Our History
 

Based on emerging evidence in medical and behavioral health studies, along with national and local news stories about the barriers to community re-entry by military veterans and their families following deployment, providers of medical and behavioral healthcare and social support services came together in 2014 and decided to launch and effort to educate our community providers about the unique circumstances of military service and their impacts on veteran and military family quality of life.

 

Using grants from Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, MA surveys of veterans and military families living in the four counties of western Massachusetts were composed and distributed. Two focus groups- one composed of veterans, the other of family members- were conducted by professional facilitators to clarify and prioritize the challenges they encountered in getting care in the civilian community. The information gathered provided a baseline for a community educational curriculum designed to improve the delivery of care services.

 

Since 2015 the Outreach Project has provided free educational in-service training, seminars and webinars to civilian healthcare providers. Printed resources, including a directory of veteran services in western Massachusetts, were distributed. Our advocacy to state legislators has helped foster improved resource allocation to veteran care organizations.