Family Life Action Group (FLAG) After-Action Report 8/14/2023

Present:
Ron Stark, SDVC President and Mental Health Systems
Marianne Delatorre, Elizabeth Dole Foundation
Tony Stewart, Us4Warriors
Sarah Falcone, Vet’s Community Connections
Emily Elkin, PsychArmor
Mike Maus, VA Caregiver Support Program
Lisa Marcolongo, Elizabeth Hospice
Peter Lanham, Battle Buddies
Danny Leung, Military Home Loans
Tracy Owens, STEP

Organizational Updates
• Us4Warriors’ upcoming warrior spirit festival is on October 21 at the Otay Ranch Town Center in Chula Vista. Us4Warriors is currently looking for veteran artists and veteran authors for the event.
• Fresh4Warriors has an upcoming food distribution on August 22 at Del Rey Church in Chula Vista.
• Food4Warriors Food Drop Distribution on September 1, from 11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. at American Legion Post 434 in Chula Vista.
• PsychArmor has new courses launching at the end of 2023 and has just launched its carevgiver course and updated respite courses.
• PsychArmor will be hosting a webinar on September 14. The topics will include respite and caring for veterans through the end of their life.
• VA San Diego caregiver support program has a caregiver summit in September and
• then the caregiver resource fair in November. Specific dates will be updated on the SDVC website.

Key Discussion Points -Minority Veteran Family Experiences
• The challenge of accessing to resources
• Mental health can be a stigma in some cultures.
• The definition of minority in the veteran community which includes, being a person of color, but sexual orientation as well as gender.
• The importance of including and incorporating minority experiences in our organizations.
• Assisting Vietnam Era Veterans with resources to help them thrive

Lessons Learned/Best Practices
• PsychArmor is currently working on getting all courses translated into Spanish and also transcribing courses for families who don’t speak English.
• Elizabeth Hospice provides all their brochures in Spanish as well as staff fluent in Spanish, and translator available over the phone who can assist with translating other languages.
• Elizabeth Hospice is currently working with Afghan refugee families as well.
• This is especially important when looking at family when someone is at the end of life.
• Elizabeth Hospice’s goal is not to substitute their care, but were here to, to complement it and walk alongside them during this time, which can be very challenging.
• Military Home Loans offers loan documentation in Spanish.
• San Diego Housing Commission SDHC just recently launched The bipac grant (black indigenous people of color) which offers up to 20,000 in a deferred loan towards a down payment and another 20,000 for closing costs.
• The VA offers translating resources
• VA Caregiver classes are being released in Spanish as well as Spanish speaking support groups.
• Elizabeth Dole Foundation takes a broad consideration around our rural communities that don’t have access to resources. As well as female veterans, people of color, sexual orientation, sandwich caregiver and other diversity conditions.
• Microsoft Translator – https://translator.microsoft.com/

Next Steps:
FLAG Project
• Food insecurity
• Beach clean up
• Addressing financial insecurity

Upcoming Meetings & Tentative Topics
September 11* – Veteran Suicide Prevention Awareness – Families
October 9* – Financial Literacy/Resources and Food Insecurity
November 13 – Veteran Family Survivors/Caregiver Survivors
December 11 – Review/Capacity-Building