VA Creates Women Veterans Call Center -- Major Outreach Effort Launched

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 07, 2011

VA Creates Women Veterans Call Center -- Major Outreach Effort Launched

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has embarked on a major initiative to reach out to women Veterans in order to solicit their input on ways to enhance the health care services VA provides to women Veterans.

“We are taking a proactive approach to enhancing VA health care for women Veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We are seeking the input of

women Veterans so that VA can continue to provide high quality health care to the growing numbers of women Veterans.”

Representatives at VA’s Health Resource Center (HRC) are placing calls to women Veterans nationwide, asking them to share their experiences with VA and suggest potential enhancements that will further VA’s mission to provide the best care anywhere.

Women Veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the Veteran population.

Of the 22.7 million living Veterans, more than 1.8 million are women. They comprise nearly 8 percent of the total Veteran population and 6 percent of all Veterans who use VA health care services.

VA estimates by 2020 women Veterans will constitute 10 percent of the Veteran population and 9.5 percent of VA patients. The HRC, which started placing calls on June 1, is contacting women Veterans who have enrolled, but have not begun using VA services.

“Through this contact center, we are placing friendly, conversational calls to women Veterans,” said Patricia Hayes, chief consultant of the VA’s Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group. “We want these Veterans and their caregivers to talk candidly about why they are not using VA, whether they are aware of the gender-specific services we offer, and what additional services they would like to see VA offer.”

The HRC representatives making the calls are also informing women Veterans about the services VA offers and quickly connecting them with appropriate departments if they are interested in trying VA health care. Veterans who have complaints about VA are connected to a patient advocate who helps resolve issues.

VA has trained professionals in all aspects of women’s health, including general primary care, osteoporosis management, heart disease, mental health care, menopausal services and obesity-related issues, such as diabetes. Preventive screenings for breast and cervical cancer are also areas in which VA excels. Soon, all VA facilities will offer comprehensive primary care for women from a single provider.

The Women Veterans Health Care program has made significant changes in the last few years to enhance the health care offered to eligible women Veterans. This progress includes:

• Adopting key policies to improve access and enhance services for women Veterans;
• Implementing comprehensive primary care for women Veterans;
• Conducting cutting-edge research on the effects of military service on women’s lives;
• Improving communication and outreach to women Veterans; and
• Providing mental health, homelessness and other services designed to meet the unique needs of women Veterans

For more information about VA programs and services for women Veterans, please visit: www.va.gov/womenvet and www.publichealth.va.gov/womenshealth.

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VA Issuing First Payments to Caregivers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 1, 2011   

VA Issuing First Payments to Caregivers

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs will send out more than $430,000 in stipend payments to nearly 200 Family Caregivers of Veterans in July. These Family Caregivers were the first to complete their Caregiver training under the program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.  The first payments to 96 recipients were issued today.

“This is a long-awaited day for many Family Caregivers who diligently worked to achieve this landmark legislation to enhance services for Family Caregivers,” said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki.  “I am proud VA can now offer direct support to the loved ones who give the Veterans we serve a greater quality of life by allowing them to remain at home surrounded by family and friends.” 

  

Family Caregivers will receive an average $1,600 in monthly stipend payments. The initial payments will average $2,500 because the first stipend checks are retroactive to the date of application.  The amount of the stipend is based on the condition of the Veteran and the amount of care they require as well as the geographic location where the Veteran resides.  An additional 80 stipend payments will be released from the U.S. Treasury on July 8 bringing the total to 176 Family Caregivers receiving the stipend in July.

“We continue to process and approve applications on a daily basis” said Deborah Amdur, VA’s Chief Consultant for Care Management and Social Work. “It has been profoundly gratifying to receive messages from Family Caregivers about the value of this program.”

Since May 9, nearly 1,250 Caregivers of Veterans who were seriously injured in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, have applied for the Program.  A core caregiver training curriculum is a required component of the program.  This comprehensive training, which was developed by Easter Seals in collaboration with VA clinical experts, has received many positive comments from Family Caregivers.   In addition to the training, eligible Family Caregivers can also access mental health services and are provided health care insurance, if they are not already entitled to care or services under a health plan.

Veterans may review the criteria for eligibility and download the Family Caregiver program application (VA CG 10-10) at www.caregiver.va.gov.  The application enables the Veteran to designate a primary Family Caregiver and secondary Family Caregivers if needed.  Caregiver Support Coordinators are stationed at every VA medical center to assist with coordinating the training or assist Caregivers in locating available services.

