Peer-Led Project ABLE Aims to Improve Veterans’ Lives

By Kathie Dalton, Veterans News Magazine

Army veteran R.J. Navarro’s experience transitioning out of the military was unfortunately not that unusual. He worked on Humvees and other unarmored vehicles while in the Army. After one tour in Iraq, Navarro was hoping to come home and find a mechanic position. He had difficulty finding someone that would recognize his military training.

“Collect unemployment and figure out where you want to go from here,” was the advice Navarro got in 2010. “It was a struggle and there was not really a lot of help,” he said.

After 18 months in prison for a marijuana charge, Navarro was released and in 2012 was homeless and struggled with recidivism. His probation officer was able to get him into a SOAR program which allowed him to attend college courses and paid for his housing — provided he stay clean and sober.

After one of his courses at Chemeketa Community College, he went into the Veterans Lounge. He didn’t feel like he was a vet, but had heard they had free coffee. He was persuaded to apply for his veterans benefits and ended up using his GI Bill to pay for some of his college. He became a representative in student government.

Navarro was introduced to Project ABLE, an organization providing mental health and behavioral services. They soon asked Navarro to join them as a Peer Support Specialist focusing on veterans. He left his good paying welding job and focused on his own self care as well.

He redid his VA claim, which he had avoided for a long time. It was hard to talk about his military experience and answering questions made him relive his experiences in Iraq. He got his 40% rating and continued working with Project ABLE. Two years later Project ABLE was at its height with 52 veterans served on a monthly basis.

Then COVID hit, they lost funding and had to get creative. A grant from ODVA for $23,278 to expand peer support & training opportunities to underserved veteran populations was just one of those ways.

Project ABLE has been able to build up their reach in the last few years, with about 50% staying with the organization for a year or more. Navarro felt that partnering with other organizations is what helps the organization the most. In the past they have partnered with Project Healing Waters and Battle Buddies as well as others.

If there is one message Navarro would like to make clear, it is that Project ABLE is here for all veterans.

“We ensure that we are able to serve individuals. Peacetime, combat, not out of the continental U.S., whatever — you are welcome here. Those who identify as LGBTQ have been horribly attacked by the previous administration. Not here. We don’t judge. We are inclusive,” he said. “We want people to enjoy recovery. We use a very broad definition of a veteran — at least one day in the military and signing that blank check.”

Navarro heads veteran related activities with a coffee each Friday and activities throughout the month, rotating each week through diet and exercise, activities, mindfulness, and time in nature and how it relates to self-care. Veterans are taught how to navigate VA benefits, plus a wide variety of options are available, including peer-topeer support, group activities, workshops, and classes. Peer Specialists for veterans are veterans themselves and support is always free. Project ABLE also offers Veteran Informed Training (VIT) online which is approved by the Oregon Health Authority.

A recent Kayaking 101 event was a big success with over 30 participants, many already asking when the next one would be scheduled.

“A few of them had been part of our events before. This was a nice change from weekend trip camping or fishing,” said Navarro. “It was short and sweet and it was accessible.”

The organization held a woodcarving class in July and discussions are under way for another kayaking event in August.

Project ABLE was the first peer-led organization in the State of Oregon to receive accreditation from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) in 2010. Since that time, they have trained thousands of peers from all over Oregon to become certified Peer Support Specialists (PSS).

In 2018, Project ABLE was awarded a grant by ODVA and became the first veteran program in the state to offer vet-to-vet pear support and Veteran Informed Trainings.

Some topics include understanding mental health in the military, effective communication, relationship issues and conflict management, person centered planning, self-care, women veteran’s health, veteran benefits, navigating resources.

Individuals who complete the 20-hour training are eligible to for credits towards keeping their Peer Support Specialist certification current under the Oregon Traditional Health Worker (THW) program requirements.

Today, volunteers support hundreds of individuals in 6 Oregon counties. Learn more about their program at www.projectable.org.