AGENCIES COMMIT TO HELP VETERANS TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN LIFE

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Agencies Commit to Transition Assistance Program
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2013 - The Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Labor, Education, the Office of Personnel Management and the Small Business Administration codified their continued commitment to help transitioning service members be "career ready" for civilian life by signing a statement of intent on Aug. 15.

"This [statement of intent] puts our shared commitment to our service members in black and white," said Dr. Susan Kelly, principal director of DOD's Transition to Veterans Program office.

Each of the military services was represented during the formal signing of the statement of intent, said Francine Blackmon, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for force management integration.

The services have aggressively implemented the various components of the redesigned Transition Assistance Program, Blackmon said.

Working elbow-to-elbow with the various partnering agencies, the services are ensuring service members are provided all the necessary tools to make a successful transition to civilian life, she said.

"The [statement of intent] strengthens our resolve for a concerted interagency effort working toward this common goal," Blackmon added.

More than 250,000 service members separate from active duty each year, and they face numerous challenges as they transition to civilian life. The statement of intent is a milestone for the interagency effort to redesign the 1990s-era transition assistance program model and help service members meet those challenges. The signing shows that the redesigned TAP is not a short-term effort but a set of greatly improved transition services that the partners will sustain for the long-term.

"Even in this time of budget constraints, each of the interagency partners and the services will sustain the effort to implement the redesign of transition assistance," Kelly said. This includes staff at installations to provide face-to-face information and new skills, as well as a virtual curriculum to build the same career readiness skills for service members and reservists in isolated and geographically separated locations, she added.

The statement of intent also establishes the objectives for the new governance structure and the foundation of the new TAP Executive Council, comprised of DOD, VA and DOL co-chairs, as well as senior executives from SBA, OPM, ED and the military services. The new TAP Executive Council will steer the collaboration and partnership efforts through 2016 and implement and modify the redesigned program as needed to meet changing needs of transitioning service members through the years.

Over the last eighteen months, the DOD and VA have led the efforts of the Veterans Employment Initiative Task Force interagency partners and the White House Economic and Domestic Policy Council staffs in redesigning the Desert Storm-era Transition Assistance Program to better prepare service members for these challenges as they leave the military and become veterans.

The redesigned TAP provides training that will build skills to enable transitioning service members to meet career readiness standards established by DOD. The training, known as Transition GPS (goals, plans, success), is comprised of interlinked curriculum, services, and processes conducted by numerous partners -- DOD, the military services, VA, DOL, SBA, and OPM.

Interagency partner Department of Education and the National Guard Bureau continue to serve in valued consultative and advisory roles.

Advancing their work together, the agencies will cultivate an interagency partnership that builds upon mutual respect, cooperation and shared goals to successfully transition career ready service members to the civilian sector.

MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL CONSORTIA ESTABLISHED TO RESEARCH PTSD AND TBI

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

DoD, VA Establish Two Multi-Institutional Consortia to Research PTSD and TBI

           In response to President Obama's Executive Order, the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) highlighted today the establishment of two joint research consortia, at a combined investment of $107 million to research the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) over a five-year period.

           "VA is proud to join with its partners in the federal government and the academic community to support the President's vision and invest in research that could lead to innovative, new treatments for TBI and PTSD," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "We must do all we can to deliver the high-quality care our Service members and Veterans have earned and deserve."

           The Consortium to Alleviate PTSD (CAP), a collaborative effort between the University of Texas Health Science Center – San Antonio, San Antonio Military Medical Center, and the Boston VA Medical Center will attempt to develop the most effective diagnostic, prognostic, novel treatment, and rehabilitative strategies to treat acute PTSD and prevent chronic PTSD.

           The Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (CENC), a collaborative effort between Virginia Commonwealth University, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and the Richmond VA Medical Center will examine the factors which influence the chronic effects of mTBI and common comorbidities in order to improve diagnostic and treatment options.  A key point will be to further the understanding of the relationship between mTBI and neurodegenerative disease.

           Since Sep. 11, 2001, more than 2.5 million American service members have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Military service exposes service members to a variety of stressors, including risk to life, exposure to death, injury, sustained threat of injury, and the day-to-day family stress inherent in all phases of the military life cycle.

           To improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health conditions, the President released an Executive Order directing the Federal agencies to develop a coordinated National Research Action Plan. The Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Education (ED) came forward with a wide-reaching plan to improve scientific understanding, effective treatment,  and reduce occurrences of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), co-occurring conditions, and suicide.

