Center for Women Veterans
April 14, 2013
Tennessee Women Veterans Summit 2013
Betty Moseley Brown, EdD
Associate Director, Center for Women Veterans
4/8/2015
DRAFT/ PRE-DECISIONAL
1
Overview

Congressional Mandate

How Other Organizations Can Help

Our Mission – What we Do


Objectives of Center for Women
Veterans Partnerships
2011 National Training Summit on
Women Veterans

How Women Veterans Can Obtain
Local Assistance

Did You Know?

“Make the Connection Campaign”

Summary-Where We Are Going

How to Contact the Center

Women Veterans Demographics

Women Veterans Challenges

Initiatives to Address Challenges

How the Center Uses Partnerships

Are You Ready to Serve

VA Women Veterans-Specific
Resources
2
Congressional Mandate
November 1994, Public
Law 103-446 required
VA to create
The Center for
Women Veterans
to monitor and coordinate
VA programs for women
3
Our Mission – What We Do
 Monitor and coordinate VA’s administration of health
care and benefits services, and programs for women
Veterans.
 Serve as an advocate for a cultural transformation
(both within VA and in the general public) in
recognizing the service and contributions of women
Veterans and women in the military.
 Raise awareness of the responsibility to treat women
Veterans with dignity and respect.
4
Objectives of Center for Women Veterans
(Center) Partnerships
 To improve extended knowledge among partners to
enhance outreach to women Veterans.
 To describe how joint outreach is marketed to make
women Veterans aware of their benefits and services.
 To create collaborative partnerships with DoD and
other federal, state and local organizations to raise
awareness of VA benefits and services to women
Veterans.
5
Women Veterans Demographics
 One of the fastest growing Veterans subpopulation.
Based on active duty and recruiting numbers, the
percentage of female Veterans is projected to increase.
 By 2020, VA projects that 10.5 percent of Veterans we
serve will be women Veterans.
 2.24 million living women Veterans of the 22.3 million
Veterans (VetPop as of 9/30/12).
 20 percent of all military recruits are women.
 Median female Veteran’s age is 49; male Veteran’s age
is 64 (as of 9/30/12).
6
Women Veterans Challenges
 Many women Veterans do not self identify as Veterans.
 Many are not aware of and do not apply for VA’s benefits
and services.
 In some areas, access to VA’s gender-specific care may
be limited – use fee basis and contracts.
 Disparities in health care – VHA established the Office of
Health Equity to address issues.
 Lower utilization: Outreaching to women Veterans who
live in rural areas and on American Indian Reservations,
and who are low income, or elderly.
7
Women VHA Users Doubled Since 2000
2012:
360,000
2000:
159,000
4/2013
8
Gender-Specific
Programs
4/2013
9
Health Care Available for Women Veterans
General Care






4/2013
10
Health evaluation and
counseling
Disease prevention
Nutrition counseling
Weight control
Smoking cessation
Substance abuse
counseling and
treatment
Gender-specific primary care







