Engaging Veterans with Disabilities and
Wounded Warriors in National and
Community Service
July 26, 2011
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www.serviceandinclusion.org
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National Partnerships
The National Service Inclusion Project partners with
the following organizations to further enable all
CNCS grantees to collaborate with the disability
community. These disability organizations are
committed to promoting national service and
volunteering as a valued option for individuals with
disabilities to their respective communities.
Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
Denver Options CTAT
Operation TBI Freedom
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Engaging Veterans with Disabilities and
Wounded Warriors in National and
Community Service
Jewel Bazilio-Bellegarde
Corporation for National and Community Service
Rev. Zernial M Bogan
AmeriCorps Veteran, Champaign County Regional Planning
Commission-No Limits Program
Joanne E Cohen
CTAT at Denver Options
Alfredia “Fredia” Johnson
Operation TBI Freedom at Denver Options
Paula Sotnik
National Service Inclusion Project, ICI, UMB
July 26, 2011
Welcome and Overview
(Jewel Bazilio-Bellegarde)
• The Corporation for National and Community Service
Veterans and Military Families Initiative, Objectives, and
Strategies
• Increase the number of veterans and military service
members and their families
Serve America Act
The 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act
authorized the Corporation for National and Community
Service to establish a Veterans Corps to engage more
veterans in service.
CNCS launched the Engaging Veterans with Disabilities
Initiative to enhance the capacity of national service
programs to successfully recruit, engage and support
veterans with disabilities as active service members in
structured volunteer experiences.
Engaging Veterans with Disabilities and Wounded
Warriors in National and Community Service
Overall Project Plan (Paula Sotnik and Joanne Cohen)
• Background
• Objectives
• Methods
• Target Participants
• Current Status
www.serviceandinclusion.org/veterans
Profile of a Veteran with TBI/PTSD
(Fredia Johnson)
Acronyms You May Hear:
WTU-Warrior Transition Unit
DOD-Department of Defense
VA-Veterans Administration
CAF-Challenged Athlete Fund
AW2-Army Wounded Warrior Program
Down Range-Front Line Combat Zone
PTSD and TBI Clarification (Fredia Johnson)
PTSD
Overlap
TBI
Wounded Warriors (Interview with Fredia Johnson)
• Who is a Wounded Warrior?
• How do I find them? (Who do I call? What do I
say?)
• What do they need?
• What do their families need?
• Once a Wounded Warrior becomes a member of a
national service group, what resources are needed?
1:1 Interview with AmeriCorps Veterans
(Joanne Cohen)
• Demographics
• 45 pages of notes > 1 page Executive Summary
• Common themes
• Suggestions to engage other Veterans in National
Service
• Quotes (see dog tags)
Anonymous Veteran (Joanne Cohen)
“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
knowledge to understand my disability and it has given
me a purpose in life. If you don’t have a purpose in
life, it’s hard to get out of bed every morning.”
Discussion Groups April 6 & 8, 2011 Colorado
(Joanne Cohen)
• Veteran Demographics
• Themes
• Suggestions to engage Veterans in National Service
• Poster
April 2011, Veteran Discussion Group
(Ten Veterans in Denver, CO)
Veteran demographics, with
participant ages ranging from 20s-50s
African-American
female
Asian-Pacific female
1
1
1
5
1
1
Caucasian female
Hispanic male
Cuban/Italian male
Caucasian male
April 2011, Veteran Discussion Group
(Ten active duty soldiers, soon to be veterans, from the
Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) at Fort Carson, CO)
Discussion Groups April 6 & 8, 2011 Colorado
(Joanne Cohen)
• Veteran Demographics
• Themes
• Suggestions to engage Veterans in National Service
• Poster
Webpage: www.serviceandinclusion.org/veterans
AmeriCorps Veteran View and Experience
(Reverend Zernial M Bogan)
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Why I joined AmeriCorps
What engaged me in National and Community Service
Most current national service experience
Highlights of my contributions to the community
What I gained from my experience
Iraq and Afghanistan active duty soldiers and veterans—how
AmeriCorps will benefit them and their community
Interactive Discussion:
(Paula Sotnik)
• What are YOU doing?
• What will YOU change in your recruitment strategies based on
what we’ve learned in Colorado?
• What do YOU need to get there? (e.g., Products)
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/598784/EngagingVeterans-with-Disabilities-and-Wounded-Warriors-inNational-and-Community-Service
Wrap-Up (Rev. Zernial M Bogan and Paula Sotnik)
• Zernial - What final suggestions do you have that would
help us engage veterans and wounded warriors with
disabilities, such as yourself, in National and Community
Service?