POST 9/11 UNEMPLOYMENT CONTINUES TO FALL

FROM: VETERANS AFFAIRS "VANTAGE POINT"
Post-9/11 Veteran Unemployment Rate Still Falling; At 8.9 Percent in JulyAugust 3, 2012
 by Brandon Friedman
　

On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Veteran unemployment data for the month of July. While the unemployment rate for all Veterans fell to 6.9 percent, the unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan-era Veterans (or Gulf War II-era Veterans) fell more than half a percentage point to 8.9 percent. The steadier 12-month moving average also fell to 10.4 percent—the lowest figure we’ve seen since 2009.

While much remains to be done, since November 2011, post-9/11 Veterans have experienced the lowest unemployment rate in any combined eight-month period since 2008—with the rate reaching single digits in five of those months. Additionally, the trend over the past 31 months—since January 2010—remains downward for America’s most recent Veterans.

Month-to-month unemployment rate figures for this demographic are fairly volatile, but the long-term trend has shown a consistent decline over more than two and a half years—a strong sign of recovery following the worst economic recession since The Great Depression.

All that said, while we’re heartened that the unemployment rate among younger Veterans has fallen over the long term, too many returning Veterans still can’t find meaningful work.

That’s why VA is collaborating with the White House and the Chamber of Commerce on
hiring fairs across the country through the "Hiring Our Heroes" Program. It’s also why we’re urging Veterans to prepare themselves for the job market by taking advantage of programs like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Veterans Retraining and Assistance Program (VRAP).

If anything, today’s positive figure reminds us that there’s still much work to be done. VA, in conjunction with the White House, remains committed to ensuring that the unemployment rate for all Veterans continues its downward path.

EPA-VA WORK TOGETHER TO CONNECT VETERANS TO WATER JOBS

Photo:  Imperial Dam.  Credit:  U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
FROM:  U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA and Department of Veterans Affairs to Connect Veterans with Jobs in Water Sectors
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program announced today a memorandum of understanding to connect veterans with disabilities to career opportunities in the water and wastewater sectors -- such as at wastewater plants and drinking water facilities -- as part of EPA’s Water Sector Workforce Initiative. This effort will be beneficial to both the environment and economy as clean water and job placement for veterans are top priorities of the Obama Administration.

The agreement allows EPA and VA to connect qualified veteran employees with staffing needs at water and wastewater utilities. EPA and the VA will work with water utilities, states and local VA counselors to promote water sector careers and resources for finding water jobs for veterans as well as educational programs to help veterans transition into careers in water industries.

“This agreement comes at the perfect time to address the predicted workforce shortages in the water and wastewater industries and the need for transitioning veterans into civilian jobs,” said Nancy Stoner, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. “EPA believes that well-trained and experienced water sector professionals are vital to ensuring sustainable, properly operated systems.”

“VA has cultivated relationships with both public and private industry to ensure disabled veterans have opportunities to find and maintain meaningful employment,” said Under Secretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey. “We are thrilled to forge this relationship with EPA to assist them with hiring veterans through our Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program.”

More than one-third of all current water operators are eligible to retire within seven years and, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment for water and wastewater operators is expected to grow by 20 percent between 2008 and 2018, faster than the national average for all other occupations. EPA sees the need to invest now in creating a pipeline of future water sector professionals to fill these essential water sector careers.

VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program assists more than 100,000 disabled veterans annually prepare for, find, and maintain meaningful careers. Veterans are an important target group for water and wastewater utility jobs because many veterans already possess training and technical skills that are directly transferable to careers in the water sector. There is a wide spectrum of water sector careers that veterans could be qualified for, including engineering, laboratory and water science, operations and maintenance, management and administration, communications, and public education. The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program further supports veterans for the water workforce by providing necessary accommodations and additional training as needed.

THE CIVIL WAR AND HONORING THE WAR DEAD

FROM:  VETERANS AFFAIRS
PHOTO: AFTERMATH AT GETTYSBURG
The Civil War’s Legacy of Honoring War Dead
April 18, 2012 by Alex Horton
We’ve all been taught the consequences of the U.S. Civil War since childhood. How it led to the emancipation of slaves, solidified state and federal rights, and further made the case for women’s suffrage. But the unprecedented carnage of the war also transformed the attitude of how the nation honors its military dead; a tradition now indelible to the American spirit.

