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Upcoming: The Needs of Female Veterans Experiencing Homelessness Webinar -
July 26, 2016 - 2:00 PM EDT
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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Homeless and Housing Resource Network (HHRN) presents The Needs of Female Veterans Experiencing Homelessness webinar. This webinar will provide awareness about the needs of female veterans experiencing homelessness and provide practical guidance on successful strategies that address female veterans’ needs through gender-specific supports. The presenters are currently in the military or have been honorably discharged, have lived experience facing personal struggles as female veterans, and will also be able to share their views on the current and proposed national policies for female veterans in the United States.
Webinar Highlights
Participants will learn about the barriers, challenges, and successes of female veterans and interact with them in a virtual Adobe Connect environment. Participants will gain knowledge and strategies for addressing the challenges facing female veterans as they transition out of military service.
Webinar Details
At the end of the webinar, attendees will be able to:
- Summarize the unique characteristics and challenges of women veterans,
- Identify strategies to engage women veterans to prevent and end homelessness,
- Recall resources available to women veterans, and
- Describe topics that are relevant to the experience of women veterans.
Presenters
Angela Halvorson, M.P.A., M.S., senior program associate at Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP), is a commissioned officer and 24-year member of the Army National Guard, an Iraq War veteran, and an active Army spouse who has used her extensive personal and professional experience with the military to provide training and technical assistance to state and federal agencies, including SAMHSA, communities, providers, and employers working with service members, veterans, and their families. Her consulting background over the past 5 years includes roles as a senior advisor, senior consultant, and project director/manager. Her specific expertise includes behavioral health policy, system design, health and wellness, corporate wellness, and military/veterans issues. She has also provided expert consultation to nonprofit organizations on strategic and communications/media planning. Over the course of more than 23 years in the behavioral health field, she has held various roles that have allowed her to gain a unique and varied perspective of the behavioral health field and the multiple vulnerable populations served by behavioral health providers.
This perspective informs her ability to provide comprehensive analyses and recommendations that address the needs of providers, consumers, and stakeholders.
Shirley Maniece gained veteran status after serving a 6-year tour in the United States Air Force and 2 years in the Army Reserves. She is an educator, actor, singer, poet, author, and playwright, as well as the founding artistic producing director of ABLE (Applied Beyond Lived Experiences) Theater Company.
Shirley was admitted into the homeless veterans program at Perry Point U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in August 2013. She attended the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center’s mental health classes, groups, and sought therapy for her diagnosed serious mental illness, which included therapy relating to military sexual trauma (MST). While in the initial 100-day program, she gained employment through the VA’s work therapy program. Soon after, Shirley moved into the transitional housing side of the Perry Point campus and gained employment with the State of Maryland. From there, she trained as a certified peer support specialist and, through the VA’s housing assistance program, Shirley was able to move into her own apartment.
It is her deepest desire to help others. Recovery has been a consistent choice for Shirley. Writing the play, “SOCKS! yellow socks,” has allowed Shirley to share her recovery story as an encouragement to the enormous population of hurting women, both veteran peers and civilian women in all walks of life who deserve a life of wellness.
Shirley describes herself as an advocate, encourager, and role model for those diagnosed with a serious mental illness or a substance use disorder. Here’s a quote from Shirley: “I want the rest of my journey to be the best of my journey. I’m sure that I am not alone.”
Mary Ross retired after 21 years of active duty service in the U.S. Army. She served in many challenging positions and deployed with the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division during the Gulf War. After retirement in 1995, she accidentally dedicated herself to advocating for women veterans after experiencing the lack of gender-specific services and the lack of awareness about women veterans. She is active in several veteran organizations, including Women Veterans of America, a veteran service organization advocating for the rights, benefits, and recognition of all women veterans, as well as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), American Legion, and American Veterans (AMVETS). Mary was the first woman veteran to serve as chairman of the board of directors for the Tennessee State Veterans Homes Board. She was the Tennessee Woman Veteran of the Year in 2012, was selected as a Woman of Influence for Nonprofit Management by the Nashville Business Journal in 2015, and received the Nashville Business Journal Veterans Award in September 2015.
Her passion is working with women veterans. Her mission is speaking for women veterans who are unable to speak for themselves.
If you have any questions please contact Cheri Peterson at cpeterson@jbsinternational.com.
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