National Service Inclusion Project

Paula Sotnik, Director

Mission Possible: Working

Collaboratively and Building Relationships with Military Groups

www.SERVICEandINCLUSION.org

Toll-free hotline: 888-491-0326 (voice/TTY)

Operation ABLE Community

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is embarking on OAC, a pilot to demonstrate the benefits of a National Service experience for veterans with disabilities who are re-entering civilian life. National Service can provide direction and purpose, allowing veterans to continue contributing their skills and expertise to improving lives.

Please share….Are you engaging veterans and Wounded Warriors in your programs?

What are the benefits? What are the challenges?

Operation ABLE Community

Most asked question from Vets, Wounded Warriors and military installation staff,

“How will this impact my benefits?”

If I am on SSI/SSDI and Veterans Benefits, how will national service benefits impact me?

1.OAC researching clear and approved existing guidance on the intersection and develop a paper2.Identify unanswered questions3.Hold summit with benefits experts and address unanswered questions and gaps4.ACTION!

Educate Military about National Service

1. Main goal = military staff offer national service as an option in their transition counseling plans and script

2. Develop a curriculum based on their input and feedback

Educate National Service about the Military

1. Acquaint national service with culture, language, positions, experiences and post military status.

2. Educate national service on how to approach and develop relationships with military and veterans organizations.

3. Identify local and national resources to assist with PTSD and TBI supports

What do you need to successfully engage veterans with disabilities in national and community service?

• outreach and recruitment• application and interviewing • supports and retention

What is a Veteran?

“Someone who, at one point in his life wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an

amount of 'up to and including my life”. - Unknown

The Department of Veterans Affairs Defines it as:

“Veteran means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released

under conditions other than dishonorable.”

(VHA HANDBOOK 1601A.02)

Branches of the U.S. Armed Services

Branch: Nick Name:•Air Force Airman•Army Soldier•Coast Guard Guardians•Marine Corps Marine•Navy Sailor

Other:•Military Personnel Service Members•Dependents Family Members

AIRFORCE

Born: 1947

Primary mission: To defend the U.S. (and its interests) through exploitation of air and space

ARMY

Born: 1775

Primary Mission: To protect and defend the U.S. (and its interests) by way of ground troops, armor (tanks), artillery, attack helicopters, tactical nuclear weapons, etc

COAST GUARD

Born: 1790

Primary Mission:To provide law enforcement, boating safety, sea rescue, and illegal immigration control. However, the President of the U.S. can transfer part or all of the Coast Guard to the Department of the Navy in times of conflict

MARINE CORPS

Born: 1775

Primary Mission:To assault, capture, and control "beach heads," which then provide a route to attack the enemy from almost any direction

NAVY

Born: 1775

Primary Mission:To maintain the freedom of the seas

NATIONAL GUARD & AIR NATIONAL GUARD

The Lifestyle You Knew Exists No More

• Boot camp

• Customs

• Uniforms

• Language

Warning: Content may be disturbing or harmful to those who have experienced combat or other trauma. The following slides are

courtesy of Cornell University, Disability Services Office.

A service member coming home may

experience…

Common Disabilities and Challenges of this Conflict

• PTSD/MST

• TBI

• Impaired vision/Blind

• Hearing loss/Tinnitus

• Loss of limb

• Body disfigurement

• Back, shoulder and knee pain

• Suicide

• Unemployment

• Stigma

Common Functional Limitations of PTSD

• Detachment, loss of interest, numbing

• Hyper vigilance

• Concentration issues

• Anger outbursts

• Intense guilt

• Memory deficits

• Avoidance behaviors

• “Thousand mile stare”

• Flashbacks

• Sleep issues/night terrors

Common Functional Limitations of TBI

• Difficulty learning and synthesizing new information

• Decreased Processing Speed• Working memory deficiencies• Long and short term memory deficiencies• Poor decision making /problem solving skills• Unaware of difficulties• Inability to focus and concentrate• Fatigue

Common Stereotypes About Veterans

• All Veterans are in crisis• All Veterans can obtain VA services• All Veterans have served in combat• You have to be in combat to have PTSD• Veterans are angry• Veterans are men

Now, to share what we’ve learned to date…

What’s Important to Veterans?• Understanding why they joined the military and

their emotional response to their military service• Personal goals• Teamwork, emergency response and deployment• Vet to Vet• Respect prior service and leadership skills• Focus on abilities, not disabilities• Recruit in person• Communication

• Importance of service and diversity

• Desire to transition personally and

professionally

• Feelings of patriotism

• Prioritization of benefits

• Search for new opportunities

• Sense of accomplishment

Themes that Resonate with Veterans

39

40

41

“My experience as a volunteer in the AmeriCorps program has given me the will to get out of bed everyday. It has given me the education and the knowledge to understand my disability and it gives me a purpose in life. If you don’t have a purpose in life, it is hard to get out of bed every morning”

-anonymous veteran who served in AmeriCorps

•How many terms of service may someone serve?

•May a member serve while still serving in the

Army?

•Where are service opportunities in my area?

•What if I have a less than honorable discharge?

•Can someone support a family on an AmeriCorps

living allowance? What are the other benefits and

WIIFM?

•What if I have VA appointments?

Common Questions You Will Encounter…

Best Practices• Educate yourself on the military • Be aware of mental health challenges and be

knowledgeable of where to refer if needed• Understand that the transition back into civilian

life is again another culture shock and the more structured the program the better the Veteran will do

• If certain steps need to be taken, have a list of the steps for the Veteran to follow and have point of contacts for them to reach out to

• Actively listen to the Veteran’s needs -Motivational Interviewing (OARS)

• Identify the chain of command

Best Practices, Cont.• Educate the Veteran on what services you offer and

how the Veteran (and family) will benefit from your program

• Be straight up, if your program will not fit their’ needs let them know

• Become acquainted with Veteran resources in the community these take many forms– DAV, VA, Student Veteran Organizations,

American Legion, VFW• Keep in mind that accommodations may be needed

but the Veteran will be apprehensive about asking • Give the Veteran an opportunity to lead• Create a Veterans mentorship group• Lastly, do not talk about military service unless

there are certain questions that need to be answered or the Veteran brings it up in conversation

•Engaging Veterans with Disabilities in National Service Initiative http://www.serviceandinclusion.org/ •CNCS Veterans Corps http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/serveamerica/veterans.asp•Operation TBI Freedom www.operationtbifreedom.org•America’s Heroes at Work www.americasheroesatwork.gov•Invisible Wounds: Serving Service Members and Veterans with PTSD and TBI http://www.disabilityrightsoregon.org/search?SearchableText=invisible+wounds•Recovering from Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) A Handbook of Hope for Our Military Warriors and Their Familieswww.braininjuryhopefoundation.org•National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) www.serviceandinclusion.org/veterans