That was the premise behind a talk given by Harvard University President Dr. Drew Faust at VA central office in Washington today. Through her research, Dr. Faust found that the Civil War fundamentally changed the way our country handled death on the battlefield. Both the Union and Confederacy were ill equipped to bury fallen troops in a dignified manner, and death notifications sent to families were informal and happenstance, if they happened at all. Unmarked and hasty graves littered fields and farms near battlefields where hundreds of thousands of men struggled and died.

Humanitarian ideas and the dignity of the human spirit were transformed in the crucible of war, and an emerging sense of responsibility for our war dead led to drastic shift in government obligations.

Edmund Whitman, an Army officer and a quartermaster during the war, led the effort. Whitman inspected cemeteries and battlefields across the south from 1865-1869, examined informal records, and conducted interviews to find out locations of fallen troops. He oversaw the reinterment of over 100,000 Union soldiers. About 300,000 were reburied in 74 national cemeteries, which now fall under the purview of the National Park Service.
As Dr. Faust noted, it was Whitman’s mission to put human faces and human cost to the war, and to recognize the sacrifices of so many of our own. His work helped to establish the notion that those who fell in battle are to be honored, and it’s our duty as citizens to remember and cherish that.

It’s difficult to fathom the damage of the war. An estimated 600,000 soldiers from both sides were killed; if the war were fought today with the same casualty rate, six million would lay dead. But it’s also hard to imagine a time when the care of our slain troops was an afterthought—an annoyance to both troops in the field and folks in the halls of government. It’s now one of VA’s most sacred obligations, but it took a war of staggering magnitude for our nation to realize it had a duty to honor the dead as much as they honored us.

VETERANS AFFAIRS AND OCCUPATIONAL THRAPY

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Occupational Therapy: Helping Vets Live an Independent Life
“He Taught Us All A Lesson.”
Occupational therapy (OT) is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities.

As the largest health care system in the nation, VA is the single largest employer of occupational therapists. According to Eric Lipton of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, the primary goal of VA’s occupational therapists is to help Veterans optimize their functional performance in areas that are meaningful to their lives.
Lipton is currently Occupational Therapy Supervisor for the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. Prior to becoming supervisor, he primarily worked with Veterans in Community Living Centers (CLC).

Occupational Therapists use a holistic approach and address activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing and grooming, as well as more advanced activities such as cooking, shopping, driving, parenting, and returning to work.

Occupational Therapists use a holistic approach and address activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing and grooming, as well as more advanced activities such as cooking, shopping, driving, parenting, and returning to work.

They are skilled at assessing performance, analyzing the components of tasks, and helping to improve performance through adapting the way a person is performing the task, the use of equipment, or by adapting the environment.
“I can’t believe I get paid to do this.”

Help for Vets of All Ages
VA occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments that develop, recover, or maintain clients’ activities of daily living.
VA works with thousands of Veterans of all ages.
The therapist helps clients not only to improve their basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also to compensate for permanent loss of function.
Mr. Lipton describes an example of just one of his patients:
“One Veteran had Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease).
“I needed to address different areas as his disease progressed. The initial focus was on retraining for activities of daily living, and eventually became how to maximize his comfort as he was dying. The Veteran went from utilizing a walker to a scooter, and eventually to a highly adapted power wheelchair.

“When it got to the point that he could only move his head, OT treatment shifted to maintaining his ability to safely operate his power wheelchair independently, keeping him well positioned, emphasizing wound prevention, preventing his body from becoming contracted, and pain management.

“I will never forget his spirit as he participated in life until the end. The image I remember most is seeing him with a big smile, dancing by just moving his head to the beat. He taught us all a lesson how to live life to the fullest, and I feel OT helped to facilitate that.”
Dedicated to his profession, Lipton explains his commitment to helping Vets overcome some of the hurdles life has given them.

“I have had the great honor to work with Veterans who represent a very large span of American history, including Veterans from World War I all the way to the current Global War on Terror. They have made huge sacrifices that often have long-term consequences to their health.
“That’s why the VA Health Care System is so important. We really understand the specialized needs of our Veterans.”

Wide Variety of Occupational Therapy Treatments
The focus of occupational therapy treatment in a VA Community Living Center (CLC) varies greatly, depending on the needs of the Veteran being served. Occupational Therapists in this setting may work with a patient following a stroke to be able to safely and independently dress, bathe, and cook so they can return home.
Another Veteran may have a spinal cord injury and live at the CLC. Their occupational therapy treatment may be focused on the operation of a power wheelchair, preventing pressure ulcers, and maintaining strength and range of motion. Or a Veteran may have Alzheimer’s disease and the focus may be to keep the Veteran safe and as functional as possible by adapting the environment or through staff or caregiver training.
Lipton feels “lucky” to be working with Vets.

