When you hear the term VA Women’s Health Transition Training, do you think:
“I don’t want to be treated any differently than the guys.”
“I don’t need special treatment.”
“I just want to be an [insert rank here]. Leave the woman part out of it.”
While I was in service and for many years after I left, I said things just like this.
I didn’t want to be noticed for being a woman. I didn’t want to be treated differently because I was female. I certainly didn’t think I needed training that was specifically designed for women veterans.
It was almost ten years after I left the service before I realized that, while it may be inconvenient, sometimes, the fact that I’m a woman does matter.
The Case for Women Veteran-Specific Resources
My eyes were first opened to the need for women veteran-specific resources in 2016. Specifically, because of some work I did for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Office of Suicide Prevention.
That’s when I learned that women veterans were committing suicide at almost twice the rate of our civilian counterparts and I started to realize asking people to just “treat us like one of the guys” wasn’t working.
But it doesn’t stop there.
– According to the VA, when asked by their VA provider, 1 in 3 women (compared to 1 in 100 men) report experiencing Military Sexual Trauma,
– A 2018 VA report lists women as the fastest-growing homeless veteran demographic, and
– Research by Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families indicated that women took longer to obtain a job than their male counterparts and a full 20% more women than men reported a difficult financial transition.
Thankfully, two women were working on a solution to help address these issues.
Two Air Force Women Champion an Idea to Help Women Veterans
In 2017, I was working at VFW as their National Security and Foreign Affairs Director when I got a call. Then Major Alea Nadeem, chair of the Air Force’s Women’s Initiative Team, wanted to discuss a project she was working on.
According to research, 59% of women veterans listed navigating VA benefits as their greatest challenge when transitioning.
She and her team were developing training to address this and to raise awareness and understanding among women veterans on what the Veterans Health Administration had to offer them.
Joined by fellow Air Force Reservist and Founder of LeanIn Military Erika Cashin, Alea wanted to create an Air Force, and ultimately DoD-wide, program that would increase the number of women veterans enrolled in VA healthcare.
Over the next two years, Alea and Erika and their team would gain first the Secretary of the Air Force’s approval. Then they would move on to gain both DoD and VA’s, and then ultimately Congress’ approval for a new program called the Women’s Health Transition Training.
What is the VA Women’s Health Transition Training?
The VA Women’s Health Transition Training is a program designed to overcome barriers to women veterans using their VA health care benefits.
Its goal is to educate women transitioning out of the military about the VA healthcare system, their benefits, and the women-specific programs and services VA offers to enrolled veterans.
Although it is geared towards transitioning servicewomen, women veterans are also eligible to attend the training.
Originally started as a pilot program, the Women’s Health Transition Training program was initially only available on a few bases. It’s now spread to 16 states, the National Capital Region, and three countries!
The training is typically offered in-person at both U.S. and overseas military installations. However, thanks to COVID, it is available online twice a day through December 21st, 2020.
What Does the Health Transition Training Cover?
The training covers information women veterans need to understand to get enrolled in and effectively use the VA health care system.
As it currently stands, the program has three main parts:
– Phase 1 focuses on understanding the Veterans Health Administration,
– Phase 2 covers the women-specific services and programs VA offers, and
– Phase 3 details how to get enrolled in the VA healthcare system
The transition training covers a wide variety of VA benefits and services for women, including such topics as:
– breast pumps
– infertility
– post-mastectomy care
– mental health
It also demonstrates actionable items, such as how to locate your nearest VA medical facility and what resources exist at VA to assist women with their health care needs.
Is the VA’s Women’s Health Transition Training Worth It?
Because I know Alea and Erika and because I had to navigate enrollment in VA on my own, I wouldn’t even need to see the training to recommend it.
However, because I like to do my homework, I sat in on a VA Women’s Health Transition Training to see it for myself.
My observations:
– The program was well organized and thorough. (I’ve been enrolled in VA since approximately 2015, and even I learned something I didn’t know!)
– Women veterans, a female military spouse, and a VA women veterans program coordinator presented the material.
– It was very interactive and the moderators reviewed the feedback they were given.
– Details on most VA services were provided. Though it didn’t get into some services, such as VA Urgent Care.
– The presenters weren’t afraid to give out their contact information.
– Attendees received several useful handouts so they could go back to review specifics, such as contact information or VA priority groups.
Overall, I thought it was definitely worth the time investment. I would encourage every woman veteran and transitioning female service member to sign up for the VA Women’s Health Transition Training.
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