Disability Services
Miami-Dade County's Department of Human Services (DHS) provides assistance to individuals with disabilities and includes the following:
Independent living skills training that allows individual with a disability to become as independent as possible within the parameters of their disability.
Counseling
Group therapy
Case management (oversees that the needs of the individual are being met)
Personal home care attendant
Sign language and Braille classes
Technical assistant (assistance to public and private sector on issues related to persons with disabilities and disability laws)
Employment placement assistance
For an appointment call or visit the following location:
Location
Address
Phone
Disability Services and Independent Living (DSAIL)
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday
1335 NW 14 Street
Miami, FL 33125
(305) 547-5445
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Miami Dade County Veteran Services Program
Miami-Dade County's Department of Human Services (DHS) provides assistance to veterans, as well as children, widows, parents of veterans, retired veterans and their families regarding claims to the United States (US) Department of Veterans Affairs.
Program services include assistance with:
hospitalization
burial
military discharge review
compensation
pension
dependence and indemnity compensation
education
Veterans Administration home loan
vocational rehabilitation, and
insurance
Eligibility Requirements:
Applicant must have proof of military service.
A spouse must have a certified copy of marriage certificate
A child must have a copy of birth certificate.
If veteran is deceased, a certified copy of death certificate is needed.
Applicants should contact nearest Veteran Service Center at the following locations (hours and dates are subject to change). Additional information on the benefits provides to Veterans can be found on the Department of Veterans Affairs website.
Program services include assistance with:
hospitalization
burial
military discharge review
compensation
pension
dependence and indemnity compensation
education
Veterans Administration home loan
vocational rehabilitation, and
insurance
Eligibility Requirements:
Applicant must have proof of military service.
A spouse must have a certified copy of marriage certificate
A child must have a copy of birth certificate.
If veteran is deceased, a certified copy of death certificate is needed.
Applicants should contact nearest Veteran Service Center at the following locations (hours and dates are subject to change). Additional information on the benefits provides to Veterans can be found on the Department of Veterans Affairs website.
Monday, December 22, 2008
National Resource Directory
National Resource Directory
An online partnership of "shared care" providing information on, and access to, services and resources for wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans, their families and families of the fallen, and those who support them from recovery and rehabilitation to community reintegration.
It is maintained by the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. The information in the Directory is from federal, state and local governmental agencies; veteran service and benefit organizations; non-profit community-based and faith-based organizations; academic institutions, professional associations and philanthropic organizations.
Also visit here.
An online partnership of "shared care" providing information on, and access to, services and resources for wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans, their families and families of the fallen, and those who support them from recovery and rehabilitation to community reintegration.
It is maintained by the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. The information in the Directory is from federal, state and local governmental agencies; veteran service and benefit organizations; non-profit community-based and faith-based organizations; academic institutions, professional associations and philanthropic organizations.
Also visit here.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Some Disturbing Realities
Source: Soldiers Returning from Iraq and Afghanistan: The Long-term Costs of Providing Veterans Medical Care and Disability Benefits
The Pentagon has referred for further treatment only 22 percent of the soldiers it found in danger of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). That means nearly eight out of 10 soldiers possibly at risk for the disorder were left to cope on their own.
• As of September 30, 2006, more than 50,500 US soldiers have suffered non-mortal wounds in Iraq, Afghanistan and nearby staging locations – a ratio of 16 wounded servicemen for every fatality. This is by far the highest killed-to-wounded ratio in US history. For example, in the Vietnam and Korean wars there were 2.6 and 2.8 injuries per fatality, respectively. World Wars I and II had fewer than 2 wounded servicemen per death.
• What will veterans’ claims likely allege? According to a recent report:
A number of veterans were exposed to depleted uranium that was used in anti-tank rounds fired by US M1 tanks and US A10 attack aircraft. Many disability claims from the first Gulf War stem from exposure to depleted uranium, which has been implicated in raising the risk of cancers and birth defects. Gulf War veterans also filed disability claims related to exposures to oil well fire pollution, low-levels of chemical warfare agents, experimental anthrax vaccines, and experimental anti-chemical warfare agent pills called pyridostigmine bromide, the anti-malaria pill Lariam, skin diseases, and disorders from living in the hot climate, which are likely to be cited in the current conflict. However, the number of disability claims in the Iraq/Afghan wars is likely to be higher due to the significantly longer length of soldier’s deployments, repeat deployments, and heavier exposure to urban combat.
Following the Gulf War the criteria for receiving benefits were widened by Congress based on evidence of widespread toxic exposures.
The same criteria for healthcare and benefits eligibility still apply to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Forty-four percent of those veterans filed disability claims for a variety of conditions and 87% were approved. The US currently pays about $4 billion annually in disability payments to veterans of Desert Storm/Desert Shield.
• “The war in Iraq has been noteworthy for the types of injuries sustained by the soldiers. Some 20% have suffered brain trauma, spinal injuries or amputations; another 20% have suffered other major injuries such as amputations, blindness, partial blindness or deafness, and serious burns.
However, the largest unmet need is in the area of mental health care. The strain of extended deployments, the stop-loss policy, stressful ground warfare and uncertainty regarding discharge and leave has taken an especially high toll on soldiers. Thirty-six percent of the veterans treated so far -- an unprecedented number -- have been diagnosed with a mental health condition. These include PTSD, acute depression, substance abuse and other conditions.
According to Paul Sullivan, a leading veterans advocate, “The signature wounds from the wars will be (1) traumatic brain injury, (2) post-traumatic stress disorder, (3) amputations and (4) spinal chord injuries, and PTSD will be the most controversial and most expensive””. http://ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/Research/wpaper.nsf/rwp/RWP07-001/$File/rwp_07_001_bilmes.pdf
• Will services be available?
“In the May 2006 edition of Psychiatric News, Frances Murphy M.D., the Under Secretary for Health Policy Coordination at VA, said that mental health and substance abuse care are simply not accessible at some VA facilities. When the services are available, Dr. Murphy asserted that, “waiting lists render that care virtually inaccessible.”
According to NAMI:
Almost a third of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq confront mental health problems. In 2006, the suicide rate in the Army reached its highest level in 26 years.
Approximately 30% of veterans treated in the Veterans health system suffer from depressive symptoms, two to three times the rate of the general population.
Earlier this year, the chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives told NAMI’s annual convention that more Vietnam veterans have now died from suicide than the 55,000 who were killed directly during the war in the 1960s and 70s.
Approximately 40% of homeless veterans have mental illnesses.
Approximately 57% of this group are African American or Hispanic veterans.
Families of soldiers deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq face increasing pressures from repeated and longer tours of duty. Unlike civilian suicide rates, greater numbers of young soldiers are taking their own lives, with broken relationships or marriages considered to be factors.
