Montgomery County, Maryland Commission on Veterans Affairs Annual Report 2016
Outreach at Piccard - Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC)
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Outreach at Piccard - Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) 1301 Piccard Drive, Room 1005, Rockville, MD 20850 VAMC provides outreach services to Veterans at the County's Crisis Center. VAMC Homeless Outreach Staff and are available for both drop in and scheduled visits. The VA is available to assist Veterans by making referrals and connecting Veterans who are eligible for VA services with the VA healthcare system. Maryland's Commitment to Veterans (MCV) also provides staff to be on-site to assist Veterans and their families with coordinating behavioral health services, including mental health and substance abuse services - either with the VA or Maryland's Public Health System; facilitate transportation to behavioral health appointments; provide information and referrals related to employment, education, housing or VA benefits; and provide outreach to educate residents, Veterans and community groups about MCV. Fatmata Kamara, VA Outreach Social Worker E-mail: fatmata.kamara@va.gov, 202-256-9261 (V) Ken Barnum, VA Outreach Social Worker E-mail: kenneth.barnum@va.gov
(Staff alternate Mondays) Melissa Barber, Regional Resource Coordinator, Maryland’s Commitment to Veterans E-mail: mbarber.mcv@gmail.com, 410-725-9971 (V) Winston Smith, Outreach Specialist, U.S. Vets, 202-734-8298 (V) Clayton McGee, Senior Outreach Specialist, U.S. Vets, 202-573-4961 (V) Office Hours: Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Staff alternate Thursdays)
E-mail: peernavigator@servingtogetherproject.org, 301-738-7176 (V) Office Hours: Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
M ARYLAND D EPARTMENT OF V ETERANS A FFAIRS The Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) Resource Guide for Veterans and their Families is designed to educate Veterans and their families, as well as those who serve them, on the benefits to which they may be entitled as a result of their military service. This comprehensive guide includes Federal, state, county and local resources on compensation and pension, benefits for Veterans with service-connected disabilities, services for combat Veterans, education, scholarships and grants, employment, housing, Maryland Homefront - The Veterans and Military Family Mortgage Program, VA home loans, homelessness, legal services, State tax exemptions, cemetery benefits, healthcare, and assisted living and nursing home care programs.
To view the guide online, please visit: http://veterans.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/ MDVAResourceGuide.pdf
Office of the Secretary: 410-260-3838 The Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255, press 1 Service and Benefits Program: 1-800-446-4926 x 6450 Call Center for Homeless Veterans: 1-877-424-3838 Charlotte Hall Veterans Home: 301-884-8171 Call Center for Women Veterans: 1-855-829-6636 Cemetery and Memorial Program: 410-923-6981 Vet Center Combat Call Center: 1-877-WAR-VETS Outreach and Advocacy Program: 410-260-3842 VA Coaching Into Care: 1-888-823-7458 Maryland Veterans Trust: 410-974-2399 VA Caregiver Support: 1-855-260-3274
Maryland’s Commitment to Veterans: 1-877-770-4801 United States Department of Veterans Affairs Maryland Access Point: 1-844-627-5465 Healthcare Eligibility and Enrollment:
Central Maryland/Eastern Shore: 1-800-463-6295 x 7324 Maryland Department of Human Resources: Western Maryland: 304-263-0811 x 3758 1-800-332-6347 Southern Maryland/Montgomery/Prince Georges: Maryland Health Connection: 202-745-8251 1-855-642-8572
Baltimore: 410-605-7000 VA Community Resource and Referral Center Perry Point: 410-642-2411 Washington, DC: 202-636-7660 Loch Raven: 410-605-7000 Baltimore: 410-637-3246 Martinsburg, WVA: 304-263-0811
Washington, DC: 202-745-8000
P ROJECTED N UMBER OF V ETERANS IN M ONTGOMERY C OUNTY , MD Veteran Population of Montgomery County, MD - 2015 Subject Veterans Total Civilian Population 18 years and over 41,929 (5.3%) 793,175
Period of Service Veterans % of 41,929 Gulf War II (9/2001 or later) veterans 9,942 23.7%
Gulf War I (8/1990 to 8/2001) veterans 8,861
21.1% Vietnam era veterans 13,067 31.2%
Korean War veterans 3,981
9.5% World War II veterans 3,125 7.4%
Gender Veterans % of 41,929 Male
37,255 88.8%
Female 4,674
11.2% Age Veterans % of 41,929 18 to 34 years 4,285 10.2%
35 to 54 years 10,223
24.4% 55 to 64 years 6,306 15.0%
65 to 74 years 9,225
