Women Veterans

and the plight of Homeless Women Veterans …who we are

Presented to PA Women Veterans Summit By Sandy Miller, Director, Coatesville Residential Facilities The Veterans Multi-Service Center

Women in the Military

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

 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 2014, over 15% of current Active Forces are women  15% of Active Force are Women Officers  14% are Enlisted  20% of New Recruits are women

Military Sexual Trauma

 1980  First congressional hearings on sexual harassment in the military  DoD adopts Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines  2014  Problem still exists  Not a “gender specific” issue

The Veterans Multi-Service 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

The Veterans Multi-Service 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

The Veterans Multi-Service 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 – Supportive Services for Veteran Families

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

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

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

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. Walker’s reply when told to give back her Medal of Honor, we try to teach the women to say “NO”

The Mary E. Walker House

What’s In the Numbers

Age at Entrance FY13

61-65 5 2% 56-60 51-55 46-50 29 41-45 36-40 31-35 25-30 20 Under 25 0 6 2% 10 24 27 42 20 7% 8% 9% 10% 60 30 79 14% 40 50 60 21% 70 27% 80 90

25 20 15 10 5 0 No Diploma 0

Level of Education FY13

25 21 2 GED High School Diploma Some College

Level of Education

College Graduate 5

Branch of Service FY13

Marines; 3 Air Force; 5 Coast Guard; 1 Navy; 14 Army; 30 Army Navy Marines Air Force Coast Guard

Other OEF/OIF Persian Gulf Vietnam Era Vietnam IC 0 0% Korea 0 0% 0 2 8

Era of Service FY13

18 16 11 21% 4 6 15% 30% 34% 8 10 Residents 12 14 16 18 20

30 25 20 15 10 5 0

34% 18

Ethnicity FY13

53% 28 3 6% 3 6% 1 2%

Substance of Abuse FY13

36% 36%

20 18 2 0 6 4 16 14 12 10 8

6

Drugs

11% 19

Drugs & Alcohol

17% 9 19

Alcohol No Drugs or Alcohol

1 2%

Disposition of Discharge FY13

7 13% 36 68% 0 9 5 17% 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Length of Stay FY13

20 18 16 14 12 10 2 0 8 6 4 19 6 0-90 10 3 91-180 3 3 2 2 1 181-270 0 271-360

Length of Stay

0 361-450 Drug or Alcohol Related 0 451-540 Non Drug or Alcohol Related 3 1 0 541-630 0 631-800

Housing at Discharge FY13

With Family, 1, 0% Other, 23, 9% Hospital, 41, 15% Shelter/SRO, 18, 7% Own Apartment, 118, 44%

Hospital Shelter/SRO With Friends Own Apartment With Family Other

With Friends, 67, 25%

Other ; 89; 33%

Income at Discharge FY13

Deceased; 1; 0% Part Time; 20; 8% Full Time; 76; 28%

Day Jobs

Disability/Pension; 82; 31%

Part Time Full Time Disability/Pension Other Deceased

Mental Health Diagnosis FY13

60%

180

53%

160

52% 52% 46%

140 120 100 80

134 153

60 40

12% 155 176 31% 90 151

20 0

35 10% 28 14% 8% 2% 7 2 1% 7 2% 23 40

0 5 10 15 20 25

Medical Diagnosis FY13

8% 8% 7% 5% 3% 23 22 19 15 2% 10 2 1% 5

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

The Veterans Multi-Service Center Sandy Miller, Director, Coatesville Residential Services

LZ II Transitional Residence & The Mary E. Walker House 1400 Blackhorse Hill Rd., Building 6A Coatesville, PA 19320 Phone:(610)466-7881 or (610)380-0704 Email: [email protected]