Source: NAMI
The Pentagon has referred for further treatment only 22 percent of the soldiers it found in danger of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). That means nearly eight out of 10 soldiers possibly at risk for the disorder were left to cope on their own.
• As of September 30, 2006, more than 50,500 US soldiers have suffered non-mortal wounds in Iraq, Afghanistan and nearby staging locations – a ratio of 16 wounded servicemen for every fatality. This is by far the highest killed-to-wounded ratio in US history. For example, in the Vietnam and Korean wars there were 2.6 and 2.8 injuries per fatality, respectively. World Wars I and II had fewer than 2 wounded servicemen per death.
• What will veterans’ claims likely allege? According to a recent report:
A number of veterans were exposed to depleted uranium that was used in anti-tank rounds fired by US M1 tanks and US A10 attack aircraft. Many disability claims from the first Gulf War stem from exposure to depleted uranium, which has been implicated in raising the risk of cancers and birth defects. Gulf War veterans also filed disability claims related to exposures to oil well fire pollution, low-levels of chemical warfare agents, experimental anthrax vaccines, and experimental anti-chemical warfare agent pills called pyridostigmine bromide, the anti-malaria pill Lariam, skin diseases, and disorders from living in the hot climate, which are likely to be cited in the current conflict. However, the number of disability claims in the Iraq/Afghan wars is likely to be higher due to the significantly longer length of soldier’s deployments, repeat deployments, and heavier exposure to urban combat.
Following the Gulf War the criteria for receiving benefits were widened by Congress based on evidence of widespread toxic exposures.
The same criteria for healthcare and benefits eligibility still apply to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Forty-four percent of those veterans filed disability claims for a variety of conditions and 87% were approved. The US currently pays about $4 billion annually in disability payments to veterans of Desert Storm/Desert Shield.
• “The war in Iraq has been noteworthy for the types of injuries sustained by the soldiers. Some 20% have suffered brain trauma, spinal injuries or amputations; another 20% have suffered other major injuries such as amputations, blindness, partial blindness or deafness, and serious burns.
However, the largest unmet need is in the area of mental health care. The strain of extended deployments, the stop-loss policy, stressful ground warfare and uncertainty regarding discharge and leave has taken an especially high toll on soldiers. Thirty-six percent of the veterans treated so far -- an unprecedented number -- have been diagnosed with a mental health condition. These include PTSD, acute depression, substance abuse and other conditions.
According to Paul Sullivan, a leading veterans advocate, “The signature wounds from the wars will be (1) traumatic brain injury, (2) post-traumatic stress disorder, (3) amputations and (4) spinal chord injuries, and PTSD will be the most controversial and most expensive””. http://ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/Research/wpaper.nsf/rwp/RWP07-001/$File/rwp_07_001_bilmes.pdf
• Will services be available?
“In the May 2006 edition of Psychiatric News, Frances Murphy M.D., the Under Secretary for Health Policy Coordination at VA, said that mental health and substance abuse care are simply not accessible at some VA facilities. When the services are available, Dr. Murphy asserted that, “waiting lists render that care virtually inaccessible.”
According to NAMI:
Almost a third of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq confront mental health problems. In 2006, the suicide rate in the Army reached its highest level in 26 years.
Approximately 30% of veterans treated in the Veterans health system suffer from depressive symptoms, two to three times the rate of the general population.
Earlier this year, the chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives told NAMI’s annual convention that more Vietnam veterans have now died from suicide than the 55,000 who were killed directly during the war in the 1960s and 70s.
Approximately 40% of homeless veterans have mental illnesses.
Approximately 57% of this group are African American or Hispanic veterans.
Families of soldiers deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq face increasing pressures from repeated and longer tours of duty. Unlike civilian suicide rates, greater numbers of young soldiers are taking their own lives, with broken relationships or marriages considered to be factors.
Source: NAMI
Friday, December 5, 2008
Veterans and Employment Discrimination- Guidance From the EEOC
Legal Guidance from the EEOC.
This guide answers questions that veterans with service-connected disabilities may have about the protections they are entitled to when they seek to return to their former jobs or look to find their first, or new, civilian jobs. It also explains changes or adjustments that veterans may need, because of their injuries, to apply for, or perform, a job, or to enjoy equal access to the workplace. Finally, this guide includes resources on where veterans can find more information about the employment rights of individuals with disabilities.
continued....
This guide answers questions that veterans with service-connected disabilities may have about the protections they are entitled to when they seek to return to their former jobs or look to find their first, or new, civilian jobs. It also explains changes or adjustments that veterans may need, because of their injuries, to apply for, or perform, a job, or to enjoy equal access to the workplace. Finally, this guide includes resources on where veterans can find more information about the employment rights of individuals with disabilities.
continued....
Some statistics about veterans with disabilities
According to government statistics, between October 2001 and February, 2008, more than 30,000 veterans serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and surrounding duty stations have been wounded in action. 1 Many of them have lost a hand or limb or been severely burned or blinded. Others have been diagnosed with hearing loss, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), and other service-connected disabilities.2
Continued....
1 See U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Personnel and Procurement Statistics at http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/castop.htm .
2 The term “service-connected” means, with respect to disability or death, that the disability was incurred or aggravated, or that the death resulted from a disability incurred or aggravated, in the line of duty in the active military, naval, or air service. See 38 U.S. Code § 101. In this document, the terms “veteran with a service-connected disability” and “disabled veteran” are intended to have the same meaning. The terms “disability” and “individual with a disability” are intended to have the same meanings as those terms in Title I of the ADA. For more information about the relationship of these terms to one another, see Question 4.
Continued....
1 See U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Personnel and Procurement Statistics at http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/castop.htm .
2 The term “service-connected” means, with respect to disability or death, that the disability was incurred or aggravated, or that the death resulted from a disability incurred or aggravated, in the line of duty in the active military, naval, or air service. See 38 U.S. Code § 101. In this document, the terms “veteran with a service-connected disability” and “disabled veteran” are intended to have the same meaning. The terms “disability” and “individual with a disability” are intended to have the same meanings as those terms in Title I of the ADA. For more information about the relationship of these terms to one another, see Question 4.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
President-Elect Obama's Positions on Services to Veterans
"Keeping faith with those who serve must always be a core American value and a cornerstone of American patriotism. Because America's commitment to its servicemen and women begins at enlistment, and it must never end."
-- Barack Obama, Speech in Kansas City, MO August 21, 2007
The Obama-Biden Plan
As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Barack Obama has fought to end benefit disparities, bring homeless veterans in off the street, strengthen mental health care, add billions of dollars in additional Department of Veterans Affairs funding, and reform a system that often places barriers between veterans and the benefits they have earned. Obama and Joe Biden will ensure we honor the sacred trust to care for our nation’s veterans.
A Sacred Trust
Barack Obama and Joe Biden are committed to creating a 21st Century Department of Veterans' Affairs that provides the care and benefits our nation's veterans deserve. They will:
Allow All Veterans Back into the VA: Reverse the 2003 ban on enrolling modest-income veterans, which has denied care to a million veterans.
