Veteran and Family Resources
The Veteran and Family Resources Team assists transitioning service members, veterans of all eras, spouses and their family members with resource assistance and benefit navigation.
VFR
Veteran and Family Resources
The Veteran and Family Resources Department supports the community through careful case management, resource navigation, and financial wellness during challenging life transitions focused on sustainability and resiliency.
Our services are provided at no cost to our clients.
For more information or to schedule an appointment for any of our programs, please call the VFR Appointment Line at 719-309-4752, or email us:.
Supportive Services offers a bridge to sustainability. Our case managers provide short term non-clinical case management. We provide financial and non-financial resources by setting realistic attainable goals and offering support in meeting those goals, through resource connection. These services include but are not limited to:
- Financial Assistance with essential needs (rent, mortgage, utilities, etc.)
- Food Security
- Connection to education partners, legal partners, veteran benefits, and more
Eligibility: Veterans, Military and their Families (regardless of discharge status, era of service, or disability) and Family members.
Contact: To schedule an appointment please call Mt. Carmel at 719-309-4752
We’re committed to teaching our veterans how “to do money” and achieve a level of financial wellness that allows them to live a financially flexible life. The program focuses on building money management skills through financial education teaching personal finance concepts, financial coaching offering guidance and support, and credit counseling teaching the basics of credit management. We recognize that a contributing factor to a person’s well-being and security is the health of their finances. To support the breadth of those needs, we have partnered with several providers who work directly with veterans and their families on more aspects of managing their financial needs.
Financial Coaching –
Free financial coaching is provided through financial coach, Liz Foster. Support helps change behaviors to achieve personal financial goals. Liz also assists in creating budgets and provides information to better manage personal finances.
Eligibility: Veterans, Military and their Families (regardless of discharge status, era of service, or disability) and Family members.Contact: To schedule an appointment please call Mt. Carmel at 719-309-4752
Mortgage Education –
Thinking about buying a new home or refinancing an existing one?
Check out these informational videos from one of our partners.
Upcoming Workshops:
Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center
Financial Wellness Workshops
Weekly workshops are FREE
Spring-Summer Series: Wednesdays, 7 April – 28 July 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The Veterans’ Climb program is piloted by Mt. Carmel Veterans
Service Center in partnership with El Pomar Foundation and is designed to
deliver long-term and intensive assistance to at-risk veterans, through:
- Case management
- Supportive services
- Personalized mentorship
- Career & technology education programs
- Employment preparation & acquisition
- Heath & wellness coaching
Who qualifies? Program is available to all veterans, primarily those who are:
- Justice-involved
- Dealing with an unexpected separation from active duty
- Facing imminent homelessness
Expectations:
- Committed to long-term participation for the
- entire length of program
- Enrollment in educational certificate or degree
- program
- Consistent communication and documented effort
Rewards:
- Minimize homelessness
- Self-sufficiency
- Reduce recidivism
Meet the VFR Team
Katie Travis
Director of Veteran and Family Resources
Katie has been with the Mt. Carmel Family since January 2017. She recently completed her Bachelors of Social Work and is currently working towards her MSW. After working as a case manager with the VFR team for three years, Katie has now taken on the role as director and is ecstatic to take the program to the next level while continuing to support our veterans in becoming the best versions of themselves. As a proud Army Brat of 27 years, Katie is a strong advocate for the military community. Although she spent her childhood traveling the greater Army bases, she has lived in Colorado for 17 years now and intends to call it home for quite some time. When she’s not at Mt. Carmel VSC or working on homework she enjoys everything from adventuring in the great CO outdoors to singing, cooking, and DIYing.