“My favorite work setting was working on a unit that specialized in gero-psychiatry (treating mental illness in the elderly). I felt lucky to be working there. It was a great opportunity to work with Veterans who still want to contribute to the world.
“I led therapeutic groups and the patients were fully engaged in the activities. It was energizing for both the patients and staff. I consistently walked away thinking, ‘I love working here. I can’t believe I get paid to do this.’
“I would love to see the profession of occupational therapy, the VA Health Care System, and health care in general, focus more on preventive health and wellness. We can dramatically impact quality of life by teaching people how to engage in healthier lifestyle habits. Occupational Therapists are well suited to doing this, as we take a holistic approach when working with people.”

April is Occupational Therapy Month, a perfect time to reflect on the work VA does to help Veterans live a full and productive life.

VA SECRETARY ERIC SHINSEKI SAYS VA WILL MAKE GOOD ON PROMISES TO VETS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Shinseki Vows to Support Military Members, Vets

By Donna Miles

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2012 - Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki offered assurances that VA will make good on its promises to veterans and those currently serving in uniform, despite growth in demand for its services and benefits and federal belt-tightening initiatives.

Shinseki sat with American Forces Press Service during the 26th annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic this week in Snowmass Village, Colo., to discuss VA's $140.3 billion budget request for fiscal 2013 and what it means for those who serve or have served in uniform.

With a 4.5 percent increase in discretionary funding over fiscal 2012 funding levels, Shinseki said it sends a clear message to the nation's 22 million living veterans. "The nation honors and appreciates their service," he said. "It has not forgotten and will not forget."

The funding increases will go primarily toward medical care, disability pay and pensions, jobs and educational and training programs. They also will help build momentum in three priority areas Shinseki has identified: increasing access to care, benefits and services; eliminating the disability claims backlog; and ending veterans' homelessness.

Shinseki said the budget request -- up from $99.9 billion when he arrived at VA in 2009 -- was an easy sell to President Barack Obama, who he said has been a staunch advocate of veterans.

"He gets it, both that sense of obligation, and a responsibility to ensure that these men and women we have sent off to do the nation's business have an opportunity to get back to some kind of normalcy in their lives, and that VA is responsible for carrying that load," Shinseki said of the President's support for veterans.

The VA's workload is anticipated to grow, Shinseki said, with an estimated 1 million service members expected to leave the military during the next five years. And based on the experience of 1.4 million veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan who have left the military as of September, he said the newest veterans will be twice as likely as those from previous generations to take advantage of VA services and benefits.

Shinseki noted that 67 percent of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have come to VA for services or benefits ranging from health care to insurance, home mortgages and Post-9/11 G.I. Bill education. That's a far-higher percentage than for previous generations, he said, noting that roughly 8.8 million, or about one-third of all 22 million living U.S. veterans, are enrolled with the VA.

"So looking down the road, that percentage is going to be pretty significant," he said.

In some respects, VA has become a victim of its own successes and what Shinseki called a "very aggressive" outreach effort to encourage veterans to take advantage of VA programs. "In the last three years, we have pushed very hard to get the message out," he said. It's been a two-prong effort, he added, to educate new veterans, and to "reach out to those who may have tried us and been disappointed in the past to say, 'This is a new VA. Give us another try.'"

The message has clearly resonated, with about 800,000 new veterans enrolling with VA over the past three years and beginning to take advantage of its services.

"As a result, we have been able to present what I think is a good argument for why VA's budget needed to be reinforced, Shinseki said.

The VA budget request includes $52.7 billion for medical care, up 4.1 percent. VA officials estimate that 6.3 million veterans will use its health care services, including about 610,000 veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The request includes $6.2 billion for mental-health, up 5.3 percent from current levels. VA will use the additional funding to conduct more outreach and screenings, better address post-traumatic stress disorder and enhance programs that reduce the stigma of seeking mental-health care, officials said.

The budget also will fund expanded gender-specific care for women veterans and medical research focusing on traumatic brain injury, suicide prevention, PTSD and other needs, officials reported.

New funding in the 2013 budget request, officials said, will help veterans prepare for and secure jobs, building on a national program that includes tax credits for employers, corporate hiring pledges, job fairs and other initiatives.

The budget request will cover Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefits for an estimated 606,000 service members, veterans and family members during fiscal 2013, officials said. A separate funding increase of $9 million would expand the "VetSuccess on Campus" program from 28 college campuses to 80 to provide outreach and supportive services for about 80,000 veterans transitioning from the military to college.

