The Chance to Make a Veteran’s Day is Just a Call Away
In the Compassionate Contact Corps Program, trained volunteers over the age of 18 are matched with Veterans who are experiencing loneliness or may be socially isolated.
Volunteers call the Veteran they are assigned on a weekly basis and calls typically last 15 - 60 minutes. The Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System implemented this program during the COVID-19 pandemic, when there was limited in-person access to the facilities and staff and many Veterans were experiencing loneliness.
Social isolation and loneliness are widespread problems that have been linked to increased risk for heart disease and stroke, Type 2 diabetes, depression and anxiety, addiction, suicidality and self-harm, and dementia, according to the CDC.
The innovative idea to start a virtual social prescription program became one of the VHA Shark Tank winners in 2021. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Diffusion of Excellence Program holds an annual Shark Tank competition, where dedicated VA employees can highlight the great new things they are creating to improve experiences for Veterans and employees, and get recognized for their promising innovations. Participants pitch their ideas in front of prospective buyers, or “the sharks,” such as medical center directors and network directors, who listen to the pitches, decide if they want to participate, and bid resources to bring the practices to their facilities.
Since the Greater Los Angeles VA implemented this program, there has been a huge demand, even after the pandemic. Some volunteers are matched with a second Veteran and there is a waiting list to be matched. Since the Greater Los Angeles VA is one of the largest in the country, there are more Veterans than volunteers. Pamela Keith, Chief of Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE) volunteers to call all the Veterans on the waitlist most weekends until a volunteer match is confirmed.
“It takes the whole day, but the stories I hear are priceless. Many of them say, I’ve been waiting for your call,” said Keith. “I enjoy talking to all of them, and saying, ‘Hello, it’s me, I’m checking on you’ and they look forward to the call. So many people are experiencing loneliness. It’s not just the elderly. It’s not just those that don’t have loved ones. It’s so many, for so many different reasons. So, we just try to stay connected.”
Volunteers go through background checks, orientation, and are trained to look for signs when having a conversation with a Veteran. If a Veteran is having a bad day or doesn’t sound like themself, volunteers will update Keith, who will in turn update their social worker or provider, who will reach out to the Veteran, as part of a suicide prevention strategy.
The success of this program is matching Veterans with the right volunteer. Both Veterans and volunteers receive surveys to make sure everyone is happy with their match and to make sure the Veterans feel like this is someone they can relate to as well.
Horace Tanniehill, a 65-year-old Marine Veteran, started volunteering with this program in March 2021. His match, David Ramos, was also in the Marines, and went through bootcamp the same year. They were also living in the same building, but they didn’t know each other prior to the program. Now they are close friends.
“We are both football fans, so we talk football, and we talk in general about a lot of things, we talk about politics, and what is going on in the world,” said Tanniehill. “My favorite part is just getting to know him and beginning to see that we are more alike than we are different.”
Outside of the program and the scheduled calls, Tanniehill and Ramos have a great friendship that all started with this program. Now, they talk all the time, have dinner, and go to store together. Tanniehill told Ramos that he can call any time he wants to.
“I can talk to him about anything in my life, and I can get advice from him. He is a solid gentleman and fellow Marine and we’ve developed a close friendship,” said Ramos.
Ramos was referred to this program by his psychiatrist, during a dark period in his life. “He felt that maybe talking to somebody, a peer, might help,” said Ramos. And it did help.
“This program saved my life,” said Ramos. “I wake up every day with a smile on face.”
To learn more about how you can become a volunteer, please visit www.va.gov/greater-los-angeles-health-care/work-with-us/volunteer-or-donate/ or call CDCE at 310-268-4350. If you are a Veteran interested in participating in the Compassionate Contact Corps Program, please reach out to your provider for a referral.
If you are a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, the 24/7 Veterans Crisis Line has caring and qualified responders available to listen and help, free for Veterans and their loved ones. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA benefits to connect with the Veterans Crisis Line. Dial 988, press 1 for Veterans or text 838255 or chat with responders at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Get-Help-Now/Chat.