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Tom Koplitz, Executive Director of the North Branch based Community Partnership with Youth and Families, heads-up an initial site taking part in the VetCorps program to help returning veterans and their families access the critical services and support they need.

For Koplitz, assisting veterans is a lifelong commitment. "My first job out of college in the 1970s was helping war-traumatized Vietnam veterans address their emotional issues resulting from that often times horrific experience. They needed support and assistance in re-connecting with their families, their communities -learning how to live a productive life," stated Koplitz.

With federal funding support National Guard military veterans will be chosen to serve as AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA members within community coalitions across the country like the one in North Branch. The AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA members will work within the coalition's to increase the community's capacity to provide economic opportunities for veterans and their families and to ensure that they receive necessary housing, health care services and family support, including substance abuse prevention and treatment.

In its first year, VetCorps will place up to 100 full-time AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA members in CADCA coalitions located in 28 states, one of which is Minnesota.

When he learned of the VetCorps program Koplitz saw an opportunity for his organization to make a difference. "Some veterans in Minnesota are really struggling with their life after service abroad, not unlike 40 years ago. Poverty is too high, unemployment is too high, alcohol and other drug use is way too high. This is a great opportunity for our community and for a VetCorps member," said Koplitz.

Members of the National Guard & Reserves (NGR) have deployed in unprecedented numbers. Since September 11, 2001, 830,866 NGR have deployed.

According to a 2008 RAND Corporation study, 18.5 percent of military members returning from military operations in Iraq or Afghanistan have deployment-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression and 19.5 percent report experiencing a traumatic brain injury. For National Guard & Reserve members, deployment stresses have an even greater impact due to disparities in available services.

According to the Department of Defense's Millennium Cohort Study, 22 percent of NGR members were problem drinkers, 29 percent had financial problems, 12 percent reported feeling lonely and five percent had suicidal thoughts.

Community Partnership with Youth and Families operates its Partners for a Drug Free Chisago County Coalition. The coalition began in 1982, based on building and sustaining good working relationships with individuals, organizations and communities in Chisago County.

CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) is the national membership organization representing over 5,000 coalitions and their affiliates working to make America's communities safe, healthy and drug-free. CADCA's mission is to strengthen the capacity of community coalitions by providing technical assistance and training, public policy and advocacy, media strategies and marketing programs, conferences, and special events. For more information about CADCA, visit www.cadca.org.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

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