Veterans
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CaringBridge provides free, secure, personal Web sites – as a dedicated platform – to assist family and friends in communicating with loved ones during any type of health journey.
“Partnerships with organizations such as CaringBridge that can offer impactful support and connection form an integral part of our public health approach to ensure we reach all veterans,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “Collaborations like these can help particularly in preventing Veteran suicide, which remains VA’s top clinical priorities.”
Through this partnership, CaringBridge highlights a tailored destination page that focuses directly on the needs of service members, veterans and their families.
Each customized Web site supports healing and connection in various ways, keeping families and friends informed and linked using interactive journals and providing access to resources on the site.
In addition to coordinating supportive tasks, CaringBridge has collaborated with VA medical centers and staff to offer training to help facilitate online outreach and support for veterans and their families.
The organization’s customer care staff also have been trained on VA resources and how to make referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line.
For more information on how veterans and their loved ones can use CaringBridge throughout their health journeys, visit www.caringbridge.org/military-service/.
Veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a veteran in crisis, can call the Veteran & Military Crisis Line for confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, send a text message to 838255 or chat online at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.Learn about ways to support veterans in your community by visiting https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/BeThereSupport.aspx.
Reporters covering veteran mental health issues can visit www.reportingonsuicide.org for important guidance on how to communicate about suicide.
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- Written by: Department of Veterans Affairs
VA and DHS, the third-largest federal employer of Veterans in the U.S., with Veterans representing approximately 28 percent of its workforce, share the goals of improving veterans’ health and well-being and increasing Veterans’ access to mental health services and support where needed.
The two agencies will work together to spread awareness of mental health and VA suicide prevention resources among DHS veteran employees and to explore innovative ways to enroll DHS-employed veterans in VA care.
These opportunities include highlighting VA programs and resources in DHS newsletters or emails, or leveraging the nationwide network of VA Suicide Prevention Coordinators to encourage outreach to local and regional DHS offices.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are extremely proud to be working with DHS to prevent veteran suicide,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “Our two agencies are committed to ensuring that veterans receive the care they need, and this landmark partnership will allow us to leverage the strengths of both organizations to reach more veterans and save more lives.”
The partnership, which was launched in November, will allow VA to reach more veterans outside VA care — before they reach a crisis point — and form a vital part of VA’s National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide.
This is not the first time VA and DHS have joined forces to prevent Veteran suicide. The two agencies have been working together with the U.S. Department of Defense through President Trump’s executive order to improve mental health resources for veterans transitioning from active duty to civilian life.
Research has shown that service members transitioning to veteran status are at increased risk for suicide. To combat this risk, DoD, VA and DHS are working to ensure that new veterans receive access to VA mental health care and other services from the moment they transition from the military.
Veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a veteran in crisis, can call the Veteran and Military Crisis Line for confidential support 24 hours a day at 800-273-8255, and press 1; send a text message to 838255; or chat online at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.
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- Written by: Heather DeBerry
Private First Class Colton William DeBerry, 21, of Middletown, Calif., graduated from United States Marine Corps boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego on Nov. 30, 2018.
PFC DeBerry successfully completed 13 weeks of intensive basic training at MCRD San Diego as one of 50 recruits in Training Platoon 3241.
While in recruit training PFC DeBerry achieved the Expert Rifleman Medal.
Following 10 days home on leave he will report to Camp Pendleton for one month at Military Combat Training then Military Occupation Specialty School.
Once this is completed PFC DeBerry will report to his permanent duty station.
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Little Rock joins 65 other communities and three states – Connecticut, Delaware and Virginia – that have effectively ended homelessness among veterans.
“No American veteran should be without a safe and stable place to call home,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “We will continue this important work until we achieve a day when homelessness among veterans is rare and brief in every community across our country.”
The Department of Housing and Urban Development, VA and their federal, state and local partners have worked jointly to help veterans secure stable housing through Home Together, the federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness.
Since 2010, the combined efforts of HUD, VA and their partners have helped cut veteran homelessness nearly in half. This includes a decrease of more than 5 percent in homelessness among veterans between 2017 and 2018.
Since 2010, 698,620 veterans and their family members have been permanently housed, rapidly rehoused or prevented from falling into homelessness through HUD’s targeted housing vouchers and VA’s homelessness programs
The Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System has worked with the other members of the local continuum of care to put veterans on the pathway to safe, stable housing. VA provides wraparound supportive services to the veterans, so they will remain stably housed.
VA medical centers serve as hubs for much more than just Veteran health care services. The Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System collaborates closely with state and local governments, nonprofits, corporate partners and community members to help veterans meet their needs for housing, employment, transportation and other services.
These VA and local resources form a band of care that provides a holistic support system for veterans and their families, including those who are experiencing homelessness. VA is continuing its sustained and coordinated efforts to end veteran homelessness across the country.
For more information about how to support VA’s efforts to prevent and end veteran homelessness, visit www.va.gov/homeless.
Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless can contact their local VA medical center, where VA staff are ready to assist. They can also call 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838).
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- Written by: Department of Veterans Affairs
“These contract awards reflect our ongoing commitment to increasing veterans’ access to care,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “As part of VA’s modernization efforts, we designed the new network based on feedback from veterans and other stakeholders, along with lessons learned from the Veterans Choice Program. We are confident this new network will greatly improve customer service for Veterans and timeliness of payments to community providers.”
The network will be the standard contract vehicle allowing VA to purchase care for veterans from community health care providers using industry-standard approaches and guidelines in support of the VA MISSION Act of 2018 to administer services and manage the network to its full potential. VA will provide care coordination under this new contract.
