Meeting Notes from October 1:
Fairfax County Police Department
Joseph "Joe" Schlenz with Fairfax County's Police Department, and T.R. "Tim" Pillon with Fairfax County's Sheriff's Office joined our meeting to provide an overview of the
Crisis Intervention Training
(CIT) program they facilitate for Fairfax County.
CIT is an international model that Fairfax County has utilized to formulate their training based on it's core principles. This includes using several de-escalation tactics and meeting the individual where they are at, and where they come from.
They are working closely with the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office as an integrated approach to ensure that there is always a CIT trained officer available 24/7 within the County.
During the meeting they provided a great overview of parallels with law enforcement and veterans, but also how they work with veterans that might be experiencing a crisis. They provided an overview of emergency custody orders and how they work with Merrifield Center, as well as Fort Belvoir Community Hospital if it is an active duty service member.
They did let us know that Merrifield has begun utilizing a data tracking sheet to better identify veterans within the past month or two.
For more information or to contact the Crisis Intervention Training instructors,
MDS T.R. "Tim" Pillon
Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office
Joseph "Joe" G. Schlenz
Fairfax County Police Department.
Friendship Place
Chris Pitocchelli from Friendship Place gave us some additional insight to their work providing homeless prevention services to veterans in the region through
Veterans First
.
Chris provided us a copy of the
VI-SPDAT Eligibility Cover Sheet
that they use to help determine their eligibility for services for SSVF (Supportive Services for Veteran Families).
One of the areas that provides the most frustration for eligibility is the HUD definition of literally homeless, and staying in a place that is not habitable such as on the street, in a car, etc.
To determine if the veteran is eligible, you can call their screening intake number at
202.658.9599. It is an
automatic voicemail and they return calls within 2 business days. Friendship Place is also an active network user with ServingTogether and can easily be referred for those utilizing the Unite Us platform.
Friendship Place also offers the ability to meet in person, they are available at the CRRC in DC every Wednesday from 1 - 4 pm. They have outreach team that covers DC, MD and NoVA available to meet throughout the region.
Britepaths
This one-stop Financial Management center in South County provides financial coaching, workforce development, tax preparation services, small business consultation services, and financial workshops.
They are able to work with anyone who can come to the center, no financial requirement or restrictions. All services are free.
They are open Monday-Friday 10 am - 4:30 pm They also do evenings and Saturdays once or twice a month. They can meet in person, and then provide follow up services by phone/email after that.
They also have partnerships such as Northern Virginia Legal Services who can provide support with tax, bankruptcy, free legal advice. And Northern Virginia Pro-bono Center that can support medical bills, credit reports, etc.
Through the workforce develop program they have individuals that can review resumes, help with interview skills, and completing online applications.
They can also provide workshops, classes and coaching sessions in the community.
Individuals can make appointments by calling or
going online
and registering for a one-on-one appointment or workshop.
For more information or questions, contact:
Maria-Jose Cantoni
Director
Financial Empowerment Center
mjcantoni@britepaths.org
Collaborative Member Updates
Mindfulness allWays
Kneel Goodman has put together an event for Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress to receive an Advanced Training from Gary Craig, the Founder of Emotional Freedom Technique. To learn more about it,
click here
.
Cohen Clinic
Offering several upcoming events, including Art Workshops, American Red Cross Reconnection Workshops, and a Toastmasters group. To see their list of upcoming events
click here.
Veterans Curation Program
10 year Anniversary in January. More to come soon!
Virginia Veteran and Family Support
They have launched a new
Peer Support group
in Loudoun County. Meets Monthly on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday from 6-8 pm at the Department of Veteran Services office in Ashburn.
Department of Veteran Affairs - Northern Virginia Community College
The monthly housing allowance for the GI Bill will be changing to the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates based on the zip code of the classes, not the school. This could have significant impact for those going to school at Northern Virginia Community College. Registration opened early November, so best for students to register for classes as early as possible to get their classes in the campuses they want them at. If veterans you are working with have concerns on their GI Bill or even Vocational Rehabilitation Coordinator at Northern Virginia Community College, they can reach out to Michele Pohmer at
Michelle.Pohmer@va.gov.
