7 October 2021
Resources for Veterans and Military Family Members
Important Dates and Events
October 3 through 9 – Mental Health Awareness Week. Please check out these behavioral health and wellness resources.

·     Every year, 600,000 military-connected families move. These Blue Star Families Resources highlight tools that help ease the transition of military- and Veteran-connected families into their new communities.
·     Managing mental illness and healing from trauma can come in many forms. If you are looking for stand-up comedy workshops, adaptive paddling, equine therapy, wellness retreats and other resources and programs, take a look at the Howard County Veteran and Military Families Resource Directory for more information.
·      A staggering 20 veterans die by suicide every day, and the VFW is committed to helping change the narrative and stigma surrounding mental health in America. In order to raise awareness, foster community engagement, improve research and provide intervention for those affected by invisible injuries and emotional stress, the VFW has teamed up with the nationwide organizations Give an Hour and the Campaign to Change Direction, One Mind, PatientsLikeMe and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to combat this critical issue.
 
·     The Howard County Bureau of Behavioral Health has many resources including a directory of behavioral health providers.
 
·     The Howard County Office of Veterans and Military Families recently hosted an outdoor screening of the documentary, “Bastards’ Road” which follows Marine Veteran Jonathan Hancock walking 6,000 miles around the country, using the solitude of the road and the company of his fellow Marine brothers and the families of their fallen to successfully manage the wounds of war that never fully heal. If you missed it, you can view it at home, visit https://www.bastardsroad.com/ for more info.
 
 
·     National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Howard County hosts a free, drop in support group for facilitated by veterans for veterans on the first Monday of the month at 6pm. Register here  
 
·     October 7 – Navigating the Landlord Tenant Relationship forum, 7-8:30pm.
 
·     Oct 10 and 17 – Song Writing Series for Military Kids, 1pm
 
 
·     October 12 – Howard County Virtual Employment Informtion Session, 10-11:30am
 
 
·     October 12 – Howard County Veterans Collaborative Kickoff and Brainstorming Session, 9:30-11am. Registration
 
·     October 14 – Howard County Commission for Veterans and Military Families meeting, 7-8:30pm. Email veterans@howardcountymd.gov for the link to join.
 
·     October 14 – Virtual Veteran Conference . This complimentary event, hosted by VETS Indexes, brings together the leading voices in veteran employment from across the nation to discuss best practices, to share tips and advice, and to network.
 
·     October 15-17 – Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park Trail Fest
 
·     October 17- 22 – Horizon Foundation Mental Health Film Festival, Free
 
·      October 26 - Four part PBS series – American Veteran

·     November 1 – NAMI Connection Veteran Support Group, 6pm. A free, drop in, peer-led support group for Veterans living with mental illness.
Joining a Support Group can help you to feel better in any number of ways, such as:
• Knowing that others are going through something similar
• Learning tips on how to handle day-to-day challenges
• Meeting new friends or connecting to others who understand you
• Learning how to talk about things that bother you or how to ask for help
 
·     November 6 – Willing Warriors Annual Gala
 
·     November 7 – Howard County Veterans Day Parade, 9:30am in downtown Columbia. To participate, be a vendor or to sponsor, email info@howardcountyveterans.org.
 
·     November 11 – McVets 5K Run to benefit homeless veterans
 
 
·    Monday thru Friday - Veteran Virtual Kiosk, 10am-3pm EST. A daily virtual office where you can connect to our employment professionals and get help with MD Workforce Exchange and find out about available resources. Contact Mr. Anthony Butler Sr.
Virtual—https://meet.google.com/awf-yoqx-mmu
Phone—+1 516-268-6742 PIN: 748 066 507 #
 
Register for Maryland’s Workforce Exchange by visiting https://mwejobs.maryland.gov/



  • Every Monday - SeniorsTogether Men’s Forum, 10am-12pm. A friendly group for discussion on a variety of topics, swapping stories, and sharing life experiences in a comfortable, good-humored, social setting. Facilitated with occasional guest speakers. A drop-in group, for more information contact Karen Hull, khull@howardcountymd.gov or 410-313-7466. howardcounty.gov/aging

 
·    1st Tuesday of every month - Virtual Tai Chi for Veterans, 12-1pm.  
 
