Tell us about your organization and mission.

United Through Reading connects military and Veteran families through the power of shared storytime, even when they can’t be together in person. Founded in 1989, our free program allows the service member, regardless of military status, and Veterans, to record a story for a child in their life to watch and read together when they are apart. We have helped more than 2.7 million military mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, older siblings, and children sustain bonds and foster literacy by sharing stories across even the greatest distances.

What are the greatest needs of the individuals and families you serve?

On any given day thousands of military Service Members and Veterans are away from home – that’s millions of stories missed each year by military children. When military families use United Through Reading, they feel less anxious and stressed, making it easier for the entire family while their service member is away. Military families that read together daily with United Through Reading storytime videos stay connected and build stronger bonds, no matter the distance. Reading aloud regularly with military children through United Through Reading storytime videos encourages early literacy and language skills, builds vocabulary development and growth, and fosters a love of reading that creates lifelong readers.

Where can families find United Through Reading?

United Through Reading has over 200 Story Stations around the world. They are found within military units, community centers, libraries, and at community events, but the easiest way to use United Through Reading is to download our free Mobile App. Our App is available 24/7 wherever our families may find themselves in the world. The service member records themselves reading a book, including one of our ebooks on the App, and the recording and book are sent to the child to read along on demand. The App is available on iOS, Android, and Amazon.

How does collaborating with community-based organizations play a role in your work?

United Through Reading works with community-based organizations every day. These organizations are vital partners for us to reach every single military and Veteran family to share our love of reading together every day. Some of the ways that we collaborate include, attending events at the organization’s location, participating in meetings, partnering together to provide books to their families, and amplifying each other’s messages on social media. 

What are you most hopeful for by being a part of the Unite Us network? What would you tell another organization considering joining?

United Through Reading is excited to be part of the Unite Us platform because it allows us to expand our reach to new communities across the country. The more people that we can reach, the better. Additionally, it gives us the opportunity to meet and work with new community organizations that we may have never met before. Our program is possible because of our partnerships and volunteers across the country and Unite Us helps us expand those relationships to ensure that storytime happens, no matter the distance. 

Are there any unique events your organization is participating in to honor Veterans Day this year?

This year for Veterans Day, United Through Reading has extended an invitation for any educator to host their own version of our popular Story Time with a Service Member program. We will send a video recording of a Service Member reading an age appropriate story to classrooms. It is our hope that this program will provide a fun, entertaining, and educational way for students to gain a connection to the men and women serving in the military this Veterans Day.

If you’re a Veteran interested in being part of our Story Bank, please email military@utr.org.

Staying Connected with United Through Reading

Jaquetta Gooden, a Unite Us employee and Veteran, reflects on her experience with United Through Reading while she was serving in Iraq. 

While stationed at Fort Hood in 2006, my unit deployed to Balad Air Base, Iraq. I didn’t deploy with the unit immediately because I was pregnant with my first child, Leilani. I had Leilani a few months after they deployed, and a month after I gave birth to my daughter, my unit requested me to go forward to finish out the last six months of the deployment. To fulfill this request, I had to waive my postpartum leave, which I did. My mother flew from California to Texas to pick up her granddaughter and took care of her while I was deployed to Iraq. Like any mother, I was devastated to leave my only child a month after giving birth to her. However, while deployed, I was introduced to a program called United Through Reading! I was given the opportunity to record myself on video reading Leilani a book and share a personalized message with her as well. The video was then mailed to my mother who would play the video for Leilani every day until I returned so she would be familiar with my face and voice. In 2006 technology was not advanced as it is today and United Through Reading helped keep me and my daughter connected even though we were worlds apart. Leilani turns 16 in November, but I remember it like it was yesterday.  

For more information about United Through Reading, follow @unitedthroughreading on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; or visit unitedthroughreading.org.

Interested in learning more about how community-based organizations are addressing social determinants of health or how to bring Unite Us to your community?

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I was 19 years old when I deployed to Afghanistan for my first combat tour. It was unlike anything I ever experienced—from going on convoy missions to being mortared on our fobs. Experiencing war up close and personal takes a toll on your mental health. In the early 2000s, mental health wasn’t widely discussed like it is today. In the Army, we had mandatory training on suicide prevention and behavioral health facilities, but there was an unspoken rule that, as a leader, seeking these resources could have a negative impact on your career. So, like many of my battle buddies back then, I sucked it up and drove on. As the military culture started to shift and more leaders spoke out about addressing mental health, it gave me the courage I needed to address my own anxiety and seek professional help, which helped me become more effective at my job and as a leader. 