Support for all Caregivers is also available via the national Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274. Caregivers of Veterans from all eras are encouraged to use the Website and Support Line to learn about more than two dozen supportive services VA offers to Family Caregivers.  

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DAV Legislative Bulletin–June 2011

DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN

June 2011

Department of Veterans Affairs Fiscal Year 2012 Budget

As I reported in the April Legislative Bulletin, the Administration’s budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2012 included only modest funding increases for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and benefits programs. For both mandatory funding (compensation, pension, insurance and education benefits) and discretionary funding (primarily health care) the Administration recommended about $132 billion. The House Budget Committee subsequently recommended $128 billion in its budget resolution, about $4 billion less than requested.

The Administration’s FY 2012 budget proposal also included a request for $52.5 billion in advance appropriations for VA health care accounts for FY 2013. The Administration has assumed $3.3 billion in first- and third-party collections from veterans and their private insurers.

On June 14, 2011, after consideration of a series of floor amendments most of which were rejected, the full House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to approve the funding levels as recommended by the Appropriations Committee.

Current status:

Fiscal year 2012 Administration budget request $130.2 billion. House-passed funding level $129.7 billion. In comparison to:

· Fiscal year 2011 enacted level – +$7.9 billion

· Fiscal year 2012 budget request – -$475.7 million

· Fiscal year 2013 advance [medical] budget request $52.5 billion

· Fiscal year 2013 House-passed advance appropriation $52.5 billion

In summary, the Appropriations Committee recommended and now the full House has passed a total of $129.7 billion in new budget authority for all VA programs (mandatory and discretionary) in fiscal year 2012, an increase of $7.9 billion, or 6.4 percent above the fiscal year 2011 enacted level but $475.7 million below the Administration’s budget request. In addition, the House agreed to advance appropriations of $52.5 billion, to be provided for fiscal year 2013 in VA Medical Care accounts, matching the President’s request for the advance appropriations year.

The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration. The Senate has yet to act on the FY 2012 VA budget request, either at the Budget Committee or Appropriations Committee level. While VA’s appropriation has been slightly cut (in information technology, general administration and medical and prosthetic research), we are grateful to the House for strongly supporting all VA programs at this time of fiscal and monetary uncertainty. We will keep you updated on VA’s budget as events warrant.

Government Accountability Office Report on Advance Appropriations

On June 14, 2011, GAO released its report on the VA budget, which was required by Public Law 111-81, the advance appropriations law authored by Congressman Filner. The GAO report confirms several of our concerns about gimmicks in the budget, including:

• • $1.1 billion carryover from this year (FY 2011);
• • $2.5 billion in “operational improvements;” and
• • The so-called “contingency fund.”

The GAO report also uncovered another $2.5 billion that the Office of Management and Budget cut from the VA for FY 2012 and FY 2013 for needed equipment and maintenance.

DAV will request that both House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs and Appropriations Committees will hold hearings to ensure that we have an honest and transparent VA budget.

Pending Legislation

H.R. 2052, the Fort McClellan Health Registry Act, introduced by Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY), directs the VA to establish and maintain a registry of veterans who served at Fort McClellan, Alabama, due to potential exposure to a toxic substance or environmental hazard.

S. 411, the Helping Our Homeless Veterans Act of 2011, introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) would authorize VA to enter into agreements with States and nonprofit organizations to collaborate in case management services for veterans’ supported housing programs.

S.696, introduced by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), would require VA to treat Vet Centers as VA health care facilities for purposes of payments of beneficiary travel reimbursements to veterans visiting Vet Centers.

S.894, the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2011, introduced by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), would authorize a COLA increase, effective December 1, 2011, in the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of disabled veterans.

S.914, introduced by Senator Mark Begich (D-AK), would authorize waiver of the collection of copayments for VA telehealth and telemedicine visits.

S.951, the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011, introduced by Senator Murray, an omnibus act on veterans employment would:

• • Expand the authority of the VA Secretary to make payments to employers that provide on-the-job training to veterans.
• • Entitle certain service-connected veterans who have exhausted their rights to unemployment benefits to participation in an additional VA rehabilitation program and would require the VA Secretary to follow-up on the employment status of veterans who participate in VA rehabilitation.
• • Require participation by eligible service members in the Transitional Assistance Program (TAP), and provision of pre-separation counseling to members who anticipate discharge, including assessment of equivalencies between military skills and civilian employment requirements.
• • Instruct the Secretary of Labor to follow-up on employment status of members who complete their TAP participation.
• • Authorize up to three specialized grants for veterans’ employment.
• • Liberalize appointments of veterans to the federal civil service if otherwise qualified, without regard to civil service examination, and would require federal agencies to provide employment assistance to separating members.
• • Direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out an outreach program to provide employment assistance to certain veterans receiving unemployment compensation.
• • Authorize a pilot program to assess the feasibility of providing work experience to certain members of the Armed Forces who are on terminal leave.
• • Require a VA demonstration project on credentialing and licensing of veterans.
• • Extend several existing authorities and require a series of reports.