Strengthen VA Care: Make the VA a leader of national health care reform so that veterans get the best care possible. Improve care for polytrauma vision impairment, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, aging, and women's health.
Combat Homelessness among Our Nation's Veterans: Establish a national "zero tolerance" policy for veterans falling into homelessness by expanding proven programs and launching innovative services to prevent veterans from falling into homelessness.
Fight Employment Discrimination: Crack down on employers who commit job discrimination against guardsmen and reservists.
Help for Returning Service Members
Obama and Biden will improve the quality of health care for veterans, rebuild the VA's broken benefits system, and combat homelessness among veterans. They will:
Ensure a Seamless Transition: Demand that the military and the VA coordinate to provide a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life.
Fully Fund VA Medical Care: Fully fund the VA so it has all the resources it needs to serve the veterans who need it, when they need it. Establish a world-class VA Planning Division to avoid future budget shortfalls.
Fix the Benefits Bureaucracy: Hire additional claims workers, and improve training and accountability so that VA benefit decisions are rated fairly and consistently. Transform the paper benefit claims process to an electronic one to reduce errors and improve timeliness.
Improved Treatment for Mental Health and TBI
Obama and Biden will improve mental health treatment for troops and veterans suffering from combat-related psychological injuries. They will:
Improve Mental Health Treatment: Recruit more health professionals, improve screening, offer more support to families and make PTSD benefits claims fairer.
Improve Care for Traumatic Brain Injury: Establish standards of care for Traumatic Brain Injury, the signature injury of the Iraq war.
Expand Vet Centers: Expand and strengthen Vet Centers to provide more counseling for vets and their families.
-- Barack Obama, Speech in Kansas City, MO August 21, 2007
The Obama-Biden Plan
As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Barack Obama has fought to end benefit disparities, bring homeless veterans in off the street, strengthen mental health care, add billions of dollars in additional Department of Veterans Affairs funding, and reform a system that often places barriers between veterans and the benefits they have earned. Obama and Joe Biden will ensure we honor the sacred trust to care for our nation’s veterans.
A Sacred Trust
Barack Obama and Joe Biden are committed to creating a 21st Century Department of Veterans' Affairs that provides the care and benefits our nation's veterans deserve. They will:
Allow All Veterans Back into the VA: Reverse the 2003 ban on enrolling modest-income veterans, which has denied care to a million veterans.
Strengthen VA Care: Make the VA a leader of national health care reform so that veterans get the best care possible. Improve care for polytrauma vision impairment, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, aging, and women's health.
Combat Homelessness among Our Nation's Veterans: Establish a national "zero tolerance" policy for veterans falling into homelessness by expanding proven programs and launching innovative services to prevent veterans from falling into homelessness.
Fight Employment Discrimination: Crack down on employers who commit job discrimination against guardsmen and reservists.
Help for Returning Service Members
Obama and Biden will improve the quality of health care for veterans, rebuild the VA's broken benefits system, and combat homelessness among veterans. They will:
Ensure a Seamless Transition: Demand that the military and the VA coordinate to provide a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life.
Fully Fund VA Medical Care: Fully fund the VA so it has all the resources it needs to serve the veterans who need it, when they need it. Establish a world-class VA Planning Division to avoid future budget shortfalls.
Fix the Benefits Bureaucracy: Hire additional claims workers, and improve training and accountability so that VA benefit decisions are rated fairly and consistently. Transform the paper benefit claims process to an electronic one to reduce errors and improve timeliness.
Improved Treatment for Mental Health and TBI
Obama and Biden will improve mental health treatment for troops and veterans suffering from combat-related psychological injuries. They will:
Improve Mental Health Treatment: Recruit more health professionals, improve screening, offer more support to families and make PTSD benefits claims fairer.
Improve Care for Traumatic Brain Injury: Establish standards of care for Traumatic Brain Injury, the signature injury of the Iraq war.
Expand Vet Centers: Expand and strengthen Vet Centers to provide more counseling for vets and their families.
Monday, December 1, 2008
VA resources on hearing loss
The VA has the following resources on hearing loss:
Hearing Aids Information Bulletin 90-3, which addresses the evaluation of hearing aids by the Veterans Administration
VA Handbook 1173.7, Audiology and Speech Devices
Directive VHA DIR 2002-039,07/05/02, Prescribing hearing aids and eyeglasses
Network Memorandum 10N2-98-00, "Network 2 Provision of Hearing Aids and Other Assistive Listening Devices"
VHA DIRECTIVE 96-069 concerns itself with prosthetic services
In addition, the VA has an advisory committee on prosthetics and special disabilities programs that considers hearing aids.
For more information, contact the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Hearing Aids Information Bulletin 90-3, which addresses the evaluation of hearing aids by the Veterans Administration
VA Handbook 1173.7, Audiology and Speech Devices
Directive VHA DIR 2002-039,07/05/02, Prescribing hearing aids and eyeglasses
Network Memorandum 10N2-98-00, "Network 2 Provision of Hearing Aids and Other Assistive Listening Devices"
VHA DIRECTIVE 96-069 concerns itself with prosthetic services
In addition, the VA has an advisory committee on prosthetics and special disabilities programs that considers hearing aids.
For more information, contact the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA)
The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) is an organization of blinded veterans helping blinded veterans. Through our service programs, regional groups, resources, and advocacy before the legislative and executive branches of government, we hope to make life better for blinded veterans. We also hope to be there with encouragement and support. There is no charge for any BVA service and membership is not a prerequisite to obtain help. All legally blinded veterans are also eligible for BVA’s assistance whether they become blind during or after active duty military service.
Health Care Benefits from the VA
Notice to Beneficiaries of the Veterans Health Administration: For questions pertaining to Health Care Benefits, please visit http://www.va.gov/Health_Benefits/. Questions pertaining to your drug therapy or other medical questions should be referred directly to your Health Care Providers located at the VA facilities where you receive care.
For questions pertaining to prescription renewal, please visit MyHealtheVet at https://www.myhealth.va.gov/. MyHealtheVet provides access to trusted health information, links to Federal and VA benefits and resources, the Personal Health Journal, and now online VA prescription refill.
Mission: To improve the health status of veterans by encouraging the appropriate use of medications in a comprehensive medical care setting.
For questions pertaining to prescription renewal, please visit MyHealtheVet at https://www.myhealth.va.gov/. MyHealtheVet provides access to trusted health information, links to Federal and VA benefits and resources, the Personal Health Journal, and now online VA prescription refill.
Mission: To improve the health status of veterans by encouraging the appropriate use of medications in a comprehensive medical care setting.
GI Bill Website
GI Bill Website
The GI Bill (the generic term comprising various education assistance programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs) provides benefits to veterans, servicemembers, and some dependents of disabled or deceased veterans wishing to pursue an education.
