Policy Committee on Homelessness

Tracie Walls, Chair

WINC: For All Women Veterans

The purpose of the Policy Committee on Homelessness is to develop annual policy goals and recommendations relative to improving the situation of homeless women veterans. The Homelessness Policy Committee works to research and develop policy recommendations for adoption by the broader Coalition.

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Objectives:

• Objective 1: Create and preserve dedicated affordable housing specifically for women Veterans.

• Objective 2: Reduce housing access barriers that limit women with children.

• Objective 3: Sustain practices that protect disabled women Veterans from being displaced.

• Objective 4: Improve national support services for economically disadvantaged and disabled women Veterans.

• Objective 5: Develop policies that address the disparity in housing support services specifically for women Veterans.

• Objective 6: Raise public awareness about homeless women Veterans, its prevalence in the United States, its impact on their lives and potential solutions.

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Overall Goals:

• Improve Women Veterans Affordable Housing.

• Improve Comprehensive Support Services specifically for Women Veterans.

• Increase Income Maximization for Women Veterans.

• Ensure National Plans specifically address prevention for Women Veterans.

Policy Committee on Mental Health & Wellness

Stephanie Gattas, Chair

Pink Berets

The purpose of the Policy Committee on Wellness is to develop annual policy goals; research and make recommendations relative to improving the situation of mental health and wellness among our servicewomen and women veterans, as well as to write policy recommendation letters and reports for adoption by the broader coalition.

Objectives:

• Objective 1: Developing skills, knowledge, and abilities of the committee members to engage more effectively on mental health and wellness topics.

• Objective 2: Expand possible legislative opportunities to present to other organizations & Congress to address the mental health epidemic and lack of resources for women’s wellness in the U.S. Armed Forces. 

• Objective 3: Contribute to changes within existing legislation as well as initiating new legislative options to better address mental health and wellness issues not covered in the initial bills through discussions and interactions with both active duty and women veterans that have been or will be impacted.

• Objective 4: Providing information about how legislation is created and the best access for those interested in participating to become engaged.

• Objective 5: Assist those newer to the Mental Health and Wellness policy with the history and background of historic efforts and how they can forge a future for themselves in various areas of information and access, including newspapers, radio, television, blogs, vlogs, Podcasts, self-publishing and online meetings via zoom and meetup, education from a variety of sources, to enhance the involvement of their own organizations and future endeavors. 

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Overall Goals:

• Improve skills, knowledge, and abilities of women veterans advocating for better resources that address their mental health and physical wellness. 

• Improve access to viable programs and assistance for women veterans who are struggling with invisible injuries and the resources needed to help them during and after the transition from the military.

• Impact legislation to provide services, support, and accountability when it comes to offering a standardized approach to how women veterans receive care during and after their service in the military. 

• Expand public awareness of the complexities associated with the stigma that surrounds mental health and physical related disparities when it comes to their healthcare and how the general public, as well as how the VA can become engaged to change the narrative.

• Address the long-standing call for change in how women’s reproductive rights and impact on their reproductive health is addressed. 

• Collaborate with organizations within the MWC for a general approach to discovering issues we have not yet addressed or been made aware of.

Policy Committee on Sexual Violence

Diana Danis, Chair

Service Women Who Serve

The purpose of the Policy Committee on Sexual Violence is to develop annual policy goals, conduct research, and make recommendations relative to addressing sexual violence. The Committee writes policy recommendation letters and reports for adoption by the broader coalition.

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Objectives:

• Objective 1: Developing skills, knowledge and abilities of the committee members to engage more effectively on Sexual Violence topics.

• Objective 2: Expand possible legislative opportunities to present to other organizations & Congress to address toxic leadership & culture in the U.S. military and National Guard. 

• Objective 3: Contributing to the retooling of the I Am Vanessa Guillen Act and Military Justice Improvements Act as well as initiating new legislative options to better address issues not covered in the initial bills through discussions and interactions with both active duty and veterans impacted.

• Objective 4: Providing information about how legislation is created and the best accesses for those interested in participating to become engaged.

• Objective 5: Assisting those newer to Sexual Violence policy with the history and background of historic efforts and how they can forge a future for themselves in various arenas of information and access, including newspapers, radio, television, blogs, vlogs, PODCasts, self-publishing and online meetings via zoom and meetup, education from a variety of sources, to enhance the involvement of their own organizations and future endeavors.

• Objective 6: Each month accomplish media presence via newspaper columns and radio/television interviews and teach background on Sexual Violence issues to both active duty and National Guard members. Bring committee members into the programs to share.

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Overall Goals

• Improve skills, knowledge and abilities of women veterans advocating for elimination of Sexual Violence.

• Improve access to viable programs and assistance for Sexual Violence survivors in both military and VA.

• Impact legislation to provide services, support and information for sexual violence survivors.

• Expand public awareness of the complexities and needs of Sexual Violence survivors and how non-military and non-veterans can become engaged to change the culture.