For immediate release
November 8, 2011
Contact:
Jason Wilkinson
719-471-7080 x139
Local collaboration a model to support veterans and families
Colorado Springs, CO–On Monday, the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG) joined with veterans’ organizations and others from around the state to present Senator Michael Bennet with a report on key issues raised at a recent Colorado Veterans Forum. The report—“Better Serving Those Who Have Served”—highlights the need for collaboration between military, veteran, and community-based organizations to assist veterans and family members. At this event, Sen. Bennet recognized PPACG’s regional collaborative efforts as a model in helping meet the needs of our community’s veterans.
“We appreciate Senator Bennet’s efforts to address the growing needs of our military community,” said PPACG Executive Director Rob MacDonald. “PPACG has been coordinating community responses to military impacts in the Pikes Peak region through the Fort Carson Regional Growth Plan. Senator Bennet’s proposal to create a National Veterans Foundation to improve collaboration will help communities like ours better assist service members, veterans, and their families.”
Network of Care was established to provide a web-based information and assistance tool to the military community for a broad range of services. The website, a key recommendation of the Growth Plan, is the first step in a larger effort to provide a central source of information, resources, and integrated services.
PPACG is working with a broad range of stakeholders to develop a strategic plan to establish a military system of care collaborative. The purpose of the collaborative is to create bridges across systems to increase access, leverage resources, build collaboration, and to improve treatment capacity for all service members, veterans, and their families. This strategic planning effort involves local military installations, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA), community and business leaders, and nonprofit service providers. The need for ongoing and enhanced communication and collaboration is critical to furthering this effort.
“We look forward to working with Senator Bennet and his staff, our regional partners, and others as we develop the strategic plan and implement key actions that will enhance partnerships and collaborative efforts in order to serve those who have served,” said PPACG’s Military Impact Planning Program Manager Kate Hatten.
Since 2006, PPACG’s Military Impact Planning (MIP) program has overseen the Fort Carson Regional Growth Plan to address community impacts of Fort Carson growth. PPACG is currently working with regional stakeholders on implementation of the Growth Plan recommendations, which support all of the region’s military installations, service members, veterans, and their families.
For more information on PPACG’s military-community partnering efforts, visit the PPACG website, or contact Kate Hatten at 719-471-7080 ext 131.
Click here to download the full “Better Serving Those Who Have Served” report.
PPACG is a voluntary association of 16 municipal and county governments serving a regional community. Since 1967, PPACG has worked to ensure that local governments have a forum to discuss issues that cross their political boundaries, identify shared opportunities and challenges, and develop collaborative strategies for action. For more information, visit www.ppacg.org
###
See Senator Bennet’s press release here.