Founded in 1995 by the National Association of
Community Health Centers, Community HealthCorps
is the largest health-focused, national AmeriCorps
program that promotes healthcare for America’s
underserved, while developing tomorrow’s healthcare
workforce.
The mission of Community HealthCorps is to improve
healthcare access and enhance workforce
development for community health centers through
national service programs.
The vision of Community HealthCorps is to become a
national service pipeline for careers in community
health centers that is improving access to necessary
primary and preventative care services for the
medically underserved.
For further information about Community HealthCorps,
visit www.communityhealthcorps.org
Engaging, Recruiting & Retaining
Veterans & Members of Military
Families
Mandatory Coordinator
Conference Call
Paula Sotnik, National Service Inclusion Project
Dawn Fry, California Conservation Corps
Neal Pointer, Habitat for Humanity’s VetCorps
March 12, 2013
Strategies & Insight from the
National Perspective
Paula Sotnik, Director
National Service Inclusion Project &
Operation ABLE Community
www.SERVICEandINCLUSION.org
Toll-free hotline: 888-491-0326 (voice/TTY)
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. Paula also oversees
Operation ABLE Community, a pilot designed to examine promising practices
on getting veterans with disabilities engaged and supported in national
service. Paula 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 capacity-building 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 statefunded 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.
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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 reentering civilian life. National Service can
provide direction and purpose, allowing
veterans to continue contributing their
skills and expertise to improving lives.
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“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
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 paper
2. Identify unanswered questions
3. Hold summit with benefits experts and address
unanswered questions and gaps
4. 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 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 ofNick
the
U.S. Armed
Name:
Airman
Services
Soldier
Branch:
• Air Force
• Army
• Coast Guard
• Marine Corps
• Navy
Guardians
Marine
Sailor
Other:
• Military Personnel
• Dependents
Service Members
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
• Body disfigurement
• TBI
• Back, shoulder and knee pain
• Impaired vision/Blind
• Suicide
• Hearing loss/Tinnitus
• Unemployment
• Loss of limb
• 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
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
Themes that Resonate with Veterans
• Importance of service and diversity
• Desire to transition personally and professionally
• Feelings of patriotism
• Prioritization of benefits
• Search for new opportunities
• Sense of accomplishment
Common Questions You Will Encounter…
•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?
• Educate yourself on the military
• Know how national service will benefit the Veteran, family
and military organization, e.g., Encouragement of
Postseparation Public/Community Service
• 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
•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
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Resources:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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
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 Families
www.braininjuryhopefoundation.org
National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) www.serviceandinclusion.org/veterans
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Strategies & Insight from the
Programmatic Perspective
Dawn Fry, Zone Recruiter
California Conservation Corps
About California Conservation Corps
• State agency engaging individuals between the ages of 18 and
25 in a year of service as Corpsmembers
• Corpsmembers serve outdoors to improve California’s natural
resources as well as assist with emergency resources
• Modeled after the original Civilian Conservation Corps of the
1930s & Created in 1976, CCC has more than 115,000 Alumni
• CCC has several special programs including: Veteran Crews,
Fisheries, Wildland Fire & Fuel Reduction and Green Energy
Crews
About Dawn Fry
• Graduated from Humboldt State University in CA
• A CCC Alumni, has worked for CCC for 12 years in
three prior positions before becoming a Zone
Recruiter
• Currently a Zone Recruiter- leading CCC recruitment
for the top half of Northern California
Defining What is a Veteran
• Length of time served?
• Type of discharge (noted in box 24 on DD214)
• Can active military reserves join?
Best Practices for Recruiting Veterans
• Have a veteran “rep” – a veteran who can speak to other
prospective veterans about the program- if possible• Identify local CBO’s (Community Based Organizations) in your
area that works with veterans
– Examples include: your state Veterans Affairs Department,
state level Employment Department, local Armory or National
Guard Unit, Veterans Resource Center, Veterans hospital
– Our state puts out a book each year called “Veteran’s Resource
Book”
– One-stops
– Military Transitional Program (TAP)
– Local colleges usually have a vet rep
Best Practices for Recruiting Veterans
• Attend local job/career fairs for veterans and on military
bases for veterans transitioning into civilian life
– Hire a Hero job fairs
– Keep track of which job fairs were most beneficial for next year
– Some job fairs a very expensive and do not have much to show
from it-
• Have flyers/ handouts to give to prospective veterans/ and
CBO’s that highlight your Veteran program
Best Practices for Recruiting Veterans
• Advertise- Craigslist has been very effective for us statewide
– for us the best timing to advertise has been 3-4 weeks prior to
the program start date
• Word of mouth
• Ask interested veterans if they know of other veterans that
would be interested, give them handouts to pass out or post-
Getting Veterans Interested
• As a Recruiter get to know as much information about the
program opportunities for the veterans
– what are the benefits for the veteran who completes the
program?
– what training certificates can they earn?
• Be honest and consistent when delivering the program
• Don’t sugarcoat the program & give as much detail about the
program.
• Be available to meet in person with the interested veteran in
a timely manner
Getting Veterans Interested
• Familiarize yourself with what resources are available to
veterans, or refer them to a Veteran’s Resource Center
– for housing/ transportation assistance- etc…
• Find out what benefits the veteran and their family can use
while serving
– for example , while the veterans are in our program they
can still collect unemployment benefits because it is a
training program
Getting Veterans Interested
• Share success stories with new prospects
• Be friendly, approachable & smile!
• Have an engaging display board for job fairs & an inviting
hook line
– an example: Recruiter says to a veteran “Have you ever thought
about having an exciting career in the medical field”
Strategies & Insight from the Veteran
Perspective
Neal Pointer, VISTA VetCorps Member
Habitat for Humanity- Dallas Area
About Habitat For Humanity’s VetCorps
• National initiative created in August 2011 by Habitat for
Humanity to salute veterans
• Main goal is to provide homeownership possibilities &
volunteer opportunities to veterans
• Strives to build sustainable partnerships with non-profits to
ensure a continuum of care for veterans
• Uses a “peer to peer” methodology to provide special service
to veterans in supporting the transition from military to
civilian life
About Neal Pointer
• Neal is a veteran serving as a VISTA with VetCorps for the
Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity
• Neal’s role as a coordinator includes connecting veterans to
Habitat for Humanity as service recipients, short term
volunteers, & Americorps members
Sources for Veteran Volunteer
Recruitment (with an absence of military bases)
• VA Hospitals
• Veteran Service
Organizations (VSOs)
• Student Veterans of
America
• The Senior Source
• Corporate Veteran
Organizations
• Retired Military
Organizations
• Local not for profit
partners
Sources for Veteran Volunteer
Recruitment (with a presence of military bases)
• Family Service Officers
• National Guard Armories
• Military Reserve Units
Engaging, Recruiting & Retaining Veterans
& Members of Military Families
QUESTIONS
COMMENTS