22.0% 75 years and older 11,890 28.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2015 Montgomery County, MD Veteran Demographics - By City (2010 - 2014) United States Census QuickFacts only includes data for incorporated places with a population of 5,000 or greater. Ashton-Sandy Spring 351 Aspen Hill 2,267 Bethesda 3,238 Burtonsville 306 Chevy Chase 510 Clarksburg 586 Damascus 913 Darnestown 279 Four Corners 479 Gaithersburg 2,793 Olney
1,712 Poolesville 210 Potomac
2,284 Rockville 3,047 Silver Spring 2,930 South Kensington 477 Takoma Park 615 Travilah 492 Wheaton
2,075 The U.S. Census Bureau, 2015, estimates that there are approximately 41,929 veterans living in Montgomery County, Maryland. According to a 2015 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, 7.6% of Americans self-reported as being a veteran. The Census Bureau defines as veteran as men and women who have served (even for a short time), but are not currently serving, on active duty in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or the Coast Guard, or who served in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II. People who served in the National Guard or Reserves are classified as veterans only if they were ever called or ordered to active duty, not counting the 4 to 6 months for initial training or yearly summer camps. All other civilians are classified as nonveterans. Germantown 3,165
Glenmont 428
Kemp Mill 590
Poolesville 210
Layhill 259
Leisure World 1,611
Montgomery Village 1,426
North Bethesda 2,553
North Kensington 541
North Potomac 827
Source: U.S. Census QuickFacts 2010 - 2014
P ROJECTED N UMBER OF V ETERANS IN M ONTGOMERY C OUNTY , MD Project Number of Veterans in Maryland for 2016: 422,282 H OW M ANY U NIFORMED S ERVICES R ETIREES LIVE I N THE C OUNTY ? Colonel Harvey T. Kaplan, U.S. Army (Ret.) Vice President, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) MD, reports that in Montgomery County, the number of Uniformed Services retirees from all 7 of our Uniformed Services can be estimated from the "yardstick" we have been using for the entire State of Maryland for many years. It is approximately 1/11 of the Veteran population. If you wish to accept the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs figures, then divide your total by 11. If I had to come up with a good estimate on the spot, I'd say use the figure 3,900 for the number of retirees in Montgomery County. [Kindly note that there is not consensus on the VA figures, which are based on algorithm rather that an accurate count at predetermined intervals.]
omitting any group that should be included: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Public Health Service (USPHS Commissioned Corps), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Corps. The State of Maryland's General Assembly has had to correct such omissions in recent past legislation. Both the USPHS Commissioned Corps and the NOAA Commissioned Corps are headquartered in Montgomery County. Captain Dave Peterson, NOAA (Ret), President, Montgomery County Chapter, MOAA, Commissioner, Maryland Veterans Commission reports that each year he receives a large listing from MOAA's national headquarters in Alexandria, which provides the names of MOAA members living in Montgomery County who are not also chapter members. The 2016 listing has 1837 names of retired officers from the seven uniformed services who live in Montgomery County. To that you can add about 100 members of their chapter, so in round numbers, there are 2000 retired officers in the County. The Commission will be contacting the Retired Enlisted Association to determine if they have a similar kind of listing, which would at least give a more complete picture of retired service members in our county.
EAR I N R EVIEW Commission on Veterans Affairs 2016 Annual Report Page 21
To provide greater access to health care, we are pleased that the VA Medical Center in D.C., will be establishing a Community Based Outpatient Clinic in the County in 2017. After six years of advocating for a Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), the Commission was proud to participate in the Golden Hammer event marking the build out of this clinic. The Commission along with Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett was joined by County, State, and Federal officials for the official ceremony to redevelop space for a new County CBOC. The ceremony was held Monday, September 19, 2016 at 15810 Gaither Drive in Gaithersburg where the clinic will be located, It will be the first Department of Veterans Affairs community clinic in Montgomery County offering health care services to the more than 42,000 Veterans living in the area. The newly renovated building space will offer 11,600 square feet with room for primary-care and mental-health clinics as well as space for tele-health, patient education, hearing aid fittings and specialty care.