TriWest Healthcare Alliance has expanded its network to support veteran and provider care coordination across the nation until CCN is fully implemented.
Contracts were awarded as follows:
Region 1 – Optum Public Sector Solutions, Inc.
Region 2 – Optum Public Sector Solutions, Inc.
Region 3 – Optum Public Sector Solutions, Inc.
The contract award for Region 4 is expected by early April 2019. Contract award for Regions 5 and 6 are expected by end of calendar year 2019.
Region 1 includes VA medical centers in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.
Region 2 covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Region 3 will serve veterans in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
VA is committed to delivering efficient, safe, timely and quality health care to all veterans across the nation.
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- Written by: Department of Veterans Affairs
The partnership coordinates strengths of both organizations to benefit all veterans and their families, physical therapists and physical therapist assistants by helping to raise awareness of physical therapy and create new employment and practice opportunities.
“Physical therapy is an important resource for improving veterans’ health and well-being,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “This new agreement allows both organizations to develop additional best practices in treatment of veterans in both the federal and private sector. We look forward to the positive outcomes of this partnership.”
The agreement will use VA and APTA resources to promote nonpharmacological treatment options for pain, VA’s suicide prevention efforts, utilization of VA’s Adaptive Sports Grants Program and physical therapists’ participation in VA’s National Veterans Sports Programs and special events.
VA employs over 3,500 physical therapists and PT assistants, and offers the largest physical therapy residency program in the nation.
APTA represents more than 100,000 physical therapists, PT assistants and students of physical therapy nationwide. Its mission is to advance the profession of physical therapy and to improve the health of society.
For more information visit: www.va.gov or https://www.apta.org/.
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- Written by: Department of Veterans Affairs
VA and The Independence Fund will collaborate on suicide prevention initiatives to connect Veterans with care and support before they reach a crisis point.
“Every veteran suicide is a tragedy, and our goal is to prevent suicide among all veterans nationwide — even those who do not seek care within our health system,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “The Independence Fund is an important ally to reach veterans on this top clinical priority for VA, as well caregivers and their families.”
The two organizations will work together on Operation Resiliency to encourage veterans to take part in suicide prevention initiatives. This includes a 2019 retreat that will bring together at-risk veterans who served in the same unit during deployments.
Founded in 2007, The Independence Fund empowers the nation's severely wounded, injured or ill veterans to overcome physical, mental and emotional wounds incurred in the line of duty.
It has a goal of improving the lives of both veterans and their families through the organization’s mobility, caregiver, adaptive sports and advocacy programs, while also bridging the gap of unmet needs of veterans' caregivers.
The fund works to give veterans the best mobility device options available, as well as promote their mental and physical health.
Suicide is a national public health issue that affects communities everywhere. VA is engaging communities nationwide to deliver care and support to veterans where they live, work and thrive. Partnerships such as this with The Independence Fund are an important part of VA’s National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide.
Veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a veteran in crisis, can call the Veteran & Military Crisis Line for confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, send a text message to 838255 or chat online at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.
Reporters covering veteran mental health issues can visit www.ReportingOnSuicide.org for important guidance on how to communicate about suicide.
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- Written by: Department of Veterans Affairs
VA is in the process of identifying GI Bill beneficiaries currently enrolled at ECA and informing them of follow-on options.
If schools close in the middle of a term and Post-9/11 GI Bill students do not receive credit, they may be eligible for restoration of entitlement used during that term.
"ECA announced this closure with little warning for its students, including GI Bill beneficiaries. VA remains committed to serving affected Veterans and providing them with the means to continue pursuing their educational goals,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie.
On Dec. 4, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools notified ECA of its decision to withdraw, by suspension, the current grants of accreditation of all the institutions owned by Virginia College.
On Dec. 5, ECA announced that it will be closing all its campuses in December 2018 for the following ECA brands:
– Brightwood College;
– Brightwood Career Institute;
– Ecotech Institute;
– Golf Academy of America;
– Virginia College.
VA is working closely with the National Association of State Approving Agencies to take the appropriate withdrawal actions by Jan. 1, 2019.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill is a VA-administered education benefit available to Veterans or active duty service members with qualifying active duty service after Sept. 10, 2001.
Certain members of the Reserves who lost education benefits when the Reserve Educational Assistance Program ended in November 2015 may also be eligible to receive restored benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
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- Written by: Department of Veterans Affairs
“It is essential that we get this right,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “This affects one of our most vulnerable veteran populations and we need to make sure we have consistency on how we process and evaluate benefit applications across VA.”
The suspension does not impact the current application process. VA medical centers are continuing to accept and approve applications to the family caregivers program based on current eligibility criteria along with processing appeals and monitoring eligible veterans’ well-being at least every 90 days, unless otherwise clinically indicated.
Termination of benefits exempted from the suspension include those made at the request of the veteran or caregiver, by the local Caregiver Support Program for cause or noncompliance or due to death, permanent institutionalization or long-term hospitalization of a veteran or caregiver.
In addition to initiating an internal review, VA will continue to solicit feedback from external stakeholders. VA is reviewing policy changes as well as pursuing long-term legislative and regulatory changes.
The VA Caregiver Support Program has aided more than 38,000 family caregivers since 2011. Participating families receive an average monthly stipend ranging from $660 to $2,600, based on the level of assistance required by the veteran and the geographic location of the veteran and caregiver.
Participating caregivers also receive access to health care if the caregiver does not have insurance, assistance with travel related to care of the veterans, mental health care and additional service and support.
For more information about the VA caregiver program, visit www.caregiver.va.gov.
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