Welcome all Committee Members and Guests

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Welcome all Committee Members and Guests!
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Rhode Island Task Force Meeting Agenda 22 Jan 08,
0900 - 1100 VA Hospital, 5th Floor Advisory
Committee - Welcome, Review Dr. Susan
Storti/CMSgt Lori Ashness Addictive Disorders
Committee SSgt Alida Roa/Cindy Williams Woman
Veterans Committee LTC Jeannine Vachon/Minerva
Thomas Public Awareness Committee LtCol Dennis
Riel/Norman Deragon Community Outreach
Committee LtCol Bruce Fletcher/Michele
Jackson Peer Support Committee MAJ Michael
Manning/Christopher Morse Family Network
Committee LtCol Judy Ferriera/Kathy Neil John
Powers Student Veterans Program/Resource Guide
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Veterans Task Force of Rhode Island Highlights

• Program Activities
• Development of Resource Guide (through Sen.
  Reeds office) awaiting release of information
  projected completion date Feb 2008.
• Dr. John Rodolico and Dr. S. Storti presented
  grand rounds - Understanding the Psychological
  Challenges Experienced by Returning Military
  Members and their Families - at St. Lukes
  Hospital on 6 Nov 2007.
• Dr. Jennifer Lambert, Ms. Cindy Williams, and
  Dr. S. Storti presented at the RING NCO Wellness
  Briefing on 7 Nov 2007.
• Dr. S. Storti to participate in teleconference
  call on 16 Nov 2007 with 40 national foundations
  interested in funding community based initiatives
  that address the needs of returning military
  members and their families based upon the RI
  Blueprint.
• Dr. S. Storti teleconferenced with Mr. Tom Ries,
  Government Affairs Consultant, Alkermes Inc. on 6
  Dec 2007 Disseminated RI Blueprint
• and high level overview of Task Force activities
  to Veterans Service Organizations in DC.

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Veterans Task Force of Rhode Island Highlights

• Program Activities
• Dr. S. Storti met with Phoenix House on 7 Dec
  2007 to discuss the future programming designed
  to address the needs of returning military
  members.
• Dr. S. Storti presented one-day trainings - PTSD
  and Substance Abuse Understanding the Challenges
  Experienced By Returning Military Members Reno,
  NV, 10 Dec 2007 Las Vegas, NV, 11 Dec 2007
• Dr. S. Storti participated in an two hour
  interview conducted by the RAND Corporation on 14
  Dec 2007. The survey is being conducted to
  identify barriers and gaps in services for
  returning military members and their families, as
  well as successful initiatives that are
  addressing these needs.
• Chief L. Ashness and Dr. S. Storti participated
  in the Annual VA Hospital Holiday Party on 21 Dec
  2007.
• Dr. L. Sloane, National PTSD Center and Dr. S.
  Storti submitted a grant to DOD for additional
  resources to support the continued development
  and implementation of the RI Blueprint. 3 Jan
  2008 - received notification that proposal was
  recommended to the alternate list.
• Meeting held w/MG Bray, 3 Jan 2008 for update on
  Task Force.

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Veterans Task Force of Rhode Island Highlights

• Program Activities
• 9 Nov - VA Hosp Veterans Ceremony
• 11 Nov - Veterans Day Ceremony State House/WWII
  Dedication
• 17 Nov - Cindy Williams, Chief Lori attended ELKS
  Veterans Dinner
• 6 Dec Attended 143rd SFS Deployment Ceremony
• Chief Ashness, C. Williams, and Dr. S. Storti met
  on 7 Dec 2007 to develop a workshop training
  outline for RI Council of Community Mental Health
  Organizations
• Contacting MG Tod Bunting request participation
  in Resiliency Training
• Participated in 5th Anniversary, Womans
  Memorial.
• Attended Woman Vets Meetings, working processes
  on SARC/Homelessness/other issues affecting our
  veterans
• Writing AFA/ANG congressional paper
• 2 Jan Meeting MA Mental Health Meeting
• 3 Jan LtGov Meeting Dr. Storti/Chief Lori
• 1207th idea follow soldiers for 90 days
• Chief Ashness, Col. J. Vachon, Col. L. Hague, S.
  Usler, and Dr. S. Storti met on 3 Jan 2008 to
  discuss the creation of medical screening
  protocols for military members leaving on
  multiple deployments.

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Addictive Disorders Committee
SSgt Alida Roa/Cindy Williams

• Program Activity
• Stand Alone Operating Instructions for RI Air
  National Guard process.
• Cindy presented the RI Blue Print at the
  Uniformed Services University Of the Health
  Sciences Association of Military Surgeons of the
  United States (AMSUS) Annual Meeting in Salt Lake
  City UT on November 16th
• Handbook was given to Dr. Michael Kussman Under
  Secretary for Health for VA and retired Brig.
  General
• Handbook was given to Kristin Day, MSW Deputy
  Director of Social Work Service VA Central Office
  Washington, DC

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Women Veterans Committee LTC Jeannine
Vachon/Minerva Thomas

• Program Activity
• WW II Women Oral History Project, Ch 36, PBS.
• Sexual Assault Resource Manual
• Women Veterans Resource Manual
• Sat. 3 May Women Vets Benefits Fair
• 5th Anniversary Womans Memorial Dedication
  Luncheon, 27 Oct.

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Public Awareness Committee LTC Denis Riel/Normand
Deragon

• Program Activity
• No Report

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Community Outreach Committee LTC Bruce
Fletcher/Michele Jackson

• Program Activity
• Contacts with Veterans Groups (VFW, Amer Legion,
  Elks), Disabled American Veterans
• Produced a 30 Second Public Service Announcements
  for Cable, working on disseminating
• Generating 60 Second Announcement, completion
  date Feb 08

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Peer Support Committee MAJ Michael Manning/Chris
Morse

• Program Activity
• Peer-to-Peer Program update

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Family Network Committee Maj Judy Ferriera/Kathy
Neill

• Program Activity
• Family Symposium (Kathy)
• Additional VA Benefit Briefings to be scheduled
  on UTA weekends (Lt Col Ferriera)

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Next Meeting22 April 2008