S.957, the Veterans’ Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitative Services’ Improvements Act of 2011, introduced by Senator John Boozman (R-AR), would improve rehabilitative services for veterans with traumatic brain injury.

S.1017, the Disabled Veteran Caregiver Housing Assistance Act of 2011, introduced by Senator Bernard Sanders (I-VT), would increase assistance for disabled veterans who are temporarily residing in housing owned by a family member.

S.1060, the Honoring All Veterans Act of 2011, introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), would improve education, employment, independent living services, and health care for veterans, improve assistance for homeless veterans, and improve the administration of the VA.

S. 1104, the Veteran Transition Assistance Program Audit Act of 2011, introduced by Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA), would require regular audits of, and improvements to, the TAP Program.

S. 1127, introduced by Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), would establish centers of excellence for rural health research, education, and clinical activities and provide statutory recognition to VA’s existing Rural Health Resource Centers.

Hearings

On May 3, 2011, DAV testified before the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, concerning seven benefits-related bills.

On May 13, 2011, DAV testified before the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health regarding the Federal Recovery Coordinator Program.

On June 8, 2011, DAV testified before the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee on 34 bills under consideration, most of which are summarized above.

On June 13, 2011, DAV testified before the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health regarding a recently released GAO report 11-530—Actions Needed to Prevent Sexual Assaults and Other Safety Incidents.

Sexual Assaults in VA Facilities

The DAV finds very disturbing a GAO report that cites 284 cases of alleged, attempted or confirmed sex assaults on patients and employees at VA medical centers between January 2007 and last July. “It is fundamental that our VA hospitals offer a safe environment as well as topflight medical care,” said DAV National Commander Wallace E. Tyson. “This is very disturbing news, and we urge the VA to put into place the report’s recommendations at all medical centers, clinics and other facilities.”

The GAO report examined sexual assaults at VA medical centers and found that many times the victims’ reports are mishandled or inappropriately acted upon based on decisions by local physicians and administrators.

The DAV strongly recommends the creation of a task force to ensure the VA adopts a culture of safety and promptly develops a uniform policy for the reporting of all sexual assaults.

“Mandatory reporting is absolutely necessary. There must be a strict requirement set immediately that all allegations of sexual assaults be reported to an independent body of oversight,” Commander Tyson said in a press release. “These reports can no longer be allowed to be dealt with solely at the local level.”

“This is not a gender-specific issue – this is an issue for every veteran, family member and caregiver. Every person who enters a VA facility must know the government is doing everything possible to keep them safe. VA needs to be a place of care, not of fear.”

Conclusion

To ensure the successful enactment of the legislation that we support, our DAV and Auxiliary members must become active members of DAV’s grassroots – DAV Commander’s Action Network (CAN) — and all of us must do our part to let our elected officials know about our support for legislation that builds better lives for our nation’s service-disabled veterans, their families and their survivors. Please make a pledge to redouble your efforts to communicate our concerns to your elected officials. This is a key to our success.

See you at the DAV National Convention in New Orleans August 6-9, 2011.

JOSEPH A. VIOLANTE

National Legislative Director

DAV Calls for Mandatory Reporting of all Sexual Assaults in VA Facilities

DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS
807 Maine Ave., SW • Washington, D.C. 20024 • Phone (202) 554-3501 • Fax (202) 863-0233

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2011

DAV Calls for Mandatory Reporting of all Sexual Assaults in VA Facilities

WASHINGTON — The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) finds very disturbing a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report which cites 284 cases of alleged, attempted or confirmed sex assaults on patients and employees at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers between January 2007 and last July.

“It is fundamental that our VA hospitals offer a safe environment as well as top-flight medical care,” said DAV National Commander Wallace E. Tyson. “This is very disturbing news, and we urge the VA to put into place the report’s recommendations at all medical centers, clinics and other facilities.”

The GAO report examined sexual assaults at VA medical centers and found that many times the victims’ reports are mishandled or inappropriately acted upon based on decisions by local physicians and administrators.