In Fiscal Year 2007 over 500,000 personnel utilized their GI Bill benefits.
The GI Bill (the generic term comprising various education assistance programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs) provides benefits to veterans, servicemembers, and some dependents of disabled or deceased veterans wishing to pursue an education.
In Fiscal Year 2007 over 500,000 personnel utilized their GI Bill benefits.
Information about the GI Bill
The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or “New GI Bill” has been enacted into law. Click here for a pamphlet explaining this new benefit.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Goals and Objectives of Our Veterans with Disabilities Advocacy Project
Thank you for visiting the Veterans with Disabilities Blog of the Center for Independent Living of South Florida. I thought it would be helpful to set forth some of the goals and objectives of our project. We welcome your participation. Please feel free to contact us at mdubin@pobox.com.
Goals and Objectives:
1. To educate veterans with disabilities about their rights under the ADA and other federal civil rights laws;
2. To advocate for improvements to delivery of services to veterans with disabilities;
3. To identify issues of concern to veterans with disabilities;
4. To identify resources and allies in the community serving veterans, and to increase collaboration among those individuals and organizations and the Center for Independent Living of South Florida;
5. To create a Blog,Listerv, Newsletter and Speakers Bureau;
6. To train veterans with disabilities about their rights under title I of the ADA (employment), and help them address employment discrimination on the basis of disability;
7. To communicate with the Obama Administration about ways to improve services to veterans with disabilities;
8. To identify those organizations and individuals engaging in advocacy on behalf of veterans, and enhance their work on behalf of veterans with disabilities;
9. To work with homeless organizations serving veterans;
10. To work with veterans with disabilities to address voting issues;
11. To work with spouses and children of veterans with disabilities;
12. To improve ADA compliance of organizations and agencies serving veterans with disabilities;
13. To identify funding sources to help veterans with disabilities;
14. To work with faith-based organizations serving veterans, to enhance their services to veterans with disabilities.
Please join us.
Marc
mdubin@pobox.com
305-896-3000
Goals and Objectives:
1. To educate veterans with disabilities about their rights under the ADA and other federal civil rights laws;
2. To advocate for improvements to delivery of services to veterans with disabilities;
3. To identify issues of concern to veterans with disabilities;
4. To identify resources and allies in the community serving veterans, and to increase collaboration among those individuals and organizations and the Center for Independent Living of South Florida;
5. To create a Blog,Listerv, Newsletter and Speakers Bureau;
6. To train veterans with disabilities about their rights under title I of the ADA (employment), and help them address employment discrimination on the basis of disability;
7. To communicate with the Obama Administration about ways to improve services to veterans with disabilities;
8. To identify those organizations and individuals engaging in advocacy on behalf of veterans, and enhance their work on behalf of veterans with disabilities;
9. To work with homeless organizations serving veterans;
10. To work with veterans with disabilities to address voting issues;
11. To work with spouses and children of veterans with disabilities;
12. To improve ADA compliance of organizations and agencies serving veterans with disabilities;
13. To identify funding sources to help veterans with disabilities;
14. To work with faith-based organizations serving veterans, to enhance their services to veterans with disabilities.
Please join us.
Marc
mdubin@pobox.com
305-896-3000
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Obama and Veterans
The Obama-Biden Plan
As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Barack Obama has fought to end benefit disparities, bring homeless veterans in off the street, strengthen mental health care, add billions of dollars in additional Department of Veterans Affairs funding, and reform a system that often places barriers between veterans and the benefits they have earned. Obama and Joe Biden will ensure we honor the sacred trust to care for our nation’s veterans.
Continued on site
As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Barack Obama has fought to end benefit disparities, bring homeless veterans in off the street, strengthen mental health care, add billions of dollars in additional Department of Veterans Affairs funding, and reform a system that often places barriers between veterans and the benefits they have earned. Obama and Joe Biden will ensure we honor the sacred trust to care for our nation’s veterans.
Continued on site
Friday, November 14, 2008
James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital
13000 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33612
Phone: (813) 972-2000 or (888) 716-7787 (in State)
Fax: (813) 972-7673
The James A. Haley VA Medical Center is a 327 bed tertiary care teaching hospital, with 300 authorized nursing home care beds (180 in Tampa, and 120 beds in Orlando) and is dedicated to providing the highest quality of patient care and services to veterans in Central Florida. The full range of inpatient and outpatient care is provided including Medicine (111 beds), Surgical (61 beds), Psychiatry (50 beds), Neurology (7 beds), as well as a 60-bed Spinal Cord Injury Service, a 38 bed Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center. Tampa is also responsible for one major Satellite Outpatient Clinic in New Port Richey, as well as one Readjustment Counseling Center in Tampa. Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) are located in various counties throughout Central Florida such as; Lakeland (Polk), Brooksville (Hernando); and Zephyrhills (Pasco).The Tampa VAMC and its facilities serves veterans in four counties of Central Florida: Hernando, Hillsborough, Polk and Pasco.
AFFILIATIONS
The hospital is affiliated with the University of South Florida College of Medicine in North Tampa, developing a unique and very close professional relationship. Residency training programs are provided to 130 residents in most of the medical and surgical subspecialties, as well as Pathology, Psychiatry, and Radiology. An active teaching role has been developed through our formal affiliation with the College of Medicine at the University of South Florida. To accomplish the hospital's mission of patient care, medical education and research, a complete range of medical, surgical and psychiatric subspecialty services are provided. Residency training programs approved by the American Medical Association are provided in the following specialties: Internal Medicine, Orthopedics, Hematology, Pathology, Radiosurgery, Ophthalmology, Dermatology, Podiatry, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Urology, Nephrology, General Surgery, Otolaryngology, Psychiatry, Radiology
AUTHORIZED BEDS
358 Authorized
300 Authorized/180 Operating Tampa, 118 Operating Orlando NHCU
60 Authorized/30 Operating Orlando Domiciliary
TYPE OF FACILITY
The hospital was activated in 1972 and is affiliated with the University of South Florida College of Medicine in North Tampa. The hospital is staffed and equipped to perform many highly specialized procedures required by the professional staff.
Tampa, FL 33612
Phone: (813) 972-2000 or (888) 716-7787 (in State)
Fax: (813) 972-7673
The James A. Haley VA Medical Center is a 327 bed tertiary care teaching hospital, with 300 authorized nursing home care beds (180 in Tampa, and 120 beds in Orlando) and is dedicated to providing the highest quality of patient care and services to veterans in Central Florida. The full range of inpatient and outpatient care is provided including Medicine (111 beds), Surgical (61 beds), Psychiatry (50 beds), Neurology (7 beds), as well as a 60-bed Spinal Cord Injury Service, a 38 bed Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center. Tampa is also responsible for one major Satellite Outpatient Clinic in New Port Richey, as well as one Readjustment Counseling Center in Tampa. Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) are located in various counties throughout Central Florida such as; Lakeland (Polk), Brooksville (Hernando); and Zephyrhills (Pasco).The Tampa VAMC and its facilities serves veterans in four counties of Central Florida: Hernando, Hillsborough, Polk and Pasco.
