Caregivers on the Homefront

Caregivers on the Homefront's goals and objectives are based on the research and recommendations from the Rand Study. The study focuses on the listed four objectives which we have based our program on:
• Empower the Caregiver – Build their skills through education and mitigate the potential stress and strain of caregiving. Our program will provide them with workshops in caregiver burden, secondary post-traumatic stress and suicide to name a few.
• Create a Caregiver Friendly Environment – Providing a judgment-free zone and teaching them how to advocate and be a leader for not only themselves but for their wounded warrior. Our Life Coach will assist them in this endeavor.
• Fill Gaps in Programs – Our program will include all eras of military and veteran caregivers and focus on their mental health. This will not be a program about their wounded warrior. This will be a program about the caregiver.
• Plan for the Future – By providing the workshops that we do the caregiver will be more educated and more confident to sustain themselves in the long run. Our “In Case of Emergency" Workshop will give them the tools to be prepared for the future. Effective partnerships with other organizations will help us to provide for the caregiver by holding future retreats. Using licensed clinicians throughout our program will benefit the caregiver and provide them with high-quality services.
Our goal is for our program to sustain the caregiver through their daily caregiving journey. We would like them to experience a greater sense of self by implementing the practices and education that they have been taught during the Program. We would ultimately want our participants to be self-sufficient having learned the practices necessary to heal and tend to their mind, body, and soul. We would also like for our participants to give back by being a part of our alumni community and know that they have a supportive network to reach out to always.

Our organization goes beyond basic peer support for the veteran and military caregiver in that we offer evidence base and best practice mental health care. By utilizing the current research on military and veteran caregivers we are able to fill the gap missing in many support programs for our population. We must be innovative in our approach to combat the high rates of veteran divorce, homelessness, and suicide. One of the ways we see to do this, which is not often done in many veteran serving organizations, is to provide services to the veteran family members to include the children. Secondary stress in these families are higher than their civilian counterparts due to the nature of living with veterans with mental health and substance abuse conditions.
COH also serves all eras of veteran and military caregivers and these caregivers do not have to be a part of the Veteran's Affairs caregiver program. By opening up to our entire population, we can better assist in a higher quality of life for all veteran families. Not only do we have to reach the caregiver, we must reach our communities. Many are not educated on the affects that war has on our caregivers. In fact, many do not see veteran family members as caregivers. We educate our communities by advocating for policy and procedure changes at the local, state, and national governments. We are subject matter experts on veteran caregiving and speak nationally to different veteran's affairs hospitals, SAMHSA, and other mental health organizations.
We also must continue to serve a diverse community. Caregivers come from all walks of life. Our military is diverse, which means our veteran caregivers are. We must be culturally competent in those we serve.

Caregivers on the Homefront has first hand knowledge of what it is like to be veteran caregivers. Our program director and executive director are both caregivers to their wounded veterans as well as social workers at the Masters level. Our lived experience gives us the ability to craft our programs for the benefit of the caregivers that we are serving. We both have extensive volunteer service with organizations such as the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Hearts of Valor, The Military and Veteran Caregiver Network with the American Red Cross, the Veteran's Administration, and Psych Armor.

Although Covid had many organizations pivoting, the veteran and military caregiver organizations have utilized virtual events for years. COH was no different. Although we had to cancel one restorative weekend, we were able to hold two last year. We moved our 5K to virtual and came out on top. We supported many caregivers in crisis with teletherapy and phone therapy. We partnered with After Action Network to host a veteran and caregiver grocery shopping event through funds from the Bob Woodruff Foundation. We drove all through Missouri and Kansas delivering 100 care packages with resources to veteran caregivers. This was a joint effort between us, The Elizabeth Dole Foundation, and Wounded Warrior Project. Our executive director participated in the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and AARP's Hidden Heroes City and County Summit last year. Kansas City Council Woman and COH board member and Shawn Moore, Executive Director held a fireside chat speaking on the ways we have supported veteran caregivers in our local area. At the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and VA's National Convening, our veteran care package delivery was highlighted.

Our Caregiver Restorative Weekend outcomes have heightened our ability to provide them throughout the Nation. This year we are holding eight weekends in different locations throughout the US. We are now scheduling them through 2022. One of the goals this year is to have a caregiver and me restorative weekend to provide our hidden helpers, the teen secondary caregivers, a place to share their experiences and learn mental health and wellness tools. The affects of living with a wounded and/or ill veteran can be generational. We want to set up our secondary caregivers for success in their adulthood.