Y-USA
VA hosts Mobile Vet Center events at YMCAs across the nation during the week of Veteran’s Day
Since 2015, the partnership between the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Y-USA (the national entity that oversees YMCA facilities across the country) has provided effective services to Veterans and leveraged the resources and expertise of both organizations to promote the well-being of Veterans and their families.
Over the years, VHA and Y-USA have expanded their offerings through local YMCAs by connecting Veterans to needed resources in their communities, with a focus on healthy lifestyle programming and community reintegration.
“We're very grateful for that partnership,” said Ms. Stacey Howell, the vice president of financial development at YMCA of the Capital Area. “It helps us to serve more people in our communities, especially our Veteran neighbors.”
In conjunction with the week of Veteran’s Day, YMCA facilities across the nation partnered with the VHA by hosting multiple Mobile Vet Centers (MVCs) that provide free services and resources, such as individual counseling, VHA benefits assistance, sexual trauma counseling and referral, and more.
“We’re increasingly trying to serve our broader community, so it seemed like a natural extension of our mission to reach out and partner with the VA and offer some of these benefits,” said Ms. Beth Darmstadter, the chief philanthropy officer at YMCA of Greater Cleveland. “Even if only one person stepped onto the mobile unit, it was beneficial.”
VHA created the MVCs to provide outreach to eligible individuals in communities far from existing services. There are currently 83 MVCs available across the nation, and they support VHA in its mission to provide emergency services in response to national emergencies and disasters.
“Meeting Veterans where they are is important to promote their health and well-being,” said Dr. Tracy Weistreich, nurse executive VHA National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP). “Some Veterans may feel more comfortable accessing care through a Vet Center, and it is a great way to learn about available services.”
The MVCs’ resources were available for Veterans, their families, and community members. Ms. Darmstadter mentioned some Veterans shared their success with benefit assistance, whether it was learning about the benefits for which they were eligible or completing a benefits application with guidance from MVC representatives.
At the Baton Rouge, Louisiana location, nearly 150 Veterans were assisted during the three-day event. The event also increased Veterans’ access to social determinants of health (SDOH)—conditions in the environments in which Veterans live, learn, work, and socialize—which are connected to better health outcomes and reduced suicide risk.
The local YMCA gyms support positive SDOH for Veterans by facilitating socialization, whole health, and education about proper nutrition and physical movement. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Y-USA offered free, online fitness classes through the YMCA360 platform so Veterans could maintain a fitness routine.
“We would appreciate and welcome another opportunity to partner again in the future [with MVCs],” Ms. Howell said. “It created awareness that the YMCA can be a resource for the Veteran population in our local community.”
HAP is proud to serve as a trusted resource and catalyst for the growth of partnerships such as this one with Y-USA. To learn more about HAP’s work and other partnerships, visit https://www.va.gov/healthpartnerships.
For more information about Y-USA, visit ymca.org.
Posted January 24, 2022