Like many veterans, as my time ended with the Army, I started to think about life after the military. Where would I go? What would I do? How would my skill set translate to the corporate or private sector? What company could understand my military background and experience?

Then I came across Unite Us, a technology company that connected health and social care. After reading more about the company, I learned that the founders were also veterans. Was this destiny? A company whose values aligned with mine, who understood my skill set, and understood my background from the past 20 years of Army experience. I applied, and after a thorough interview process, I was offered the position of Communications Manager. I couldn’t have selected a better organization to join in my next chapter. Unite Us’ mission to advance health equity gave me purpose once again.

During my time here, I have seen Unite Us’ commitment to connecting veterans to health and social care firsthand, especially behavioral health services. In September 2022, Unite Us was selected among the top 30 finalists in Mission Daybreak, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs grand challenge and call on innovators to develop suicide prevention solutions that meet the diverse needs of veterans. We are honored to join the innovation efforts to reduce barriers for veterans to access care.

How SDoH Tech Supports Veterans Through Whole-Person Care

Unite Us’ technology makes it easier for veterans to receive support before a mental health crisis occurs. Our solution, Saving Veteran Lives Through Empowered Community Networks, is designed to reduce veteran suicides by identifying the social care needs of veterans who present risk factors for suicide, enrolling those veterans in services, and ensuring those veterans receive services that meet their social care needs.

A holistic approach to mental health requires the ability to address both medical and social needs, and to integrate services that address a range of co-occurring needs. Data from our networks shows that the top three co-occurring needs for military members and veterans seeking mental and behavioral health services between 2017 and 2022 were 1) Housing; 2) Benefits Navigation; and 3) Employment. 

Addressing these needs takes an integrated, well-resourced team of collaborators. One of our partners, Cristina Garcia, Director of VPAN Los Angeles at Southern California Grantmakers, shared, “Unite Us has helped connect a disconnected society. Almost 60 veteran organization partners in LA County means that together we are accomplishing more, decreasing veteran issues that were once difficult to overcome. Unite Us is helping VPAN achieve our mission by bringing a coordinated network that provides us not only a platform but a new method of access to care for our veterans and families in LA County.”

Because network partners on the Unite Us Platform can securely screen for and easily coordinate care for additional and recurring services, the client never has to tell their story more than once. This results in significant efficiency improvements. In Georgia, Unite Us’ partnership with the Veterans Education Career Transition Resource (VECTR) helped drive a 300-percent reduction in the time it takes receiving organizations to close the case. We observe consistent results in serving our veteran population across the nation, with time to case closure more than halved on average from 2020 to 2022 in our networks.

Supporting Veterans on the Path to Self-Sufficiency

As someone who recently transitioned from the military, the information the Army provides you on your way out can be overwhelming. This can be difficult, and some veterans experience challenges reintegrating into civilian life—including employment, homelessness, and mental health-related needs. There are networks of resources available, like the ones Unite Us supports, to help veterans reintegrate and get on the path to self-sufficiency. 

I believe veterans and servicemembers are the backbone of our country. Celebrating their lives and sacrifices is an honor, and advocating for them is a privilege. Today, we commemorate the sacrifices of those who continue to carry the wounds, both mentally and physically, from their fight for the cause of freedom, liberty, and justice. I’m always aware of how fortunate I was to make it back home. Serving alongside some of the most heroic soldiers our country has ever seen, I am honored to be amongst the one percent that raised their hand to protect our nation’s freedoms. 

Learn more about Unite Us 

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Access to Care: What Barriers Impact Veterans the Most and How We Can Collectively Improve the System from Unite Us on Vimeo.

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From spreadsheets to sustainability

Operation Troop Appreciation (OTA) is a community-based organization (CBO) dedicated to supporting US troops at home and abroad through their Active Duty Wishlist program and Veteran Welcome Home program. Since 2004, they have served over 185,000 deployed troops and veterans globally. Locally based in Pittsburgh, PA they are a part of the Unite Us-powered PAServes network established in 2015. Monica is part of a 50 person all-volunteer charity, with four volunteers dedicated to the Welcome Home program. Before joining the PAServes network, they were averaging 60-80 phone and email referrals a month. The team of volunteers would spend their evenings making calls at night, after their day jobs, to piece together missing information and get veterans the help they needed – all tracked on excel spreadsheets. A clearly unsustainable model, Monica says of using Unite Us,

“Within a week, I saw 80% of my spreadsheets go out the window! With all those hours back in our week, we could return to a focus on our mission and not on administering the intake. I get all the information I need in that referral, all the information for the case manager, a place for notes, and everything is all in one place.”

