HELPFUL HINTS: JANUARY- MAY January

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1 HELPFUL HINTS: JANUARY- MAY 2013 January CA Title of Helpful Hints: 8 Linked-In Endorsements, 102 Connections, Personal Best for 2012 Point of contact(s): Nicole Townsend, Concise description of event: Linked-In is a fairly new premier online networking portal that allows Veterans and employers to blog and link for purposes of sharing work experience and credentials that may lead to jobs in exceptional career fields. I ve been a member since 2011 and since then the portal has started the practice of endorsing members who can be relied on for resources and advice. Last year, I received 7 endorsements in skill areas of military knowledge in general, TAA duties, knowledge of Command and DoD protocol, security clearances, government and Veterans. I can t imagine how many endorsements I ll have by the end of Another portal like Linked-In is called BeKnown. List coalition groups who assisted in the event or participated: Endorsements have come from former VA employees, Veterans employment Committee and an Entrepreneur. Total number of service/family members who benefited from this best practice: The count is limitless because each time a Veteran uses Linked-In they will see my endorsements and know that I can be relied upon for good sound advice as a VA Liaison and TAA. After action items include: What went well? N/A What improvements are needed? N/A Lessons learned? N/A LA Title of Helpful Hints: Remobilization (Using state and local Community resources) Point of contact(s): (Mr. Gerald Cradeur Family Assistant Coordinator, MS Nikki Ganey Family Readiness Assistant Coordinator, Mrs Jamie Hanley, Ms Jennifer Taylor Mrs Ann Tillman, Mr Toney Kennedy Tricare, Ms Brandy Shone Military One Source and Mrs Julie Brown MFLC Concise description of event: Pre- Deployment brief to 205 th.engineering company List coalition groups who assisted in the event or participated: (VHA, New Orleans Family Readiness Support Assistance, Red Cross, Veterans Center New Orleans ESGR representatives, Military One Source, Child and Youth programs, 1 (Revised 20 JAN 12)

2 Total number of service/family members who benefited from this best practice: Provide service for one hundred sixty four service members and over four hundred family member and significant other. After action items Make contact with rear detachment to gather information on soldiers who might have problems after reaching duty station and who may need employment after returning back to home station. FEBRUARY VT Helpful Hints:. Helping to Transition Service Members Leaving the Service. Title of best practice: VT National Guard MEB & PEB Process. Point of contact: The VTNG med-hold unit, MEB & PEB process, At Camp Johnson, The process has been going on for a while now; the VTNG has flagged anyone with a profile that has 2 & 3 in it. If the SM can address the issues and get fixed so they can stay in the NG or the SM is not able to be fit for duty because of illness or injury the profile becomes permanent and the SM starts the MEB or PEB process. List coalition groups who assisted in the event or participated: The Med-Hold Unit at the DSS Office Headed by the LTC Rowe and the NCOIC is SFC Brooks Phone # , Nurse Case Manager Tom, and me. Total number of service & family members who benefited from this best practice: About 300 or more SM s After action items include: The process take a long time and seems to drag on forever; I was told by SFC Brooks that it Sometimes takes one to one and half years for the whole process from start to finish. I know a few of these SM s that have been in the process for about 5 years or more. What went well? I am basically just starting to get involved in this process; but it seems to me that I will have time to address some or most of the issues that will arise. What improvements are needed? I think the process needs to flow a little easier if possible; like I said I am just starting on this project. Maybe I can help them with the VA problems that are holding up the process. Lessons learned? Nothing yet I am just getting into the process. MARCH(NONE) 2 (Revised 20 JAN 12)

3 VT APRIL Title of Helpful Hints: Tracking wounded warriors with a spread sheet designed to account for the service members in the state med-hold program and to make sure they get the briefing of the DD Form TAP program. Point of contact(s): Ronnie LaBounty (802) , SFC Jeffery Brooks Med-Hold POC Concise description of event: (I am briefing the service members with the guidance of the DD Form and a Power Point Presentation we use at the CBWTU Musters. I am doing this in my conference room in my building and at remote areas around the state of VT & NY. List coalition groups who assisted in the event or participated: (DSS office staff, as well as the Family Program Coordinator MAJ Erika Procopio) Total number of service/family members who benefited from this best practice: (About 150 services members in the VT National Guards version of a Med-Hold Unit.) After action items : What went well? I have been getting great feedback from the service members about how I have been presenting the briefing. They like the fact that the groups are small so they can ask question about the issue that concern them the most; like education benefits, health care benefits, and other services that they are eligible to receive. What improvements are needed? We need a better response back from s and phone calls from the Med-Hold Service Members. We really need the higher command to insist that these briefings are mandatory for the SM s in the Med-Hold Unit. (This process is in the works by the CSM Quick s request that SFC Brooks write and talk to the DSS, LTC Paul Rowe asking him to bring the policy to the J1 COL Peter Firkey, and that COL Firkey could bring it up through to the TAG so that the meetings will be held every quarter at Camp Johnson, in Colchester VT, on the drill hall floor.) Lessons learned? I learned that the majority of the service members in this Med-Hold program are telling me that the program is a long and drawn out process. The biggest problem is the stalling in at NGB and Big Army getting a rating for the service member s injuries. This really needs to be addressed by the congress, senate, secretaries of the army and the va and try to stop the jerking around with the veterans life. 3 (Revised 20 JAN 12)

