Montgomery County, Maryland Commission on Veterans Affairs Annual Report 2016
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HUD-V ETERANS A DMINISTRATION S UPPORTED H OUSING (VASH) V OUCHERS Commission on Veterans Affairs 2016 Annual Report Page 9 In 2016, Montgomery County was awarded with 12 more HUD-VASH vouchers bringing the total since 2010 to 98 vouchers.
The Washington, DC VAMC has a full-time homeless outreach clinical social worker, Fatmata Kamara, who works closely with the various county and non-profit county agencies working with homeless. When a person is located who identifies as a Veteran, Fatmata meets with the person to determine if they are eligible for assistance (right type of discharge, enough time in service, etc.).
If they are eligible she completes a SPDAT which is a county wide rating survey of living conditions, mental health challenges and physical health problems. There is a score attached to each section of the SPDAT. A total score is assigned. When vouchers become available, the most critical/vulnerable, highest scoring Veteran is assigned the voucher. The VAMC homeless outreach team meets weekly and if a county has an open voucher, all chronically homeless Veterans SPDATs are reviewed and that group determines who will receive the open voucher.
The program is designed to identify ‘chronically homeless’ Veterans which are those who have been homeless for at least one year or experienced three or more episodes of homelessness in the past three years. It is not a program designed to house someone who lives with parents, lives with friends or bounces around between friends. It is for Veterans who have identified as chronically homeless based on the nationwide definition of chronic homelessness.
10400 Detrick Avenue, Kensington, MD 240-627-9400 2010 2011 2012 2013 2015 2016 Total HUD-VASH Vouchers 25
25 15
15 6 12 98
Commission on Veterans Affairs 2016 Annual Report Page 10 MCTV D OCUMENTARY ON V IETNAM V ETERANS
Montgomery College Television (MCTV) presented the world premiere screening of its video documentary Honor and Gratitude: Chronicles of Montgomery County Vietnam Veterans on March 23, 2016, in the Cultural Arts Center on the College’s Takoma Park/ Silver Spring Campus.
The documentary was produced by Emmy- award winning directors Dan Rankin (MCTV) and Barbara Grunbaum (County Cable Montgomery). The 70-minute film tells the stories of seven military Veterans from Montgomery County, including a prisoner of war, who served in Vietnam. Three of the Veterans featured are Montgomery College alumni. “The documentary features the narratives of a prisoner of war, a nurse, a Marine, two infantrymen, an air cavalryman and a boat operator. Some were drafted; some enlisted,” said Ms. Grunbaum. “Taken together, their stories paint a picture of this controversial war’s impact on those who fought on the front lines, as well as what they faced when they returned home.” Following the documentary, there was a panel discussion, and question and answer session, featuring Vietnam Veterans.
The film continues the Montgomery College tradition of recognizing Veterans - embodied today by their longstanding Combat2College program that provides academic and social support services for students who are Veterans. The program fosters a welcoming environment for Veterans and service members who are transitioning into college, while adapting the skills they developed from military training and combat experience.
To watch the full documentary, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3OAnvShg-0 .
From left to right: Bill Gray, Jane McCarthy, Ricky Black, Steve Campanella, Mike Walsh, Wayne Miller Photo courtesy of Montgomery College - Pete Vidal
Commission on Veterans Affairs 2016 Annual Report Page 11 MCTV D OCUMENTARY ON V IETNAM V ETERANS C ONTINUED
Photos courtesy of Montgomery College - Pete Vidal Navy Commander Everett Alvarez, Jr. (Ret.) Commander Everett Alvarez, Jr., joined the Navy as an aviator while attending college in California. He was part of a bombing mission over North Vietnam sent in retaliation after a reported North Vietnamese attack a day earlier on two U.S. destroyers. The attack became known as the Gulf of Tonkin incident and led to the start of significant escalation of U.S. military action in Vietnam. Commander Alvarez was the first American aviator shot down over Vietnam and held prisoner for 8 1/2 years at the Hanoi Hilton.