Since operating on the PAServes network, OTA has served over 5,000 veterans in Western Pennsylvania, through their Veteran Welcome Home program offering beds, welcome home kits, and transportation services. With the administrative efficiencies created on the platform, stronger community connections through the network, and ability to see through network data they are filling a critical gap in veteran support in their community, the team at OTA is confident their services have impact. In fact, 88% of veterans served by OTA report being in “stable, good, or thriving” status 6-18 months after their service episode.

Prior to PAServes, everybody was out doing their own thing. We might occasionally communicate with other CBOs, but we weren’t working together collaboratively. If a veteran needed housing assistance they would go to two agencies, if they need other services, they would be sent to additional agencies. Each time, we would start all over again with this poor veteran who has already given his information two or three times. What happens now is that we meet with all the other network partners, train their case managers, and they know what we do, they see what we do. The strength of the network is not just on the platform, it’s the collaboration that happens on the ground.

– Monica Orluk, President and CEO Operation Troop Appreciation

A coordinated response leads to sustained success

When Monica received the call about Dave, she knew exactly what to do. Acting quickly, she took all the information from her friend, the sheriff, and contacted Dave to set up a profile for him on the Unite Us platform. Within days, Dave had been connected to several agencies able to support his direct needs including the medical care he needed, basic needs for his family, housing assistance, and a year of transportation from OTA. Dave had been walking 10 miles each day to get to and from his college program. OTA’s transportation program matches veterans with veteran drivers through Vet Taxi, prioritizing the same driver-to-veteran match in an effort to create supportive relationships. Monica was able to follow Dave’s journey outside of what OTA could offer and ensure he was receiving all the services he needed through the PAServes network. A coordinated care network powered by the Unite Us platform ensured Dave’s sustained success to this day. Five years later, Dave graduated from college with an accounting degree and a 4.0 GPA and is working full-time with all the right support in place to ensure his continued success.

“All of those resources came together because we were a part of this network and we knew how to identify what his needs were going to be and get him to the right services as quickly as possible.”

If you’d like to learn more about Operation Troop Appreciation, please visit their website.

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The post The Power of a Coordinated Social Care Network: One Vet’s Story appeared first on uniteus.com.

While the nation paid tribute to our veterans on Veterans Day, Unite Us dedicated the entire month of November to those who served. Our founders and several of our team members are veterans; we wanted to pay tribute to them and all veterans around the country for their service and sacrifice. Through a series of content, we shared stories, raised awareness, and said thank you.

To kick off the month, we published a blog post from Taylor Justice, Unite Us President and Co-Founder. Taylor stated, “Dan and I are proud of our Unite Us team and the work we do every day to articulate and move towards our vision of one network serving people across the nation. But we are particularly humbled by our origins; we established Unite Us to help the people who risked their lives to protect us all. That’s why more than six years after Unite Us was created, we continue to meet the needs of veterans—never forgetting where we started. ”

Mary Bier, National Director of Military Initiatives, is an invaluable Unite Us team member and military spouse. She shared insights from herunique role in a blog post titled Navigating This LandscapeTogether. “Unite Us is firmly rooted in the military community, from our founders to our staff. We value the diversity that veterans and military-connected family members bring to the team, and continue to seek out this diversity.”

Unite Us also debuted two videos this month. We highlighted the TXServes San Antonio network, whichprovides first-class service to the thousands of veterans and their family members in the community. In another, we heard the inspiring personal testimonial of Reverend Edward Tello, a community member who found support and successthrough the the TXServes San Antonio network,first as a client, and now as a provider.

Throughout Veterans Month, Unite Us employees shared personal stories and sentiments about the veteran community. Their collective openness and participation was truly moving.

Unite Us is dedicated to building healthier communities and making a positive impact. This Veterans Month campaign reaffirmed the mission-driven values that our team is built upon. We are inspired by the sacrifice and strength of all veterans and will continue to honor them through our work, year-round.

