Department of DefenseMilitary Severely Injured Center

Heroes to HometownsCDR Dave Julian

Director  

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Secretary of Defense’s Charge

20 Dec 04:

“I think we ought to put together a team to see that the Services take care of their troops after they’re wounded, and

when they return home and are discharged.”

Final Direction:

OSD Personnel & Readiness should augment the Service support programs to ensure seamless care as long as it

takes

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Military Severely Injured Center

• Financial Support• Education and Employment Assistance• Information on VA Benefits• Specific Service issues• Family Counseling• Resources in Local Communities• Child Care Support

A Service of Military OneSource

Grand Opening 01 Feb 05

Focus is on OIF/OEF severely injured

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Goal:Seamless support as long as it may take to ensure that injured Service

members and families achieve the highest level of functioning and quality of life.

MSIC Resource Team:

• Service Liaisons

• Care Managers (CM)

• Veterans Affairs

Counselor-AdvocatesMilitary Severely Injured Center

(24/7 Family Support)

Severely Injured and families

M4L AW2

VA

HART Navy SH

• TSA

• Dept of Labor

• Researchers

• DFAS

• Nonprofits

• State and local government

• Local communities

• Service QoL teams

• Private sector

Critical Supporting Cast:

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• Services will continue to reach out to severely injured service members with their respective programs– US Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2)– Marine for Life Injured Support (M4L IS)– Air Force Palace HART – Navy SAFE HARBOR

• MSI Center will augment military Service programs with a special emphasis on supporting families– “Safety net”– Catch families/members who may slip through the cracks– Fill seams and gaps– Additional resources, avenues for case management

Center Role

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• Goal: Successful community reintegration• Rally Community Support

• “Local Champion”• American Legion Memorandum of Understanding

• Mr. David Marsh, American Legion Liaison• Long-term support, community education• Prototypes:

• Sentinels of Freedom• Escambia County, FL• Elverson, PA

Heroes to Hometowns

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Medical Support Process

Medical Evacuation through Landstuhl, GE

Medical Treatment at WRAMC, NNMC, or

other military medical facility

Medical Evaluation Board (MEB)

Medical Rehabilitation at military medical facility, VA regional

hospital or community-based health carePhysical Evaluation

Board (PEB)

Return to DutyReintegrate into the community

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Community Role

• Welcome Home severely injured Service Members and families

• Work with State and National organizations to match potential needs with resources:– Organize a welcome home celebration– Help secure temporary and/or permanent housing– Assist in adapting a home or vehicle– Find jobs and educational opportunities– Create a carpool for hospital visits– Help work through government bureaucracy

• Create community pride by providing community, spiritual, and family support

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One Model…Timeline for Service Members re-connecting with community

When injured While in medical care Before Returning to Community

DoD Counselor:

•Assess the needs of the individual and family .

State Military Organizations:

• Tracks of status of injured Service members.

• Designate a state official to keep communities informed .

• Assess local community assets and recruit a community champion.

National-level Organizations:

• Inform local chapters or affiliates of the need for communities to be prepared to assist returning severely injured service members & families.

DoD Counselor:

• Updates the assessment of needs shares with state officials.

State Military Organizations:

• Informs community of potential requirements.

• Requests an individual act as the community champion.

Local Communities:

• Community champion requests local agencies, corporations, and community leaders to form Heroes to Hometown committees.

•Formalize Roles and Relationships and develop action plan.

DoD Counselor:

•Shares assessment with community champion.

Heroes to Hometown Committee

• Gains local support to meet needs.

• Coordinates with the severely injured Service Member and family.

• Forwards requirements that cannot be filled by local communities to national organizations.

• Keeps state officials and national organizations informed of requirements, progress, etc.

Family wishes and privacy act concerns are accommodated throughout the process

State Military Organizations

•Monitors progress to ensure needs can be met.

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Supporting Cast:Federal Agencies

National Nonprofits, National CorporationsMilitary Service support programs

VA Rep and Counselor Advocate

Severely Injured and families

Network for Communities to Provide Long Term Support

Heroes to Hometown Committee:• American Legion Post Rep• Local VSOs, NGOs• Corporations• Chamber of Commerce• Media• State/local governments• Congressional liaison• Financial and legal institutions• Educational institutions• Local military units• Religious institutions• Unions

Community Champion

State Officials American Legion Departments

State Family Program Directors & State Benefits Advisors (Joint Force HDQTS)

Army Wounded WarriorMarine 4 Life Injured Support

Navy SAFE HARBORAir Force Palace HART

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– Downloadable program materials– Link to State Guard Family Program Offices– Programs in Action with points of contact

(e.g., Escambia County, FL, San Ramon, CA)– Opportunity to post local info on national site– Links to national organizations and their

local/state points of contact

www.Militaryhomefront.dod.mil/troops/injuredsupport

Web-page to serve as Clearinghouse

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Military Severely Injured Center1-888-774-1361 Call Anytime!

Bottom line: Center’s role is to expedite processes, help families,

and alleviate complicated road blocks for severely injured.

Center cannot fix all processes and problems but

can be advocates for the severely injured.

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SENTINELS OF FREEDOM

SGT Joey Bozik and wife Jayme

SGT Manny Mendozaand mother Martha