National Service – Engaging Veterans in Their Next

Assignment

September 21, 2010

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National Service – Engaging Veterans in their Next

AssignmentPaula Sotnik

National Inclusion Project, ICI, UMBJoanne E. Cohen

CTAT at Denver OptionsAlfredia “Fredia” Johnson

Operation TBI Freedom at Denver Options

September 21, 2010

National Service: Engaging Veterans in Their Next Assignment

An Overview

AGENDAItem Speaker

Welcome & Introduction Joanne

2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act/New Legislation Paula

Denver Options, CTAT and NSIP Grant/Partnership (“Engaging Veterans with Disabilities in National & Community Service”)

Joanne/Paula

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Joanne

Denver Options: Operation TBI Freedom (OTF) Fredia

Military Culture...Profile of Vet with TBI/PTSD...”Reverse Culture Shock” Fredia

Case Study...Success Story Fredia

Q&A All

Closing Paula

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.

DENVER OPTIONS, Inc.

BI Support & Care

CTAT’s CTAT’s Employment & Skill Building & Skill Building

May 24-25, 2011Denver, CO

Survivor Series launched in 2005

• Manage crisis situations• Identify resources• Learn self advocacy

Care coordination that provides the best individualized supports and resources for people with TBI. 2009-2010 provided support for 822 adults and 124 children

Colorado Connections

Engaging Veterans with Disabilities in National and Community Service Initiative

Definition of Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a blow or jolt to the head or apenetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain

An acquired brain injury (ABI) is aninjury to the brain that has occurredafter birth and is not hereditary, congenital or degenerative. (ABI isthe comprehensive definition thatincludes TBI)

Taken from The Brain Injury Association of America

Every 15 Seconds

The Silent Epidemic

BI is a life long process, not an eventBI is a life long process, not an event

“The impression that a person can sustain a brain injury, learn a few compensatory strategies and live happily ever after…does not often happen.”

American Academy of Certified BI Specialist

Brain Injury Medical Definition

The severity of a TBI may range from “mild,” (a briefchange in consciousness) to “severe,” (an extended periodof unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury).

– Open Head Injury or Closed Head Injury

– Mild: brief or no loss of consciousness

– Moderate: up to 24 hours loss of consciousness or coma

– Severe: coma longer than 24 hours

Potential Long-Term Outcomes of TBIWide range of functional short- or long-term changes

1. Thinking2. Sensation3. Language4. Emotion5. Family Effects

Physical Factors

Cognitive Factors Impacted

1. Judgment2. Reasoning3. Slowed Thinking4. Word Finding5. Visual/Spatial6. Concrete vs. Abstract Thinking7. Focus8. Initiation

Emotional Factors Impacted • Irritability, impulsivity• Personality changes• Frustration, low-tolerance• Anger, denial• Lack of insight• Sexual & social boundaries• Confabulation• Disinhibition• Depression, anxiety

Stimulants – Self Medication• Alcohol

• Caffeine

• Nicotine

• Naturopathic Agents

• Homeopathic Agents

• Illicit Drugs

Other Impacts

• Situational poverty

• Low employment rates

• Available resources

• Professional help available

• Belongingness

PTSD

TBI

Overlap

2008 - 2010 support to 275 VeteransCrisis ManagementExamples: Emergency Funding, Suicide Prevention, LegalIssues

RehabilitationExamples: Education, Access to Community Resources,Therapies, Recreational Therapies

TransitionExamples: Family Education Groups, Social Skills Classes, Community Participation

Operation TBI Freedom (OTF)

Profile of a Veteran with

TBI/PTSDAcronyms You May Hear:

WTU-Warrior Transition UnitDOD-Department of DefenseVA-Veterans Administration

CAF-Challenged Athlete FundAW2-Army Wounded Warrior ProgramDown Range-Front Line Combat Zone

Reverse Culture Shock“Reverse Culture Shock is a term that is typically used to describe the unanticipated adjustment difficulties that many military people experience when returning to civilian life. People attempting to move beyond their military experiences can find themselves feeling disoriented and confused, neglected or frustrated, often unemployed, or under employed and generally struggling in their career as well as personal relationships.”

BC/Yukon Command The Royal Canadian Legion and the SurvivalKit for Oversees Living; For Americans Planning to Live and Work Abroad

Reverse Culture ShockHow Intensive Care Coordination

Eases Military Transitions for Returning Soldiers with

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Care Coordination• "A final, often-overlooked, challenge is that, without care coordination

and case management, injured service members and their families are left to navigate the system alone. Doing so may be particularly challenging, given that the service member may be cognitively or emotionally impaired and their families may have a limited understanding of the systems. Each of these issues suggest an increased need for effective care coordination and case management (George, 2007)

Case Study

Patrick

– TBI & PTSD Diagnosis

– Suicidal

– Unemployed

– At risk of homelessness

– Lack of appropriate benefits

Case Study

Joel

– Emergencies

– Legal Support

– Care Coordination

– TBI Trust Fund (Recreational Therapy)

Case StudyJose

– Financial/Emergencies

– Education Support

– VA Benefits Navigation

– TBI Trust Fund (Recreational Therapy)

– Care Coordination

•1.64 million troops deployed•19% of returning soldiers (320,000) have sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)•53% of these individuals also have PTSD

•Reserve, National Guard and younger service members who deploy with combat exposure are at an increased rate of alcohol related problems (JAMA 8/13/08)

•Male Veterans face roughly twice the risk of dying from suicide as their civilian counterparts (Kaplan et al., 2007)

What is the need?

•20% of marriages fall apart within two years when one spouse has been deployed to combat zones (US Army In Battle – Tom Leonard)

•In 2007 there were 154,000 homeless veterans•51% served post Vietnam•45% Substance Abuse Issues•20% Combat Experience (US Department of Defense)

What is the need?

• Partnerships with Department of Defense and the Veteran’s Administration

• Collaboration with Key Community Leaders & Veteran’s Service Agencies– Non-Profit Organizations– Mental Health Groups– Social Service Organizations

• Education & Community Outreach– Survivor’s Series– Military Circle Groups– Colorado Injured Military Service members

Collaboration

ResourcesEngaging 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 TBIhttp://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

Q & A

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 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 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.

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 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.

Alfredia “Fredia” Johnson