Thursday, April 21 Wednesday, April 20
Thursday, April 21, 2022
| TIME (MST) | SESSION | |
|---|---|---|
| 0730–0800 | Visit our Sponsors | |
| 0800-0900 | GENERAL SESSION Expanding the Ecosystem of Support |
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| 0900-0910 | BREAK Transition to Breakout Session | |
| 0910-0955 | BRIEFING III (Choose One) |
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Best Practice from a Successful Coalition to End Homelessness: Tucson and Kingman
Patrick Farrell, Jerry Ambrose Veterans Council of Mohave County, Inc. (JAVC)
This session will cover Case Conferencing, with discussion of the transition of Veteran Case Conferencing over time and its impact on the numbers of Veterans experiencing homelessness. An overview of Operation 6 – a project of Jerry Ambrose Veteran Council (JAVC) – will be introduced with: description of the community in Mohave County; a brief history of the project and collaborations involved; description of the program, mission/goals for services, population served, data; project involvement, admissions, pandemic; challenges; impact on the community, with anonymous veteran statements; and closing thoughts about VASH. |
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Navigating the VA Transportation Program for Veterans, Caretakers & Agencies
Cristopher McHugh, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
This session will cover the VA Beneficiary Travel (BT) Program, supporting eligible veterans with transportation or mileage reimbursement for travel expenses. Presenters will explain qualification for BT, requesting transportation and filing a reimbursement claim for traveling to and from appointments. Presenters will also give an overview of the Veteran Transportation Service (VTS), and explain how eligibility for VA care equals eligibility for the VTS which provides transportation to all VA or VA authorized appointments. |
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Veteran Friendly or Veteran Awesome?!
Anthony Gilbert, Raytheon Missiles and Defense
This session will continue the discussion introduced during this morning’s general session. Solutions will be offered to employers who want to learn how to become veteran friendly, supporting not just them in their hiring initiatives, but retaining them through the use of Veteran Affiliated Employee Resource Groups (VAERG). The session will provide employer strategies that attract and grow service members, veterans, and their families as employees; and how to grow and tap into the Arizona Veteran Supportive Employer (AVSE) network to support military connected students, current and future. |
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Military Sexual Trauma: Resources & Support Available at the VA and in the Community
Dylan Richard, PhD, Phoenix VA Health Care System
This presentation will discuss an overview of Military Sexual Trauma (MST), prevalence, associated disorders and symptoms/reactions to MST, VA eligibility/benefits, various treatment options for symptoms associated with MST, VA-specific resources, and community-based resources. |
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Navigating the Newly Implemented VA Presumptive Conditions: Process to Apply for Related BenefitsJohn Guse, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Phoenix Regional Office
In this session, Phoenix VA Regional Office representatives will discuss all VA presumptive conditions and the process to apply; VA resources and process; how to connect VA presumptive conditions; navigating the newly implemented presumptive conditions focused on Agent Orange and Gulf War related respiratory conditions, and how to apply for disability benefits based on these conditions. Arizona Department Of Veterans' Services (ADVS) Veteran Benefit Counselors (VBCs) will also participate in this breakout. • VARO Information and Contact |
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Faith Communities and Veteran Support: Forming a Military/Veteran MinistryMike Wold, Institute for Healing of Memories – North America, Casa Veterans Ministry and Franciscan Renewal Center This session will highlight the important role that faith communities play in serving and healing service members, veterans and their families. Presenters will introduce the audience to the Be Connected Faith Network (BCFN) and show how it is helping faith communities serve veterans and their families. Attendees will see examples of the positive impact of faith communities on veterans and their families, hear from a combat veteran on how his faith and faith communities have helped with his healing, and receive information on how to start a military/veteran ministry. The audience will hear a successful faith community military/veteran ministry founder tell their story. |
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| 0955-1005 | BREAK Transition to Breakout Session | |
| 1005-1120 | BRIEFING IV: Road to Solutions (Choose One) |
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Interactive Solution Session: Coalition Building and Expansion to End Homelessness
Patrick Farrell, Jerry Ambrose Veterans Council of Mohave County, Inc. (JAVC)
This will be an interactive discussion spotlighting the current absence of a landlord coalition in Arizona to prevent veteran homelessness. How can we work towards creating an Arizona Veteran Landlord coalition? How do you start a coalition to help combat homelessness? This discussion will highlight JAVC’s efforts and how they have been doing it in Kingman and surrounding areas. We welcome attendees to join in the discussion during this facilitated solution session. |
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Interactive Solution Session: Combining Transportation Solutions & Telehealth CareThis discussion will examine how to connect rural Arizona veterans, who don't qualify for current VA transportation partnership programs, to regional community resources. The conversation will focus on how we can successfully engage and retain volunteers to support this effort. We welcome attendees to join us in the discussion during this facilitated solution session. |
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Interactive Discussion Session: Creating/Supporting Veteran Affiliated Employee Resource Groups to Retain Veteran Talent
Ayla Linder, Arizona Coalition for Military Families
This interactive discussion will be led by the Arizona Coalition for Military Families’ Career Navigation Team. ACMF will share various partner resources designed to upskill and offer professional growth to military-connected employees to promote retention. Additionally, ACMF will review the Arizona Corporate Council on Veteran Careers (ACCVC) guide to creating a Veteran-Affiliated Employee Resource Group (VAERG) which offers additional support to military-connected employees and builds a military-friendly work culture. We welcome attendees to join us in this interactive discussion. |
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Interactive Solution Session: Creating a Coordinated Network of Support for Military Affiliated Domestic & Sexual Violence SurvivorsSexual and domestic violence service providers currently do not have coordinated support across Arizona communities. In this focused conversation, participants hope to increase awareness to agencies, AHCCCS providers, and the community about Military Sexual Trauma (MST), and to promote better agency organization for veterans who don’t qualify for VA benefits or choose not to receive VA services due to their negative experience and lack of support as MST victims in the service. We welcome attendees to join us in the discussion during this solution session. |
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The Importance of Reconnecting 24+ Months into the Pandemic and Our Altered State of LivingGeorg Hishaw, MD, Department of Neurology & Psychiatry, University of Arizona School of Medicine and Southern Arizona VA Health Care System Over the past 20+ months of living in a COVID world, all of us, our service members, veterans, and military families have been impacted by prolonged social isolation characterized by reduced social connections and contact. Social isolation has been linked to anxiety, stress, and other mental health issues, including cognitive impairment. This presentation will focus on the importance of reconnecting, reengaging, and reestablishing relationships to find the joy in life through connections with family, friends, and other important people in our lives. The presenters will share in person and virtual reconnecting strategies. |
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How to Support Trauma Informed ProvidersCourtney Baker, PsyD, Phoenix VA Health Care System
In this session, presenters will: define burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma; discuss challenges that trauma-informed providers experience in the workplace; and provide resources and skills to implement in order to combat compassion fatigue and burnout. |
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| 1120-1130 | BREAK Transition to General Session | |
| 1130-1200 | GENERAL SESSION - Closing
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| 1200-1230 | Virtual Community Networking Lounge for Career Seekers
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