AFFILIATIONS
The hospital is affiliated with the University of South Florida College of Medicine in North Tampa, developing a unique and very close professional relationship. Residency training programs are provided to 130 residents in most of the medical and surgical subspecialties, as well as Pathology, Psychiatry, and Radiology. An active teaching role has been developed through our formal affiliation with the College of Medicine at the University of South Florida. To accomplish the hospital's mission of patient care, medical education and research, a complete range of medical, surgical and psychiatric subspecialty services are provided. Residency training programs approved by the American Medical Association are provided in the following specialties: Internal Medicine, Orthopedics, Hematology, Pathology, Radiosurgery, Ophthalmology, Dermatology, Podiatry, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Urology, Nephrology, General Surgery, Otolaryngology, Psychiatry, Radiology
AUTHORIZED BEDS
358 Authorized
300 Authorized/180 Operating Tampa, 118 Operating Orlando NHCU
60 Authorized/30 Operating Orlando Domiciliary
TYPE OF FACILITY
The hospital was activated in 1972 and is affiliated with the University of South Florida College of Medicine in North Tampa. The hospital is staffed and equipped to perform many highly specialized procedures required by the professional staff.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Homelessness Among Veterans
January, 16, 2008
Contact: Michael Houston, IAVA (212)982-9699 or michael@iava.org
Here’s what Bill O’Reilly said during The O’Reilly Factor on January 15, 2008:
“Well we’re still looking for all the veterans sleeping under the bridge, Ed. So if you find anybody, let us know, because that’s all this guy says
…They may be out there, but there’s not many of them out there. OK?
…If you know where there’s a veteran sleeping under a bridge, you call me immediately and we will make sure that man does not do it. Is not there.”
Here are the facts:
Almost 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night.i More than 335,000 veterans were homeless over the course of 2006.ii
The VA estimates that roughly 400 OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom) veterans are homeless, and has identified an additional 1,000 OEF/OIF veterans as being at risk.iii Additionally, 72,000 GWOT veterans are paying over 50% of their income on rent, leaving them highly vulnerable to homelessness.iv
Veterans make up about one-third of the adult homeless population.v About 18.7 percent of the homeless population in sheltered housing are veterans.vi
As many as 33% of homeless veterans are chronically homeless.vii
Most homeless veterans are male; female veterans make up only 4% of the veteran homeless population.viii Of OIF/OEF veterans, female veterans make up 11% of the homeless population.ix
Male veterans are almost twice as likely to be homeless as non-veteran men.x Female veterans are as much as four times more likely to be homeless than non-veteran women.xi Younger male veterans, ages 20-34, are twice as likely to be homeless as their non-veteran counterparts.xii
Roughly 56% of homeless veterans are Hispanic or African-American.xiii
About 45% of homeless veterans suffer from a mental illness, and 70% have substance abuse problems.xiv
In FY2007, the government spent over $270 million on services for homeless veterans.xv
What does 200,000 people look like?
It’s the population of Des Moines, IA. Or Grand Rapids, MI. Or Richmond, VA.
It’s more than the population of Salt Lake City, UT. Or Little Rock, AK. Or Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Media Availability
Please direct all requests to Michael Houston, IAVA at 212-982-9699 or michael@iava.org.
Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). Rieckhoff founded IAVA in 2004 after serving a year-long deployment in Iraq. IAVA is the nation’s first and largest group for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, IAVA represents more than 70,000 veteran members and civilian supporters in all 50 states. For more information, please visit www.iava.org.
Shad Meshad, President and Founder, National Veterans Foundation. Meshad and his staff meet with homeless veterans regularly. Meshad is a licensed social worker and certified trauma specialist who has more than 30 years of experience treating post traumatic stress disorder, and working with veterans and families in need. Meshad was a Medical Service Officer during the Vietnam War, where he counseled soldiers in the field who were suffering from a multitude of psychological and emotional problems. For more information, please visit www.nvf.org.
Dan Lohaus, Director, When I Came Home. Lohaus’s powerful film documents the alarming and growing trend of homelessness among America’s veterans. It was named best New York-made documentary at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. For more information, please visit www.whenicamehome.com.
Additional Resources
Swords to Plowshares www.swords-to-plowshares.org: This community-based, not-for-profit organization provides assistance and support to more than 1500 homeless and low-income veterans each year.
New Direction www.ndvets.org: For the past 15 years, New Directions has provided comprehensive long-term substance abuse treatment to our nation's veterans.
i In 2006, approximately 195,827 veterans were homeless on a given night, representing an increase from 2005. Homelessness Research Institute and National Alliance to End Homelessness, “Vital Mission: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans,” November 2007, p. 3: http://www.naeh.org/content/article/detail/1837.
ii In 2006, there were an estimated 336,637 veterans who were homeless at one point. Homelessness Research Institute and National Alliance to End Homelessness, “Vital Mission: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans,” November 2007, p. 3: http://www.naeh.org/content/article/detail/1837.
iii Erik Eckholm, “Surge Seen in Number of Homeless Veterans,” The New York Times, November 8, 2007: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/us/08vets.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1200499525-dA4YTIMQApdBgXLDNeChfg&pagewanted=print.
iv Erik Eckholm, “Surge Seen in Number of Homeless Veterans,” The New York Times, November 8, 2007: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/us/08vets.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1200499525-dA4YTIMQApdBgXLDNeChfg&pagewanted=print.
v Department of Veterans Affairs, “Overview of Homelessness,” August 29, 2007: http://www1.va.gov/homeless/page.cfm?pg=1.
vi U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development, “The Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress,” February 2007, p. 32: http://www.huduser.org/Publications/pdf/ahar.pdf.
vii Chronically homeless refers to members of the homeless population who live in the streets or shelters for long periods or repeatedly and with a disability. Homelessness Research Institute and National Alliance to End Homelessness, “Vital Mission: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans,” November 2007, p. 3: http://www.naeh.org/content/article/detail/1837.
viii Erik Eckholm, “Surge Seen in Number of Homeless Veterans,” The New York Times, November 8, 2007: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/us/08vets.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1200499525-dA4YTIMQApdBgXLDNeChfg&pagewanted=print.
ix This increase is attributed to the 40% homeless female veterans of OIF/OEF who say they were sexually assaulted, a risk factor of homelessness. Erik Eckholm, “Surge Seen in Number of Homeless Veterans,” The New York Times, November 8, 2007: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/us/08vets.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1200499525-dA4YTIMQApdBgXLDNeChfg&pagewanted=print.
x Congressional Research Service, “Veterans and Homelessness,” May 31, 2007, p. 7: http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34024_20070531.pdf.
xi Congressional Research Service, “Veterans and Homelessness,” May 31, 2007, p. 7: http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34024_20070531.pdf.
xii Congressional Research Service, “Veterans and Homelessness,” May 31, 2007, p. 7: http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34024_20070531.pdf.
xiii Department of Veterans Affairs, “Overview of Homelessness,” August 29, 2007: http://www1.va.gov/homeless/page.cfm?pg=1.
xiv Department of Veterans Affairs, “Overview of Homelessness,” August 29, 2007: http://www1.va.gov/homeless/page.cfm?pg=1.
xv Congressional Research Service, “Veterans and Homelessness,” May 31, 2007, p. 4: http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34024_20070531.pdf.
