My Seester, Inc.

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And, for some former female service members, this leads to leaving the military with a distrust of all things military to include anything Veteran Affairs related and not having the resources to deal with their mental illness. 

Prior to the establishment of the 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, My Seester, Inc., there existed a frustration that came from being a female veteran who bravely stigmatized myself with a mental illness. Since, I sought help and the Veteran Affairs hospital was providing my care in the form of an intern recording my sessions not for my benefit, rather, to make her a better student. I felt overlooked. I felt invisible. As I probed deeper into my community of South Florida, I discovered the only way to reach other female veterans like myself was through social media. There the identities of those battling mental illness could remain hidden and be denied in public. This was fine until it wasn’t for me. 

It was learning of Lavena Johnson whose death was so gruesome and so hidden, it made me want to stop hiding. Because, hiding and talking with non trained mental health professionals who are in different stages of their own mental illness serves, no one. Instead, it makes the female soldier that comes after me feel alone and overlooked and allowing the painful cycle to continue.

Mental illness is part of the issue. The other is being homeless while dealing with mental illness. For the homeless female veteran of South Florida, where can they go? Although there are shelters, even homeless shelters, there lacks a specialized care and meeting place for the South Florida female veteran. There lacks a place for the South Florida female veteran to just talk and sleep.

>span class="s1">Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe, there is none. I am requesting a call for action to change this. I further propose that cities with over 50,000 or more female veterans residing there, to have at least one Federal transitional housing facility with a GPD program just for female veterans. The housing facility would be similar to the ones that former male service members  have with at least one mental health professional at their disposal. Thereby, helping to reduce the shame of mental illness and if necessary correctly treat Military Sexual Trauma. Due to the fact, mental illness and treating it will be legitimized because it will not be hidden. 

I am requesting a call for action because in South Florida there are still female veterans who are still homeless. They are still female veterans that are couch hopping. They are still female veterans that are still engaging in toxic relationships for a bed. They are still female veterans that are still sleeping in their cars and doing some sort of clean up at the YMCA or in a gas station restroom. With Covid in the mix, there is an added difficulty.

Please join me and making our elected officials, stakeholders, and the individuals whose contact information is listed below to raise the alarm to them as well.

I am a disabled combat veteran who served 11 years in the United States Army. I have worked with nonprofits, in the state of Florida as well as with other stakeholders on the behalf of veterans the majority of my adult life. From these experiences, it prompted me to question, why isn’t more done for my fellow females veterans? I decided to do something myself and fill a void I see that was lacking in my community. Perhaps, I will find the answer to the question I seek. But, most definitely will help my fellow female veteran. 

This led me to the found the nonprofit, My Seester, Inc. I was fueled by the Department of Veteran Affairs reporting that female veterans are the fastest growing homeless to group. And, with Florida being home of the second largest veteran populations most of those homeless female veterans are in Florida. 
In addition, by experiencing first hand how the story of the transitioned female veteran tends not to be by the woman who is or had lived it. Rather, it is by the clinician, who heard her words and interpreted them. I knew it was not when but now I had to do something.

Despite other aspects of my biography I could I decided to use the opportunity to share about My Seester. The organization that mission is to help prevent the transitioned female veteran from falling in the cracks or if they are in the cracks help them out of it could be if I decided to turn left and not right. My Seester will also give female veterans, like myself, the opportunity to share their story with a battle, a fellow female veteran, a Seester. To help improve this organization under my leadership, My Seester, continues to serve. I must remember that the logo, “I see you. So, you will never be overlooked” need to be more than words but followed by impactful action.

My Seester, Inc. (https://myseester.com/). Ourmission is to: 1) create a safe meeting place for South Florida female veterans who have transitioned out of the service and have subsequently fallen or/are at the risk of falling into the cracks; and 2) direct her towards the path of self-actualization.

Female veterans are still homeless. They are still couch hopping, they are still engaging in toxic relationships for a bed, they are still sleeping in their cars and doing some sort of clean up at the Y. And, with Covid in the mix, there is an added difficulty.

Unfortunately, this narrative is almost muted for  the one that shows the male veteran that is homeless. The male veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from being in combat.  By doing so failing to mention women being in combat and having PTSD is their parting gift of being in combat.

I am writing to bring a voice to the issue of female veteran homelessness. As the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans reports:

“among women veterans is expected to rise as increasing numbers of women in the military reinte- grate into their communities as veterans…(with) the number of homeless women veterans

has doubled from 1,380 in FY 2006 to 3,328 in FY 2010. “ (http://www.nchv.org/images/uploads/HFV%20paper(1).pdf)

Florida, at 144,229 female veterans, is the home of the third largest female veteran population in the United States. 

Currently, organizations have the option to have a transitional housing facility that has a Grant Per Diem (GPD) component that is solely for female veterans. The Grant Per Diem housing programs provide case management services, financial coaching, and other services that gradual guide the individual back to permanent housing and independence.

Female veterans are self identifying that they are veterans and homeless through the use of surveys and mini questionnaires.

To establish a transitional housing for female veterans that call the South Florida area home.

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And, for some former female service members, this leads to leaving the military with a distrust of all things military to include anything Veteran Affairs related and not having the resources to deal with their mental illness. 

Prior to the establishment of the 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, My Seester, Inc., there existed a frustration that came from being a female veteran who bravely stigmatized myself with a mental illness. Since, I sought help and the Veteran Affairs hospital was providing my care in the form of an intern recording my sessions not for my benefit, rather, to make her a better student. I felt overlooked. I felt invisible. As I probed deeper into my community of South Florida, I discovered the only way to reach other female veterans like myself was through social media. There the identities of those battling mental illness could remain hidden and be denied in public. This was fine until it wasn’t for me. 

It was learning of Lavena Johnson whose death was so gruesome and so hidden, it made me want to stop hiding. Because, hiding and talking with non trained mental health professionals who are in different stages of their own mental illness serves, no one. Instead, it makes the female soldier that comes after me feel alone and overlooked and allowing the painful cycle to continue.

Mental illness is part of the issue. The other is being homeless while dealing with mental illness. For the homeless female veteran of South Florida, where can they go? Although there are shelters, even homeless shelters, there lacks a specialized care and meeting place for the South Florida female veteran. There lacks a place for the South Florida female veteran to just talk and sleep.

>span class="s1">Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe, there is none. I am requesting a call for action to change this. I further propose that cities with over 50,000 or more female veterans residing there, to have at least one Federal transitional housing facility with a GPD program just for female veterans. The housing facility would be similar to the ones that former male service members  have with at least one mental health professional at their disposal. Thereby, helping to reduce the shame of mental illness and if necessary correctly treat Military Sexual Trauma. Due to the fact, mental illness and treating it will be legitimized because it will not be hidden. 

I am requesting a call for action because in South Florida there are still female veterans who are still homeless. They are still female veterans that are couch hopping. They are still female veterans that are still engaging in toxic relationships for a bed. They are still female veterans that are still sleeping in their cars and doing some sort of clean up at the YMCA or in a gas station restroom. With Covid in the mix, there is an added difficulty.