Meanwhile, VA's vocational rehabilitation and employment program will expand services to wounded, ill and injured service members to ease their transition to civilian life, officials said. Program participants are expected to increase from 108,000 in fiscal 2011 to 130,000 next fiscal year.

The budget request proposes $1 billion over five years for a Veterans Job Corp. This effort, projected to put 20,000 veterans to work, would leverage military-acquired skills for jobs protecting and rebuilding U.S. public lands.

Shinseki said VA and the Defense Department are collaborating better than ever before to ensure a smoother transition from the military to VA-assisted ranks.

A task force that blends both departments' expertise is exploring ways to improve transition assistance programs and weave health care, employment, education and entrepreneurship offerings into them. The idea, Shinseki explained, is to put transitioning service members "on a vector to that next phase of their lives, as opposed to the uniform coming off and then having them ask the question, 'What am I going to do now?'"

The goal, he said, is to gear transition assistance programs toward providing veterans "a clear set of choices," that both departments can help support.

Shinseki noted other areas where the close DOD-VA partnership already is helping service members and their families and veterans. VA is the insurer for everyone in the military carrying Servicemembers Group Life Insurance. VA administers Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for service members and their families as well as veterans. VA hospitals already provide specialized care to many active-duty patients.

"So the connection is there," Shinseki said. "And I want all service members and their families to understand that we are there for them, and that is our only mission."
 

SECRETARIES PANETTA AND SHINSEKI DISCUSS VETERANS AFFAIRS

The following excerpt is from a Department of Defense American Forces Press Service e-mail:

"Panetta, Shinseki Discuss Issues of Common Concern

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta welcomed Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki to the Pentagon yesterday for the latest in a series of regular meetings the two secretaries have held on issues of common interest to both departments.

The meeting included a discussion with disabled veterans, two of whom are on the U.S. Paralympic team, about their experiences as they left active service and transitioned to veteran status.

The Paralympic athletes told the two Cabinet members how their respective departments' adaptive sports programs helped them to recover from their injuries and gave new purpose to their lives after the military.

"It is clear that there is a lot of good work being done to help our service members have the smoothest transition possible to veteran status and civilian life," Panetta said. "But there are still too many stories of programs that are poorly connected between our departments and that are time-consuming and plain confusing for our service members and veterans."

Shinseki said he and Panetta are committed to continuing the progress DOD and VA have made.

"The vision Secretary Panetta and I share is to provide an integrated, seamless experience to our people across their lifetime -- from when they raise their hand to take the oath, to when they leave active service and join the veteran ranks, to when they are laid to rest with final honors," he said. "Over the past three years, VA and DOD have made significant progress, but more work remains."

In their meeting, Panetta and Shinseki focused on five areas in which the two departments have joined efforts on behalf of the nation's service members and veterans: the Disability Evaluation System, electronic health records, transition programs, joint pharmacy initiatives and recovery coordination for the wounded, ill and injured.

The two secretaries said they were pleased with the status of plans to implement President Barack Obama's directive to develop a new model for the Transition Assistance Program to ensure that all service members are career-ready when they leave the military.

They also discussed improvements to the Integrated Disability Evaluation System as a result of $400 million recently added to the Defense Department budget over the next five years and VA's commitment to increase the number of personnel supporting administration of the system.

With more than 24,300 service members currently being evaluated for disability ratings through IDES, officials said, the secretaries stressed the importance they attach to shortening the time service members spend waiting for their ratings before they can complete their transition from active duty to veteran status.

Panetta and Shinseki also discussed steps forward on electronic health records, noting that the interagency office established by the two departments to lead the way in building the joint integrated electronic health records system now has new leadership.

The secretaries also received an update on development of the graphical user interface program, in which they learned that doctors at the James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center at North Chicago now can view both VA and DOD patient records simultaneously on a single monitor.

The Lovell Center is a first-of-its-kind partnership between VA and DOD to provide integrated care to service members and veterans in the same facility, officials explained. It has been a testing ground for the departments' efforts to deliver a fully integrated electronic health record for all service members and veterans.

Officials said Panetta and Shinseki plan to meet in Chicago in May to visit the Lovell Center and to review progress on deliverables the two departments have committed to achieve by the end of the year, including:

-- A detailed implementation plan for the revised transition assistance program;

-- Spurring development of electronic transfer of patient files to reduce processing and mailing costs and disability evaluation processing times; and

-- Finalizing a contract for joint pharmacy capability at the Lovell Center."