To join our listserv, write to Marc Dubin, Esq., at mdubin@pobox.com.
PTSD or Adjustment Disorder - Guess which one saves the government money?
Report:
"On March 20, 2008 a VA hospital's PTSD program coordinator sent an e-mail to a number of VA employees, including psychologists, social workers, and a psychiatrist stating that due to an increased number of "compensation seeking veterans," the staff should "refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out" and they should "R/O [rule out] PTSD" and consider a diagnosis of "Adjustment Disorder" instead."
To join our listserv, write to Marc Dubin, Esq., at mdubin@pobox.com.
"On March 20, 2008 a VA hospital's PTSD program coordinator sent an e-mail to a number of VA employees, including psychologists, social workers, and a psychiatrist stating that due to an increased number of "compensation seeking veterans," the staff should "refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out" and they should "R/O [rule out] PTSD" and consider a diagnosis of "Adjustment Disorder" instead."
To join our listserv, write to Marc Dubin, Esq., at mdubin@pobox.com.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Obama letter concerning treatment of TBI
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
August 4, 2008
The Honorable Robert M. Gates
Secretary, U.S. Department of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000
Dear Secretary Gates:
A recent study conducted by the RAND Corporation found that 320,000 troops, or 19 percent of all service members, returning from Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom may have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during deployment.We are concerned that at a time when TBI is recognized as the signature wound of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, one of the most widely accepted and critical rehabilitative treatments for this injury, known as cognitive rehabilitation therapy, is excluded by the military’s TRICARE health insurance program. Cognitive rehabilitation is a proven regime of medical and therapeutic services designed to improve brain functioning.
Service members who sustain brain injuries frequently have difficulties in attention, concentration, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making that impede their ability to function in everyday activities. Timely treatment of cognitive dysfunction is vital to the recovery process, as it impacts personal safety, functional independence, productive living, psychological health and social interaction. Therefore, we urge you to provide official TRICARE coverage for cognitive rehabilitation as an instrumental therapy in the recovery process of America’s wounded warriors.
While the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration have made recent strides to improve our institutional capacity to treat TBI at military and VA hospitals, often the best care for this complex injury is available only from private providers at outside care facilities. Given the rate of TBI among returning service personnel, we must redouble efforts to remove access barriers to proven therapies. The Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health last year issued a recommendation that TRICARE access standards be changed to consider basic mental health care in the same category as primary medical care. Embracing this recommendation is central to any successful, time-sensitive strategy to treat the invisible wounds of war.
This is particularly true for our most gravely wounded combat veterans. According to figures provided by your office, 19,922 service members were medically retired with serious injuries in 2007 alone.
We believe these soldiers should be able to access cognitive rehabilitation services at outside care facilities.We understand that TRICARE authorities have cited a lack of evidence attesting to the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation as a justification for not covering this treatment.
This assessment contradicts the clear clinical consensus of the American medical community, which recognizes the instrumental role that these therapies play in minimizing disability and maximizing recovery of function in patients with a TBI. Access to cognitive rehabilitation is a basic element of the continuum of care for brain injury patients.
The National Institutes of Health, the National Academy of Neuropsychology, the Brain Injury Association of America, and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association validate cognitive rehabilitation as a proven, not an experimental, treatment for TBI. Numerous public and private insurers currently provide coverage for cognitive rehabilitation in recognition of its proven therapeutic value in treating severe brain injuries.
As of 2006, fourteen states included cognitive rehabilitation under the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Waivers.Individuals who have incurred a traumatic brain injury while serving their country deserve nothing less than the appropriate level of care based on currently accepted and widely utilized treatment modalities. As in every area of modern medicine, the research and evidence base for treatment of brain injuries continues to evolve.
Service members with a TBI need appropriate and timely treatment options to address cognitive impairments, and best practices must be based on the available body of knowledge at the current time. While further research in this area is ongoing and appropriate, our military healthcare system should err on the side of providing proven treatment given the serious lifelong consequences of an untreated or under-treated brain injury.
The national media have reported many anecdotal cases of individuals who attest to the vital role that cognitive rehabilitation plays in facilitating meaningful recovery from brain injury. One such example is ABC News journalist Bob Woodruff, who was injured by a roadside bomb in January 2006 while reporting from Iraq. His remarkable recovery from a severe TBI has been widely cited as a powerful example of the great innovations of our military healthcare system.
Mr. Woodruff has repeatedly emphasized that his cognitive rehabilitation therapy was a vital part of his healing process. Yet the treatment made available to Mr. Woodruff may be denied to U.S. military personnel who are similarly afflicted.Congress recently enacted a historic GI bill to honor our responsibility to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who return home seeking an education and a better future for their families. We have no less of a responsibility to maximize the potential of our wounded warriors returning from battle nursing the wounds of war. Given the prevalence of TBI among returning service personnel, it is difficult to comprehend why the military’s managed healthcare plan does not cover the very therapies that give our soldiers the best opportunities to recover and live full and productive lives.
We are committed to appropriating the necessary funding to ensure that injured service members receive the world-class healthcare they deserve.Therefore, we urge the Department of Defense to provide official TRICARE coverage of cognitive rehabilitation therapies, so that all returning service personnel can benefit from the best brain injury care this country has to offer.
Thank you for your continued service.
Sincerely,Evan Bayh, United States Senator
Barack Obama, United States Senator
Hillary Rodham Clinton, United States Senator
Ken Salazar, United States Senator
Edward M. Kennedy, United States Senator
Joe Lieberman, United States Senator
Jeff Bingaman, United States Senator
John F. Kerry, United States Senator
Blanche L. Lincoln, United States Senator
Claire McCaskill, United States Senator
Cc: Brigadier General Loree Sutton,
Major General Elder Granger
To join our listserv, write to Marc Dubin, Esq., at mdubin@pobox.com.
