The New Directions Oasis for Veteran Women

Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA) recently released the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, the nation’s largest count of homeless individuals and families every two years, which covered more than 4,000 square miles and included all of Los Angeles County, except the cities of Glendale, Pasadena and Long Beach. Part of the key report findings includes a 51% increase in the number of female veterans living on the streets. New Directions offers a long-term transitional program for female veterans dealing with issues of homelessness, trauma and addiction.

For more information on the 2011 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count Report, please visit www.lahsa.org.

ABOUT NEW DIRECTIONS OASIS FOR VETERAN WOMEN

The New Directions Oasis for Veteran Women is a place for female veterans who have served in any branch of the armed forces.  The program is based in two residential homes in the Mar Vista area on the Westside of Los Angeles. The houses are divided according to phases of treatment. 

Mitchell House is an emergency shelter, where residents may stay up to 90 days before transitioning to our second phase house. In this first phase of treatment, women attend parenting and anger management classes, addiction and therapy groups and computer classes. Residents are able to further their education and resolve legal and/or financial issues.  The second phase residence, Keaveney House, is designed for veterans who are employed and/or going to school.

New Directions Oasis for Veteran Women was the first program in the United States designed specifically for female veterans dealing with issues of homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, post-traumatic stress syndrome and other mental health issues.

All clients at the Oasis for Veteran Women houses have an on-site therapist.  The two houses offer female veterans a safe place to turn their lives around and make constructive contributions to the community.  The program integrates the Seeking Safety model, a trauma treatment initiative that was designed especially for women recovering from trauma and substance abuse.   The program also has a long history of assisting clients in regaining custody of their children.  Among other services, veterans who enter the New Directions Oasis for Veteran Women are able to receive:

• Substance Abuse Treatment
• Individual & Group Counseling
• Case Management and Advocacy
• Medical Assistance
• Legal Support
• Educational Opportunities
• Vocational Assistance
• Family Reunification
• Money Management

For more information about New Directions' Oasis for Veteran Women, please call Renee Banton, Program Supervisor at (310) 398-0191 or (310) 709-5871

For immediate 24-hour assistance, call New Directions' main telephone line at (310) 914-5966.

• Click here to learn about how the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is focusing on the challenges faced by female veterans.
• Click here to find resources for female veterans through the California Department of Veterans Affairs
• Female veterans in the Los Angeles area are now able to receive mammographies at both the West Los Angeles VA campus and at the Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center. For information call the West LA Women's Health Cllinic at (310) 268-3487 or the SACC Women's Comprehensive Healthcare Clinic at (818) 895-9555, or SACC Radiology at (818) 891-7711, ext. 9345.