Please join us at the Center for Independent Living of South Florida's offices, located at 6660 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami, for an informative discussion of disaster services in Miami-Dade County. Learn what you can do to prepare. Learn what the ADA requires. Fill out an application for a Special Needs shelter, and learn what services are available to people with disabilities in Red Cross shelters.
Lunch will be served, at no cost.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Miami Dade County Disability Services Program
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
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
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.
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