The DAV strongly recommends the creation of a task force to ensure the VA adopts a culture of safety and promptly develops a uniform policy for the reporting of all sexual assaults.

“We look to the VA and the administration to make safety a priority in our VA medical centers,” Tyson said.

“Mandatory reporting is absolutely necessary. There must be a strict requirement set immediately that all allegations of sexual assaults be reported to an independent body of oversight,” Commander Tyson said.

“These reports can no longer be allowed to be dealt with solely at the local level.”

“This is not a gender-specific issue – this is an issue for every veteran, family member and caregiver.

Every person who enters a VA facility must know the government is doing everything possible to keep them safe. VA needs to be a place of care not of fear.”

The 1.2 million-member Disabled American Veterans, a non-profit organization founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932, represents this nation’s disabled veterans. It is dedicated to a single
purpose: building better lives for our nation’s disabled veterans and their families. For more information, visit the organization’s Web site www.dav.org.

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HUD, VA TO PROVIDE PERMANENT HOUSING, CASE MANAGEMENT TO NEARLY 700 HOMELESS VETERANS ACROSS THE U.S

HUD June 13, 2011

HUD, VA TO PROVIDE PERMANENT HOUSING, CASE MANAGEMENT TO NEARLY 700 HOMELESS VETERANS ACROSS THE U.S.

Funding part of Obama Administration plan to end Veteran homelessness

WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced today that HUD will provide $5.4 million to public housing authorities in 18 states to supply permanent housing and case management for 676 homeless Veterans in America. This is the fourth and final round of the FY 2010 Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) funding to support homeless Veterans.

HUD-VASH is a coordinated effort by HUD, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and local housing authorities to provide permanent supportive housing for homeless Veterans. For a local breakdown of the rental vouchers announced today, visit HUD's website.

“Our mission is to end Veterans’ homelessness,” said VA Secretary Shinseki. “This effort is an excellent example of how VA works with HUD and our community partners in that shared mission. The project-based vouchers will provide dedicated permanent housing for Veterans and allow them to live in support of each other, as neighbors.”

“As our young men and women return from Afghanistan and Iraq, they deserve to be treated with dignity and honor. Yet our nation's Veterans are 50 percent more likely than the average American to become homeless,” said HUD Secretary Donovan. “These vouchers continue to get more of our Veterans off the streets and out of homeless shelters into permanent housing.”

The vouchers announced today are part of a set-aside of project-based vouchers HUD announced last September that would be competitively awarded to housing authorities that received HUD-VASH vouchers in 2008, 2009 or 2010. Under HUD’s project-based voucher program, housing authorities can assign voucher assistance to specific housing units. These vouchers will enable homeless Veterans to access affordable housing with an array of supportive services.

This funding to local housing authorities is part of the Obama Administration’s strategy to end Veteran and long-term chronic homelessness by 2015. Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness serves as a roadmap for how the federal government will work with state and local agreements to confront the root causes of homelessness, especially among former Servicemen and women.

The grants announced today are part of a $75 million investment to support the housing needs of homeless Veterans. This is the fourth and final competitive round to allocate the remaining FY2010 HUD-VASH funding. With today’s announcement, HUD will have funded 10,186 housing vouchers for homeless Veterans nationwide for 2010. HUD will announce the 2011 HUD-VASH funding during the summer. VA Medical Centers provide supportive services and case management to eligible homeless Veterans.

Veterans are referred to the public housing authority for these vouchers, based upon a variety of factors, most importantly the need for and ability to benefit from supportive housing. Supportive housing includes both financial help the voucher provides and the comprehensive case management that VAMC staff provides.

Veterans participating in the HUD-VASH program rent privately owned housing and generally contribute no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent. VA offers eligible homeless Veterans clinical and supportive services through its medical centers across the U.S., Guam and Puerto Rico.

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VA is the federal government’s second-largest cabinet office.  Secretary Shinseki has outlined three key priorities for the department: increase Veteran access to VA services and benefits, eliminate the disability claims backlog, and end Veteran homelessness. VA provides health care to more than 6 million people each year, in 91 million outpatient visits and 960,000 hospitalizations.  VA provides more than $58 billion annually in disability pay and pensions to 4.5 million Americans, $10 billion in educational assistance, $1 billion for home loans and $2.6 billion for life insurance. More information about VA is available at www.va.gov.

HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.

