“Home Again: Veterans Families Readjustment & Reintegration”

Grantee Name

Jewish Board of Family & Children’s Services Center for Trauma Program Innovation

Funding Area

Veterans’ Health

Publication Date

October 2011

Grant Amount

$279,332

Grant Date:

March 1, 2008 – September 21, 2010

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Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services (JBFCS) used a startup grant to create family-focused mental health services for veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and for their families living in the Bronx.

The goal was to create a program that would ultimately become sustainable through insurance reimbursements. JBFCS conducted outreach to identify veterans in need of mental health services. This was a challenge because there was no centralized database containing this type of information. JBFCS representatives discovered the need was there; however, veterans felt stigmatized by asking for mental health services. JBFCS’s Center for Trauma Program Innovation oversaw the project because it has experience in the field of mental health care for traumatic stress disorders. JBFCS expanded the program design in an effort to keep the program viable for the long-term.

Outcomes and Lessons Learned

Provided resource material, contact information, and brief individual and family psychoeducation to 1,368 veterans and members of veteran- and community-serving organizations, both over the phone and at veterans programs, tabling events, and other community gatherings.
Provided face-to-face outreach and psychosocial/mental health information to 370 student veterans within the City University of New York (CUNY) system. Of these, 91 received brief screenings and 21 received formal mental health screenings.
Created a referral network of 189 programs throughout New York City and the surrounding area, with a wide range in services (housing, substance abuse, disability compensation, education, and more).
Trained 105 JBFCS staff members on how to work with veterans and their family members.
Trained seven peer advocates in how to talk with and screen fellow veterans for mental health issues.
Educated hundreds of other mental health professionals through one-day workshops and conference presentations in the greater metropolitan area and at national meetings.
Provided treatment to 80 veterans and family members—53 directly and 27 through consultations with clinicians not directly connected to Home Again.

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