Commander Alvarez and his wife Tammy have made Rockville, MD their home since 1976 and plan to continue to live here as they love our community. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Alvarez & Associates, LLC. They have two sons Marc and Bryan. Marc is an attorney and Vice-President of Alvarez & Associates. Bryan is a physician and Commander in the U.S. Navy and completed two tours in Iraq. Commander Alvarez and wife Tammy have two grandchildren. He and his wife serve on the committee of the Green Road Project of Walter Reed Institute for Integrative Health that provides a natural healing environment for injured service members and their families. Green Road Project: http://tiih.org/what-we-do/build-healthy-communities/green-road- project/
Commission on Veterans Affairs 2016 Annual Report Page 12 DAR C OMMEMORATES V IETNAM 50 TH A NNIVERSARY WITH W REATH L AYING C EREMONY The President General, of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), asked that chapters host an activity on March 29, 2016, along with the Department of Veterans Affairs, to mark the end of Vietnam engagement (in country). Montgomery County Daughters of the American (DAR) chapters hosted a wreath laying ceremony at the new Fallen Heroes Memorial, which was dedicated in November 2014, at the Judicial Center Annex in Rockville, MD.
M ONTGOMERY C OUNTY , MD E MPLOYMENT D ATA ON H IRING OF V ETERANS , D ISABLED V ETERANS , AND P EOPLE WITH D ISABILITIES The Commission on Veterans Affairs and Commission on People with Disabilities worked with the County’s Office of Human Resources (OHR) to establish employment initiatives which include hiring preferences for veteran, veteran with a disability, and person with a disability and a non-competitive hiring process for persons with disabilities, which was passed into law by Montgomery County voters in 2012.
Karen Hochberg, OHR, has reported that since the hiring preferences and non-competitive hiring process were implemented approximately:
A Better Bottom Line - Montgomery County Government video regarding the employment of people with disabilities and Veterans. Jonathan Pruziner served in Iraq and Afghanistan and came home to Become hired as a police officer with the Montgomery County Police Department. (YouTube):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-2A_PbxrqA (6:27 version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWOYNkEWE5s
(11:42 version)
October 20, 2016 August 30, 2015 New employees cumulatively hired 235
241 211
Non-competitive hires 18
21 16
People with disabilities 21
26 29
Veterans with disabilities 8 9 13 Veterans 159
172 178
Not identified 7 10
FY18 O PERATING B UDGET P RIORITIES
Meeting with B/C/C and HHS Committee of County Council October 19, 2016 Dan Bullis, Chairman Randy Stone, Vice-Chairman
Funding for public outreach to Veterans/community regarding suicide prevention, sexual assault, County Firearm Safety Initiative and a Deflection Model in criminal justice system - Substance abuse, Post- Traumatic Stress, and other mental health disorders are a significant contributor to sexual assault numbers in the military, as well as in the community at large. On the other end of the spectrum, substance abuse, PTS, and other mental health disorders are significant contributors to the relatively high suicide rates being experienced by Veterans. Consequently, the Commission supports the development and implementation of a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and for public outreach to educate and reach Veterans and the community at large about sexual assault, suicide and a Firearm Safety Initiative to ensure proper firearms storage in the home and elsewhere. Concurrently, the Commission recommends that the STEER and Sequential Intercept Model be used in the new Mental Health Court, but it can also functional independently, be used to identify Veterans and refer them to needed services. The goal of the Deflection Model project is to deflect low-risk individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) away from the criminal justice system and directly into community-based treatment. This deflection model presents an evidence-based approach to providing individuals treatment for substance use and will have many benefits not only for the affected individuals, but also for their families and our communities, as well as Montgomery County's overburdened expensive criminal justice system. The County is moving forward with an initial smaller scale implementation that will be funded for 12 months. To ensure that all Veterans receive this model, and because it is anticipated that this model will be expensive and far beyond available resources the Commission recommends to fund $250,000 to provide 2 staff positions to support this effort specifically to serve Veterans that have a diagnosis of substance abuse and /or mental illness/Post Traumatic Stress. 2. Continue County funding for Ending Homelessness for Veterans - $500,000 per year to be able to serve those who do not qualify for Veteran Administration Supported Housing (VASH) vouchers.
A NNUAL M EETING WITH C OUNTY E XECUTIVE
Annual Meetings with the County Executive 2016 ATTENDANCE AND ISSUE SUBMISSION FORM
Annual Meeting Date: Tuesday, Mar ch 29, 2016 BCC Name: Commission on Veterans Affair s (CVA)
Dan Bullis, Chair; Randy Stone, Vice-Chair
CVA will address the need to promote the CVA’s purpose: to advocate for the more than 44,000 Montgomery County veterans and their families. The CVA stands ready to recognize our County veterans and their families for their service and provide them with information about available assistance and resources. We also stand ready to help our fellow Boards, Committees and Commissions (BCC) as they interact with County veterans and give our fellow BCC guidance about how best to support our County veterans and their families. CVA seeks to increase access in the County to health and mental health care for veterans. The County and its contractors need to encourage veterans and their families to enroll in the VA health care system. One option is to post information on County Ride On buses as to how to enroll. CVA further supports efforts to create a veterans treatment docket within the mental health or behavioral health court to guide veterans in the criminal justice system to more successful, long-term solutions.
