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National Resource
Directory Helps Wounded Warriors
(November 30, 2008) | 
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| WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2008 – A Web-based
network of support for wounded warriors, veterans and their
families, as well as the families of the fallen, has sprung
from a collaborative effort by the departments of Defense,
Labor and Veterans Affairs.
The National Resource Directory will include information on
care coordinators, health care providers and support
partners, Dr. Lynda Davis, deputy undersecretary of defense
for military community and family policy, said during an
“ASY Live” interview today on BlogTalkRadio.com.
“Working with wounded ill and injured servicemembers and
their families, there [are] many resources and individuals
available to help them,” Davis said. “We needed one source
that can tell us where everyone in the country is who wants
to help our wounded warriors and their families.”
The directory is part of a larger effort by the departments
to improve wounded warrior care. Davis said research showed
that in the military hospital alone, servicemembers received
offers from 35 people for 38 types of support.
“While the families did appreciate that, they also found it
confusing,” she said. “They didn't know who to call at the
right time in the right place for the right service. The
family oftentimes becomes the primary caregiver 24/7/365,
and that is extremely stressful, both physically and
emotionally.”
To help them navigate the system, servicemembers and their
families are assigned a care coordinator who ensures the
recovery team works together jointly and collaboratively.
Each recovering servicemember has an individualized recovery
plan with personal and professional goals.
Previously, Davis said, emphasis had been placed on recovery
in the hospital. These plans focus more on what happens
after they leave, she explained.
“Our challenge was to get people to not only survive, but to
thrive in their new conditions that will be facing them for
the rest of their lives,” she said. “We wanted to focus more
on community reintegration, and to do that, we needed even
more partners to be engaged.”
To facilitate the coordination of these plans and ensure a
smooth community reintegration, the directory is
inter-linked to these personalized online plans to
facilitate accessibility to available resources.
“Say you are populating the plan and the servicemember is
talking about returning to Aurora, Kan., and needs housing
adaptation and special tutoring for their autistic special
needs child,” Davis said. “You can go into the directory and
contact both the governmental and nongovernmental
organizations in and around Aurora and line up appointments
and personnel to be of support way before the servicemember
goes back to Aurora.”
Davis noted that while the federal government has a lot of
benefits and services available to servicemembers, it also
is important to take state, county and locality benefits
into consideration.
“If you are choosing where to relocate your family, you may
be interested to know that a certain township has a benefit
for veterans,” she said.
The relevance of information in the National Resource
Directory goes far beyond solely wounded illness, injury,
and recovery services, Davis said. Many of the sections are
very useful to any servicemember and their family, she
noted.
“We have already had several other programs wanting to
connect and use the directory, especially in the area of
benefits and compensation,” Davis said. “Here, you will find
not only what's available through the DoD Disability
Evaluation System and the VA disability compensation
programs, but things like Social Security benefits, life
insurance and video libraries. ... We have sections on how to
file claims, on unemployment benefits, and benefits for
retirees.”
In addition to the
directory's Web site -- a toll-free phone number,
800-342-9647, is available.
The Web site is expanding, Davis said, and visitors can
suggest additional programs by clicking on “Suggest a
Resource.”
Launched Nov. 17, the site already has received a lot of
positive feedback, she said.
“We had a very enthusiastic response in San Diego when we
started the site,” Davis said. “We found that a lot of
organizations feel the need for this, and they have been
trying to develop one on their own. In fact, we were excited
today to find that there was a story of the directory being
covered in the Netherlands.
“We have servicemembers throughout the nation and around the
world and we hope that this directory can serve as a global
tool for anyone supporting wounded servicemembers and their
families.” | |
By Jamie Findlater
American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2008
Jamie Findlater works in the New Media
directorate of the Defense Media Activity
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