Women Organizing Women VETWOW

Women Organizing Women

Purpose

Promote safety of American military troops, and Homeland Security troops (Coast Guard) by educating government officials and representatives on dynamics of Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and working to change current policies, procedures, and laws regarding MST through the White House, Congressional inquiries, the Pentagon and beyond.

Promote prosecution and incarceration and monitoring of active duty sex offenders through victim advocacy to include legal and media representation.

Promote healing of MST victims by guiding them through the arduous process of obtaining military discharges and retirements, Veterans Administration disability compensation, counseling, and medical benefits, and Social Security disability benefits. Draft and develop supporting documentation for benefits claims. Peer counsel clients and their families on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to understand and adapt to negative behaviors created by violence to promote positive support and recovery. Obtain compassionate emergency and routine care for illnesses and symptoms secondary to MST.

Promote stability of MST victims and their immediate families by securing housing, public assistance, clothing, and employment. Escort clients to legal and medical appointments. Handle crisis calls on private hotline to include family break-ups, suicide attempts, hospitalizations, termination of employment, and fiscal emergencies.

Promote eradication of McDowell checklist, the Feres Doctrine and 5 Laws of Immunity which are currently used to protect sex offenders, prosecution and persecution of victims who report MST to include civilian victims of military recruiters.

Promote a system whereby sex offenders' records follow them into civilian life, decreasing the possibility that sex offenders can participate in such programs as Troops to Teachers or obtain employment in public schools and hospitals.

Promote a military and veteran society where the contributions of women as well as

Promote a military and veteran society where the contributions of women as well as domestic violence and sexual harassment and abuse are taken seriously.

Promote equity in access to legal entitlement of benefits earned through military service by educating veterans on available services and benefits and guiding them through applications and processes to include appeals.

Ms. Avila-Smith's experiences include: Honorable active service in the US Army, 1991-95.

Fluent in Mandarin Chinese after two years at Defense Language Institute.

Experienced sexual assault during surgery Darnell Hospital 1992, Texas, and the murder of her unborn child, repeated physical and sexual assaults, then 2 years of stalking, all with her Command's knowledge as they protected her violent active duty ex-husband, in Oahu, Hawaii.

Eleven years personal experience seeking care, support, and benefits within the VA system for PTSD.

More than 13 years of managing a total of more than 1200 female and 50 male clients at various stages of recovery from MST.

Media Relations

Webmaster: www.vetwow.com

Live Interviews: 360º with Anderson Cooper, Good Morning America, Dateline NBC, 60 Minutes, 60 Minutes II, National Public Radio, Inside Edition, Jim Lehr Newshour, MSNBC with Deborah Norville, The Early Show, BBC International, Seattle KING 5 TV News, KIRO 7 TV News, Northwest Afternoon, Pacifica Radio, Second Sunday on KBND Radio, Oregon, NPR Texas

Articles: Time Magazine, Newsweek, The Boston Globe, The Denver Post, The Guardian (UK), Il Manifesto and La Rupubblica (Italy), People Magazine, Self Magazine, The Army Times, Seattle Times, Seattle Post Intelligencer, USA Today, The Northwest Veteran's Newsletter, Repetition and Avoidance Quarterly, The Gift Within, American Legion Legionnaire, Central Oregon Job and Workforce, The Issaquah Press

Organizations

Established: Women Organizing Women, Washington State Women Who Served Wellness Fair, The Northwest Veteran's Quilt Project, Seattle and American Lake VAMC Women's Clothing Bank.

Affiliations: Board Member, King County Veterans 3 terms, Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (PTSD Women Veteran issues, and Contracted PTSD Counselors), Veteran's Independent Enterprises of Washington, Veteran's History Project - documenting World War II stories, Governors Veterans Advisory Committee, Vietnam Veterans of America, American Legion Member Post #204, life member of Disabled American Veterans, Life Member Women Veterans of America, Post co-Commander, Board Member National Association of American Veterans, African American PTSD Association, USO, Veterans of Modern Warfare, Washington State County Veterans Coalition

Events

Veterans Information and Assistance Fairs (Pasco, Tacoma, Bellingham, Seattle, Olympia); Worksource Veterans Job Fair 2005, Worksource Training for Veterans 2005, Redmond WA, Oregon State Department of Veterans Affairs Women's Conference 2002/2006; Fremont Fair 2002; Issaquah Volunteer Fair 2005, Washington, DC Women Veterans Summit 2004, 2008; Washington Women Veterans Retreat 2003, 2004; Wellness Fairs 2001, 2002, and 2003; Yakima Stand Down 2001, 2003, 2004; annual Veterans and Memorial Day events

Presentations

Congressional Inquiry into Sexual Assault in the Military, Article 32 Hearings Ft. Hood, Ft. Lewis, Medical Boards, training for Civilian and Government Healthcare Providers and Veterans Service Officers. Congressional Women's Caucus

Consultation

60 Minutes II, New York Times, The Boston Globe, Denver Post and Associated Press, Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, the County Veterans Coalition for the State of Washington, the King County Veterans Board, Dateline NBC, 20/20

Clients

Caseload includes men, women, and children abused by military recruiters and active duty personnel. Clients come from Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines and encompass a span of 70 years of service. Represents clients on several continents: ready to fly overseas, with only hours' notice to represent MST victims and transition them to safety.

Personal Projects

Counseling incarcerated women veterans; visiting women military patients at Walter Reed Army hospital; transitioned eleven women veterans, and one male veteran from homelessness to homeownership; gathered furnishings and household goods to supply three complete apartments, and one complete house with the veteran and her four children.

Fund raising, clothing and food drives for various agencies related to veterans.

Advocated for a female soldier who was raped then abandoned by her unit in Kuwait by obtaining care and transportation for the soldier to return to the US to her family. Provided housing for this soldier and her husband for two months while handling media relations to include featuring the story on Dateline NBC. Assisted this soldier in obtaining discharge from active duty and then Veterans benefits within six months.

Educating and training sister advocates in maneuvering the VA and Social Security systems to obtain benefits for MST victims. Developing materials to guide veterans through application and receipt of benefits.

Successfully unemployed multiple sex offenders from three jobs where he had access to and abused women veterans. Successfully mediated a Sexual Harassment in the workplace claim. Negotiated multiple Active Duty emergency discharges with full benefits.

Handle difficult benefits claim cases that have lingered for decades within the VA on various denials and appeals. Able to research laws, regulations, policies, and medical journals to identify and correct mistakes made by government health care providers and adjudicators. Successfully obtained benefits for two clients who fought for 17 years, and another for 14.

Provide financial planning to veterans who receive settlements of $100,000 or more.

Successfully changed policies and procedures with the VA system at local and national levels through research, education, and diligence.

Travel to various states to locate and transport PTSD Service Dogs for clients, and find funding to help with the set up. Monitoring training of individuals and service dogs, to ensure a safe match.

Advocated for women victims of MST during the recent Air Force Academy rape scandal and victims of rape and domestic violence at Fort Bragg, NC to include media coverage.

Network with Pentagon, Department of Defense, White House, Congress, US House of Representatives, Department of the Army, Veterans Administration, and Air Force officials at all levels to promote justice, advocacy, health care, and safety for victims of MST.

Contact Information

Susan Avila-Smith

Director, Vetwow

smith715@comcast.net

Currently Overseas. I can be contacted by phone through Skype.com at my email address, or text your number to 206-999-4133, and I will return your call.

VA Claims l Veterans Benefits l Individual Issues l Free Services
Maneuvering the VA l SSA and Other Agencies

Dedicated to the thousands of women survivors who were
sexually assaulted while serving in the military and never spoke up.