Post on 17-Dec-2015
OBJECTIVES
• Overview of the National VA&R Commission and Division
• Outline of the Department of Veterans Affairs
• Digest of Major Commission Issues and Initiatives
• Heroes to Hometowns Program
• American Legion VA Voluntary Service (VAVS) Program
BACKGROUND
• Readjusting to civilian life• Receiving VA benefits• Improving access to health care• Maintaining dignity and
self-respect• Assuring the well-being of
spouses and children
Since its inception, The American Legion has assisted veterans in:
VA&R COMMISSION - STRUCTURE
Executive Section & Regional MembershipNational Cemetery Committee
Internal –• Conference Committee on Recommendations
• Committee on Certificates of Appreciation• VAVS Committee• Convention Screening Committee
SERVICE FIRST
VA&R emphasizes providing service first through:
Direct Assistance – Division Staff & Department Service Officers (DSOs)
Advocacy – Testimony, Working Relationship with VA, & Representation on Advisory CommitteesDevelopment of Resource Material
VA&R DIVISION STRUCTURE
VA&R Director Deputy Director for Claims Service
– Board of Veterans Appeals, Appeals Management Center
Deputy Director for Health Care– National Field Service Representatives
Assistant Director for Claims Service- handles Claims Service area and National Cemetery Administration
Assistant Director for Program Management- VA Voluntary Service Program Manager and manages VA&R Resolution Portfolio
VA&R DIVISION STRUCTURE
Assistant Director for Health Policy- handles environmental exposures and their pertinence to illnesses suffered by veterans of past, present, and service members transitioning back into the community
Assistant Director of DOD Outreach- Program Manager for the Heroes to Hometowns Program
BOARD OF VETERANS’ APPEALS
Legion Appeals & Special Claims Unit (14 appeals representatives & one medical consultant) – Represent appellants before BVA
Written Presentations Personal Hearings
– Medical Consultant reviews cases for purpose of providing medical nexus statement when warranted
– Department Service Officer Intern Program
– 3 Appeals Management Center (AMC) Staff
BOARD OF VETERANS’ APPEALS
How are we doing?–FY 08
Allowed—23% Remanded—36.7% Denied—37.6%
–Total remand & allowance rate of 59.7% is above BVA average
–7,819 appeals presented to BVA (20% of all represented appellants)
THE VA&R DIVISION
National Field Service Representatives
• The System Worth Saving Task Force , accompanied by Field Service Representatives, conduct site visits of VA health care facilities and assess the state of VA health care as a system, as mandated by Resolution 206, “Annual State of VA Medical Facilities.”
• The American Legion has published six annual reports focusing on the medical centers in general
• The 2009 report will focus on VA Medical Centers, Community-Based Outpatient Clinics and Vet Centers
THE VA&R DIVISION
VA Insurance Center – Philadelphia
Services include representation, review of files, status reports and account assistance. Provides insurance information and guidance to field service officers.
Debt Management Center – Minneapolis
Representation in VA overpayment, medical debt
DEPARTMENT SERVICE OFFICERS
• Accredited, trained and knowledgeable professionals
• DSO Association/Seminar
• DSO Schools twice per year
• Quality Reviews
• VA&R Bulletins
• Publications-including pamphlets, Guides for women, Agent Orange benefits and about PTSD
• Upon request – staff presentation at Department functions
VA&R RESOURCES
VA&R RESOLUTIONS
Approximately 60+ mandates(many with legislative intent) involving:
• Claims and Ratings
• Medical and Hospital
• National Cemetery Administration
2009 PRIORITY RESOLUTIONS
• The American Legion Policy on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Consolidation Efforts
• Creation of Ad Hoc Committee to Ensure Proper Representation of Claims Adjudicated by VA Pension Maintenance (Management) Centers
• The American Legion Policy on VA Billing of Private Insurance
• Support Budget Reform of Annual Appropriations for VA Health Care Funding
VA STRUCTURE
The Department of Veterans Affairs has three Administrations:
• Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)
• National Cemetery Administration (NCA)
• Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
VA IN BRIEF
• Congressionally Funded
• Field Operations - local delivery Regional supervision and State operations
Policy is centrally administeredManagement is decentralized
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The National VA&R Commission seeks from VA:
• Improved timeliness and quality decisions on benefit claims
(VBA)• Improved access to and timeliness of veterans’ health care (VHA)• Enhanced access to national and
state cemeteries (NCA)
HEROES TO HOMETOWNS “-Care for our wounded must be our highest priority.”
Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense
Helping severely injured Service members and their families connect with their hometown or new community
• Mission: In 2007, The American Legion and the Department of Defense (DoD) established a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Heroes to Hometowns Program in which DoD provides information of transitioning severely injured service members with The American Legion which will provide outreach assistance.
• Goal: Facilitate reintegration into the community- Restore highest functioning quality of life- Assist in meeting long-term needs
- Educate the community; ease transition home
• Objective: Coordinate Local, State and National organizations to match potential needs with resources.
HEROES TO HOMETOWNS
Tasks: Complement federal & state entitlements and programs with non-governmental support to
- Welcome home celebrations- Assistance securing housing- Temporary Financial Assistance- Adaptations to vehicles and housing- Adaptive Sports- Employment Assistance- Educational Assistance- Family Support & childcare- Advocacy- Transportation Assistance
HEROES TO HOMETOWNS
Key Committee Members-The American Legion
-National Guard Bureau-National Association State Directors
of VA
Additional Members at Committee’s discretionOther VSOs State Parks & Recreation SocietiesUS Paralympics CommitteeState Dept of Labor
State Dept of RehabilitationPlus other Governmental & Non-governmental
organizations
HEROES TO HOMETOWNS
Heroes to Hometowns Volunteer Coordinators Pilot Program: The American Legion & Department of Veterans Affairs
Voluntary Service
• Coordinator works with VA Social Work office to identify needs of transitioning service members.• Coordinator creates a Community Resource Directory to match needs with resources.
HEROES TO HOMETOWNS
Heroes to Hometowns Volunteer Coordinators Pilot Sites:
Boston Louisville Dayton Phoenix Providence Richmond St. Louis San Diego Washington DC West Haven
VAVS PROGRAM
• The American Legion supports the Department of Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS) Program
• In FY 08, The American Legion was represented at 153 VA Medical Center Facilities and had 6,105 volunteers that contributed 909,480 hours
• Based on an independent volunteer sector rate of $18.77/hr, the total volunteer cost savings to VA is $17 million dollars
• For the first time since 2003, volunteer hours in FY 2008 increased by 343 hours, despite losing 397 volunteers
• Average age of volunteer is 75; support is needed at National, Department, Staff and local levels to recruit Vietnam, Gulf War and OIF/OEF veterans to lower median age group
VAVS PROGRAM IN 2008
• VAVS Handbook was revised and distributed to all VAVS Reps/Deps
• System Worth Saving Site Visits began including field data on
Legion volunteering
• Legion Magazine did a PR story on a volunteer, citing the personal
fulfillment of volunteering and tying in national statistics
• Dispatch ran story on VA Welcome Home Celebrations, a program
to increase awareness and support of transitioning veterans accessing their benefits and enrolling with VA
• New volunteer portal launched on national website, site below:
www.legion.org/veterans/affairs/volunteer
VAVS PROGRAM GOALS IN 2009
• Encourage VA streamline volunteer application and training process to be completed online (paperless)
• Create Volunteer Toolkit (Flyer, Poster, Training PowerPoint)
• Create Volunteer Online Center (All Legion Volunteer Programs)
• The American Legion Magazine dedicate an issue/cover flap to Legion Volunteering
• National Commander Register as a VAVS Volunteer
• Promote Department Training and Recruitment Fairs
• 2009 Department Recruitment goal of 22 new volunteers
• Support the Ride to Recovery Program
Ride to Recovery Program
• The American Legion approved Res. 19, The American Legion Support the Ride to Recovery Program at 2009 Spring NEC
• Ride to Recovery program conducts week-long cycling trips for military, veteran and civilian personnel to assist them during their time of recovery and rehabilitation
• Ride to Recovery has East/West Coast, Texas and Florida rides with hundreds of injured troops, celebrities, athletes and elected officials
• Next cycling trip will be December 12-17 from Tampa to Jacksonville; invite National Commander to
participate in the ride
• Ride to Recovery’s website is: http://www.road2recovery.us.com/