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. 

 

HUD-VASH Vouchers Awarded to Housing Opportunities Commission (2010 - 2016) 



10400 Detrick Avenue, Kensington, MD 

240-627-9400 

  2010  2011 

2012 

2013 

2015 

2016 

Total 

HUD-VASH Vouchers 

25 


25 

15 


15 

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

 

 

From left to right: Steve Campanella, Bill Gray, Jane McCarthy, Mike Walsh, Wayne Miller 



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.  

 

Two members of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA)  

Chapter 641 in Silver Spring  lay a wreath. 

Dale Boggs, DAR, gives remarks at the  

wreath laying  

From left to right: Ken Reichard, Wayne Miller, Conrad A. Bousquet, Larry Gray, Jane McCarthy,  

Bill Bennett, Bill Highland, Steve Campanella, Bill Gray, Stanley Miller, Roland Kauffman 


 

 

Commission on Veterans Affairs 2014 Annual Report  Page 13 



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)



 

 

August 30, 2016 



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 



13 

Veterans 

159 


172 

178 


Not identified 

10 



 

 

 

Commission on Veterans Affairs 2014 Annual Report  Page 14 



FY18 O

PERATING

 B

UDGET

 P

RIORITIES

 

 

Commission on Veterans Affairs Budget Priorities FY18 



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. 

 

 



 

 

Commission on Veterans Affairs 2014 Annual Report  Page 15 



A

NNUAL

 M

EETING

 

WITH

 C

OUNTY

 E

XECUTIVE

  

 

BOARDS, COMMITTEES, AND COMMISSIONS (BCCS) 



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) 

  

BCC Members and Staff who Plan to Attend (Please indicate if Chair  or  Vice Chair ): 

Dan Bullis, Chair; Randy Stone, Vice-Chair 

  

Issue to be Addressed by the County Executive: (Optional) 

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 to be Addressed by the County Executive: (Optional) 

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? 

 

 

Commission on Veterans Affairs 2014 Annual Report  Page 16 



VA S

ILVER

 S

PRING

 V

ET

 C

ENTER

 S

ERVICES

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Readjustment Counseling Services 

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.  

Eligibility 

War Zone Veterans - All Eras Including: 

 

WWII 

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) 

 

American Merchant Marines in  



Oceangoing Service 

7 Dec 1941 to 15 August 1945 

 

Korea 

27 June 1950 to 27 July 1954 

(eligible for the Korean Service Medal) 

 

Vietnam 

28 Feb 1961 to 1 May 1975 

 

Lebanon 

25 Aug 1982 to 26 Feb 1984 

 

Grenada 

23 Oct 1983 to 21 Nov 1983 

 

Panama 

20 Dec 1989 to 31 Jan 1990 

 

Persian Gulf 

2 Aug 1990 to - 

 

Somalia 

17 Sept 1992 to - 

 

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Albania 

(former Yugoslavia operations) 

 

Global War on Terrorism/OIF/OEF/OND 

11 Sept 2001 -  

Location and Hours of Operation 

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) 



 

 

Commission on Veterans Affairs 2016 Annual Report  Page 17 



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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