Invited by Texas State Health and Human Services, United Way of Denton County (UWDC) shared their success story as a Texas Veterans + Family Alliance (TV+FA) Grant recipient at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute Engage and Excel Pre-Conference in Houston, TX this week.
Representing UWDC on the workshop panel were President and CEO Gary Henderson and Director of Health and Mental Health Initiatives Sonia Redwine who discussed the creation, incubation, and funding for the Veteran Community Navigator (VCN) program.
“Giving our perspective as a TV+FA grantee at the Engage and Excel conference was a wonderful opportunity,” said Gary Henderson. “The success of the VCN program allows us to showcase the effective collaboration happening in Denton County to address behavioral health.
As backbone support to the Denton County Behavioral Health Leadership Team (DCBHLT), a Collective Impact initiative of United Way of Denton County, the organization applied for and was awarded a $175,000 grant in 2016 to pilot the VCN program. The VCN program was designed to provide a more holistic approach to supporting Veterans and their families in Denton County, an unmet need identified by the DCBHLT Veterans Workgroup.
The VCN serves as an entry point for Veterans and their families needing assistance. The resources available range from referrals to other agencies for housing, employment, and counseling to connecting with financial assistance as a preventative measure. In its pilot year, the VCN surpassed the initial goal of serving 250 Veterans and/or their family members.
Recognizing the success of this program, the UWDC Board of Directors approved funding to continue to sustain the program into Year Two to ensure continuation of services while a permanent solution to sustain the program was found.
On October 1, 2018, the VCN program officially began operation as part of the Denton County Veteran Service Office. To date, 645 Veterans and their families have been served. UWDC and the DCBHLT will continue working with the Denton County Veteran Service Office and the Denton County Veterans Coalition to identify gaps in services to Veterans and their families and how best to address their needs.