VETERANS AFFAIRS AND REHABILITATION DIVISION

2009 Membership Workshop

July 31, 2009

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/

VA&R DIVISION

QUESTIONS?