The Commission continues to advocate to increase access in the County to health/mental health care for Veterans. The County and its contractors need to encourage Veterans and their families to enroll them in VA Health Benefits. Recent studies indicate that 1 out of 5 Veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan have some type of mental health issue from Traumatic Brain Injury to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
There are plans underway for a Mental Health Court and the Commission advocated that a Veterans docket be included. The Commission is very interested in providing support/mentoring to incarcerated Veterans and their families. 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.
The Commission advocated with the Office of Public Information to establish a County Cable talk show called Homefront. Michael Subin has served as host.
As part of this year’s activities, the Commission worked with Neil Greenberger and Merlyn Reineke of Montgomery Community Media to plan the County’s first Salute to Vietnam Veterans which was held on October 24, 2015 at the Universities of Shady Grove. Bob Schieffer, formerly with Face the Nation, was our MC. Over 800 people attended. Five of our living POW’s from the Vietnam War attended.
The Commission advocated with the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) to hire a full time Veterans Benefits Specialist now located at Montgomery College. 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. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Dept. of Defense, State of Maryland and other programs for Veterans and their families.
EAR I N R EVIEW Commission on Veterans Affairs 2016 Annual Report Page 22 The Commission supports the work of Serving Together, which is a collection of local community-based resources for Veterans, service members and their families. Its goal is to provide clear guidance on how to access the care and support Veterans need. This includes support during transition to the civilian world and job placement. Website: www.servingtogetherproject.org
The Veterans Education Partnership, which was established by the Commission, increases outreach to the general Veteran population regarding programs and services including the Montgomery College Combat to College Program, Universities at Shady Grove Veterans Services and the University of Maryland Terp Vets.
Commission continues its fight against Veteran homelessness through its support of Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers The Commission supported the Zero 16 Campaign to End Veteran Homelessness. As part of the County’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget, the County Council approved an appropriation in the amount of $500,000 to provide housing and supportive services to functionally end Veteran homelessness in the County. The funding is reoccurring every year and is available to Veterans who have received less than an honorable discharge and are therefore not eligible for VA programs. The County has received 98 VASH vouchers over the last six years, each worth $13,122 or $1.1 M per year in housing subsidies.
The Commission supports the importance of the Silver Spring Vet Center. Operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Vet Centers provide free readjustment counseling to combat Veterans and their families to help with the transition from military to civilian life. Counseling can help with issues such as employment assessment, PTSD, sexual trauma, substance abuse, and screening and referral for medical issues such as traumatic brain injuries and depression. The Silver Spring Vet Center’s telephone number is 301-589-1073 and is located at 2900 Linden Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
The Commission continually seeks job placement resources for Veterans and their families. It supports Bob Pelletier and the team at Montgomery Works -Partner of the American Job Center Networks and Tony Cancelosi of Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind for their work on Veteran hiring. The Commission advocated with the County and the Office of Human Resources for the employment initiatives for disabled Veterans and Veterans that led to the hiring of 191 Veterans of which 13 have a disability.
The Commission worked the Military Officers of America Association (MOAA) to implement a program called Transition Support to Veterans in Montgomery County Business and Networking Group (BANG) –The Military Officers Association of America Transition Group for Northern VA and Southern MD is concerned that military service members transitioning back into civilian life are unprepared when seeking employment. The Northern Virginia (NOVA) Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Business and Networking Group (BANG) was created in 1996. BANG is a monthly program that provides business and networking assistance. Each month an employer is invited to speak about their company and offers assistance as well as accepting resumes. In addition BANG sends out a weekly e-mail broadcast that provides employment opportunities, Veterans’ updates, and job fair announcements. The group is open to non-military job seekers and networkers. The Montgomery County Chapter of the MOAA started BANG in Montgomery County and held its first meeting with students at Montgomery College on November 3, 2015. The Commission endorsed and supports this project of the Montgomery County MOAA of creating BANG in the County.
