“VetSET Nebraska” http://nalhd.or/vetset.html a Nebraska Association of Local Health Directors (NALHD) http://nalhd.org was selected as one of five organizations to receive a Rural Veterans Coordination Pilot (RVCP) www.ruralhealth.va.gov/coordination-pilot grant through the VA Office of Rural Health www.ruralhealth.va.gov.
The State of Nebraska reports that there are 145,000 veterans with nearly 30 percent living in rural areas plus a military unit presence in 24 cities and towns across the state. While military veterans and their families are very much a part of every community, some rural veterans get lost in the shuffle, especially when transitioning to civilian life.
VetSET is designed to assist veterans and their families with the transition from military service to civilian life in rural communities. VetSET in partnership with the multi-disciplinary Veterans’ Brain Injury Task Force, delivers a day long training pilot called “No Wrong Door”. Participants learn from veterans, their families, and from experts in the field about military culture and how veterans with PTSD and brain injuries influence emotions and behaviors.
“No Wrong Door” is marketed widely to community professionals including educators, health professionals, county clerks, bankers, small businesses, clergy, and law enforcement. According to Teri Clark Air Force Veteran and VetSET Project Director, “We want to reach people who don’t traditionally think of themselves as working with veterans.”
In addition to raising awareness and training to community providers and partners in cultural competence, Vet SET directly connects veterans and their families to resources within their communities. Ten VetSET coordinators were hired statewide to connect with veteran families to help identify their needs and assist with navigating resources.
NALHD’s Executive Director Susan Bockrath reports, “We are doing something different here. Instead of asking veterans to bear the entire burden of navigating services, we’re educating an existing network of community services to be more responsive to the veteran experience.”
Other states that have received funding to establish a RVCP pilot program include Maine Department of Labor www.maine.gov/labor/bes/index.shtml, New Mexico Department of Veteran Services www.dvs.state.nm.us, Volunteers of America of North Louisiana www.voanorthia.org, and WestCare Washington Inc. http://westcare.com.