National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships
HAP Partnership Impact
Trainings help volunteers and VA professionals better assist Veterans and transitioning Service members
Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA’s) Transitioning Service member/Veteran and Suicide Prevention Center (TASC) is offering two trainings—the Veteran Cultural Competence training and the Transitioning Service member/Veteran Sponsorship Initiative’s (TSM/V-SI’s) sponsor training—that bring attention to the experiences of Veterans and Service members while sharing how individuals can help aid them in their post-service journey in the community.
TASC scheduled training sessions across the country and will be focusing additional efforts in Texas to help recruit sponsors—volunteers that provide one-on-one support to Service members during the military-to-civilian transition—because of the anticipated numbers of transitioning Service members settling there.
“It's important to have an established community, a support system, akin to essentially what we had in the military,” said Dr. Natesha Smith, U.S. Army Veteran and assistant director of education and operations for TASC.
The Veteran Cultural Competence training is a day-long immersive experience for professionals —including Veterans, business professionals, public leaders, and educators—to gain a new perspective on the challenges and emotions Veterans may face after their service. This training, already offered to more than 2,000 people, is completed through multiple discussions and exercises on military topics like “Knowledge and Understanding of Military Worldview” and “Operation Restore Hope.”
During “Operation Restore Hope,” training participants break into teams and rescue a hostage in a hostile environment. By participating in this exercise, participants can learn more about some of the emotions Veterans may have on the front lines and have a glimpse into the Veteran experience.
The second training, TSM/V-SI’s sponsor training, teaches about the sponsorship initiative and the role of certified sponsors. According to Dr. Smith, participants can complete certification to become a sponsor and volunteer with Veteran-focused community partners through this day-long training. They learn how to build relationships with transitioning Service members, how to help Service members achieve their goals, how to observe and identify risk factors related to suicide, and more.
Currently, there are more than 700 sponsors certified by VHA across the nation who connect Service members to VHA and community resources about housing security, employment assistance, educational offerings, and mental health support.
“For sponsors, this program is a great way to essentially give back and support those individuals that have done a lot in terms of service to this country,” Dr. Smith said.
Sponsors work with community partners aligned with the Veteran Sponsor Partnership Network (VSPN). VHA’s National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP) leads the VSPN initiative in collaboration with local VA medical center staff and their community partners.
Community partners aligned with VSPN also connect Veterans and Service members to VHA resources about Whole Health—an approach to care centered around what is important to the individual based on their values, needs, and goals—and services such as the Transition Assistance Program and Military Life Cycle modules.
Dr. Smith added that many Veterans said they became sponsors for two reasons. Either they had a good transition experience and wanted to provide that for someone else, or their transition was difficult, so they wanted to support others who could face the same struggles.
“Thinking about my own transition experience, a program like this would have been extremely invaluable,” Dr. Smith said.
Dr. Smith emphasized that the collaboration between TASC, HAP, and community partners ensures they can provide effective training for professionals, Veterans, and sponsors supporting transitioning Service members.
“It [the program] is expanding because of the impact, and because people are recognizing the importance of this work,” she said.
For more information about TASC, visit https://www.queri.research.va.gov/qnews/dec21/default.cfm?QnewsMenu=article3.
To learn more about HAP’s VSPN initiative, visit va.gov/healthpartnerships.
Content Disclaimer: Article content may not reflect the current status of partnerships or initiatives mentioned therein. For any questions about the status a VHA partnership or healthcare advancement initiative, contact the VHA National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships at VHA_Partnerships@va.gov.
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Posted April 15, 2022
