STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS FOR VETERANS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS IN GEORGIA

Clare S. Richie

DeClare Consulting LLC

February 24, 2013

Who is a Veteran?• No standardized legal definition

of a U.S. "military veteran”

• Each veteran benefit includes

eligibility requirements for that

particular benefit

• For this study – a veteran is

defined as a person no longer

in active service

Veterans in Georgia• Estimated 776,000 veterans in Georgia

• One-seventh served in Iraq/Afghanistan

• These “new veterans” differ from previous veterans:• Older career service-members who have families• Multiple deployments with less down-time• More women• More blast injuries and less fatalities

Veterans in Metro Atlanta

Gulf War (9/2001 or later); 11%

Gulf War (8/1990 to 8/2001) ; 22%

Vietnam Era; 34%

Korean War ; 8%

World War II; 6%

Others ; 19%

Project Purpose

In the areas of education, employment and health:

• Identify state and federal funds for veterans and their dependents in Georgia

• Highlight veterans initiatives in Georgia

Overall Data Findings• All veterans benefits must be applied for – not automatic

• Multiple federal and state agencies involved

• Many ways for federal and state funds to reach veterans

• Limited services for dependents

• A number of federal grants that Georgia is not receiving

• Georgia has two state-only funded programs

Education Data Findings

Post 9/11 GI Bill Survivors' & Dependents Educational Assistance

$8.500

$0.455

FY 2012 National Funds(in billions)

• 12 programs from 4 agencies (VA, DOD, DOE, DOL)

VA Education Beneficiaries in GA

Education Program Beneficiaries FFY 2012

Post-9/11 GI Bill 23,931

Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty 4,568

Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve 2,603

Dependent’s Educational Assistance 3,842

Reserve Educational Asst. Program 420

Veterans Retraining Assistance Program 897

Post-Vietnam Era Veterans’ Educ Asst. Program 2

TOTAL 36,263

Non-VA Education Programs

• Troops to Teachers (DOD)

• Veterans Upward Bound (DOE)

Employment Data Findings• 13 programs from five federal agencies

(VA, DOL, SBA, OPM, DOJ)

• Grants to state agencies, state/local WIBs, municipalities or nonprofits

• Focus on veterans with barriers to employment (disabled, educationally disadvantaged, homeless, unemployed)

• Services include vocational rehabilitation, outreach, assessments, job search, job training, and entrepreneurship.

• Georgia opportunity to access more federal employment grants (e.g., DOL Veteran’s Employment Program, Transition Assistance Program, Disability Employment Initiative, and Green Jobs Innovation Grant)

Health Data Findings

Program Group # of ProgramsFederal

AgenciesServices

Health Care Services

15 VA, HHS, CNCS Physical & mental health, advocacy, jail diversion

Long-Term Care 5 VA Community Living Centers, Nursing Homes, and Home & Community Based Care

Dependent Care 3 VA Reimbursement for most medical expenses and services for veteran caregivers

Georgia FY 2012 Health Data

Numbers Served Service Received

171,715 veterans Outpatient care

75,481 veterans Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service

7,542 veterans Long-term care (at home or in community)

740 veterans Community Nursing Home

560 veterans State Nursing Home

319 caregivers Monthly stipend, health care insurance, mental health services, training and respite care

Georgia State Agencies• 14 publicly funded programs in 8 state agencies

(GDVS, GDOL, GOWD, GDDS, GSFC, TCSG, DBHDD,

Judicial Council of Georgia)

• Primarily funded by federal funds

• Two programs funded entirely by state funds• Hero Scholarships• GDVS 49 field offices

• Many agencies involved in exciting veteran initiatives

Returning Veterans Task Force • Created by state law effective July 1, 2013 to investigate

state services provided to veterans returned within the most recent 3 years”

• Members include state agencies that serve veterans (e.g., GDVS, DOL, DBHDD, etc.)

• Meet at least quarterly - open to the public

• Provide recommendations to Georgia policymakers each November 1

Education Initiatives

• Gwinnett Technical College – Office of Veterans Affairs• Public/Private funding• Dedicated staff and office space• Serves veterans, spouses and dependents

• D. Scott Hudgens, Jr. Veterans Scholarship Fund• Emergency Assistance for eligible veterans, spouses, dependents• Award amount vary based on need

Employment Initiatives

• Employment Initiative for Unemployment Compensation for ex-Military (UCX) Claimants• Ga DOL & Governor’s Office of Workforce Development• $750,000 federal funds for 2 years (ends June 30, 2014)• Efforts include Operation Workforce online portal, “Hire a Georgia

Veteran” pledge, and Troops to Truckers.

• Veterans Licensure Bill – Troops to Trade

Mental & Behavioral Health Initiatives• Mental Health Summits

• OEF/OIF Veterans State Action Plan

• Veteran Treatment Courts

• Medicaid Expansion

Opportunities• Collaborate

• Returning Veteran Task Force• Local VA medical centers, GDVS field offices, DOL career centers• UCX Initiative, contact Steve Jennings (steve.jennings@dol.state.ga.us)• Mental Health gap analysis in metro Atlanta Mr. Von Wrighten with

DBHDD (vswrighten@dhr.state.ga.us)

• Advocate • Veteran Treatment Court Legislation• Medicaid Expansion

• Reference & Refer• Detailed data tables identify programs in Georgia• Clients may benefit from initiatives – like Gwinnett Tech Office of Veterans

Affairs

Questions?

Clare S. Richie

DeClare Consulting LLC

declareconsulting@gmail.com

404-697-6669