Forward Flag is a 501c3 charity, founded in 2013, focused on helping prevent veteran suicide; first by raising awareness of the suicide rate and second to offer preventive measures. Their service area includes the states of New Mexico and Tennessee. Forward Flag is interested in learning more the veterans they serve, specifically about their social needs and support networks. While research clearly demonstrates the impact of a veteran’s social connectedness on health and well-being, Forward Flag does not currently have visibility into the support systems of those they serve.

Visible Network Labs is partnering with Forward Flag to implement a social connectedness screening and referral program for the veterans they work with in their New Mexico programs. Our team is helping them create a custom social connectedness screening specifically for a veteran population. It includes questions about a veteran’s loneliness, their social support network, trust and dependency, and social needs like food or housing. PARTNERme then identifies the social need with the least amount of support to target with a community resource referral.

The program’s goal is to fill gaps in social support and flag those at risk of social isolation or loneliness while empowering individuals to leverage their own network to access support. With the underlying needs of veterans met more consistently, we expect to reduce care costs, improve outcomes, and increase satisfaction among both veterans and care providers.