1. VA Reaching Out with Honor: Powerful Partnerships
VA Collaborations
VA Reaching Out with Honor: Powerful Partnerships

2. Panel Presenters
Robin Paul, MSW, LCSW, Indianapolis VA Medical Center OEF/OIF Program Manager
Roger Peterman, Colonel (R) , Indiana Transition Assistance Advisor for the State of Indiana
John Myers, VR&E Officer, Indianapolis VA Regional Office
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3. Passion Flu Strikes Indiana
Highly contagious and potentially chronic
Unlike any other disease seen before
Alarming incidence rate signals epidemic
Hoosier veterans and their families benefit from communicable disease
Inoculations NOT recommended
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4. Symptoms Interagency relationships develop
Relationships grow into trust and respect
Contacts and phone numbers are shared freely
Synergies occur when you least expect them
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5. Prevention Factors (not recommended)
Avoid contact with others outside your organization (isolation may reduce risks of contamination)
Hold tight to the “that’s not my job mentality”
Do not question “NO”; do not investigate regulation verses interpretation
Allow new opportunities to pass so you don’t have to jump through a lot of hoops
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6. Exposure Risks Think outside the box Share information
Establish relationships
Step out and take risks
Develop trust
Invest time in relationships
Be persistent
Expose leadership to the “bug”
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7. Environmental Factors
4th largest National Guard State--21,000 Guard and Reserve Members
Service members are geographically decentralized
Limited military installations impact “corporate citizenship” opportunities and opportunities for family support
Deployed 5,459 Indiana service members in 2008
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8. Environmental Factors (cont.)
One “VA”
Indiana served by 8 VA Medical Facilities
Concept of Seamless Transition
Better access to a large, complicated system
Serving “dual status” veterans/citizen soldiers
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9. Initial Incubation—The 19th Star Partnership
Collaboration involving multiple organizations in Indiana that provide services for veterans
Initial focus of the 19th Star Partnership was to share information and identify gaps in services for veterans
Initially started in the 1990s
Reborn in January of 2007
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10. Disease Progression: A World Class Partnership on a Local Level
One VA: Walk the Talk
Know your VBA and VHA colleagues to make service acquisition easier
Veterans want and deserve seamless services between DoD, VHA and VBA
Know your state’s Transition Assistance Advisor
Meet commanders of local bases and units
Build community collaborations
Host a roundtable
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11. Who has been Exposed? Hoosier Pride
Other VA Medical Center Services and facilities
VA Regional Office
DoD, National Guard, Reserve Units
Inter-service Family Assistance Council
Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve
State Department of Veterans Affairs
State Department of Labor VETS Program
Vet Centers
Small Business Administration
State Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Community Mental Health Centers
Veterans Service Organizations
Faith-based Organizations
Others with a desire to serve veterans
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12. Disease Growth
The Lilly Endowment invited various partners to submit proposals for funding opportunities to enhance services for returning service members and their families
October, 2007…Lilly Endowment awards more than $20 million in grants to enhance services for Indiana combat veterans and their families
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13. Indiana Veterans Enhanced Services Initiative (IVESI)
$9.9 million grant awarded to the Indianapolis VA Medical Center
$8.9 million grant awarded to Purdue University's Military Family Research Institute
$570,000 grant awarded to Indiana National Guard Relief Fund
$400,000 grant awarded to Crane Learning & Employment Center for Veterans with Disabilities
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14. Indiana Special Initiatives Launched
Operation Restoration (couples’ reintegration weekends)
Seamless Transition Integrated Care Clinic
Veterans House
National Guard Relief Fund
Crane Learning & Employment Center for Veterans with Disabilities
Military Family Research Institute
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15. Additional Disease Growth
Fall of 2008, 17 organizations joined together with 51 representatives as an outgrowth of the 19th Star Partnership Forum
Additional enhancement opportunities were identified, and additional grant awards were provided to fund:
Operation Restoration Mentoring Project
Battlemind to Home Symposium
Operation Reconnect
Operation Hire a Hoosier Vet
Operation Diploma
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16. Disease Side Effects Hoosier Pride
Indiana Collaboration on Sodium Dichromate Project Management
Indiana Blue Star Salute/Welcome Home Program
Development of OEF/OIF Concrete Assistance Fund (via General Post Fund from community donation)
Bidirectional referrals among partners
Enhanced Yellow Ribbon/Seamless Transition Programs
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17. Disease Side Effects (cont.)
Direct VHA & VBA staff placed at Camp Atterbury
Close clinical coordination/consultation between VA services and Reserve Component with regard to behavioral health (suicide prevention, sexual trauma, readjustment services)
VBA leadership invited to VHA focus groups
VHA leadership participation in VBA briefing
Successful collaboration of world’s largest PDHRA at Indianapolis VA Medical Center
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18. Seamless Transition in Action
Images of Honor
Seamless Transition in Action
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20. Couple welcomed on the red carpet at Operation Restoration

21. OEF/OIF couples enjoy a campfire with VA staff

22. Welcome Home 2009 Event

23. Touch the family, touch the soldier…

24. Synergy in action

25. Hoosier bikers give $45,000 donation to Indianapolis OEF/OIF

26. Operation Hire a Hoosier Vet 2009—Leadership Briefing

27. Operation Hire a Hoosier Vet 2009

28. PDHRA at Indianapolis VAMC

29. Soldiers complete 2900 forms at PDHRA

30. Approximately 700 soldiers per day processed in large weekend PDHRA event

31. Federal Occupational Health team member assists soldier at PDHRA

32. Transition Assistance Advisor kicks off Yellow Ribbon Event

33. Indianapolis Seamless Transition Integrated Care Clinic—coming soon

34. Also coming soon…

35. Prognosis Be a lifelong carrier of the Passion Flu!
Avoid inoculations!
Love what you do, and do what you love!
It’s all about the PASSION!!
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