Dear Doc, my spouse is a wounded warrior, and we recently moved to a new location. I felt very involved in the community at our old house, but don’t have many connections here.

Can you give me tips on how to find local wounded warrior and caregiver support resources at my new location?

Thank you,

-Wounded Warrior Spouse

Dear Wounded Warrior Spouse: Moving is a major part of military life, and it can be hard to start over again in a new location. Many wounded warriors, their family members, and caregivers face the same issue. I found just the person to talk to about this: Ms. Sandra Mason, director of the Defense Health Agency’s Warrior Care - Recovery Coordination Program. Here's what she said:

"Although moving can make it hard to start over in a new location, it’s possible. Wounded warriors, their families, and caregivers are resilient! With the help of the Department of Defense’s military services’ wounded warrior programs, wounded warriors and their families can continue their recovery journey and make beneficial connections.

A great way to get involved in your local military wounded community is to connect with those programs, which often include the Military Adaptive Sports Program, Military Caregiver Support, Education and Employment Initiative, Operation Warfighter, and Recovery Coordination. Each program has coordinators throughout the nation who can connect warriors, spouses, and caregivers to their local recovering military communities and to resources that can aid in their recovery, social life, and next steps.

The programs provide non-clinical support to wounded, ill, and injured service members as well as their families and caregivers through the recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration process. You can seek more information through your spouse’s military service wounded warrior program:

• Warrior Care Service Programs

• U.S. Army Recovery Care Program

• U.S. Navy Wounded Warrior – Safe Harbor

• U.S. Air Force Wounded Warrior Program

• U.S. Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment

• U.S. Special Operations Command Warrior Care Program

For military caregivers, such as yourself, Military Caregiver Support offers personalized experiences, engagement, resources, and coordinators who can provide information exclusively for military caregivers assisting wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans in their local region.

A great tool that our team utilizes is the electronic Military Caregiver Resource Directory, also known as the eCRD. The National Resource Directory-vetted resources on the eCRD provide our military caregivers with reliable and safe resources to avoid additional stress.

The NRD has thousands of vetted local, state, and federal assistance resources to support the military community with getting assistance with benefits to finding programs that provide free opportunities and more.

An additional way to get involved in a new community and have fun is by joining the Military Adaptive Sports program. These programs provide wounded warriors with reconditioning activities and competitive athletic opportunities, and we encourage families to join. The programs encourage wounded warriors to try new physical and cognitive activities outside of traditional therapy and build camaraderie with fellow wounded warriors within the area.

For wounded warriors and spouses interested in exploring career and education opportunities, the Education and Employment Initiative and Operation Warfighter can help! Recovering service members and their spouses currently enrolled in the Integrated Disability Evaluation System can work with these program coordinators to identify their skill sets and match them with education and career opportunities that will help them successfully transition to civilian life.

If your wounded warrior has serious or catastrophic wounds, illnesses, or injuries, they are eligible to receive the support of a recovery care coordinator through the Recovery Coordination Program. Coordinators work closely with each service member, family member, and their recovery team to develop a comprehensive recovery plan, which identifies their goals and resources they need to achieve them. This includes local support, education, employment, or housing.

The coordinator uses the plan to guide service members and their families along the road to recovery, rehabilitation, and return to duty or reintegration into the civilian community. Service members may self-refer to the program or get a referral from a health care provider, wounded warrior program staff member, or family member.

We hope you can use this information to build connections and feel supported and engaged in your new community. For additional assistance, please email the Warrior Care staff."

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Wounded Warrior Spouse, it sounds like there are a variety of resources to help you settle into your new community with the support you need. Take advantage of these programs to get connected to your community!