Posted on Apr 9, 2015
Is there good coordination of veteran resources in your community?
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Here is a link to an article in Military Times about the need for better coordination of services in order to help vets. The study is, "Driving Community Impact" from Syracuse Univ Institute for Veterans and Military Families. I thought this might be a good article to share within the RP circles. For here in Colorado Springs...I think there are a lot of service providers, but I don't know if there are many doing the coordination piece. I think there are at least a few since I hear stories of quarterly community meetings and things like that, but I haven't investigated further.... Do you thing we are doing a good job at that already in your state and local community or is it just those nonprofits that have happened to find each other and linking up? Here's the link: http://militari.ly/1yd7xzW
@Lt Col Terry Smith
@Lt Col Terry Smith
Transition
Resources
Benefits
Housing
Posted 9 y ago
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As a homeless Veterans Outreach Coordinator I interact with several other non-profits/501c3's but the overwhelming majority of my clients heard about us through the grapevine of people we had already helped by word of mouth - from happy vets...Some of the very organizations we feed tour clients to for more permanent housing act as if we do not exist when in fact we are playing a critical role of rescue and stabilization...they're the ones with the big grants! We depend on donations to keep going. They like us when they have a need for our services but never a kind word in public forums do I see - so coordination of services goes on with these groups but it is dog eat dog for the recognition which is not our focus...that is and will always be the veteran! If no one cared who got the credit there would be a lot of golden opportunities for our vets...But you have to draw attention to yourself and be the squeaky wheel to get that all important grea$e...when that over rides your vision statement something is wrong.
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In Massachusetts every city and Town in the state has a Veteran's Service Officer within the municipal Government structure. They are there to assist Veterans in any way they can with resources available to them, services, disability due to Military service, Veterans benefits just about everything. The Veteran's Service Officer for the Millis, MA where I live is a retired TSgt, USAF and Her husband is a MSgt. She is also a member of The American Legion post 208 in Millis and AMVETS Post 495. The Veteran's service Officers in Massachusetts are trained in Boston by the Massachusetts Secretary of Veteran's Affairs office. That training is mandatory and the VS O report directly to that office although their pay is provided by the city or Town that they serve within. When I had received by VA educational assistance, A Viet Nam Veteran's bonus from the state way back plus other Veteran's benefits back in the 1960s the Town's Veteran's service officer prepared all the paperwork for Me and submitted it and the one stop I was all set for all of those things. At least in Massachusetts that is an excellent resource. I don't know what if any other states may have a program like this but here it works well.
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