Veteran Resources in New York State: What are the barriers to creating and supporting an online directory of Veteran resources in New York?

Abstract

Veterans and their families are inundated with resources with little to no guidance. While a centralized directory of basic resources from each state exists on the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (U.S. DVA) website, there is no comprehensive and centralized Veteran resource directory for the state of New York. This paper attempts to identify what barriers have prevented the development of such a resource in New York by reviewing other state’s attempts at creating a similar resource such as Massachusetts and how the integration of activity theory and common identity theory can be utilized in the creation of a centralized resource directory. It will also evaluate the role the New York State Division of Veterans’ Affairs (NYS DVA) can play in housing, maintaining and collaborating with Veteran Service Organizations, nonprofits and private sector partners to create a successful Veterans resource directory for New York. The creation of a mockup to demonstrate the incorporation of the knowledge gained is also presented as a part of this proposal.