Interested in learning more about Unite Us?

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“”Without TXServes, we would still be back in the Stone Age because we wouldn’t have that vehicle. You’ve got Desiree, you’ve got Marie, you’ve got Rudy. You’ve got the folks doing the intake calls and they’re doing it with passion. And that’s the key thing. We are showing folks in need that we are there to care.”

-Kathryn Meyers, President of the Alamo Chapter, Military Officers Association of America

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When I started working at Unite Us, I was excited to bring my experience in software and technology to the team as well as my knowledge and familiarity with military culture. As a military spouse, I get an insider’s perspective about what life is really like for our service members and their families.

At Unite Us, we realize how valuable it is for our team members, particularly those that support our military-connected communities, to have an understanding of the special circumstances that the military-connected population may face. Anyone working with our military-connected communities goes through culture competency training to familiarize themselves with things such as common misconceptions about the military, challenges experienced during the military transition process, military lingo, mental health first aid for veterans, and much more.

Often our network community partners are veterans or military-connected themselves, so they understand the stress and challenges associated with military life that includes having to move frequently. In fact, my family and I recently moved from one duty station to another. As I shared my family’s personal experience with some of our partners, they empathized with our having to find a new house, enroll the children in a new school, create ways for the kids to make new friends in a new city, secure a new doctor for each person in the family, and navigate finding the nearest grocery store. (I’m fortunate that I work remotely, and don’t have the added stress of securing new employment each time we move, which I know is a hardship many military spouses experience.) It’s comforting to work with team members at Unite Us and partners within our communities that understand military culture and can relate to these experiences personally—because they lived through them as well.

Unite Us is proud to include several veterans on our team, people who first selflessly served their country and have now chosen to work for a company dedicated to strengthening communities and improving public health—for veterans and for all people.

To learn more about how Unite Us is building networks across the country:

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From that moment of clarity—Unite Us was born.

Unite Us has changed and grown significantly since we began working in 2013 as a team of four in a basement office in New York City. Right now, we are 134 team members strong and growing. We have seven offices and will operate coordinated networks in 30 states by the end of 2019. We expanded outside the veteran population to support any person whose basic needs aren’t being met. Today’s Unite Us is so much more than technology; we empower both social and medical service providers to work together, integrating health and social care in the communities where people need it most. We understand that medical care alone does not equate to wellness; people don’t live in hospitals, they live in communities.

Yet we haven’t lost touch with our roots and the reason we first began this work.

In fact, Unite Us continues to build partnerships in the veteran-serving community, improving existing networks and building new ones. We’re respected and recognized as thought leaders in the field; recently our team members were invited not once, but twice, to the White House to provide comment and information related to the administration’s President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide—the PREVENTS Initiative. This executive order focuses on the crisis of veteran suicide in our country and directs $73 billion dollars to the Veterans Administration to provide quality care for veterans, including mental health and suicide prevention services. Unite Us was honored that team members Mary Bier, Georgina Dukes, and Micheline Tocco were invited to participate and share in these critical discussions. It was clear that our team was uniquely positioned to speak about coordinated care, offering scalable, sustainable solutions that connect veterans to services and help them navigate the complex world of medical, social, and behavioral health care.

In addition, in September, Mary Bier, National Director of Military Initiatives at Unite Us, gave testimony at the New York City Council Committee on Veterans. A military spouse herself, Mary is a tireless advocate, driven to change the system on behalf of all veterans. She thanked our partners and funders for their continued support of our very first network, VetConnectNYC, which launched in 2013. We are grateful to the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) for helping Unite Us build those original military-connected networks.

Dan and I are proud of our Unite Us team and the work we do every day to articulate and move towards our vision of one network serving people across the nation. But we are particularly humbled by our origins; we established Unite Us to help the people who risked their lives to protect us all. That’s why more than six years after Unite Us was created, we continue to meet the needs of veterans—never forgetting where we started.

The fact is: whether in the veteran, healthcare, criminal justice, or any other sector, people’s basic needs are the same.

At Unite Us, we envision a world of connected communities that improve people’s health and well-being. We’re continually adapting and adjusting to meet our partners’ needs while remaining committed and invested in the networks that comprise the very foundation of Unite Us.

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TXServes San Antonio: Connecting Veterans to the Services They Need from Unite Us on Vimeo.

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