Concord – New Hampshire Senator Lou D’Allesandro and John Richards, Director of the Governor’s Commission on Disability presented the Governor’s Accessibility Award to Jo Moncher, Bureau Chief of Community Based Military Programs for the NH Department of Health and Human Services.

The NH Governor’s Accessibility Awards recognize the outstanding accomplishments and leadership within a business, organization or individual that supports independence, inclusive environments and services for individuals with disabilities.

The award recognizes Ms. Moncher’s work as the Chairman of the NH Legislative Commission on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. This Commission is collecting data about veterans from the different agencies that serve them. They have created new mapping tools to generate policy and agency questions that could lead to better treatment and services.

The Commission is also distributing a survey across the State and will be using this information to gain a greater understanding of the needs and challenges of New Hampshire’s veteran community. Veterans can access this survey on-line at nh-veteran.com.

Ms. Moncher has been instrumental in the development of military and civilian partnerships throughout the State that improve education, outreach and services. Since her position was created in the fall of 2008, there has been a significant increase in military and civilian agencies partnering together to improve services and supports to the 135,000 veterans, service members and their families in New Hampshire. Ms. Moncher is also a United States Air Force Veteran and served as a Czechoslovakian linguist.

The NH Department of Health and Human Services is the only Department of Health and Human Services in the country that has a position solely focused on military supports. “Our Department recognizes the value of bringing state and civilian resources together to support our military,” said Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Nicholas Toumpas. “The need to serve this unique population in an important one and our Department has a responsibility to help leverage our resources to help these men and women who have sacrificed so much. I’d like to thank Jo and congratulate her for all the work she has done to help our Department achieve the successes it has in this area.”