Women Veterans and the plight of Homeless Women Veterans

1
Women Veteransand the plight of Homeless Women
Veteranswho we are

• Presented to PA CARES
• By Sandra A. Miller, Director, Residential
  Facilities
• The Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service
  Education Center

2
Women in the Military
3
Women in the Military

• Women have officially been serving on Active
  Duty since 1901
• Unofficially, we have been serving since the
  American Revolution
• Women first recruited during the Civil War as
  nurses, without military status
• Army Nurse Corp was established in 1901
• Navy Nurse Corp was established in 1908

4

• Prior to the 1980s, women, by regulation, could
  only be 2 of total Active Force
• Only 10 of that 2 could be Officers
• Women Officers could not command men
• As of 2009, over 14 of current Active Forces are
  women
• 15 of Active Force are Women Officers
• 14 are Enlisted
• 20 of New Recruits are women

5
Military Sexual Trauma

• 1980
• First congressional hearings on sexual harassment
  in the military
• DoD adopts Equal Employment Opportunity
  Commission guidelines
• 2010
• Problem still exists
• Not a gender specific issue

6
The Philadelphia VeteransMulti-Service
Education Center

• Our mission is to provide employment, training,
  and related education services to all honorably
  discharged Veterans. Also, to provide social and
  human services counseling and referrals to less
  fortunate veterans experiencing barriers in
  finding their way back into the mainstream of
  society

7

The Philadelphia VeteransMulti-Service
Education Center

• Veterans Resource Assistance
• Veterans Benefits Counseling
• VA Disability Compensation Claims
• Emergency Food and Clothing
• Employment and Training Services
• Computer Applications Training
• Computer Repair A Certification Training
• Targeted Training in the Green Economy for Female
  Veterans
• Job Readiness Workshops
• Job Search and Placement

8
The Philadelphia VeteransMulti-Service
Education Center

• Homeless Veteran Services
• The Perimeter A Day Service Program
• LZ II A Male Veteran Transitional Residence
• The Mary E. Walker House A Female Veteran
  Transitional Residence
• Subsidized Permanent Housing
• Emergency Shelter Referrals
• Homeless Advocacy Project
• Legal Counseling Referrals

9
The Mary E. Walker House

• Our mission is to offer a safe, supportive
  environment where Women Veterans stay, living in
  harmony with others, while they endeavor to
  attain personal growth and enhance life skills,
  in order to re-establish themselves as members of
  a community and regain ownership of their lives

10
The Mary E. Walker House

• Established through a VA Homeless Grant Per
  Diem opened on January 3, 2005
• Named after Dr. Mary E. Walker, the only woman to
  ever receive the Congressional Medal of Honor
• Women Veterans can stay for up to two years
• All female staff
• Case Management services to assist in developing
  and implementing action plans
• Ensure access to medical and mental health
  services, including gender related care and
  treatment

11
The Mary E. Walker House

• Facilitate outpatient aftercare consults and
  therapy with VA clinicians and therapists
• Increase budget understanding and increase
  savings
• Improve capacity for and/or quality of employment
• Assist with application for additional income
  such as Social Security, VA Pension or
  Compensation
• Discharge planning

12
The Mary E. Walker House

• Increase ability to access affordable permanent
  community housing
• Provide access to and encourage participation in
  programs that assist in addressing military
  sexual trauma, domestic violence, and sexual or
  physical abuse
• In keeping with Dr. Walkers reply when told to
  give back her Medal of Honor, we try to teach the
  women to say NO

13
The Mary E. Walker House

• Whats
• In the
• Numbers

14
Age at EntranceFY10
15
Level of EducationFY10
16
Branch of ServiceFY10
17
Era of ServiceFY10
18
EthnicityFY10
19
Substance of AbuseFY10
20
Disposition of DischargeFY10
21
Length of StayFY10
22
Voluntary Discharge FY10
23
Non-compliant Discharge FY10
24
Drug or Alcohol DischargeFY10
25
Mental Health DiagnosisFY10
26
Medical DiagnosisFY10
27
Challenges

• Women are coming in with more mental health
  issues
• They are sicker than their male counterparts
• With the upcoming, new veterans we anticipate a
  changing population
• Child bearing age
• Dependent children
• Combat PTSD
• Inpatient we want what we want and we want it
  now mentality

28
The Philadelphia VeteransMulti-Service
Education Center

• Sandy Miller, Director, Residential Services
• 1400 Blackhorse Hill Rd., LZ II, Building 6A
• Coatesville, PA 19320
• Phone[phone] or [phone]
• Email Rm2wave_at_aol.com