Document Type
Poster
Date
4-9-2026
Keywords
Veterans, Social work, Veterans law, Legal-Social work partnership, Veteran resources, Veteran services, Veteran pilot program, Veteran transitional program
Campus Community
Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, College of Law, School of Social Work, Veteran and Military Behavioral Health Collaborative
Language
English
Funder(s)
Goidel Law Group Internship Fund
Disciplines
Military and Veterans Studies | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description/Abstract
Veterans participating in the Veteran's Legal Clinic (VLC) in partnership with Altamont often face a familiar challenge at program exit: knowing exactly which supports to contact next, how to reach them, and how to follow through-especially when needs are specialized (e.g., financial planning/credit building, transportation, behavioral health supports) and enrollment pathways are complex. Altamont staff and the VA social worker identified a need for a practical, targeted resource list prior to discharge, while VLC law students requested a resource guide that is usable without overwhelming clients.
To address this gap, we developed the Resource Navigator Passport, a personalized, living document co-created with VLC clients to track evolving needs, referrals, key contacts, and next steps during program participation and to culminate in a client-specific discharge guide. The client-facing Passport can be provided electronically (e.g., Google Docs) or in print. Core fields (need, key contact, contact information) are standardized, while formatting is adapted to accessibility and client preference (e.g., larger font, reduced reliance on web links, notes-app-friendly layout, and space to document outreach attempts, outcomes, and follow-up plans).
Spring 2026 serves as a trial period, focusing on the incoming cohort of VLC student lawyers (N=5) and approximately six clients at Altamont. Social work interns attend extended Altamont sessions to participate in meetings, build rapport, initiate referrals to services via the Unite Us platform, and formulate and update Resource Navigator Passports as needs emerge. Referrals and client protected health information (PHI) are maintained in Unite Us; the working version of each Passport excludes PHI and is access-restricted to trainees, student lawyers, and supervisors via Google Docs.
This implementation aims to reduce discharge "resource overload,": improve follow-through via concrete action tracking, and strengthen interdisciplinary coordination among social work interns, law students, Altamont staff, and veterans served.
Recommended Citation
Keeler, Amanda; Owens, Seth M.; Kubala, Elizabeth; and Marfilius, Ken, "Resource Navigator Passport: From "Resource Lists" to Trackable Next Steps for Veterans" (2026). Voices of Service Symposium. 39.
https://surface.syr.edu/vos/39
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
