Tag Archives: families

Sea of Goodwill Series: Navigating the Sea of Goodwill

Posted on by Devin

This week’s guest blogger is Bill Salesky, a Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton and an enlisted member of the Air Force Reserve. In this blog, Bill shares his thoughts on the resources needed for the transition home.

Like many other Americans, I know those who have been deployed overseas – they are friends; they are classmates; they are colleagues.  One needs only turn on the television or read a newspaper to see the stories about service men and women on their second or third tour of duty.  Some are active duty, some are reservists like me, and some are National Guard.  What they all have in common is that they left their families and “normal lives” for months at a time to answer America’s call to duty.

Upon their return, veterans and their families have a variety of needs as they work to re-integrate into each local community.  The navigation of the 400,000 nationwide organizations supporting and providing resources to the veteran community is no simple task.  An example of how overwhelming it can be to find a specific resource across the extensive amount of resources can be illustrated through a veteran’s search of the phrase “post traumatic stress disorder.”  This disorder is one of the more common afflictions after military service abroad.  This key phrase yields over 5 million results and does not quickly get the veteran to the answers or resources he/she needs.

To better support our veterans and their families, it is imperative to have a platform dedicated to nothing more than navigating the vast array of resources and services available to their needs.  There needs to be one additional resource which is the connection and portal to link the other 400,000 resources while addressing the needs of the veteran community.

Bill Salesky

Sr. Airman, U.S. Air Force Reserve


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Sea of Goodwill Series: The inTransition Program: Maintaining Continuity of Care through Transitions

Posted on by Devin

The transition to civilian life for service members can be complicated, and if they are also receiving mental health treatment, the challenges multiply. They can find themselves wondering, “How do I continue with my treatment? What support services are available as I transition? Who can I turn to in an emergency?”  The inTransition Program can help answer these and many other questions.

inTransition is a collaboration between the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to bridge the potential gaps in behavioral health support during transitional periods—gaps that can lead to service members’ disengagement from treatment or deterioration of their health status. The program provides a personal coach who will support the service member through the transitional period and help identify community resources.

Enrollment into the program can be initiated by the service member or through referral from a servicemember’s current provider or case manager. All it takes is one phone call to 1-800-424-7277.

Once servicemembers confirm their participation in the inTransition program, they are connected with a transition support coach, who provides one-on-one support by phone. Coaches help service members connect with their new provider and locate local community resources, support groups, crisis intervention services and other assistance in the servicemember’s new location. Coaches do not replace the functions of case managers, but rather facilitate the access to and utilization of health services.

Our goal is ensure servicemembers continue their care without interruption. Join us Aug. 19, 2010 from 2:30 – 3:00 p.m. (CDT) for free, web-based training on inTransition. To learn more about inTransition, or register for our August webinar, please visit www.health.mil/intransition.


This post was authored by Dr. Lolita O’Donnell.  Dr. Lolita O’Donnell is the Acting Director of the Clearinghouse, Outreach and Advocacy Directorate at the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (dcoe.health.mil).

Sea of Goodwill Series: National Resource Directory: Trusted Support for Wounded Warriors and Veterans

Posted on by Devin

As the United States continues to fight the longest war in our nation’s history, thousands of wounded warriors, Veterans and their families are dealing with a myriad of physical, emotional and financial issues as they transition back to life at home.  The private and public sectors have responded with overwhelming support and action.  Hundreds of new non-governmental organizations have sprung up in response to the unique needs of wounded warriors and Veterans.  How does a wounded warrior or Veteran navigate this “Sea of Goodwill?”

One option available is the National Resource Directory. A collaboration of the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs, the National Resource Directory, or NRD, is a free online tool designed to empower wounded warriors, Veterans, their families and others who support them with access to more than 11,000 resources at the national, state and local levels.

The National Resource Directory leverages the tremendous local support alive in our communities today by featuring resources from organizations in both government and non-government sectors.  However, to be listed on the National Resource Directory, non-governmental organizations must follow a participation policy based on relevance and appropriateness.  Submissions are reviewed by a team of Veterans and subject matter experts to ensure quality resources are available to our wounded warriors and Veterans.  Reintegration back to civilian life is complex and sometimes challenging – our goal with the NRD is to reduce time spent looking for answers about key aspects of transition like education, employment, healthcare, mentorship, housing, and family support.

We encourage you to get involved, speak up and welcome wounded warriors and Veterans home with high quality support services.

Here are some great ways to stay informed about new resources in your community:

1)    Sign up to receive weekly e-mail updates from the NRD.

2)    Become a Facebook fan to read our latest news and share resources or feedback.

3)    Check out information by state or territory – if you know of resources to add, let us know.


Visit today: www.NationalResourceDirectory.gov


This post was authored by Dr. Karen Guice.  Dr. Karen Guice is the Executive Director of the Veterans Affairs Federal Recovery Coordination Program.

Sea of Goodwill Series: Teaming Up to Help the Military Community Successfully Steer Through the Sea of Goodwill

Posted on by Devin

“The transition is the hardest part,” says Veteran Steven Pater when discussing the switch from military to civilian life in a recent Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, Those Leaving Military Can Use an Assist.  However, the search for help with that transition can also be daunting, even overwhelming.

The recent white paper, Sea of Goodwill: Matching the Donor to the Need, released by the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, estimates  over 400,000 service organizations nationwide are dedicated to making the reintegration back home easier for the military community (active duty, Guard, Reserve, Veterans, and family members).  These service groups take many forms including faith-based, public, fee-for-service, non-profit, local, regional, and national organizations.

With this abundance, members of the military community are continuously faced with the same question: How can I access the right service when I need it and where I live?  How do I know if it is good?

It is the responsibility of those serving our military community to work together to answer this question.  We need to deliver a transparent system of access points to credible, dependable, and consistent information about available resources.  As consumers and recipients of these services, it is vital that military community members have “a voice” in shaping and sustaining this network.

Cooperation and communication across the sea of goodwill is critical:  “We, as a nation, must build key partnerships and link national and local community efforts…to work as a team and provide the highest level of quality of our veterans, Service members and their families deserve.” (Sea of Goodwill: Matching the Donor to the Need).  Ultimately, all of us serving the military community have one goal in mind: easing the transition of military community members back into civilian life.

OEF/OIF Vets Returning to Pennsylvania: Upcoming Conference Seeks to Help Address Your Needs

Posted on by Devin

On Wednesday, August 18, the Pennsylvania Disabled Veterans Rehabilitation/ Vocational Retraining Project will be presenting the fifth Community Response Symposium. This conference focuses on the needs of service men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The forum will be held at Hiram G. Andrews Center on Goucher Street in Upper Yoder Township. 

Pennsylvania Disabled Veterans Rehabilitation/ Vocational Retraining is an outgrowth of the Veteran Community Initiative that provides career counseling and job assistance for the military community including families.

Are you looking for services in the Pennsylvania area?  The Warrior Gateway can help.  Know of excellent programs that serve veterans, service members and/or their families and loved ones? Share them with the rest of the military community by clicking here.

To view the original article, Conference to address needs of returning troops by Ted Potts, click here.

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