There are 1.972 million Veterans in California. To connect directly with the California Dept. of Veteran Affairs, call 1-800-952-5626.
We are a coalition of over 85 public and private organizations who are here to provide the best possible networking services to Veterans & their families.www.sacvcsn.org since 2007
Showing posts with label Sacramento Veterans Service Office. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sacramento Veterans Service Office. Show all posts
THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISIORS RE-INSTATED ALL 4 VET REPS AND 1 CLERICAL. THANKS TO ALL YOU VETS THAT CAME ON TUESDAY AND SHOWED THEM YOUR SUPPORT
AND WE THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pass the word The Sacramento Veterans Service Office is HERE TO STAY!!!!! Congratulations to JAN, JOSH, BRUCE, DEL AND RICHARD!!
6/17/10
Close to forty veterans showed up with their caps on to persuade the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors last Tuesday to keep the VSO office intact.
A staffer said that seeing a boatful of veterans in the chamber was quite impressive. It has been a long time since that has happened in a Sacramento public hearing. We are proud and thankful to everyone that showed up.
We also share our gratitude with the Project Team:
We are a nation fighting two major wars with other possible trouble spots around the world.The frequently repetitive deployments of our armed forces are causing extreme stress on our military.The asymmetric warfare in which we are often engaged creates a much higher proportion of “invisible wounds” – post-traumatic stress syndrome and traumatic brain injury.We are fortunate that combat medicine has improved which has reduced the combat death rate compared to our prior wars.However, this battlefield success has also resulted in more survivors who are often plagued with permanent disabilities, both physical and mental.The often-imperceptible nature of these wounds frequently results in a veteran not being aware that he or she needs help for themselves and their families.
According to the American Legion, 25% of these discharged veterans will have a hidden disability (for example, post-traumatic stress syndrome and traumatic brain injury) and 15% will have a clear disability – meaning 4 out of 10 wounded warriors will have earned benefits due them. (1)
For a combat veteran to admit he or she needs help, it takes a great amount of courage for them to take the first step toward asking for assistance.They do not want to appear as needing “welfare” but they are not aware that they have likely earned substantial benefits to help them return and thrive in their civilian lives.
The first contact a discharged veteran has with the government is a critical event. Similar to the “golden hour” in medical triage, there is often only one good shot at getting a veteran reoriented to civilian life.Failure to address discharged veterans’ needs during a very fragile time can produce negative, unintended consequences.We have all seen this happen before.We cannot let it happen again!
SACRAMENTO COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE FY 09-10
Current Workload with Four Veterans Service Officers
Active Cases Pending - The current caseload average for each of the County’s four veterans service officers is 180 – 230 cases pending action from agencies responsible for housing, education and training, health care, employment, and other programs.(See Exhibit A for a listing of benefit programs and services to which veterans have earned access and which veterans service officers must be knowledgeable.Training of veterans service officers is extensive and frequent due to the evolving and complicated nature of benefits.)
Walk-in Applicants - Last year, 1250 veterans walked in to the CVSO with an expectation of slightly more than 100 a month to continue occurring for the foreseeable future.Increases in walk-in traffic are likely due to the larger number of military personnel to be mustered out because of the expected reduction in combat operations overseas.
Interviews: 4,245 in-office interviews conducted (average = 19 per workday)
Benefit Claims:1,638 disability and death benefit claims filed on behalf of veterans, dependents, and survivors
Removal from County General Assistance Program: $257,160 obtained for veterans which supplanted that amount which was being previously drawn from funding for County General Assistance
College Fee Waiver Program:903 College Fee Waiver Program applications for dependents of disabled and deceased veterans, equaling a monetary value of $2,442,375.
SACRAMENTO COUNTY VETERAN POPULATION’S ECONOMIC IMPACT
Currently, well over 100,000 veterans, including members of our reserve forces, reside in Sacramento County.When their family size is factored in to the population, somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000 and possibly more Sacramento County residents are dependent on a veteran’s earned benefits; for example, federally supported service-connected disabilities, education, job training, housing, and other programs that are needed on a timely basis. These programs, largely funded by federal dollars, have been estimated by the CA Department of Veterans Affairs to have a multiplier effect in the local economy of$6 - $7 spent for every dollar of federal support.
The Ad-hoc Veterans Coalition on Sacramento County’s FY 2010-2011 Budget appreciates the recommendation of restoration of two of the four veterans service officer positions proposed for elimination.
However, no one should be led to believe that the previously described workload, which is expected to increase due to the growth in numbers of discharged veterans, can be absorbed and handled by the two remaining positions.Some veterans and their families will have their access to earned benefits compromised as a result of reduced resources.
The insufficient access to trained veterans service officers will be on Sacramento County’s budget docket for the foreseeable future unless other avenues of resourcing are developed for the positions necessary to handle this burgeoning workload.