Cervical cancer screens (Pap smears)
Breast cancer screens (mammograms)
Birth control
Preconception counseling and care
Maternity & newborn care
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine
Menopausal support (hormone
replacement therapy)
 Emergency services for women
Veterans
Health Care Available for Women Veterans
Mental health care
 Evaluation and assistance for depression, mood, and anxiety
disorders
 Intimate partner and domestic violence
 Military sexual trauma
 Elder abuse or neglect
 Parenting and anger management
 Marital, caregiver, or family-related stress
 Post-deployment adjustment or post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD)
4/2013
11
Informing Women Veterans
www.womenshealth.va.gov
FAQs and Fact Sheets
Social Media Messaging
Women Targeted
Health Campaigns
Information Videos
(internal/external)
4/2013
12
Meeting the Needs of Women
Veterans
Research is a key component in VA's initiative
to improve services for women Veterans.
VA has just released a report which
examines the demographic profile of female
VA patients—who they are, how old they are,
where they live and how they use VA.
The report, Sourcebook: Women Veterans in the Veterans Health
Administration–Volume 2 (5.2 MB, PDF), presents data that will
inform policy and planning as VA looks at new ways of providing
care to women Veterans.
4/2013
13
Making Women Veterans a Priority
at VA
Changing the VA Culture
• Women Veterans Health Care is leading a
VA-wide communication initiative to
enhance the language, practice and
culture of VA to be more inclusive of
women Veterans
4/2013
14
Targeting Critical Health Care
Issues for Women Veterans and VA
Staff
4/2013
15
1 Minute Favorite…
4/8/2015
16
Benefits Assistance for Women Veterans
VA increasing outreach to women
Veterans for faster, easier access to
benefits and assistance
• Established full-time Women Veteran
Coordinators in all Regional Offices
• Launched women Veterans outreach call
center in June 2011
– Contacted more than 18,000
women Veterans since inception
• Developed benefits pamphlet
exclusively on gender specific disabilities
• Deploying eBenefits Enhanced User
Personalization tailored specifically for
women Veterans
eBenefits: online 24/7 access to benefits, health and employment information: www.ebenefits.va.gov 17
Expanding Access:
Outreach to Women Veterans
Barbara Herman, Sacramento National Cemetery, shares information with a
U.S. Air Force Veteran at a March 2013 event honoring military women
Keeping the Promise, Together
18
Expanding Access: NCA Outreach/ Mobile Command
Vehicle
Keeping the Promise, Together
19
Caring for those
who have borne the battle….
Interment of World War II Marine Margaret A. Osgood and 32 other
Unclaimed Veterans and Spouses at Quantico National Cemetery, VA,
March 16, 2013
Keeping the Promise, Together
20
Initiatives to Address Challenges
 Joint outreach to educate and raise awareness about
eligibility.
 Enhancement of Center for Women Veterans Website to
educate about VA’s programs, on Facebook, VA Blog,
Twitter, etc.
 Usage of fee basis and contracts when appropriate.
 Work with VA Administrations, and other Federal
agencies to address disparities in care and services
availability. VHA established the Office of Health Equity
to address issues.
21
VA Women Veterans-Specific Resources
 Full-time women Veterans program managers (WVPM) at VA
health care facilities across the country to outreach to
women Veterans and assist them with accessing VA’s health
care services.
 Designated women Veterans coordinators (WVC) at all 56
VA regional offices (RO); staff trained on serving women
Veterans (specifically on military sexual trauma claims).
 VA presence on social media sites: Blog, Twitter, Facebook,
Flickr, and YouTube.
 Collaboration across program offices, stakeholders, and nonVA agencies to enhance mental health and homeless
services among women Veterans.
22
How other Organizations can Help with
Outreach
 Serve as an advocate for women Veterans.
 Raise awareness and educate women, so they will self
identify and understand the benefits to which they are
entitled.
 Encourage women Veterans to apply for benefits and
services, such as compensation for injuries or illnesses
incurred during military service, home loans, GI Bill for
education, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment
Training, and health care, etc.
23
How Other Organizations Can Help with
Outreach
 Collaborate and work with local WVPMs and WVCs, Vet
Centers, Community Based Outpatient Clinics and Veterans
service organizations to facilitate Veterans’ access to services.
 Invite VA subject matter experts to present at various joint
outreach local programs on services.
 Provide temporary financial assistance to help women
Veterans, especially those with children, and those who are at
risk for homelessness where possible.
 Collaborate with local community and faith-based agencies
that offer food and clothing assistance for women Veterans,
especially those with children.
24
2011 National Training Summit on Women Veterans
Key themes:
1. Culture Change
2. Gender-Specific Comprehensive Primary Care
3. Role of Women Veterans Program Managers (WVPMs)
4. Outreach and Marketing
5. Proficient Health Care Providers for Women Veterans
6. Agency Collaboration
7. Patient-Centered Care and Patient Aligned Care Teams
(PACT)
8. Homelessness
9. Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
10. Privacy, Safety, and Environment of Care (EOC)
25
Summary - Where We Are Going
 The Women Veterans Program (WVP) was officially
transferred to the Center for Women Veterans on September
11, 2012 to identify gaps in services and identify
opportunities to better serve women Veterans, and then
develop results-oriented recommendations to decisively
advance VA’s efforts to address women Veterans’ needs.
 Enhancing access and joint outreach efforts – a Secretarial
priority.
 Connecting women Veterans with knowledge of VA benefits
and services through educational events, mass media and
technology.
26
Summary - Where We Are Going
 Continuously promoting recognition of women Veterans’
service and contributions of women Veterans and women
in the military, e.g. “Her Story” campaign, “the Right Place”
PSA, and “Please Don’t Call Me Mister” campaigns.
27
How to Contact the Center
Staff Members:
 Dr. Betty Moseley Brown
 Desiree Long
 Shannon Middleton
 Michelle Terry
 Juanita Mullen (American
Indian Liaison)
 Major Khanh T. Diep
Address:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Center for Women Veterans (00W)
810 Vermont Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20420
Phone: 202-461-6193
Fax: 202-273-7092
Website: www.va.gov/womenvet
Email: 00W@mail.va.gov
28