News
Levant Veteran On Mission to Stop Soldier Suicide
Thursday, February 19, 2015 | Category: Suicide - ME
Joe Swoboda of Levant, Maine has a goal is to get the veteran suicide rate to zero. He also wants veterans everywhere to realize there is life after the military and that they you don’t have to commit suicide. Joe has a website, www.stop22.org, and is an ambassador for "K9s For Warriors" who he says save his life.
Maine Homeless Veterans Alliance Announces Launch and Nonprofit Status
Monday, January 19, 2015 | Category: Housing/Experiencing Homelessness - ME
The Maine Homeless Veterans Alliance (MHVA) is an official nonprofit organization dedicated to help end homelessness among Maine veterans. Executive Director Roger Goodoak, was himself a former homeless veteran suffering from PTSD and schizophrenia. He personally, drives around Portland, Maine seeking out those in need, delivering blankets, coats, and water. The MHVA is a donation-based operation providing services such as transportation to and from meetings and assistance to vets moving into homes and off the streets.
Services Lacking for Women Veterans
Saturday, January 17, 2015 | Category: Health Care - ME
The Disabled American Veterans 2014 report, “Women Veterans: The Long Journey Home,” outlines 27 recommendations that Congress, the administration, VA and the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Housing and Urban Development can take to strengthen the safety net for women veterans. More than a quarter-million American women served honorably in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, yet evidence indicates military women receive less support than their male counterparts from government programs primarily designed for men.
Government, Mental Health Advocates Work to Prevent Suicide Among Maine, US Veterans
Sunday, November 9, 2014 | Category: Suicide - ME
Forty-seven Maine veterans killed themselves in 2013. Data compiled by the Department of Veterans Affairs indicates there is a significant national problem. Federal and state officials and suicide prevention advocates are taking steps to raise awareness of the issue.
Mental Health Services at Togus Veterans Hospital to Be Probed
Thursday, October 23, 2014 | Category: Mental Health - ME
The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General will inspect Maine VA mental health care. The review was requested by U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, D-2nd District, the top Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
Maine Voices: Homeless Veterans Have an Ally
Thursday, July 24, 2014 | Category: Housing/Experiencing Homelessness - ME
More than 63,000 military veterans are homeless on any given night in America. Preble Street is a public-private effort who aids military veterans all around the state.
Success of Maine Veterans Court Inspires Plan to Expand
Monday, February 3, 2014 | Category: Legal/Justice - ME
In 2012, the veterans court pilot program started as part of the pre-existing Co-Occurring Disorders Court, designed to aid offenders dealing with mental illness and substance abuse problems. Justice Nancy Mills presides over both programs in Kennebec County Superior Court. The program was initiated in response to the fatal shooting by Farmington police of Afghanistan veteran Justin Crowley-Smilek in 2011. The day before the shooting, Justin appeared in court and was ordered to seek psychological help.
Augusta Court Program Helps Veterans Who Are in Trouble With the Law
Tuesday, July 3, 2012 | Category: Legal/Justice - ME
A Veterans Treatment Court began in 2011 in Maine with no funding. After the Maine legislature and Governor signed the program into law, the Court can seek federal funding. It follows the model of the nation's first Veterans Treatment Court, started in New York in 2008. Ann Archibald, the Maine VA's Justice Outreach Specialist since summer 2011, is working with the Department of Corrections and the county jail system “to get a handle on” the number of incarcerated veterans in the state.
Maine Women Veterans' Memorial Plaque
Tuesday, February 1, 2011 | Category: History/Heritage - ME
Senator Linda Valentino sponsored the the Maine Women Veterans' Memorial Plaque which is now in the Hall of Flags in the Augusta State House.