The Sacramento County Veterans Coalition is willing to work with the County Executive to evaluate longer-term alternative approaches to develop the resources to assure that benefits earned by veterans for themselves, their families and survivors can be obtained on a timely basis.
In the meantime, the Coalition believes one more position; that is, a contingent of three professional staff, would substantially improve the timeliness of veterans’ assistance with claim processing for earned benefits as well as coordination with other agencies for health care, housing, education, and employment.
[1] “Networking Vital for Troops in Transition,” The American Legion Dispatch, March 19, 2010, p. 5
Who: .........all of us ! What: ........Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Meeting Where: ......700 H St., Sacramento, CA 95814 When: .......June 15th, 2010, 1:00pm Why: .........Our returning Veterans NEED us !!!
The Human Services Coordinating Council is another chance to speak for the Mentally Ill, Homeless, Older Adults and Veterans. My first day as a new member was absolutely beautiful ! The Chair of the Mental Health Board wasn't there so I did a good job of winging an update.
I mentioned that we had re-affirmed our relationship with the Older Adults Subcommittee and that I had invited Chief Deputy RC Smith to be a guest speaker after he graciously sought me out to explain his function on the Mental Health Services Act Steering Committee, that being to function as a conduit to all law enforcement county-wide re: training, the mentally ill, and the MHSA --- the result was a wonderful extended presentation and a commitment from the Sheriff's Office to have a representative of the Chief Deputy attend the Mental Health Board meetings on a regular basis -- my hope in this effort is and was that we reduce the incidence of danger when law enforcement and mentally ill encounter each other.
I was touching on Sr. Libby's concern about low income housing during discussion of the General Plan and mentioned the needs of Older Adults particularly and, after Bruce Wagstaff gave an enthusiastic "good news!" report on the latest budget likelihood by department -- skipping some -- I immediately asked about the Sacramento County Veteran's Service Office which was one of those skipped.
Bruce Wagstaff said it was a good question and said he was happy that two of the four positions were not slated for deletion now. I gave an informational summation of the VSO as our veteran's first line of defense on returning home from the war zones; how we're sending healthy kids over to fight and that they're coming back with "jellied brains" (my colloquial, sorry) as well as PTSD now.
New technology protects them better from physical wounds but an IED going off under a vehicle gives the brain a shock I often describe as like "shaken baby syndrome" for an adult.
The term for the new epidemic is called Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI.
Along with the ultra high incidence of TBI & PTSD, further aggrivated by repeated tours without recovery time, I've heard of elevated rates of units discharging service men and women under less than honorable conditions because of "personality disorders" -- an easy fix for a frustrating irritant instead of trying to help one of our wounded recover from it. We've got to help these young people straighten out their lives.
Remember: We sent them over as healthy young kids -- to fight for us !
The Tsunami of veterans returning home with their brains, personalities and emotions -- in fact, their lives -- all scrambled up isn't going to be easy to deal with; ...but deal with it we must; out of compassion for the returning injured warrior and to lessen the inevitable high cost that will be inflicted on communities by jail, prison, and emergency room visits -- not to mention the shattered families and abused or neglected, in fact, twisted and confused children that will precipitate from the lack of solution as untreated Vets turn to drugs and alcohol to self medicate. ...that abandonment might as well read: "Cost!, Cost!, Cost!"
The Veteran's Service Office is the first place our military tells service men and women to go after discharge to file their DD-214 with the County Clerk for free at the place of discharge and to receive help filing for disability benefits. At a VSO the veteran will receive professional case management as opposed to volunteers of service organizations helping with severely limited ability and office hours -- totally inadequate for the job if we're to help our veterans and our communities be healthier.
Later that evening I took the opportunity to make a very similar case and a mention of Safe Ground to the Sacramento City Council and Mayor Kevin Johnson.
June 15th at 1:00 PM we need you to help save our VSO as the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors will be deciding on the segment of the budget funding the VSO. Today we stand to lose two positions out of five at our VSO in Sacramento County.
That's down from losing four -- an 80% cut that was proposed -- reduced to 40% -- still too high.
That's *IF* the budget recommendations are accepted by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.
- There *ARE* no guarantees we can afford to bank on.
- Our Veterans and our community need your help.
- Some can't ask for the help -- and some won't even come home.
- We can't afford *NOT* to help. ...support your County VSO . Who: .........all of us ! What: ........Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Meeting Where: ......700 H St., Sacramento, CA 95814 When: .......June 15th, 2010, 1:00pm Why: .........Our returning Veterans NEED us !!!
We are an a 100% volunteer advocacy network of over 85 public and private Sacramento Valley area organizations, ready to connect Veterans and their families to services and people. Contact Board President, Michelle Smith for more information about joining us, donating time, funding, and services to our greater Sacramento area Veterans: micsmith@brandman.edu 916 817-8840. Our general meetings are held from 2pm to 4pm on the second Tuesday of each month and YOU are invited to attend. For specific information on location, time, etc. please go to www.sacvcsn.org. Thank you.