Washington, D.C. 20510
August 4, 2008
The Honorable Robert M. Gates
Secretary, U.S. Department of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000
Dear Secretary Gates:
A recent study conducted by the RAND Corporation found that 320,000 troops, or 19 percent of all service members, returning from Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom may have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during deployment.We are concerned that at a time when TBI is recognized as the signature wound of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, one of the most widely accepted and critical rehabilitative treatments for this injury, known as cognitive rehabilitation therapy, is excluded by the military’s TRICARE health insurance program. Cognitive rehabilitation is a proven regime of medical and therapeutic services designed to improve brain functioning.
Service members who sustain brain injuries frequently have difficulties in attention, concentration, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making that impede their ability to function in everyday activities. Timely treatment of cognitive dysfunction is vital to the recovery process, as it impacts personal safety, functional independence, productive living, psychological health and social interaction. Therefore, we urge you to provide official TRICARE coverage for cognitive rehabilitation as an instrumental therapy in the recovery process of America’s wounded warriors.
While the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration have made recent strides to improve our institutional capacity to treat TBI at military and VA hospitals, often the best care for this complex injury is available only from private providers at outside care facilities. Given the rate of TBI among returning service personnel, we must redouble efforts to remove access barriers to proven therapies. The Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health last year issued a recommendation that TRICARE access standards be changed to consider basic mental health care in the same category as primary medical care. Embracing this recommendation is central to any successful, time-sensitive strategy to treat the invisible wounds of war.
This is particularly true for our most gravely wounded combat veterans. According to figures provided by your office, 19,922 service members were medically retired with serious injuries in 2007 alone.
We believe these soldiers should be able to access cognitive rehabilitation services at outside care facilities.We understand that TRICARE authorities have cited a lack of evidence attesting to the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation as a justification for not covering this treatment.
This assessment contradicts the clear clinical consensus of the American medical community, which recognizes the instrumental role that these therapies play in minimizing disability and maximizing recovery of function in patients with a TBI. Access to cognitive rehabilitation is a basic element of the continuum of care for brain injury patients.
The National Institutes of Health, the National Academy of Neuropsychology, the Brain Injury Association of America, and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association validate cognitive rehabilitation as a proven, not an experimental, treatment for TBI. Numerous public and private insurers currently provide coverage for cognitive rehabilitation in recognition of its proven therapeutic value in treating severe brain injuries.
As of 2006, fourteen states included cognitive rehabilitation under the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Waivers.Individuals who have incurred a traumatic brain injury while serving their country deserve nothing less than the appropriate level of care based on currently accepted and widely utilized treatment modalities. As in every area of modern medicine, the research and evidence base for treatment of brain injuries continues to evolve.
Service members with a TBI need appropriate and timely treatment options to address cognitive impairments, and best practices must be based on the available body of knowledge at the current time. While further research in this area is ongoing and appropriate, our military healthcare system should err on the side of providing proven treatment given the serious lifelong consequences of an untreated or under-treated brain injury.
The national media have reported many anecdotal cases of individuals who attest to the vital role that cognitive rehabilitation plays in facilitating meaningful recovery from brain injury. One such example is ABC News journalist Bob Woodruff, who was injured by a roadside bomb in January 2006 while reporting from Iraq. His remarkable recovery from a severe TBI has been widely cited as a powerful example of the great innovations of our military healthcare system.
Mr. Woodruff has repeatedly emphasized that his cognitive rehabilitation therapy was a vital part of his healing process. Yet the treatment made available to Mr. Woodruff may be denied to U.S. military personnel who are similarly afflicted.Congress recently enacted a historic GI bill to honor our responsibility to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who return home seeking an education and a better future for their families. We have no less of a responsibility to maximize the potential of our wounded warriors returning from battle nursing the wounds of war. Given the prevalence of TBI among returning service personnel, it is difficult to comprehend why the military’s managed healthcare plan does not cover the very therapies that give our soldiers the best opportunities to recover and live full and productive lives.
We are committed to appropriating the necessary funding to ensure that injured service members receive the world-class healthcare they deserve.Therefore, we urge the Department of Defense to provide official TRICARE coverage of cognitive rehabilitation therapies, so that all returning service personnel can benefit from the best brain injury care this country has to offer.
Thank you for your continued service.
Sincerely,Evan Bayh, United States Senator
Barack Obama, United States Senator
Hillary Rodham Clinton, United States Senator
Ken Salazar, United States Senator
Edward M. Kennedy, United States Senator
Joe Lieberman, United States Senator
Jeff Bingaman, United States Senator
John F. Kerry, United States Senator
Blanche L. Lincoln, United States Senator
Claire McCaskill, United States Senator
Cc: Brigadier General Loree Sutton,
Major General Elder Granger
To join our listserv, write to Marc Dubin, Esq., at mdubin@pobox.com.
Friday, August 22, 2008
National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
The National Center for PTSD is a part of the VA that works to advance the clinical care and social welfare of America's veterans through research, education, and training in the science, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and stress-related disorders. Their website is provided as an educational resource concerning PTSD and other enduring consequences of traumatic stress.
To join our listserv, write to Marc Dubin, Esq., at mdubin@pobox.com.
The National Center for PTSD is a part of the VA that works to advance the clinical care and social welfare of America's veterans through research, education, and training in the science, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and stress-related disorders. Their website is provided as an educational resource concerning PTSD and other enduring consequences of traumatic stress.
To join our listserv, write to Marc Dubin, Esq., at mdubin@pobox.com.
American Veterans with Brain Injuries (AVBI)
AVBI is a grassroots effort, whose mission is to offer support to brain injured American Veterans and their families or caregivers. They offer support through their web site, on line forum, live chat, advocacy, and public awareness. This web site offers personal stories, resources, and announcements of services available to these American Veterans. The AVBI on line forum is designed for questions to be asked and information shared. The AVBI live chat and peer advocacy offers personal support. The AVBI Blog hopes to bring public awareness to the many difficult issues that plague the brain injured veteran and their families.
To join our listserv, write to Marc Dubin, Esq., at mdubin@pobox.com.
To join our listserv, write to Marc Dubin, Esq., at mdubin@pobox.com.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Founded in June 2004, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is the nation's first and largest group dedicated to the Troops and Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the civilian supporters of those Troops and Veterans.
To join our listserv, write to Marc Dubin, Esq., at mdubin@pobox.com.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
DOJ Report: Helping Inmates Obtain Federal Disability Benefits
Helping Inmates Obtain Federal Disability Benefits -- Report
...
...
Thousands of ill or disabled inmates are incarcerated in Federal, State, and local correctional facilities across the United States. The challenge of helping them obtain medical treatment and services after they are released is not a new one, but a recently released report looks at three programs that are assisting inmates in applying for such benefits.
Helping Inmates Obtain Federal Disability Benefits: Serious Medical and Mental Illness, Incarceration, and Federal Disability Entitlement Programs—cosponsored by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—reveals that many experts believe that continuing treatment after inmates are released results in a more successful return to society and could prevent the spread of tuberculosis, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, and drug-resistant strains of viruses, thus minimizing the cost to community and corrections health care systems. It also could reduce crime—and hence recidivism—by releasees who continue to receive the medical and mental health treatment they need.