Audrey Marshall-Harris
Supportive Services Case Manager
As a Supportive Services Case Manager with the Veteran and Family Resources team, Audrey advocates for our clients and works with various partners in hopes of obtaining assistance for the veteran and their family. Audrey has worked in the case management field for over 20 plus years and has helped several families through Family Readiness Support as the Battalion FRSA, as a SHARP instructor for Department of Defense, as a Visitation Case Manager for children in foster care and a Self Sufficiency Case Manager through the Dept. of Human Services. Additionally, Audrey has worked with the Department of Corrections. Raised in a military family, married to a Veteran, and having children and siblings that have served proudly, Audrey believes in the holistic approach to the success of individuals and families which includes addressing the health of the mind, body and spirit and equipping people with the tools to maintain their financial independency. Our overall goal is to no longer let our Veterans in our community slip through the cracks no matter what their circumstances are.
Nichole Twigg
Veterans’ Climb Case Manager
As a Supportive Services Case Manager for the Veteran and Family Resources department, Nichole is passionate about finding resources to help military and their families navigate through difficult circumstances. Nichole comes to Mt. Carmel with a background in corrections, first working as an officer and then later a case manager, where she found she enjoyed helping people who society quite often deemed, “difficult”. Nichole is a registered psychotherapist in the state of Colorado and is in the process of pursuing a level one certification for addiction counseling. She is also pursuing a bachelor degree in forensic psychology. Nichole’s background offers understanding and empathy to clients’ situations and their state of mental health. Having lived in Colorado since 2014, Nichole is no stranger to the veteran population and surrounding areas, and enjoys friendships of those in active duty and veteran status.
Darrel Walker
Veterans’ Climb Peer Mentor
Darrel first came to Mt. Carmel as an intern and since found a place here as a full time Peer Mentor for the Veterans’ Climb Program. Darrel is often the first point of contact for justice involved veterans, either currently or previously incarcerated. He strives to make the transition from corrections to parole/probation as successful as possible by providing them with much needed resources upon release. The first 48 hours are critical and can mean the difference in success or failure. Darrel has a unique take on this because he himself is familiar first-hand with the process. During the last 3 years of his time with DOC he was fortunate to be one of the founding members of the first Veterans’ Units in Colorado Department of Corrections, Unit 32 in Sterling Correctional Facility. “It changed my life and I believe my work there was a large factor in my being paroled. I saw myself in the faces of many of the young men who served honorably and then lost their way because of the difficult adjustment to life after combat. I decided then to try to make a difference in their lives.” When the opportunity came to join Mt. Carmel, Darrel knew this was where he could do the most for Veterans. He loves and enjoys the work he is able to do and the ability to continue to learn and grow.
Liz Foster, AFC, FFC
Financial Wellness Coordinator
Liz manages the Financial Wellness Program, which is geared toward teaching our Mt. Carmel community “how to do money” and achieve a level of financial wellness that allows them to live a financially flexible life. The Program focuses on building money management skills through financial education teaching personal finance concepts, financial coaching offering guidance and support, and credit counseling teaching the basics of credit management. Additionally, Liz is a certified Financial Fitness Coach and Accredited Financial Counselor, supporting and teaching her clients to develop the strategies and find the tools they need to build a solid financial foundation. Raised in a military family, married to a veteran and a veteran herself, Liz has a passion for teaching the basics of sound money management principals and has an understanding of the unique situations faced by many (military and non-military) every day. Liz gets great satisfaction in helping her clients learn to finesse managing their finances, resolve financial problems and reach their long-term goals.
Andrea Singleton
Supportive Services Case Manager
Andrea is a proud Navy veteran. Both of her parents served in the Army, her father was a Vietnam vet who received a Purple Heart. Colorado has been her home since the age of 2. She spent 7 years working as a Dental Assistant on Fort Carson. In 2010 she joined
the Navy as a Gas Turbine Mechanic and was assigned to a CG-55 Leyte Gulf in Norfolk VA. She returned home to Colorado Springs in 2014, and returned to Fort Carson as a Dental Assistant. She graduated from Colorado State University Pueblo in May 2020 with a Bachelors in Social Work (BSW), and a Bachelors in Sociology. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Social Work (MSW) at Colorado State University Pueblo. When she isn’t busy advocating for clients, or attending college classes, she is spending time with her two daughters.
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