ADVOCATING FOR YOUR
MILITARY VETERAN:
What You Should Know and How to Get Services
Linda Mintle, Ph.D. Chair, Behavioral Health
Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine
WHY SHOULD WE
ADVOCATE?
•
George Washington
•
“The willingness with which our young people are
likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified,
shall be directly proportional to how they perceive
the veterans of earlier wars were treated and
appreciated by their nation.”
TODAY’S VETERANS
•
Volunteers, self-selected
•
More educated than the typical American
•
Physically and mentally healthier than population at
large
•
Record levels of Reserve and National Guard forces
(older and more educated than active duty)
TODAY’S VETERANS
•
Conflicts characterized by chronic, low-tomoderate levels of violence vs dramatic, high
intensity battles of the past. •
Civilians mixed in with combatants and no front
lines.
THUS…
•
More exposure to civilian suffering
•
Less sure of adversaries •
Both lead to more psychological effects
STATS
•
45% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are currently
seeking compensation for service-connected
disabilities, and about one-third of all new veterans
are being granted some level of disability benefits.
MOST COMMON
•
Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears •
The second most prevalent is partial hearing loss
•
Other common conditions include afflictions like
arthritis and lower-back strain.
PTSD
•
Must experience some level of social or
occupational impairment (the most serious
disability rating, of 100%, is reserved for total
occupational and social impairment, persistent
delusions, and symptoms of comparable severity)
US DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN
AFFAIRS BENEFITS
•
Disability compensation
•
Pension •
Education
•
Home loans
•
Life insurance
MORE BENEFITS
•
Vocational rehabilitation •
Survivors' benefits
•
Medical benefits •
Burial benefits.
VA HEALTH BENEFITS http://www.va.gov/opa/persona/index.asp
•
Inpatient hospital care
•
Outpatient services to promote, preserve, or restore health
•
Traditional hospital services-surgery, critical care, orthopedics, pharmacy,
radiology, and physical therapy
•
Mental health-e.g., Bereavement Counseling, etc. •
Programs-e.g., Healthy living, quit smoking, etc.
•
Groups-Homeless, rural veterans, women, combat vets and families, etc.
FOCUS ON 2 MAIN BENEFITS
•
Compensation: Benefit paid on the basis of the
kind and severity of a disability that happened as a
result of the veteran’s active duty in military service.
•
Pension: Benefit paid on the basis of a disability
that was not a result of active service in the military,
or because of age. Pension is also based on income.
GET STARTED
•
Enroll in the VA Benefits
•
Obtain an E Benefits account and apply for your
claims on-line
YOU WILL NEED
•
Discharge or separation
papers
•
Dependency records
•
Private medical records
•
Service treatment records
and supporting statements
THEN…
•
Get all the information together and make a copy
for yourself
•
Submit it all at once in what is called a Fully
Developed Claim •
Track the status of the claim on eBenefits.va.gov
CLAIMS
•
Go to a Claims staff at a VA processing center
•
Rated in increments of 10% from 0% to 100%
•
Benefit awarded—usually within 9 months
!
PENSION
•
65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled
•
Served on active duty with at least one day during a
period of war
•
Income and net worth don’t exceed certain limitations
•
Special: Due to a mental or physical disability that
requires assistance of another person
COMPENSATION
•
Benefits due if veteran has a disability that is the
result of an injury, disease, or an event in military
service. •
Needs to be at least 10% disabling.
FRUSTRATING: SERVICE-CONNECTED COMPENSATION
•
Wait 6 months before receiving a decision from a VA
Regional Office (VARO)
•
If denied, the appeal process can take another 6 months to 2
years at local level and then is forwarded to next level in DC
•
Then 2 years for decision by the Board of Veteran Affairs
•
If denied, can take 10 or more years waiting for another
decision
WHY?
•
VA laws and regulations are complex, convoluted
and under constant change.
•
Easy to overlook a piece of needed information. •
Forms are confusing.
WHAT HELPS?
•
Vets represented by attorneys have the lowest
denial rate.
•
Veterans who are represented by claim agents
have an even higher success rate.
WHAT IS ADVOCACY?
•
Basic communication skills
•
Listening to what other people have to say
•
Talking about what the veteran needs that is
important
3 TYPES OF ADVOCACY
•
Self-advocacy: Understand and communicate your
own needs to others. The veteran tries to navigate the
system on his/her own. •
Individual advocacy: Speaking out on behalf of the
veteran. Family members can do this. •
Systems advocacy: Attempting to change policy,
government, rules, regulations, etc.
COMMUNITY ADVOCACY
•
Share your experiences
with others. •
EX: Work with the local
chapter of the Brain Injury
Association of America,
Wounded Warrior Project
•
Raise awareness for specific
issues like TBI
WHEN TO ADVOCATE
•
Problems or concerns with the veterans care; identify what
you think the vet needs
•
Be specific: Talk to the health team directly. Doctors make
rounds early am so may be best time to reach them or the
team. •
Be firm, but cooperative
•
No response, keep asking
STRATEGIES
•
Not getting results: Contact the Ombudsman or
Patient Advocate at the service facility •
Bring questions when attending care conferences
•
Take notes during meetings for the vet
•
Explain your concerns but do not tell the worker
how to do their jobs
MORE STRATEGIES
•
Be kind and build a relationship with the health care
workers. •
Work cooperatively, they don’t always know the need.
•
Give workers reasons why your loved one needs
great care. Tell stories so they get to know the veteran
well.
KEEP UP WITH CHANGES
•
December 2014: Expanded eligibility for Veterans in need of
mental health care due to sexual assault or sexual harassment
that occur during military service (military sexual trauma—
MST)
•
Now includes Reservists and National Guard members
participating in weekend drill •
Don’t need a service-connected disability or compensation
or be enrolled in VA’s health care system for treatment.
PATIENT ADVOCACY
PROGRAM
•
For all veterans and their families who receive care at
the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities
and clinics.
•
Treatment team: Doctor, nurse, social worker, dietitian,
pharmacist, chaplain, therapist and other professionals
•
Contact a PA if your concerns are not being addressed
by your treatment team
TIPS
•
Be proactive; Don’t wait for
feedback
•
Research and know the
laws, e.g., Americans with
Disabilities Act, the
Uniformed Services
Employment and
Reemployment Rights Act.
Family Medical Leave Act.
MORE TIPS
•
Seek out resources
•
Be familiar with the signs and symptoms of PTSD and
TBI (1/3 of the military population is working through
challenges related to stress, depression and head
injury)
•
About Face: Resource from National Center on PTSD
MORE TIPS
•
Write to Congress people
•
Know where to find the resources you need. •
Keep a log of people, places resources and share
with others.
RESOURCES
•
National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates, Inc. (NOVA)
•
The Patient Advocacy Program
•
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
•
National Veterans Legal Services Program
•
Veterans Benefits Center-The American Legion
•
Disabled American Vets (DAV)
SUM
•
The work is time consuming, complicated and
laborious, but in the end you can really help a
veteran by getting the benefits needed.