrained by federal systems, with an emphasis on improving outcomes through evidence-based policy and practice.

Christy brings both professional and lived expertise. She previously served as a VA rater and as an appellate attorney for the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, giving her direct insight into how decisions are made as well as where they fall short. She now uses that experience to help veterans and caregivers navigate the system more effectively while advocating for structural change.

Her husband, Chris, is a medically retired Army veteran who served 14 years, including two deployments to Iraq as a Combat Engineer. Following repeated IED exposure, he lives with traumatic brain injury, PTSD, a spinal fusion, and additional health conditions, including sarcoidosis linked to burn pit exposure. He requires daily assistance, making Christy not only an advocate, but a full-time caregiver.

Caregiving has shaped every aspect of their family’s life. After relocating to New Orleans for better access to care, community, and educational opportunities for their children, Christy and her family have navigated the realities of long-term caregiving, balancing responsibility, resilience, and the emotional weight that comes with both.

“One moment that has stayed with me,” Christy shares, “was coming home from work and finding my (then) 12-year-old daughter caring for her father… making his food, helping him move, and quietly stepping into a role no child should have to carry. It was a moment that captured both the cost of caregiving and the strength it demands. It both broke my heart and made me beam with pride.”