F A C T S H E E T: HB 475 and 477
Wounded Warrior Mental Health Services & the Veterans Services Foundation
CRITICAL PARTNERS
HB 475 addresses the needs of Virginia’s wounded warriors and their families.
HB 477 addresses the fundraising efforts of the Veterans Services Foundation
These bills work hand-in-glove to ensure that Virginia’s warfighters and their families will receive the mental health care and rehabilitation services they need to successfully return to civilian life.
65% of our GWOT veterans may need help
· 717,196 Global War on Terror veterans are eligible for services from the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as of April 17, 2007
· 38% of those who have presented to the VA may have mental health diagnoses
· Only 35% have sought VA care
· Where are the other 65%? There is a silent majority of veterans who may be going untreated.
Family members are impacted first; but, no benefits are available for them
· The adverse effects of mental health deterioration resulting from combat/operational stress and traumatic brain injury impact family members first; however, the VA does not provide benefits for family members.
· Family members of the Virginia National Guard and U. S. Armed Forces Reserves are in uniquely stressful positions when a family member is called to active duty and deployed outside the U.S., particularly to a combat zone. In many cases, the breadwinner must leave his or her employment for active duty. A spouse, grandparents, or extended family members are left to care for the children and household, facing emotional and financial strain, and lacking support mechanisms available to the families of regular military personnel.
· Upon returning to their communities and jobs after deployment, there are limited resources for post-deployment assistance. The Virginia National Guard has just one Transition Assistance Advisor located at Fort Picket who is responsible for identifying military personnel and families who need assistance and connecting them with services in their home communities.
The solution: Statewide coordination and increased service and capacity
· Upon implementation of HB 475 and the required budget, state-level coordination of services would be managed by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services through a senior-level executive director and three regional directors located in Tidewater, Central, and Southwest Virginia.
· Community Service Boards (CSBs) and community providers will partner with their respective VA Medical Centers, Community Based Outreach Clinics, and VA benefits staff to create a continuum of care through community referral networks, cross-training, and service and capacity expansion.
· The proposed $2M in community resources would be allocated by DVS to communities on a regional basis. The package of services funded could include additional case managers devoted specifically to assisting veterans and their families. Added services and capacity could expand outpatient counseling to address the unique needs of veterans with post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries and address the stress placed on their family members from long and multiple deployments.
Conclusion
· The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will have significant long-term consequences for the warfighters and their families.
· Not all warfighters will experience significant mental health problems; but all will experience significant readjustment issues.
· HB 475 uses a public health approach to increase services for warfighters and their families and eliminate the stigma of asking for help.
· HB 477 will enable the Veterans Services Foundation to seek private funding to support this public health approach.
· Virginia’s warfighters serve us; isn’t it time we serve them?
/DVS- JLC Fact Sheet4 Feb 2008 |
