WELCOMING HOME OUR VETERANS:
Successful reintegration into New York State communities
P R E L I M I NA RY P RO G R A M
Friday, May 15, 2015
Hilton New York JFK Airport
114-02 135th Avenue
Jamaica, New York
Summit Sponsors
Health Management Group, Horizon Health Services, WNY
Samaritan Village
Seafield Center
The St. Joseph's Col C. David Merkel, MD Veteran’s Residence
WELCOMING HOME OUR VETERANS:
Successful reintegration into New York State communities
Friday, May 15, 2015
8:30 am-9:00 am
REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
9:00 am-10:55 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Keynote Address
Arlene González-Sánchez,
M.S., L.M.S.W.
Commissioner, New York
State Office of Alcoholism
and Substance Abuse
Services (OASAS)
10:55 am-11:10 am
Loree Sutton MD
Brigadier General, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Commissioner, Mayor’s Office of
Veterans’ Affairs (MOVA)
MORNING BREAK
11:10 am-12:15 pm
Ann Feder, LCSW
VISN 3 Mental Health Programs Manager
Department of Veterans Affairs
New York/New Jersey Health Care
NY Harbor VA Health Care System Representatives Panelists
Frank Castro, PhD, Domiciliary Chief, St Albans VA Domiciliary
Denise Lukowski, LCSW, Veterans Justice Outreach Coordinator
Anthony Stamatouras, Peer Support Specialist
12:15 pm-1:45pm
NETWORKING LUNCHEON
Speaker: Onaje Muid, MSW, CASAC, LMHC, FDLC
Clinical Associate Director
Reality House, Inc.
WELCOMING HOME OUR VETERANS:
Successful reintegration into New York State communities
Friday, May 15, 2015
1:45 pm-3:00 pm
EDUCATIONAL BREAKOUT SESSIONS I
Session A: Meeting the Distinctive Needs of Women Veterans, Madison Room
Session Moderator: Janetta Astone-Twerell, Ph.D, Director of Research and Evaluation, Samaritan Village, Inc.
In the US there are over 2 million women Veterans. Importantly, while the male veteran population is steadily declining, women Veterans
are projected to increase over the next 30 years. While women have always participated to some extent in combat, more recent wars have
included them in the front lines. This newest generation of women Veterans may face unique threats to their well-being while serving in the
military and as they adjust to post-deployment reintegration. This presentation will include three panelists who will provide an enlightening
and factual overview of the issues experienced by many women Veterans within the military as well as during post-deployment
reintegration. The high rate of post traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders among women Veterans will be discussed along
with the challenges they experience entering residential treatment and moving forward in their recovery. Effective evidence-based practices
and innovative strategies to help motivate, retain and promote wellness among women Veterans will be presented. Finally, a focus on
Trauma and Substance Use Disorders Recovery will inform the audience how adaptive defenses create the difficulties after traumatic
experiences and how to help begin to build hope and create safety within. Practical holistic healing strategies involving body, mind and
spirit to promote empowerment, healing and recovery will be discussed and demonstrated.
Speakers: Jordanna Mallach, Special Programs and Outreach Coordinator, New York State Division of Veterans ’ Affairs, 2LT.
Sharon Gingola, MA, LMSW, active NYS Guard and Program Director, Samaritan Village Women Veterans ’ Residential Program, Jo
Potestivo LCSW-R, C-CATODSW, Health Science Specialist, Veterans Administration, Brooklyn Office
Session B: Perspectives and Services for Families of Veterans, Lexington Room
Session Moderator: Diane Gonzalez, MSW, Chief Executive Officer, J-Cap, Inc.
Currently, there are approximately 23 million Veterans living in the U.S., with about 3 million of these Veterans living with a disability. Family
caregivers have been and will likely continue to be the largest source of long-term care services in the United States. This session will offer
perspectives and resources for family caregivers including: hear a comprehensive overview of the Veteran Administration’s supportive
services available to provide support and assistance to family caregivers; hear a Veteran’s personal experiences when first returning home
from the service and challenges he faced and resources he found to help with family reunification; and listen to a child’s perspective of
challenges in living with Veteran parents.
Speakers: Tina Atherall, LMSW, Hope for the Warriors, Julia Floyd-Ventura, CASAC, Vice President, Director of Mental Health &
Military Services, Phoenix House, Retired Captain Elliot Vernon, Esq., Director, Business Development of Citicare, Inc., Cheryl Cox, LCSWR, Caregiver Support Coordinator, Syracuse Veterans Administration Medical Center
Session C: Housing Concerns and Opportunities for Veterans, Gramercy Room
Session Moderator: Roy Kearse, LCSW, Vice President of Residential Treatment, Samaritan Village, Inc.
There are many challenges confronting returning Veterans. These issues span the continuum of prevention, treatment and recovery.
However the issue of homelessness and transitional and affordable housing remains a paramount challenge for providers working with
Veterans to address. This workshop will provide information on work being done and opportunities that are available to Veterans as they
seek to re-establish themselves in the community with stable housing.
Speakers: Sandra Foley LCSW, Supervisory Regional Coordinator, Supportive Services for Veteran Families, Center for
Homelessness Among Veterans, George Basher, President and Chief Executive Officer, Loyola Recovery Foundation.
