WUNRN
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The return from military life is notoriously
difficult, particularly for women suffering a delayed reaction to trauma and
the aftermath of sexual assault. One transitional housing program offers a way
forward.
(WOMENSENEWS)--Tinamarie Polverari, a formerly
homeless Army veteran, proudly calls Jackie K's House her home.
She and 11 other female veterans live in two white
clapboard and brick cottages on the grounds of the Veteran's Administration
hospital in
Despite growing numbers of homeless female veterans,
Jackie K's House is one of only two transitional housing programs for female
veterans in the country, says Jack Downing, director of Soldier On, the
nonprofit group that founded Jackie K's House in 2005.
Meanwhile, the number of women enlisted in the
In some cases, these female soldiers--many serving in
And when they come home, the percentage who become
homeless exceeds that of their male counterparts. About 131,000 veterans are
homeless and about 22 percent between the ages of 18 and 34 are women.
These younger women, researchers say, bring greater
vulnerabilities to their military service, including more likelihood of sexual
assault, which correlates with high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, or
PTSD.
They also have lower incomes than men and many have
children.
"Women are serving fully integrated in so many
different ways, including in these wars," Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a recent interview. "We need
to make sure that all of our care, all of our systems, all of the things that
have been there a long time are able to change to support them."
The percentage of women serving in the military has been
rising for years, yet the Veterans Administration, or VA, facilities remain
primarily geared to men.
Mullen says improving a system created solely for the
treatment of men will take time. His advice to homeless female veterans:
"Hang in there."
At Soldier On, Downing explains why troubled female vets
need more single-sex, long-stay facilities.
"We spend lots of time and money training people to
be soldiers and we don't spend lots of time and money teaching them to come
back and be civilians," he said. "They need to have almost a
three-to-six month decompression period. Because we know that people who have
talked to somebody before the crisis are nine times more likely to call when
the crisis develops."
Downing says no matter what type of adjustment
disorder, whether hyper-vigilance, anxiety or post-traumatic brain disorder
"we don't get to choose when they are going to activate. It can be as many
as six or seven years out from military service or as fast as the first day
back."
Downing says without fundamental changes in the VA, women
won't get adequate care. He says he learned that when he first took over the
homeless veterans program at the VA hospital in
Jackie K's House has an all-female staff and residents
stay on average about two years, sharing chores such as cleaning and gardening.
A three-person group manages grocery shopping and household repairs. The women
attend meetings, writing workshops and support groups.
Men are welcome, by invitation only.
Polverari, 38, says at age 18 she enlisted in the Army
"cause all my friends---they were having babies and everything--and I like
adventure."
She traveled to
Just like in the movies, she says, the military breaks
you down and then builds you back up.
She learned to use weapons and got in great shape.
On Oct. 31, 1990, her company landed in
"We were a fuel unit. We supported First Cav on the
frontlines," she said.
Working at a base constantly under threat of enemy fire
was plenty stressful.
But worse, she says, were repeated sexual attacks by a
male soldier.
Nonetheless, Polverari found leaving the structure of
Army life to be tough. "No matter what rank you are in the military there
is always somebody telling you something to do," she said.
Polverari says that after she left the Army in 1993 she
started using crack cocaine and heroine, became homeless and spent time in
jail. She's been in programs battling addiction since 1997.
At Jackie K's, she says she's feeling hopeful for the
first time in a long time.
"I know deep down in my heart that this is the last
time that I will ever be homeless," Polverari said. "Because I'm 38
years old and I believe I deserve a place of my own. I never thought that
before."
Alexis, a veteran who lives in the
"You're automatically assumed to be tough," she
said. "If you can do the military, if you can hang with the guys, if you
can do basic training, you're tough."
Alexis spent six years in the Air Force and ran logistics
for the 55th communications squadron, providing support in
Following long weeks of 20-hour days, Alexis stopped
sleeping.Soon after came her first mental break. She's now diagnosed as
bipolar.
Although she does have her own housing today, she tried
and failed to get military housing help in the past. Alexis says when she left
the military she had no idea that there was help for Veterans. She says, "
It took me months and months to learn about the VA."
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