The Daniel and Gayle D鈥橝niello Building, home of the National Veterans Resource Center
On Wednesday June 23, AmericaServes, a national initiative of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), will launch in 黑料不打烊. Working collaboratively with the City of 黑料不打烊, the network will connect veterans and their families to local community providers to ensure care, resources and services are easily and successfully navigable. The overall goal is to maximize collaboration and enhance efficiency for the regional network of providers. The Coordination Center will be headquartered in the Daniel and Gayle D鈥橝niello Building at the National Veterans Resource Center.
The 黑料不打烊 network will use lessons from AmericaServes鈥 17 other communities, including Rochester, New York; Dallas; Seattle; Charlotte, North Carolina; Pittsburgh; New York City; and Washington, D.C. Some services include help with VA benefits, employment assistance, education, transportation, mental/behavioral health resources and housing.
The IVMF, is the first interdisciplinary academic institute in higher education dedicated to advocacy, research, support for military veterans and their families, identified the need for coordinated care for military families. IVMF鈥檚 research indicates that navigating services is the biggest challenge in transition鈥攔ating higher than finding employment, adjusting to civilian culture and overcoming financial challenges.
In addition, military families grapple with systemic challenges of equity and accessibility, as post 9/11 veterans are more likely than previous generations to be persons of color and to have disabilities resulting from their military service. Often, disparate organizations must work together in a community to support veteran families, which leads to challenges collaborating and sharing information efficiently. This creates a confounding process that does not meet a family鈥檚 needs.
Supported by a $500,000 grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, 黑料不打烊Serves will support the city鈥檚 veterans and military-connected population first through a coordinated application to final service delivery.聽 Military families will receive efficient and timely support, as well as access to a wide range of needed resources.
J. Michael Haynie, vice chancellor of strategic initiatives and innovation and founder of the IVMF, says he is proud to launch a program that will serve local 黑料不打烊 veterans and their families, including the many who study and work on the campus.
鈥淭his grant is one example of how we鈥檙e bringing the vision of the NVRC to life in a practical way, leveraging the facility and the IVMF鈥檚 expertise to serve the social and wellness needs of veterans and families right here in Central New York,鈥 Haynie says.