Federal disability benefits—Medicaid, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI), and veterans’ compensation funds—offer one solution. Unfortunately, as many officials know, the process of applying for Federal benefits is often complex, and incarceration makes it difficult for inmates to collect their medical information. Three programs investigated in the NIJ study demonstrate, however, that assisting severely ill inmates with applying for these benefits before they leave prison may dramatically increase their chances of receiving benefits postrelease and ease their transition back into the community....
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Alcohol abuse rises among US combat veterans-study
Alcohol abuse rises among US combat veterans-study
CHICAGO, Aug 12 (Reuters) - A significant number of U.S. veterans back from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan begin abusing alcohol after returning, perhaps to cope with traumatic memories of combat, military researchers said on Tuesday.Younger servicemen and women, those who were previously heavy drinkers, and call-ups from the National Guard and Reserves were the most likely to increase their drinking and to develop alcohol-related problems, according to the study.
"Increased alcohol outcomes among Reserve/Guard personnel deployed with combat exposures is concerning in light of increased reliance (on these) forces" by the Pentagon, the report said.
"Active-duty Marines were also found to be at increased odds of continuing to binge drink after deployment, as well as to experience new-onset alcohol-related problems," wrote Isabel Jacobs and colleagues at the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, California.
Men were considered heavy drinkers if they consumed more than 14 alcoholic drinks per week, women seven drinks; binge drinking referred to downing five or more drinks in a day or occasion, four for women; and alcohol problems constituted drunkenness or hangovers that interfered with work or other responsibilities.
Reasons for the increased rates of alcohol abuse among Guard and Reserve members may be that they receive less training and support services than other arms of the military, they must transition from civilian life to a war zone, and their units are less cohesive, the report said.
The researchers surveyed 48,400 service members before (between 2001 and 2003) and after likely deployment (2004 to 2006) to identify heavy drinkers, binge drinkers, or those with alcohol-related problems.
Of those interviewed, 5,500 experienced combat and they were interviewed about a year after their return.
Combat veterans were 31 percent more likely to have begun binge drinking than those not exposed to combat. Six percent of returning combat veterans started a new habit of heavy weekly drinking and 5 percent developed a drinking-related problem.
New cases of alcohol abuse also arose among those who had not been deployed or did not see combat, but the rate of new cases was lower compared with returning combat veterans.
Women also had different drinking habits than men.
"Women were significantly more likely to start drinking heavily but less likely to start binge drinking or have alcohol-related problems compared with men, which may be due to women turning to drinking as a coping mechanism, whereas men may have a higher propensity for risk-taking behaviors," the researchers wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The findings were consistent with a recent study of soldiers returning from Iraq that found 12 percent of active-duty personnel had alcohol problems, and 15 percent of Reserve and National Guard members did.
The researchers said they hoped to direct intervention efforts at younger soldiers and other groups prone to alcohol abuse. They also pointed to the need to treat post-traumatic stress suffered by returning veterans who may try to drown their memories in drink.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Obama Discusses Plan to Improve Veterans Care and Help Get Homeless Veterans Off the Streets
Obama Discusses Plan to Improve Veterans Care and Help Get Homeless Veterans Off the Streets
Mason City, IA | October 05, 2007
Mason City, IA -- During a town hall meeting in Mason City, U.S. Senator Barack Obama today outlined his plan to ensure that the United States keeps its sacred trust with our nation's veterans when they return home from war. Obama's comments came in the wake of reports the Veterans Administration (VA) has been lagging in making needed improvements it promised after deplorable conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center became public.
"It's not enough to lay a wreath on Memorial Day, or to make a speech on Veteran's Day," Obama said. "When a veteran is denied health care, we are all dishonored. When 400,000 veterans are stuck on a waiting list for claims, we need a new sense of urgency in this country. And when we've got young veterans of a misguided war in Iraq sleeping on the streets of our cities and towns, we need a change in Washington."
Obama said that he will improve medical care for veterans and help eliminate bureaucratic backlogs that delay disability claims by making sure that every service-member has individual electronic medical and service records that immediately transfer to the (VA) system. Obama also said he will hire additional VA claims raters and set up programs to get homeless veterans off the streets.
Obama said that he will improve medical care for veterans and help eliminate bureaucratic backlogs that delay disability claims by making sure that every service-member has individual electronic medical and service records that immediately work with the (VA) system. Obama also said he will hire additional VA claims raters and convert all veterans' benefits paperwork into electronic records to speed up applications. Finally, Obama said he will establish a zero tolerance policy for vets falling into homelessness.
"As President, I won't stand for hundreds of thousands of veterans waiting for benefits. We'll hire additional claims workers," Obama said. "We'll bring together veterans groups and the VA to work out a claims process that is fair and fast. And instead of shutting veterans out, we'll make sure that our disabled vets receive the benefits they deserve, and we'll allow all veterans back into the VA health care system. And we'll have a simple policy when it comes to homeless veterans: zero tolerance. We'll expand housing vouchers. We'll set up a new supportive services program to prevent at-risk veterans and their families from sliding into homelessness. We'll stand with veterans in their hour of need, just as they have stood up for us."
Senator Obama is a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee.
Obama also announced Friday that he will begin airing a new television ad in Iowa featuring Former Air Force Chief of Staff General Merrill A. (Tony) McPeak.
To view the ad, please click here: "Gulf"
Obama Vows Support for Vets
“As President, I won’t stand for hundreds of thousands of veterans waiting for benefits. We’ll hire additional claims workers,” Obama said. “We’ll bring together veterans groups and the VA to work out a claims process that is fair and fast. And instead of shutting veterans out, we’ll make sure that our disabled vets receive the benefits they deserve, and we’ll allow all veterans back into the VA health care system. And we’ll have a simple policy when it comes to homeless veterans: zero tolerance. We’ll expand housing vouchers. We’ll set up a new supportive services program to prevent at-risk veterans and their families from sliding into homelessness. We’ll stand with veterans in their hour of need, just as they have stood up for us.”
He also launched a new ad campaignWelcome to our Blog
Thank you for visiting our Blog. We are pleased to announce the formation of a new advocacy project at the CIL - the Veterans Advocacy Project. Our initial strategy meeting was held at the CIL offices on Friday, August 15th, and was well-attended and well-received. Veterans and organizations and agencies serving veterans were in attendance, and brainstormed together about how to best serve veterans, particularly veterans with disabilities.
Areas we plan to address include, but are not limited to the following:
Areas we plan to address include, but are not limited to the following:
- Employment
- Housing
- Health care
- Criminal justice
- Impacts on family members
- Suicide
- Mental health issues
- Homelessness
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
- TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)
- Presidential candidates' positions concerning veterans
- Eligibility criteria for dental care and medical care
- Women veterans
- Domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, and stalking
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