• Final Comments…(Paula and Team)
Q&A
Resources
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Engaging Veterans with Disabilities in National Service Initiative
http://www.serviceandinclusion.org/
CNCS Veterans Corps http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/serveamerica/veterans.asp
CTAT www.ctat-training.com
Denver Options www.denveroptions.org
Operation TBI Freedom www.operationtbifreedom.org
American’s Hero’s at Work www.americasherosatwork.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 Families
www.braininjuryhopefoundation.org
Jewel Bazilio-Bellegarde
Jewel Bazilio-Bellegarde, Corporation for National and Community Service
(CNCS). Jewel Bazilio-Bellegarde, joined CNCS in its formative days in 1994 and
currently serves as a Senior Training Officer for Disability Inclusion and Evaluation
in the Office of Strategy and Special Initiatives. Her responsibilities include
working to strengthen the capacity of national service programs to effectively
develop, manage and implement fully inclusive programs; embrace and
practice performance management systems; and implement programs that
intentionally impact participants toward the achievement of successful postservice outcomes. She manages the provider agreements for the Corporation’s
disability inclusion and evaluation capacity building initiatives; represents the
Corporation on various disability inclusion cross-agency federal initiatives; and
works to ensure that national service grantees develop and sustain inclusive
environments that positively impact program participants during and after
service.
Jewel has extensive experience in program management, organizational
development, cross-cultural communication, human and community
development through training and technical assistance, and continues to be
passionate about helping others realize their full potential. Her previous
assignments before joining the Corporation include directing a multi disciplined
clinical fellowship program; managing an international primary health care and
community development project; and working on the faculty and institutional
development of an international university. Jewel is fluent in four languages and
has a Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and a
Master’s from Columbia University in New York, NY.
Rev. Zernial M Bogan
Rev. Zernial M Bogan is a Viet Nam Veteran who served in the
United States Air Force (USAF) in the early 70’s and went to St.
Joseph’s Military Academy in the early 60’s. He currently is a
volunteer member of AmeriCorps, serving at the Champaign
County Regional Planning Commission, Social Services, No-Limits
Program. Zernial is currently enrolled at Ashford University
studying to obtain his Master’s Degree in Human Resources,
Organizational Management, with a specialty in Heath Care
Administration and is a member of the Human Services Council
in Champaign, Illinois. He obtained a Bachelor’s Degree from
Ashford University, Clinton, Iowa in Human Resources,
Organizational Management.
Zernial is President of the
Champaign County Black Chamber of Commerce since 2005.
He is the Director of the computer lab at Salem Baptist Church,
Champaign, Illinois, a Pastor of a Prison Ministry in ChampaignUrbana, Illinois, and became a licensed Minister in the 90’s,
ordained in January of 2006.
Joanne E Cohen
Joanne E Cohen, Organizational Consultant, CTAT, Denver
Options,
has over thirty years combined experience in
coaching, consulting, and facilitation, with twelve years
internally directing and managing her teams to focus on
successfully supporting strategic and tactical corporate
initiatives. She has consulted and coached executives and
their teams in the planning and implementation of new
strategic directions that are in alignment with the business
goals and objectives of their companies. Joanne has kept
pace with the current business needs and has provided clients
with excellent resources for understanding and managing
change. Her expertise domestically and globally spans the
telecommunications, hi-tech, manufacturing, service, mining,
biomedical, oil and gas, and aerospace industries. Joanne
also has non-profit experience and joined CTAT, Denver
Options in May, 2010 as an Organizational Consultant and
Trainer. Joanne was in a car accident in the Bahamas in 1992
that left her unable to walk. A year later she discovered many
of her personal challenges were due to TBI from that accident
and two TBI’s from previous rear-end accidents four and ten
years prior to the “BIG” one in ’92. She has overcome many
obstacles and has exceeded the medical diagnosis, leading
to a remarkable and inspirational story and recovery.
Alfredia “Fredia” Johnson
Fredia Johnson is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Her
educational background is in Human Services where she received
her B.S. from Troy State University in Phoenix City, AL. She enjoys
working with the Military/Veteran community. Currently Fredia is
an OEF/OIF TBI Care Coordinator for a privately funded Care
Coordination Program for returning military service members who
have sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the Global War on
Terror. Having spent over 25 years in the Human Services field, one
of her favorite things to do is to be with people and helping them
recover by advocating access to the services that will change
their lives. In addition to her current role, Fredia has worked as a
TANF Case Manager and as a substance abuse counselor. Fredia
is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist through the American
Academy for Certified Brain Injury Specialists. Fredia is located in
Denver but often travels down to Colorado Springs.
Paula Sotnik
Paula Sotnik has over twenty-five years of experience working as a
director, curriculum developer, trainer, and diversity and disability
specialist. She oversees the National Service Inclusion Project, the
national T&TA center on accessibility and disability issues funded by
CNCS. She also oversees the ICI Community Capacity Building team,
which houses federal and state projects designed to support
underrepresented communities and individuals to access mainstream
services. Ms. Sotnik has served as a lead training consultant and author
on culture brokering for the Center for International Rehabilitation
Research Information and Exchange at the University at Buffalo, SUNY.
Prior to this project, she developed and coordinated several capacitybuilding projects with community organizations that examined the
experiences of individuals with disabilities from diverse cultures related to
person-centered planning and assistive technology. She also developed
and directed several federal- and state-funded assistive technology
projects for individuals with cognitive disabilities to live more
independently in their homes. Paula has served on several consumer
advocacy boards, consulted nationally, and conducted presentations
and published on topics related to diversity and disability,
accommodations, responsive outreach strategies, and developing the
capacity of organizations to include individuals with disabilities. Paula
has undergraduate degrees in social work and psychology and has
taken graduate courses in business and nonprofit management.