·    Tuesdays, September 14 to December 14, 2021 - Virtual Comedy Writing Workshop, 12-1pm. Registration: https://bit.ly/CBAWComedy2021
 
·    2nd Tuesdays & 4th Saturdays of every month, thru December 18 - Virtual Toastmasters for Veterans and Military Communities, Tuesdays at 7 pm & Saturdays at 11:30 am. Please register with Bernadette Garrett at tmspeakerleaderdtm20@gmail.com
 
·    2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month thru December 22, 2021 - Virtual Mindfulness and Gentle Yoga, 5-6pm.
 
·    4th Tuesdays of every month - Virtual Creative Writing Workshops with Community Building Art Works, 12-1pm
 
·    2nd Thursday of the Month - Veteran Small Business & Entrepreneur Check-In, 3pm EST. A monthly outreach and support event which brings together vet friendly businesses, small business service organizations and aspiring veteran entrepreneurs to share opportunities advice and resources. Contact Mr. Anthony Butler Sr.
Virtual—https://meet.google.com/coi-hmmo-gqy
Phone—+1 385-645-7116 PIN: 158 654 013 #
 
·    Last Thursday of the Month- Veteran Career Club, 11am EST. A monthly outreach and support event which brings together veteran job seekers, career guides, JVSG employment professionals and veteran service organizations to provide job/career options, information on apprenticeships and training opportunities and share tips and techniques for success. Contact Mr. Anthony Butler Sr.
Virtual—https://meet.google.com/nog-aidc-bfv
Phone—+1 316-778-8309 PIN: 237 445 104 #

Other Resources

Military Veterans and Families - Expedited Licensing. Maryland law requires the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing to help veterans and active members of the United States armed forces, including their spouses, to obtain occupational and professional licenses in Maryland. Service members include active duty reservists and members of the National Guard. Occupational and Professional Licensing will issue your license within 60 days of receiving a completed application with all supporting documentation. Once an application has been submitted, please direct all inquiries for expedited processing to the boards/commissions, or call 410-230-6221.




Blue Star Registry for Active Duty Members for Free Access to Museums and other resources and Headspace Meditation and Mindfulness app

Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network Virtual Exhibition Featuring Military Service Member and Veteran Artwork - The National Endowment for the Arts proudly presents Creative Forces: Healing the Invisible Wounds of War—an interactive exhibition of visual art, music, and performances by military service members and veterans who are current or former participants in the Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network.


Project Scope: Understanding the Security Clearance Process for students, parents and veterans.



Newsletters, Articles and other Information
·     MDVA
 
 
 

·      VFW Newsletter
 
·     50+ Connection – news and resources for our 50+ residents
 


Employment

Job Title: Investigator, Office of the Attorney General - Investigator Independent Investigations Division, Posting Date: October 1, 2021 Closing Date: October 15, 2021 Location: Office of the Attorney General 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 Position Type: Regular Full Time

Sodexo is Hiring on Fort Meade/NSA – Keyword: Fort Meade. Email resume or application to Katherine.Coburn@sodexo.com

Sheppard Pratt The Shallow Subsidy positions:
 
New Training & Resources Center for Veterans Starting Businesses
The Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) program is designed to provide entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling and resource partner referrals to transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard & Reserve members and military spouses interested in starting or growing a small business. The SBA has 22 organizations participating in this cooperative agreement and serving as Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC). For more info:
Coverage: Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania
Address: Maryland Innovation Center, 6751 Columbia Gateway Dr, Suite 500, Columbia, MD 21046
Telephone: (301) 955-6328  Email: scolella@umd.edu
 
Veteran Staffing Network - connects veterans and military spouses to employers using a veteran staffing agency model. We work with employers to fill temp-to-perm, contract, and direct-hire positions.



Veteran Employment Resource Center - Resume-writing tutorials & guidelines specific for military members and veterans, How-to / Instructional videos, Interviewing techniques and best practices guidance and list of career fairs.

Military Spouse Resource Center - Resume-writing tutorials & guidelines specific for military spouses, How-to / Instructional videos, Interviewing techniques & guidance and a list of career fairs.
 
Search & Employ Magazine - Digital bi-monthly military and military spouse employment focused publication


Gregory Ingram, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP) Specialist
Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning, Maryland Department of Labor