1. July 25, 2012 http://www.ruralhealth.va.gov Webinar Housekeeping Webinar is set for Lecture Mode, all callers will be automatically muted. Please submit your questions using the Live Meeting Q&A function. Today’s presentation will be posted to the ORH website. The link will be sent via email. “A Guided Tour of the Rural Veteran Outreach Toolkit” Nancy K. Dailey, MSN, RN-BC WELCOME TO THE ORH WEBINAR SERIES!

2. July 25, 2012 A Guided Tour of the Rural Veteran Outreach Toolkit A collaborative approach with communities for serving Rural Veterans 2

3. Your Tour Guide Nancy K. Dailey, MSN, RN-BC Deputy Director, Veterans Rural Health Resource Center- Western Region 3

4. Learning Objectives At the conclusion of the webinar, attendees will understand: A process for building a relationship between VA and rural communities The scope of resources which describe benefits and services available to Veterans How to improve outreach to Veterans living in rural areas, using the Rural Veteran Outreach Toolkit as a guide. 4

5. Outline Rural Veterans What is RVO? Rationale for RVO Brief History of RVO RVO Toolkit Questions 5

6. Rural Veteran Demographics 22+ million US Veterans (US census) 7.8 million enrolled in VA, 4.9 million active patients About 40% live in Rural or Highly Rural areas 6

7. What is the Rural Veterans Outreach (RVO) Program? Purpose – Improve rural Veterans’ access to benefits through community partnership Promotes partnership between VA and community – Shared goal of serving Veterans More than outreach: – Understanding local Veterans’ needs by learning about the community – Developing an enduring VA presence in the community through non- VA agencies – Outreach activities promote partnership between VA and the community 7

8. Why Community Partnerships? VA lacks a physical presence in every community Expands VA’s reach Capitalizes on local – Enthusiasm – Expertise – Resources – Relationships 8

9. History of RVO VISN 19 Tribal Veteran Representative Program Focus groups with rural community agencies Pilots in 3 rural and highly rural areas Lessons – Network of willing partners in many rural communities They know many Vets – Information about VA sorely needed VA is a black hole 9

10. RVO Communities Moses Moses Lake, WA Oakhurst, CA Visalia, CA Blythe, CA Kodiak, AK Silver Spring, NV Price, UT Abilene, TX Alpine, TX Uvalde, TX Brownwood, TX San Angelo, TX Eureka, CA Phoenix, AZ 10

11. Rural Veteran Outreach Toolkit 1.0 http://www.ruralhealth.va.gov/docs/weste rn-region/toolkit/toolkit.pdf Step 1. Selecting a Community Step 2. Understanding the Community Step 3. Planning a Community Information and Referral Workshop Step 4. Planning an Outreach Event Step 5. Sustaining a Partnership Appendices Timeline for Community Information and Referral Workshop (p. 18) Timeline for Outreach Event (p. 22) 11

12. Partnership—Part of Our Mission “Lastly, we will concentrate on delivering value-driven working partnerships with DoD, DOL, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Small Business Administration (SBA), VSOs, and other government and non ‑ government partners.” VA Strategic Plan FY 2010 – 2014 “VA is proud to partner with the community organizations that share our dedication to serving those who served this Nation.” Erik Shinseki (October 5, 2011) 12

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14. Resources Rural Health RVO Toolkit – http://www.ruralhealth.va.gov/resource-centers/western/outreach-toolkit.asp http://www.ruralhealth.va.gov/resource-centers/western/outreach-toolkit.asp – www.ruralhealth.va.gov www.ruralhealth.va.gov Veterans Rural Health Resource Center-Western Region (Salt Lake City) – Nancy Dailey – Chris Turner – Bret Hicken – Brian Warren – Matt Byers 14

15. This Concludes Our Tour… Questions 15

16. Please feel free to ask questions or share your comments about this presentation. To do so, dial *0 and ask the VANTs operator to take you off mute. Otherwise, please type your question into the Q&A tab in Live Meeting. QUESTIONS? July 25, 2012 http://www.ruralhealth.va.gov