Transcript www.vetsupport.org

Women Veterans
and the plight of
Homeless Women Veterans
…who we are
Presented to PA CARES
By Sandra A. Miller, Director, Residential Facilities
The Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service & Education 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 2009, over 14% 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

2010
 Problem

still exists
Not a “gender specific” issue
The Philadelphia Veterans
Multi-Service & Education 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 Philadelphia Veterans
Multi-Service & Education 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 Philadelphia Veterans
Multi-Service & Education 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
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
FY10
61-65 00%
56-60
4
8%
51-55
13
Age
46-50
25%
20
41-45
6
12%
36-40
6
12%
1
31-35
39%
2%
25-30 00%
1
Under 25
0
2%
5
10
15
20
25
Level of Education
FY10
28
30
Number of Residents
25
20
17
15
10
5
5
1
0
0
No Diploma
GED
High School Diploma
Some College
Level of Education
College Graduate
Branch of Service
FY10
Coast Guard, 1
Air Force, 10
Marines, 0
Army, 30
Navy, 11
Army
Navy
Marines
Air Force
Coast Guard
Era of Service
FY10
Other
31
Period of Service
OEF/OIF
4
8%
Persian Gulf
14
Vietnam Era
4
58%
26%
8%
Vietnam IC 0 0%
Korea 0 0%
0
5
10
15
20
Residents
25
30
35
r
an
c
0
Is
la
nd
e
m
er
ic
is
pa
ni
1
ific
A
H
2%
As
ia
n/
Pa
c
at
iv
e
an
25
N
m
er
ic
15
au
ca
si
an
A
30
C
Af
ri c
an
Residents
Ethnicity
FY10
53%
45%
20
27
23
10
5
0%
0%
0
0
Substance of Abuse
FY10
30
51%
25
20
Residents
29%
15
26
20%
10
15
10
5
0%
0
0
Drugs
Drugs & Alcohol
Alcohol
No Drugs or Alcohol
Disposition of Discharge
FY10
D
ea
t
hs
0 0%
12%
N
on
C
o
m
p
lia
nc
e
3
69%
V
ol
un
ta
ry
18
19%
D
ru
g/
A
lc
oh
ol
5
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Length of Stay
FY10
7
6
6
5
Discharges
4
4
3
3
2
2
2
2
451-540
541-630
2
1
2
1
1
1
271-360
361-450
0
0-90
91-180
181-270
Length of Stay
Drug or Alcohol Related
Non Drug or Alcohol Related
631-800
Voluntary Discharge
FY10
Voluntary Discharge
Part Time, 4, 22%
Other , 7, 39%
Full Time, 3, 17%
Disability/Pension, 4,
22%
Voluntary Discharge
Other, 1, 6%
Hospital,
2, 11% 0, 0%
Hotel/SRO,
With Someone , 6,
33%
Own Apartment, 9,
50%
Non-compliant Discharge
FY10
Non-compliance Discharge
Disability/Pension, 0,
0% 0, 0%
Part
Full Time,
Other , 3, 100%
Non-compliance Discharge
Hospital, 0, 0%
Other, 1, 33%
Shelter, 1, 34%
With Someone , 0, 0%
Hotel/SRO, 0, 0%
Own Apartment, 1,
33%
Drug or Alcohol Discharge
FY10
Drug or Alcohol Discharge
Part
Full Time, 0, 0%
Disability/Pension, 1,
20%
Other , 4, 80%
Drug or Alcohol Discharge
Hospital, 1, 20%
With Someone , 2,
40%
Own Apartment, 0, 0%
Shelter, 0, 0%
Hotel/SRO, 2, 40%
ry
Se
x
ua
lT
ra
um
Se
xu
a
al
PT
Tr
SD
au
(N
m
on
a
-C
om
D
om
ba
es
t)
tic
Vi
ol
Ch
en
ild
ce
ho
od
A
bu
se
D
Bi
ep
po
re
la
ssi
r
ve
Pe
D
iso
rso
rd
na
er
lit
y
D
iso
rd
er
A
dj
us
O
tm
CD
en
tD
Co
iso
gn
rd
iti
Pa
er
ve
ra
D
no
iso
id
rd
/S
er
ch
izo
ph
re
ni
a
Se
lf
H
ar
m
ta
ili
M
Residents
Mental Health Diagnosis
FY10
35
61%
30
51%
20
10
5
0
51%
25
43%
39%
33%
15
31
26
26
22
22%
20
17
16%
11
12%
6
2%
8
1
0%
0%
0%
0
0
0
H
cC
a
2
th
m
tio
n
4%
As
on
di
0
ia
re
Pr
es
su
1
rd
oo
d
Bl
6%
Ca
ig
h
ke
ro
2%
St
te
s
ia
be
s
iti
ep
at
IV
1
D
H
H
Residents
Medical Diagnosis
FY10
8
14%
7
6
5
8%
4
7
3
4%
2
4
3
2
0%
0
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 Philadelphia Veterans
Multi-Service & Education Center
Sandy Miller, Director, Residential Services
1400 Blackhorse Hill Rd., LZ II, Building 6A
Coatesville, PA 19320
Phone:(610)466-7881 or (610)380-0704
Email: [email protected]