Jennifer Marquis-Caruso | Chief of veterans affairs, R.I. Office of Veterans Services
1. Women are the fastest-growing group of American veterans. What are some of the reasons for that? When Defense Secretary Ash Carter opened combat-arms jobs to women in 2016, it created more opportunities for women and more women joined the armed forces, ultimately increasing the number of women veterans.
2. In Rhode Island, is the same true, and what percentage of the veteran population do women make up? As of July 2019, Rhode Island had 61,078 veterans. Women veterans made up 20% of that, which is a huge number for our small state.
3. What are some of the specific issues that women face once they leave active military service? A lot of issues that women face upon leaving active military service are socioeconomic factors, e.g., educational attainment, jobs, household income, family support. The data shows many women that join the military get married while serving, have families and end up divorced during their service, becoming single moms. This puts a strain on their military career, forcing them to separate from service to be able to care for their families.
Women need mental health support, just the same as men. According to data reported to the Veterans Administration, 1 in 4 women who serve experience military sexual trauma, but we know [this] is underreported, just like other forms of abuse. Women need specialized mental health counseling and health care treatment.
4. Do women take advantage of the benefits for veterans at the same rate as men? There are about 2,700 women veterans enrolled in the VA health system in Rhode Island. We are always trying to find ways to increase that number. I’ve spoken with Tonya Maselli McConnell, the women veterans program manager at the Providence VA [Medical Center], and we are constantly thinking of ways to reach out to women veterans to educate them on what programs are available.
5. What is your role in helping women access resources? My goal is to do a lot of outreach to women veterans so they know what is available to them. Some essential services available cover general health services, and of course there is mental health counseling and treatment. Women veterans can qualify for treatment for military sexual trauma, parenting and caregiver support, and violence and abuse counseling. I work closely with colleagues at the Providence VA to ensure we are connecting women veterans to the benefits and supports they’ve earned.
Mary MacDonald is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Macdonald@PBN.com.
