Description
The transition from active duty to civilian life can be overwhelmingly difficult for veterans to navigate. The most common struggles they face relate to employment, finances, legal matters, substance use disorders, mental health, relationships, and homelessness. This session will explore the overall veteran population, their needs, military culture, benefits, behavioral health challenges, and resources available.
Instructor
Born and raised in the Baltimore area, Justin graduated from Loyola Blakefield High School in 2006. In 2008, he joined the U.S. Air Force as a Cyber Ops/Computer Communications Operator. After completing training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, and Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, he was assigned to the U.S. Strategic Command Headquarters (STRATCOM) at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2011, he was selected for a special duty assignment to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Washington, DC. Over his three years with the Intelligence Community, he served in a multitude of roles at the DIA Headquarters and the Pentagon. Justin separated from the Air Force in 2014 to pursue a career in criminal justice. He enrolled at the University of Baltimore in 2015 and was hired by the United Way of Central Maryland in 2017 as the Mentor Coordinator and Data Specialist for the Baltimore City Veterans Treatment Court.
Joe is a decorated and honorably discharged service-connected disabled combat veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve. Professionally, Mr. Belvedere began his career with eight years military experience in Psychological Operations, graduating from the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center in Fort Bragg, North Carolina with honors from the Defense Language Institute of Foreign Language Center in Monterrey, California and the U.S. Army Airborne School in Fort Benning, Georgia before his deployments abroad. Following his time in service, Mr. Belvedere returned overseas to work in support of national agenda with several multinational efforts. He has extensive experience in the Balkans, the Middle East, and Africa. Mr. Belvedere then returned to the Washington Metropolitan Area to work in support of the intelligence community for nearly a decade, where he applied his knowledge of instructional system design and adult learning with over 3,000 instructional platform hours, to over 25,000 personnel trained and deployed, and contributed to high-level doctrine developed and written for numerous United States agencies and host-nation governments. Mr. Belvedere turned his attention to his local community and served as an ambassador of and liaison for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs before proudly accepting a position with United Way of Central Maryland as a Case Manager and Veteran Mentor Coordinator for the Anne Arundel County Veterans Treatment Court.
Valeree is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-C). She relocated to Maryland from New Hampshire due to her husband’s military career. She graduated from University of New Hampshire with her master of social work after receiving her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Southern New Hampshire University. Valeree has been the Court Coordinator for the Anne Arundel County Veterans Treatment Court since its inception in 2017. Prior to joining United Way of Central Maryland (UWCM), Valeree worked in the community developing treatment programs for those with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Jamie is a licensed Social Worker from Baltimore, Maryland. She graduated with her Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore after receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in social work from Christopher Newport University. She is currently the Senior Director of Court Programs and Strategic Initiatives at United Way of Central Maryland (UWCM), where she has been since 2013. Before working at UWCM, she worked with at-risk, new mothers, conducting home visits and child development assessments. Jamie has a background in program management, specifically addressing issues related to homelessness, veterans, and the criminal justice system. She has been the Court Coordinator for Baltimore City’s Veterans Treatment Court since inception in 2015. She currently also oversees the Anne Arundel County Veterans Treatment Court and various other program management projects at United Way.
Agenda & Learning Objectives
AGENDA:
I. Brief Military Overview
II. Who Are Our Nation’s Veterans
III. Behavioral Health Challenges
IV. Break
V. Working with the Veteran Population
VI. Resources
VII. Q&A
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon the completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:
-
Learn more about the veteran population and military culture.
-
Gain insight on the difficulties that take place during the transition from serving to civilian life.
-
Learn about the common substance use and mental health challenges veterans face.
-
Increase knowledge on resources available for veterans surrounding health care, benefits, employment, and housing.
Target Audience
Social Workers, LCPCs, and Psychologists
We welcome anyone interested in the topic!
Late Fees and Refunds
Fee & Registration:
Cost is $70 and includes CE credit. Registering after 10/26/2023 will incur an additional $20 late fee. Cancellations* must be received 24 hours in advance prior to the workshop to receive a refund or an account credit.
*ALL cancellations will be subjected to a $35.00 administration fee.
