Vetcorps Program begins in Putnam County!

Chauntel Wright

In April 2014, the Putnam County Communities That Care Coalition started an exciting new program called Putnam County Vetcorps! Putnam County Vetcorps is being implemented in partnership with the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of America and AmeriCorps. Vetcorps is designed to help Veterans access key services and support in efforts to prevent substance abuse among this population and military families. 

There are over 100 Vetcorps program across the United States. Currently, Putnam County Vetcorps is the only Vetcorps program in New York State.  Nationally, the VetCorps VISTA project is being conducted by AmeriCorps in partnership with the National Guard Bureau's Prevention, Treatment and Outreach (PTO) Program, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. The program’s main focus areas include access to healthcare, employment, and substance abuse prevention.

 The focus over the next year will be outreach, awareness, referral to services, and volunteer recruitment. To start this process, the Coalition will be conducting a needs assessment survey for the Veteran community in Putnam County. The results of this ANONYMOUS survey will be used to guide development of programs, outreach, and advocacy for Veterans and military families. Hard copies can be provided to veterans who do not have internet access by the VetCorps Program.

The direct link to the anonymous Veteran Needs Assessment Survey is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H7QF6L8

Chauntel Wright is the Vetcorps Prevention Coordinator for the program. For more information, please contact either Ms. Wright at 845-225-4646 x12 or putnamvetcorp@gmail.com or Vetcorps Supervisor Elaine Santos at 845-225-4646 x13 putnamdfcgrantee@gmail.com. Please visit and join us on Facebook by searching “Putnam County Vetcorps” or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PutnamVetCorps.