Caban Q&A: therapy retention and Aftercare follow-up model

So you mentioned some of the major barriers being family members and their eligibility.

We've also seen, and it's outlined in the committee report, interruption in programs and therapy.

So can you speak to some of the causes of veterans not being able to continue their therapy programs or dropping out of therapy programs?

Thank you for that question.

I think what we see also specific to mental health, but in the community in general, is just that continued engagement and different periods of the year where they may be more busy with life, with family, and we see that as an issue of not engaging in specific resources.

I think from our perspective, and as Danae mentioned as well, is that is why we are increasing that follow-up so that if someone does fall off or maybe has, you know, is more quiet in times of the year, we can be sure to engage them again.

And what does that look like, that process of engagement?

Is there a sort of formula for, hey, this person missed one or two days, or there's a certain period of time they're gone, and then what does that engagement or follow-up look like?

What amount of time?

Yeah, I'm going to pass over to Donnie to outline that.

Yes, so the detail, the model that we will follow is 24 hours after we connect veterans to services, we want to make sure that we follow up with them to see if they were engaged

or do they need further care.

Once that 24 hours.

comes, we have that communication.

The veteran let us know, yes, we seek services.

We're okay with the service provider that we're going.

Then we follow up with them two weeks later to make sure that they're still engaged in our services.

From there, we will go three months, six months, or we build a communication and a relationship.

with our veterans to where if they are falling off or if they need more help, they know that they can call us.

We give a safe space, especially, well, I can't speak personally because I engage with the veteran community.

I'm also a combat veteran.

Retired U.S.

Army.

So I use my peer-to-peer skills that I have to engage with the veteran community, and I give them a safe space to talk

and feel comfortable that if they are going through crises or anything, that they could come back to not only me but my staff.

And my staff, I trained them in the same way where, you know, they can have that safe space with their clients.

Where if anything is happening within the intervals of the aftercare program, that they could come back to us and we can get them back on track with the services that they need.