VA Publishes New Family Caregiver Regulations

May 4, 2011 ShareThis

Caregivers like Rosie Babin, seen here with her son Alan Babin, a seriously disabled veteran of the Iraq War, may be eligible for a stipend, mental health services and access to health care.

The VA has published the interim final rule for implementing the Family Caregiver Program that was authorized by Congress last year and will begin taking applications from eligible veterans effective May 9.

The new rule was published May 3 and has a 60-day comment period. It provides additional support for eligible post-9/11 veterans who elect to receive their care in a home setting from a primary caregiver. The VA’s Office of Care Management and Social Work will begin taking applications next week from eligible veterans and servicemembers so they may designate their family caregivers. VA expects the first benefits to be delivered in July.

Veterans eligible for this program include those who sustained a serious physical injury, including traumatic brain injury, psychological trauma or other mental disorder incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, on or after Sept. 11, 2001. They must be in need of personal care services because of an inability to perform one or more activities of daily living or need supervision or protection based on symptoms or residuals of neurological impairment or injury.

The additional services for primary family caregivers of eligible post-9/11 veterans and servicemembers include a stipend, mental health services and access to health care insurance, if they are not already entitled to care or services under a health care plan. Comprehensive caregiver training and medical support are key components of the program.

Effective May 9, veterans may download a copy of the Family Caregiver program application at www.caregiver.va.gov. Caregiver support coordinators are available at every VA medical center and via phone at 1-877-222-VETS (8387) to assist veterans and family caregivers with the application process.
Caregivers for veterans of all eras are eligible for respite care, education and training, meeting the veteran’s care needs and the importance of self-care when in a caregiving role. The full range of VA services already provided to caregivers will continue, and local caregiver support coordinators at each VA medical center are available to assist in identifying benefits and services they may be eligible to receive.

SOURCE: DAV National:  http://www.dav.org/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=395

DAV Stand Up For Veterans Update–April 11, 2011

Stand Up For Veterans Update
April 11, 2011

 

Two New Studies Show VA Health Care For Seniors Better Than Medicare

More evidence that veterans receive high quality care through the VA health care system comes from the journal Medical Care, which recently published the results of two studies performed by Brown University researchers.  According to the studies, VA “…has made substantial improvements in quality, in some cases providing substantially better care than is available in private insurance plans.”

Advance Appropriations Protects VA Health Care System in Event of Shutdown

Thanks to approval of advance appropriations for VA medical care funding in the last Congress, veterans will “…see no change in their health benefits – including those involving hospital visits and other doctors’ appointments – in the event that Congress fails to pass a budget,” reports the Christian Science Monitor.  While some VA operations may be limited or suspended during a government shutdown, the VA health care system has already been fully funded for the year

VA: Christmas Message to Veterans

A Christmas Message

From Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki

WASHINGTON (Dec. 22, 2010)-- The second year of our declared
independence found General George Washington's Continental Army encamped
at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.  In the week before Christmas of 1777,
more than 12,000 poorly-clothed, hungry and near-frozen American
soldiers were huddled against a brutal winter, enduring the numbing cold
as disease ravaged their ranks.  As many as 2,000 of them did not
survive Valley Forge.

General Washington wrote that, "unless some great and capital change
suddenly takes place. . . this Army must inevitably. . . starve,
dissolve, or disperse, in order to obtain subsistence in the best manner
they can."

Despite these bleak conditions, the fighting men of the Continental Army
lifted their own spirits, located much needed supplies and took to
training with determined vigor. They honed their basic fighting skills,
learned new tactics, preserved their dwindling strength and disciplined
themselves for the difficult campaign that would follow.  It was an act
of sublime courage and determination.  Six months later, the Continental
Army marched out of Valley Forge fit and ready, stronger and more
cohesive as a fighting force, and went on to seize American
independence.

Since that winter, American patriots in an unbroken line have found
themselves on duty during the holiday season each year.  Our freedom and
security as a nation has required it.  So as Americans and their
families gather to celebrate these holidays, let us remember the men and
women, who sacrifice so much for our privileges, comforts and
well-being.  They are away from their own families, standing watch for
us on freedom's distant frontiers.  We salute their valor, past and
present, and we pray for them and our Veterans, who have so selflessly
given us the gifts we enjoy this holiday season, as we have every season
since 1775.

I offer my warmest best wishes for a blessed and joyous holiday to all
our serving military, our Veterans, all of their families, the survivors
of the fallen, and the members of our Veterans Affairs family, who are
privileged to serve them.  May God bless each and every one of you, and
may God continue to bless this wonderful country of ours.  Merry
Christmas.