Question #1: What is the status of the Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Montgomery County? Question #2: How will the County commemorate the 50 th anniversary of the end of Vietnam? Question #3: What efforts are underway to end veteran homelessness?
VA S ILVER S PRING V ET C ENTER S ERVICES
After war, some veterans experience psychological and social distress and difficulties in readjusting to civilian life. In 1979, the Department of Veterans Affairs established Vet Centers to assist Vietnam-era veterans with such problems. Congress later expanded Vet Center services to include combat veterans of other conflicts. These services are available at Vet Centers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Guam.
Services Available Individual counseling Marital and family counseling VA benefits assistance and referral Substance abuse counseling and referrals Primary health care for basic medical needs Pre-employment assistance and employment counseling Discharge upgrade information Community, social service and medical referrals Sexual trauma / harassment counseling (veterans of all eras)
The Vet Center also has a network of federal, state, city and community resources to help you. We will try to address any concerns or problems you bring to us.
At the Vet Center, you can expect help from professional counselors who will treat you with respect and understanding. Many of the counselors are also war veterans, so they understand your problems first hand, and have the training and skills to help solve them.
There is no charge for the assistance you receive at the Vet Center because of your sacrifices and efforts for this country. Veterans applying for assistance are asked to bring a copy of their Military Separation or Military Discharge (DD214) with them. As of September 2016 VA Vet Centers are now able to provide readjustment counseling to Veterans with dishonorable discharges.
Three eligible categories European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (7 Dec 1941 to 8 Nov 1945) Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (7 Dec 1941 to 2 Mar 1946) American Campaign Medal (7 Dec 1941 to 2 Mar 1946)
Oceangoing Service 7 Dec 1941 to 15 August 1945
27 June 1950 to 27 July 1954 (eligible for the Korean Service Medal)
28 Feb 1961 to 1 May 1975
25 Aug 1982 to 26 Feb 1984
23 Oct 1983 to 21 Nov 1983
20 Dec 1989 to 31 Jan 1990
2 Aug 1990 to -
17 Sept 1992 to -
(former Yugoslavia operations)
11 Sept 2001 -
2900 Linden Lane, Suite 100 Silver Spring, MD 20910 301-589-1073 (V) Monday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Second Saturday every month: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Bereavement Counseling for Surviving Family Members 202-461-6530 (V) Vet Center Combat Call Center 1-877-WAR-VETS (927-8387) National Suicide Hot Line 1-800-273-8255 (Toll Free)
K EY C ONTACTS F OR THE VA AND O THER R ESOURCES Serving Together - Peer Navigation Jennifer Watson, Peer Navigator E-mail: peernavigator@servingtogetherproject.org
www.servingtogetherproject.org 301-738-7176 (V) 1-855-738-7176 (Toll Free) Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Serving Together is the County’s place to find all programs and services for veterans. Peer navigators work to guide military, Veterans and their families through a sometimes complicated and fragmented system of resources and information. They also work to connect the Montgomery County community with Veteran events. You can check out the calendar and more on their website. You can send calendar events to Julie Riggs, Program Director at jriggs@every-mind.org . Serving Together also has a weekly newsletter that goes out every Friday morning that includes all the posts they have shared throughout the week. Interested parties can sign up online. Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) Montgomery College Service Center David Coxe, Veterans Benefits Specialist 51 Mannakee Street, Counseling & Advising Building, Room CB 103 E-mail: vbs.dcoxe@gmail.com
240-567-5405 (V) 240-567-4361 (Fax) Montgomery College Service Center Hours: Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Outreach Hours: Mr. Coxe will be at WorkSource Montgomery (11002 Veirs Mill Road, 1st Floor, Wheaton, MD 20902) the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. He will be at the Silver Spring Vet Center (2900 Linden Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20910) the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Phil Munley, Director of Program Services E-mail:
pmunley@mdva.state.md.us
410-230-4444 x 6457 (V) The MDVA Service and Benefits Program provides assistance to the men and women who served in the Uniformed Services of the United States, their dependents, and survivors in obtaining benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, State of Maryland and other programs for Veterans and their families.
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