Session D: Education and Employment for Veterans and Non-Veterans: More Opportunities Than You
Realized, Tribeca 1 & II
Session Moderator: Paige Prentice, Vice President, Operations, Horizon Corporations
One of the most powerful and earliest barriers to accessing benefits is that people simply aren’t aware of what’s available or how to get to
them. There are numerous educational and employment benefit programs available to individuals that have served in the military. Many
benefits are available to advance the education and skills of Veterans and Service members. Spouses and family members may also be
eligible for education and training assistance, and in fact, 25 percent of those benefitting from VAs education programs are non-Veterans.
Some might find they are eligible for more than one benefit or that one program is more suited to certain education and training goals than
another. This session will focus on understanding the education and employment opportunities that are available – What are they? Who
can get them? How can they get them?
Speakers: Chris Holder, NYRO, Michael Johnson, Outreach Coordinator, Veterans Administration, Buffalo Office
WELCOMING HOME OUR VETERANS:
Successful reintegration into New York State communities
Friday, May 15, 2015
3:00 pm-3:15 pm
AFTERNOON BREAK
3:15 pm-4:30 pm
EDUCATIONAL BREAKOUT SESSIONS II
Session E: Trauma Informed Care: Invisible Wounds and Impact of Service on Veterans and Their Families,
Session Moderator: Bonnie Owens, LCSW, Seafield Center
Gramercy Room
Veterans and their families may be challenged not only by the effects of what is experienced during their service, but also by issues that arise
from the very nature of service itself and a return to civilian life. Past and current service members face many transitional challenges;
challenges that can put them at greater risk for substance misuse, behavioral health problems, and other life challenges. This presentation will
highlight and expand upon these challenges with a lens towards reducing stigma and increasing cultural/clinical competency. The presentation
will also detail the relationship between, post traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, substance misuse, and suicide. Lastly it will highlight
clinical and community approaches, including the importance of brain-body techniques and relational healing, that can facilitate growth and
recovery.
Speakers: Bonnie Owens, LCSW, Director, Honor and Resiliency Program, Seafield Center, Michael DeFalco, Psy.D, Director of
Military Services at Bridge Back to Life Center, Inc.
Session F: Benefits: Compensation and Healthcare…eligibility, access, and appeals, Tribeca 1 & II
Committee Coordinator: Paige Prentice, Vice President of Operations, Horizon Corporations
The words “Veteran Benefits” can mean many different things. Today it will mean financial compensation and health care benefits. One of the
most powerful and earliest barriers to accessing benefits is that people simply aren’t aware of what’s available or how to get to them. In addition
to the pensions and benefits that Veterans may be entitled because of both public and private employment, they may also be eligible for certain
benefits based on their military service, including healthcare. There are specific avenues for determining eligibility and obtaining approvals –
specific department to contact, forms that need to be submitted, timeframes to abide by, etc. This presentation will attempt to answer questions
related to entitlement verification, the application and/or enrollment process and how to appeal denials.
Speakers: Ed Perry, Outreach Coordinator VBANYC, Michael G Williams, MSW, Minority Veterans Coordinator, U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs, James J. Peters Veterans Administration Medical Center, Bronx NY
Session G: Serving Veterans: Agency Collaborations and Partnerships, Madison Room
Session Moderator: Paul Noonan, Coordinator of Veterans Services at New York State Office Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
Services
Despite significant gains in recent years in minimizing silos and developing integrated service delivery systems, much work remains to be done.
Both Clear Path for Veterans, Inc, located in Syracuse, and the Buffalo-based Veterans One-stop Center of Western New York, Inc. (VOC of
WNY) represent efficient, multi-faceted models of community collaboration and partnership that provide a seamless array of services for U.S.
Veterans and their families in the convenience of a single, barrier-free location. Here, Veterans and family members may access a holistic
range of social and health service in the comfort of a “home base” environment that is always welcoming, affirming and responsive to their
needs. Each of these model programs operates on the principle that services are provided by existing, independent service providers working
together in a coordinated way to provide a seamless program that assists Veterans and their families in dealing with the various challenges they
encounter.
Speakers: Roger Woodworth, President and CEO, Veteran One Stop Center of Western New York, Inc., Melissa Spicer, Co-Founder,
Clear Path for Veterans, Inc.
Session H: Understanding the Military Culture, Lexington Room
Session Moderator: Zachary Randolph MA, CASAC, CAMS-1, Program Director, Colonel C. David Merkel, MD
Veterans’ Residence, St. Joseph's Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers
To be a member of today’s military is to belong to an elite force that operates in extremes; a service member must be at peak physical condition
to perform their jobs as lives depend on a duty executed without error. Arduous training in difficult conditions, long hours, and acute incidences
of trauma create a culture of extremes that causes members to live in a heightened state of being where excess does not have a limit. While
military culture creates a heightened sense duty, integrity, and honor in its service members, it also fosters an environment for addiction in that
these extremes transition into social interactions and excessive use becomes a trait service members are then measured against in their social
circles: their prowess as a warrior becomes synonymous with their tolerance to substances. In a culture that emphasizes emotional, physical,
and mental strength, asking for help or admitting weakness is taboo. This presentation will highlight and expand upon military culture and the
dichotomy of lifestyle that both encourages and eschews excess to create an environment that would foster addiction. The presentation will also
detail traumas and stressors in military life to include PTSD, Combat Stress, family separation, and addiction.
Speakers: Carolyn Jackson, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Home-Based Primary Care, Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical Center/Rome
Community Based Outpatient Clinic, (Retired) Lt. Colonel Shirley Eadline