Attention is increasingly being focused on caregivers who provide care to the growing numbers of Veterans and Service Members returning from global conflicts with added challenges of complex physical injuries, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Based on a RAND Study commissioned by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation in 2013, there are an estimated 5.5 million Americans caring for ill or wounded Service Members. Many of these individuals are fulfilling this duty selflessly and with little support.
For the past 28 years, the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) has held a national summit and training institute to support caregivers through advocacy, education, research, and service. The summit provides family and professional caregivers with the opportunity to exchange ideas and to hear from leaders within the field about the latest information and practices that impact caregivers. The 2015 RCI summit was held on October 22-23 in Americus, GA and the theme was “Supporting Those Who Support Others.” First Lady Michelle Obama opened the event with a video welcome where she emphasized that “no one [caregivers] can do this alone.” Her words spoke to the critical need to support caregivers so that they can take care of their loved ones and also themselves. Keynote speakers for the event included Deputy Surgeon General of the U.S. Army Reserve, Major General Margaret Wilmoth, PhD, and Co-Founder and Chairman of Easter Seals Dixon Center (Easter Seals), Colonel David W. Sutherland, who focused on the importance of building awareness and increasing opportunities for engagement within communities. The summit agenda included professional development workshops on strategies for marketing and recruitment, caregiver resilience, leveraging resources for sustainability, and compassion fatigue.
Meredith DeViney, a management consultant with Atlas Research who works with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Veteran Caregiver Training Program (NVCTP), represented Atlas at this year’s RCI Summit. When asked about her impressions of the RCI Summit, Ms. DeViney said, “Overall, the biggest takeaway was the relationship building and connections made in the caregiver community—among caregivers and professional organizations alike. It was a great chance to catch up with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellows I have worked with previously, as well as meet new Dole Fellows and network with them for ideas for future ways to educate military caregivers.”
“Of course, getting the chance to meet former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter was pretty great, too,” she added.
For Atlas, working in the caregiver sector is not new. Since 2011, Atlas and Easter Seals have worked together to develop and implement comprehensive training to provide better support for Veterans, active duty military members, and their caregivers. As part of this large-scale effort, Atlas is responsible for assembling the team of experienced managers, trainers, and health care professionals who design and conduct training to increase caregiver capacity and competency. Together the team develops curricula, oversees webinars, and facilitates classroom learning. The training is offered in three modes: self-study (workbook/CD/DVD), a web-based learning management system, and classroom instruction. The high-quality, easily-accessible program teaches home care principles, safety, wellness and prevention, legal and financial matters, and self-care in both English and Spanish.
Based on the growing number of caregivers and their specific needs, the Veteran and military caregiver project has continued to evolve to ensure that the needs of caregivers are met. For example, to address the need for additional caregiver education as identified by the RAND study, Easter Seals, in partnership with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, launched a free, online webinar series for caregiver training in May of 2014. Easter Seals engaged six other partner organizations to support the series, including Atlas, Caregiver Action Network, Family Caregiver Alliance, National Alliance of Caregiving, Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving and USO—all proud members of the Dole Foundation’s Coalition for Military Caregivers. Each online and hour-long session provides an informative and skill-building session in both English and Spanish.
Atlas Research’s Deborah McKay, a U.S. Navy Veteran as well as the deputy director of the National Veteran Caregiving Training Program stated, “It is a privilege to be a member of Dole Foundation’s Coalition for Military Caregivers and have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of military caregivers across the country.”
Major Milestones Achieved by Easter Seals, Atlas, and Partner Organizations
- Since 2011, the team has trained and certified more than 30,000 caregivers of post-9/11 Veterans.
- In 2013, Atlas and Easter Seals launched an additional Veteran caregiver training program with a new curriculum, expanding the learning opportunities to caregivers of Veterans of all eras. The sessions cover self care, technology, communication and problem solving, and stress management. To date, close to 3,000 caregivers have been trained using the new curriculum.
- Since the online webinar series began in 2014, Atlas and contract partner organizations have reached more than 2,000 caregivers.
- In January 2015, Easter Seals contracted with Atlas to deliver complete project management support for the webinar series and offers military caregivers across all eras informative and skill-building sessions, both in English and Spanish.
- In 2015, the webinar series won the 2015 Caregiver Friendly® award from Today’s Caregiver Magazine and was recognized by VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald at the Dole Foundation’s 2015 Hidden Heroes Coalition Summit.
Atlas is proud to support VA, Easter Seals, and all partners in this important and critical effort to raise awareness and provide comprehensive training to caregivers nationwide to promote caregiver health, skills for managing day-to-day caregiving responsibilities, and resilience.
PROJECT QUICK FACTS
- Title: National Veteran Caregiver Training Program
- Deputy Director: Deborah McKay
- Atlas Staff: Meredith DeViney
- What: Develop and implement training to increase capacity and competency of caregivers of Veterans and Service Members. Develop curriculum, oversee webinars, and facilitate classroom learning.
- When: April 2011 - present
- Why: In support of the VA caregiver program’s mission to promote the health and well-being of family caregivers who care for our nation's Veterans, through education, resources, support, and services.
- Learn More: http://www.caregiver.va.gov/
Pictured: Left: Meredith DeViney of Atlas Research with Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Right: (L to R) Meredith DeViney of Atlas Research with Dole Fellow Nikki Stephens and Debbie Sprague.