WARREN — Trumbull County officials and community partners unveiled a new Veterans Services Referral Network on Thursday, intending to connect veterans and their families with critical resources through a centralized, collaborative system.

Local organizations, including the Trumbull County Veterans Service Commission (TCVSC), OhioMeansJobs Trumbull County and local nonprofit partners, held an informal meeting inside the veterans service commission discussing a new method to bridge gaps in services for veterans navigating employment, healthcare, housing, mental health and other post-service challenges.

“Too often, veterans don’t know where to turn for help, or agencies don’t know how to refer to them efficiently,” said Chuck Ciapala, TCVSC’s outreach coordinator. “This network eliminates those barriers by putting all the information, and each other, just one click away.”

The referral network operates through a digital hub on the TCVSC website, providing veterans and service providers with direct links to over 40 local organizations offering assistance ranging from job programs to food pantries.

A key feature is the “soft handoff” referral process, which allows providers to seamlessly connect veterans with partner agencies through phone or email, reducing gaps in support.

Representatives from agencies like the Salvation Army, Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board and AMVETS gathered to celebrate the collaboration.

Trumbull County Family Court Judge Sam Bluedorn — a Marine Corps veteran — praised the effort.

“This is exactly what veterans deserve a clear path to the resources they’ve earned,” he said.

Director of the TCVSC Cari Delgado echoed the sentiment.

“We saw too many veterans getting lost in the system, not knowing where to turn for help,” she said, adding, “After COVID disrupted our previous collaborative efforts, we recognized an urgent need to rebuild these connections in a more organized way. This network ensures that when a veteran walks into any participating agency, staff will have immediate access to information about all available services across the county.”

Delgado talked about the system’s logging, which services are viewed.

“We’ll be able to see exactly which services veterans are searching for most frequently. If we notice spikes in requests for food assistance or mental health services, we can adjust our outreach and resources accordingly,” she said.

Officials are encouraging additional organizations to join the growing network, which she sees as just the beginning.

“What started as an effort to fix communication gaps has become something much bigger,” Delgado said. “We’re building a true safety net where no veteran’s request for help goes unanswered.” Veterans and service providers can access the network through the TCVSC website, with new resources being added regularly as the program expands.

Delgado said the program will be evaluated through quarterly meetings where partner organizations can share updates and address emerging challenges. “This is about creating lasting solutions,” she said. “We’re already seeing how different organizations can complement each other’s work, like how St. Vincent de Paul’s grocery voucher program inspired us to develop similar initiatives for veterans.”