The Commission will continue its satellite meeting program whereby the Commission holds monthly meetings at different locations throughout the County at least once a year. The Commission’s November 2015 meeting was held at Leisure World, which will give Leisure World Veterans and their families an opportunity to directly address the Commission and learn more about County and State support.
The Veterans Tribute Concert was held on November 3, 2015 at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza. Dan Bullis, Randy Stone, and Mike Subin were featured speakers and participants enjoyed the music of The 19 th Street Band as they honored the military service of County Veterans and their families.
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COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS FOR 2015 - 2016 November, 2015: Satellite Meeting at Leisure World VA Benefits for You & Your Spouse - Phil M unley, Director, V eterans Service Program, Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs December, 2015: Introduction to the Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training, Inc. (MCVET), Baltimore, MD - Catherine O’Donovan, Director or Development, M CV ET, and Sandi Dutton, President of the Board, MVCET January, 2016: Celebrating Functionally Ending Veteran Homelessness - The Honorable George Leventhal, Councilmember, Montgomery County Council Serving Veterans in the Court System - M ichael Subin, Esq., Special A ssistant to County Executive, and Robert Green, Director of Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (DOCR) February, 2016: Veterans Choice Program - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Jereme W hiteman, Chief of Business Office, DC VA Medical Center Joining Forces Project, Maryland Legal Aid - Swapna Yeluri March, 2016: Incarcerated Veterans Pre-Release and Reentry Services - Gale Starkey, Deputy W arden, Inmate Services, Detention Services Division (MCDOCR), and Shawn Huntley, Vice President of Community Services, WorkSource Montgomery April, 2016: Operation Second Change - Cindy M cGrew, President and Founder Serving Veterans in the Mental Health Court - R aymond Crowel, Psy.D., Chief, Behavioral Health and Crisis Services, Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services May, 2016: Planning for Community Outreach to Veterans - Ohene Gyapong, Deputy Director, M ontgomery County Office of Public Information MyVA Communities and Capital Network Community Engagement Board - Chakakhon Lea, M S, FAC-PM, Department of Veterans Affairs, Veteran Experience Office, North Atlantic District June, 2016: Team River Runner (TRR) - Joe Mornini, Executive Director and Co-Founder; Alex Nielson, Veteran and TRR Participant September, 2016 Annual Strategic Planning Meeting - Held offsite at American Legion Post 41, Silver Spring, MD October, 2016 Overview of Department of Defense (DoD) Suicide Prevention Efforts - Jackie Garrick, Department of Defense Commission on Veterans Affairs 2016 Annual Report Page 23
Commission on Veterans Affairs 2016 Annual Report Page 24 Isiah Leggett, County Executive Uma S. Ahluwalia, Director Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Commission on Veterans Affairs 401 Hungerford Drive, 4th floor Rockville, Maryland 20850 240-777-1246 (V) or via MD Relay 711
For additional information on the Commission, please call the telephone numbers or write to the address listed above or e-mail via the contact information listed below. Montgomery County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in employment or in the admission or access to its programs or services. 2015 - 2016 Annual Report Prepared By: Betsy Luecking, Community Outreach Manager betsy.luecking@montgomerycountymd.gov
Carly Clem, Administrative Specialist I carly.clem@montgomerycountymd.gov HOW TO CONTACT YOUR COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS The County Executive can be reached at:
Executive Office Building 101 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor Rockville, MD 20850 240-777-0311 (V) 240-773-3556 (TTY) ocemail@montgomerycountymd.gov
The County Council can be reached at:
Stella B. Werner Council Office Building 100 Maryland Avenue Rockville, MD 20850 240-777-7900 (V) 240-777-7914 (TTY) 240-777-7888 (FAX) county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov County Executive Isiah Leggett Montgomery County Council Seated, left to right: Sidney Katz, Craig Rice, Hans Riemer and George Leventhal. Standing: Marc Elrich, Roger Berliner, Nancy Floreen, Nancy Navarro and Tom Hucker. Yüklə 6,66 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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