Transition Assistance
Advisors
TRANSITION ASSISTANCE ADVISOR
TAA INITIATIVE BEGAN IN MAY 2005
• MOA between National Guard Bureau and Department of VA
• At least one in each state and territory
• Provide information and assistance to National Guard members
and their families in receiving benefits
• Primarily serve National Guard but will gladly provide services
to members in all of the reserve components
30 November 2011
1 Jan – 30 Sep 09
Phone Calls: 1719
E-mails: 1626
Walk-ins: 79
Referrals to VBA, VHA, or Vet Center: 1899
Briefings: 60 (Total Attendance: 5867)
Briefings include Initial, 30 Day, 60 Day,
Community Training, FRAs, FPAs, CBHCO,
and others
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2009 to date…
• 2 Successful CBWTU conferences
• 3 CBWTU Musters at Rock Island
• 3 Ft. McCoy Initial Reintegration
• Created “Wounded Warrior Roadmap to
Recovery Guide”
• Participated in 2 MAC-V Stand downs
• Participate in monthly training sessions
• Building and maintaining relationships
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PHASE ONE PHASE TWO PHASE THREE
(Pre Deployment Preparation) (Deployment Support) (Post Deployment Re-Integration)
Proactively train soldiers and families to Provide a responsive and well trained Help soldiers and families merge back into
adapt to the real challenges of a network of support to soldiers and their civilian life by providing re-integration
mobilization. Build and train a responsive families. Proactively train families to training, access to governmental and non-
network of support that can provide rapid understand challenges of reconnecting with governmental resources and provide timely
solutions. their returning soldier. referral.
SOLDIER AND FAMILY CHALLENGES: SOLDIER AND FAMILY CHALLENGES: SOLDIER AND FAMILY CHALLENGES:
• Staying connected • Who Can Help? • Communicating • Single Parenting • Relationships • Employment
• Knowing Benefits • Coping with Stress • Who Can Help? • Separation • Anger • Education
• Family Finance • Deployment Prep • Employment • Education • Substance Abuse • Reconnecting
DEPLOYMENT CYCLE SU PPO RT TRAIN IN G
FAMILY READINESS LEADER CONFERENCE: ADVANCED FRG/FAC TRAINING: INITIAL RE-INTEGRATION TRAINING:
Family Readiness and Unit Leaders attend two Train Family Readiness Group (FRG) and Family Provide a ½ day of training for soldiers at their de-
days of essential training that leads to a “Family Assistance Center (FAC) leaders to provide a mobilization site. Enroll into local VA, receive key
Readiness Action Plan”. Attendees gain valuable higher level of service based on current benefits information and access to resources.
insight from experienced leaders to help develop deployment trends and challenges. Conducted
their plan. 30/60 DAY RE-INTEGRATION TRAINING:
via state wide distance learning (VTC).
Soldiers/Families attend one day of training at 30
FAMILY PREPARATION ACADEMY: and 60 days after returning home. Helps soldiers
FAMILY RE-INTEGRATION ACADEMY:
Deploying soldiers and families attend a one day and families cope with their challenges and
Train families at a one day workshop prior to their
workshop that offers multiple training workshops connects them to vital resources.
soldiers return to understand the challenges of re-
conducted by licensed professionals and
connecting with their soldier. Connect them with INDIVIDUAL RE-INTEGRATION TRAINING:
previously deployed soldiers who share their
a wide range of resources and provide on site Soldiers who re-deploy as individuals attend a
experiences.
counseling and referral if needed. one day Monthly Individual Re-Integration
Training (MIRT) event.
BU I LD AN D C O N NE CT N ETWO R KS O F S U PPO RT
• FRG/Unit Training • Community Training • “Yellow Ribbon City” • Advanced FAC Tng • Mental Health • Job Fairs
• Garner Local Support • Train FAC’s • Resource Listings • Counseling Services • Health Care • ESGR
• Govt Agency MOU’s • Non-Govt Resources • Advanced FRG Tng • Organize Job Fairs • Education Resources • Benefits
CONTACT INFORMATION
Allan Jorgensen John Stepan
TRANSITION ASSISTANCE ADVISOR TRANSITION ASSISTANCE ADVISOR
8180 Belden Boulevard 8180 Belden Boulevard
Cottage Grove, MN 55016 Cottage Grove, MN 55016
Everything South of Hwy 94 Everything North of Hwy 94
allan.jorgensen@us.army.mil john.stepan@us.army.mil
Office:(651) 282-4667 Office:(651) 282-4234
Cell: (612) 308-6242 Cell: (612) 308-5723
Medical Transition
Advisor & Coordinator
30 November 2011
“MTAC” Position
• Staffed in Deployment Cycle Support.
• Intended to help our seriously
wounded or injured soldiers.
Strong focus on supporting the family’s
concerns and issues **
30 November 2011
Jeri Longfellow
• 31+ years of military service
• Retired, senior medical service corps officer
• Broad background and working knowledge of medical
and health systems
• Established cooperative relationships with a variety of
federal, state and local veteran support agencies and
services
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What can the Medical Transition
Advisor & Coordinator do for Families?
• Respond to time-sensitive calls.
• Provide timely assistance to military families on status
of their wounded warrior.
• Travel throughout the State in order to facilitate an
initial one-on-one meeting with warriors in Transition
and/or family members.
• Provide advice and guidance about various medical
healthcare and dental services, needs and concerns.
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And…
• Serve as a liaison between organizations to include:
• The state Veteran Administration
• Veteran Service Offices
• Active Duty Medical Treatment Facilities
• Community, state, and national medical facilities
• Facilitate seamless medical transition to
appropriate medical system, if required.
• Work in coordination with the Deployment Cycle
Support (DCS) Program and Warrior Transition Unit of
assignment to assist in the Reintegration process.
30 November 2011
Contact Information
Medical Transition Advisor and Coordinator
Geraldine Longfellow
Lieutenant Colonel, Retired
Office: 651-282-4091
Cell: 612-281-0548
Minnesota National Guard
Deployment Cycle Support
8180 Belden Boulevard South
Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016-2645
30 November 2011
Questions?
30 November 2011