4 MAY LA Title of Helpful Hints: Yellow Ribbon Pre and Post Mobilization combined. Point of contact(s): POC for this event Captain Rebekah Andersen/Mrs Cindy Goulart. Concise description of event: Pre and during yellow ribbon event All agencies and vendors participated List coalition groups who assisted in the event or participated: Family programs (Major Will Saint, Ms Pamela Pitcher OIF/OEF out-each coordinator Ms Anne Tillman Family Assistant coordinator Ms Angela Ganey Family Readiness Support Assistant, Ms Julie Brown Military Family Life Counselor Ms Brandy Shone Military One Source, Mrs Angela Ott, Child and Youth state program director. Chaplains core Captain Anthony Ray. Total number of service/family members who benefited from this best practice: All service members family, significant other benefited from this event many areas were discussed resiliency when crises arise when member has deployed, agencies with contact information to help unexpected issues arises; VA health care services after deployment benefits, education opportunity etc. Contact information to the unit and representatives, job opportunity ESGR, Louisiana National Guard state resource jobs person. After action items: Giving our service members the assurance their families will be taken care of through there deployment through there reunion and reintegration phase 4 (Revised 20 JAN 12)

5 PR Title of Helpful Hints: Hiring Our Heroes Job Fair Point of contact(s): Mr. Hector M. De Jesus Transition Assistance Advisor Mr. Agustin Rivera ESGR Manager Mrs. Awilda Marrero Hero to Hire Program POC Mr. Luis A. Figueroa-Ramirez- American Legion Commander Mr. Michael A. Quiles - American Legion Adjutant Concise description of event: As part of the VOW s Act, the American Legion and a group of persons committed to help our unemployed Veterans and Soldier Members to acquire Jobs, voluntarily embarked in this effort. Coordinating visits, phone calls and several teleconferences were required to put together our second Hiring Our Heroes Job Fair. This year the TAA office identified and contacted those recently arrived from contingency missions who got enrolled in the Department of Labor Employment Workshops (DOLEW) and make them aware of this event. The Job Fair took place during May 31, 2013 at the Pichis Convention Center Guayanilla, PR with an exceptional participation of persons seeking for Jobs. I personally attended and assisted all known fellow partners from our Guard to fill out applications and helped with any related doubts. A list of employers is part of this report. List coalition groups who will assist in the event or participated: American Legion, US Chamber of Commerce Veterans Employment and Training Center Total number of Veterans members who will benefit from this best practice: 200 After action items What went well? Well-coordinated event with Teleconference updates What improvements are needed? Be ready for next year Fair Lessons learned? Looking always to succeed with any endeavor related to our Veterans and Soldier Members. 5 (Revised 31 MAR 10)

6 VT Title of Helpful Hints: I have nothing new to report in this section except that the med-hold tracker I built is helping me to keep track of the SM and briefing them as to the benefits they are entitled to. Point of contact(s): Ronnie LaBounty TAA (802) Concise description of event: Calling and ing the SM s multiple times and setting up dates to go through the Med-hold briefings. List coalition groups who assisted in the event or participated: So far I am a one man show; but I have been referring the service members to go and see the financial advisor, DOL, Educational Officer, Voc Rehab, Vet Center and the VA, I also have been advising the few SM s that do not have a service officer to do so; I give them the contact information of the State Veterans Service Officers, VFW, American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans Association. All of these organizations have services officers available to assist the SM with their claim in the VA and Social Security. Total number of service/family members who benefited from this best practice: So far about 45 service members have been briefed since I started this program. After action items include: What went well? I have been able to get the phone numbers and address of most of the SM s on med-hold and have called and ed the ones I have contact information on. What improvements are needed? The DSS staff needs to make the med-hold unit responsible to come to drill and to come in as a whole unit for the mandatory quarterly muster just like the active duty components do. This will help in the tracking of the service members that have not been seen in a year or so. Lessons learned? I need to have the support and help of the DSS and his Staff that are in charge of the med-hold unit in order to get these SM s that are in the med-hold system to come in and see me for the benefit briefing 6 (Revised 20 JAN 12)

7 CO Title of Helpful Hints: Briefing Technicians with HRO on military and technician benefits Point of contact(s): LT Boschert Human Resource Specialist, , CO; Amy Eagen TAA, Concise description of event: HRO and TAA personnel did briefings to Technicians that were going in front of the QRB and SRB boards, for both Army and Air. The briefings were held in Centennial, Buckley AFB and Greely in March and May. LT Boschert briefed on the HRO side of the house benefits and TAA briefed on the military benefits that were available. List coalition groups who assisted in the event or participated: HRO personnel and TAA. Total number of service/family members who benefited from this best practice: 64 After action items: What went well? The service members really appreciated the information provided to them about retirement on the technician side and knowing about their military benefits. A lot of the service members found out about TSGLI, they had not realized they had this benefit. Most of the service members scheduled appointment after the briefing with TAA. What improvements are needed? Lessons learned? When doing briefing make sure to bring copies of TSGLI forms for service members who may need the form. For personnel that are not close to JFHQ plan on doing more trips to visit the units and make them aware of programs that are available to them. 7 (Revised 20 JAN 12)