Social Services and Veterans

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Communications Project Portfolio for a Veterans Day Stand Down

During the Vietnam war, a stand down command meant that troops were allowed a period of rest following offensive hostilities. More recently, the stand down command has been applied to annual events in many American cities that are designed to help homeless veterans and other veterans in need of social services. Although tens of thousands of veterans remain homeless across the country today, their numbers have declined in recent years due in large part to these community-level stand-down events. To further these laudable objectives, this paper provides a situational analysis of five new communications that can be used to promote an operation stand-down event in a typical American city, followed by a discussion concerning lessons learned in this module and their applicability to real-world situations. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning the foregoing issues are provided in the conclusion.

Explanation of the Stand-Down Event

According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, in Vietnam, "Stand Down afforded battle-weary soldiers the opportunity to renew their spirit, health and overall sense of well-being. That is the purpose of the Stand Down for homeless veterans, and achieving those objectives requires a wide range of support services and time" (Stand Down 1). The first stand- down event was held in the summer of 1988 in San Diego and based on the popularity of this event, the number of other stand downs has steadily increased to 190 across the country annually (Stand Down Guide 1). Although firm numbers of unavailable, current estimates place the number of homeless veterans assisted in 2009 at more than 42,000 (Stand Down Guide 1). The popularity of these events is based in large part on the fact that make a wide range of services accessible to homeless veterans in a single location (Mcmurray-Avila 3).

Because many of the targeted veterans for the stand-down event may lack ready access to online resources due to a lack of funds or because of their homeless condition, formulating effective communications to promote this event represents an especially challenging enterprise. Nevertheless, it is possible to reach out to these veterans using the communication strategies and messages described below.

Situational Analysis for Five Communications for the Stand-Down Event

A completed situational analysis table for each of the five communications is provided below.

Communication No. 1: Poster displays at Vet Centers

Content: The textual and visual contents of the first communication could appear as shown in the sample in Figure 1 below.

To Stand Down -- and take advantage of this 3-day event that includes services and activities targeted to meeting your basic needs as well as the longer term rehabilitation objectives of for homeless veterans today.

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The Stand Down begins on Monday, January 2, 2017 and runs through January 4, 2017. The Stand Down will take place at the National Guard Armory located at 123 Main Street and transportation is available from local chapters of the Disabled American Veterans. Please contact them at 1-800-HELP-A-VET or by notifying a Vet Center staff member.

Purpose: The purpose of this communication is to encourage veterans in need to attend the stand-down event to receive the support services they need.

Audience: Although all veterans are welcomed at stand-down events, they are specifically targeted at homeless veterans and those in need of social services.

Role: The role of this communication relates to the Vet Center setting in which it will be displayed.

Tone: The tone of this communication is military-themed and intended to appeal to the patriotic nature of most veterans.

Medium: This communication will be an 11" x 17" color poster (the maximum size that most commercial copiers can accommodate).

Organizational Context: At present, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates 300 Vet Centers across the country that offer a range of mental health and other support services for veterans. These facilities are therefore an especially valuable resource for communications concerning a stand-down event.

Constraints: This communication is constrained by the limited number of veterans it will reach.

Communication No. 2: Press releases for local media

Content: The content of this communication will consist of a brief history of stand downs since 1988 and factual data concerning the targeted audience, the services that will be offered, the dates and location of the event and the fact that transportation will be offered by the DAV for veterans in need.

Purpose: The purpose of the news releases will be to educate the general public concerning the stand-down event so that they can share it with veterans who may not otherwise be able to learn about it.

Audience: The audience for the press releases will include: city editors of local daily newspapers, the editors of weekly newspapers, the managing editors of local magazines, the public services official in local radio stations, and the news director of local television stations (Press releases 3).

Role: The role of this communication is directly related to its purpose with respect to raising awareness of the stand-down events and what types of services that will be offered.

Tone: The tone of this communication will be factual but will also highlight the urgency of the need and the plight of homeless veterans in the local community today.

Medium: As noted above, the medium for this communication will be a press release.

Organizational Context: The organizational context of.....

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