An Overview of the Issues Confronting ServiceDisabled Veterans Transitioning from the Military

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VETERANS IN TRANSITION

• An Overview of the Issues Confronting
  Service-Disabled Veterans Transitioning from the
  Military
• Presentation for the Joint Center for Political
  Economic Studies on
• The Burden of War in Iraq Who is Bearing It
  and What are We Doing to Ease it
• Presented By Joe Wynn, Legislative Liaison,
  National Association for Black Veterans
  (NABVETS), President, The Veterans Enterprise
  Training Services Group (VETS Group)
• 4014 Georgia Avenue, N.W. - Washington, D.C.
  20011
• [phone] JoeWynn_at_VetsGroup.org
• www.Nabvets.org www.VetsGroup.org
• Tuesday, March 20, 2007

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About the Presenter Joe Wynn
U.S. Airforce - Vietnam Era Veteran Legislative
Liaison - National Association for Black Veterans
(NABVETS) President/Founder of the VETS
Group Treasurer - Veterans Entrepreneurship Task
Force SBA Veterans Small Business Advocate for
2005 Commissioner Veterans Disab Benefits
Comm NAACP 2006 Julius E. Williams Distinguished
Community Service Award
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• A Nationally Certified Veterans Service
  Organization - HQ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin over 35
  years.
• Chapter in D.C., Seattle, Atlanta, Florida,
  Hawaii, and other major cities across the Nation.
• Providing supportive services for over 75,000
  veterans
• Working in Unity with the Community to provide
  holistic services for Veterans in the areas of
  Health, Welfare, Rehabilitation, Employment,
  Education, Economic Empowerment, Incarceration,
  and Transitional Housing
• Editor of the award-winning Eclipse veterans
  magazine

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The Veterans Enterprise Training and Services
Group, Inc.

• Non-profit 501(c)3 - Community Based Organization
• Supportive Svcs for Veteran Owned Small
  Businesses
• Federal Procurement Training, Mentoring,
  Counseling
• Advocacy to Alleviate Discrimination Barriers
• Access to Capital, Patriot Resource Partners,
  Advisors
• ALL ACTIVITIES PRIMARILY DIRECTED TOWARD VETERANS
  OF THE US MILITARY, THEIR FAMILIES, THE NATIONAL
  GUARD, RESERVES, AND VETERANS DISABLED IN OR
  AFTER SERVICE

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VETERANS ENTREPRENEURSHIP TASK FORCE (VET-Force)

• Formed in 1998 to oversee the implementation of
  laws and resulting programs for veterans
  interested in starting or expanding their own
  small businesses
• Veteran Service Organizations, Veteran Business
  Owners, and agency/Congressional representatives
• Special emphasis on Service-Disabled Veterans
  seeking to participate in the Federal Marketplace
• Identify Agency/Prime Procurement Opportunities
• Apprises Congress, Federal, State, Local
  Agencies, on the effectiveness of Veteran
  Business Legislation

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VETERANS DISABILITY BENEFITS COMMISSION

• COMMISSION CHARGE PL108-136 National Defense
  Auth Act 04
• Determine Appropriateness
• Benefits
• Level of Benefits
• Standards for Determining whether Compensated
• Evaluate Assess
• Laws Regulations
• Rates (Rating Schedule average loss of earnings
  capacity)
• Comparable disability benefits by Federal, State,
  private sector

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VETERANS DISABILITY BENEFITS COMMISSION

• 31 RESEARCH QUESTIONS www.VetsCommission.org
• BENEFITS Type, Level, Amount of Compensation
• STANDARDS Line of Duty, Age as a Factor,
  Concurrent Receipt, Duty to Assist, Lump Sum,
  Reasonable Doubt, Character of Discharge, Time
  Limit to File a Claim
• CLAIMS PROCESS Initial, Medical Evaluations,
  Appeals
• TRANSITION ISSUES From Active Duty Military into
  VA Health Care and Benefits Systems and Community
• CNA- Center for Naval Analysis Income Analysis,
  Surveys, IU
• IOM- Institute of Medicine Medical Criteria
  Rating Schedule PTSD Rating Criteria -
  Diagnosis, Treatment, Compensation Thresholds
  for Ancillary/Special Purpose Benefits, and
  Presumptions

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VETERANS DISABILITY BENEFITS COMMISSION

• COMMISSION MAKE UP
• 13 Members
• 2 appointments each by (total of 8)
• House Speaker Minority Leader
• Senate Majority Minority Leaders
• 5 appoints by the President
• 12 of 13 Members are veterans, 9 combat veterans.
  Over 260 years of combined military experience.
• 2 Medals of Honor 9 Silver Stars
• 2 Distinguished Service Crosses
• 6 Distinguished Flying Crosses
• 5 Bronze Stars for Valor
• 13 Purple Hearts, and
• 8 Combat Infantry Badges or Combat Action Ribbons

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COMPENSATION SCALE

• Compensation Rates (Based on one or more
  disabilities)
• 0 - No Compensation but other benefit
  entitlements
• 10 - 112 ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS
• 20 - 218 Special Monthly Compensation
  82/mo
• 30 - 337 Aid and Attendance
• 40 - 485
• 50 - 690 Based on Avg Loss of
  Earnings
• 60 - 873
• 70 - 1,099 Portion Based on Quality of
  Life?
• 80 - 1,277
• 90 - 1,436 Total Disability 100 with SMC
  r-2
• 100 - 2,393 6,404 per month
• Rating also determines your VA healthcare
  priority group 1-8. Veterans in groups 7 and 8
  have a co-payment based on means. (Enrollment in
  these groups is currently on hold)

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TRANSITION ISSUES

• DOD VA Coordination Seamless Transition
• Physical Disability Evaluation Sys Policy
  Variances
• Inconsistent Ratings, Non-standardized personnel
  training Records Transfer Paper vs Electronic
• Joint Executive Council (JEC) VA/DOD
  Coordination
• VA Health VA Benefits Coordination
• Medical Exams Multiple Physical Claims,
  Psychological Degree of Subjectivity
  Inconsistent Ratings Training Coordination of
  Raters, CP Examiners
• Mental Injuries Disorders Better Diagnosis
  Treatment, Longterm follow up
• PTSD TBI

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TRANSITION ISSUES

• POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)
• PTSD Intense fear and/or helplessness caused by
  a traumatic event. Symptoms include
  re-experiencing the trauma through nightmares,
  obsessive thoughts, flashbacks, avoidance.
• What is beyond argument, is that the more combat
  exposure a soldier sees, the greater the odds
  that soldiers will suffer mental and emotional
  stress that can become debilitating. And in wars
  without fronts, combat support troops are just as
  likely to be affected by the same traumas as
  infantry personnel.
• There is also a higher incidence of PTSD and
  mental health concerns among women veterans
  (according to Pentagon study released in March
  2006).

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TRANSITION ISSUES

• TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI)
• THE SIGNATURE WOUND OF THE WAR IN IRAQ.
• TBI Defined as a serious condition resulting
  from physical trauma to the skull, from a blow,
  jolt, or penetrating object, that damages the
  brains structure or function. (Rated as Mild to
  Severe and estimated that 50 of all combat
  injuries are blast injuries)
• VA OIG report July 12, 2006 found that better
  coordination of care was needed to enable
  veterans to make a smoother transition between
  DOD and VA health care services.
• Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC)
• 5 Polytrauma Centers

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TRANSITION SUPPORT

• Supportive Services (Before After Discharge)
• Veteran Family - TAP, BDD, Military Severely
  Injured Ctr (2005 DOD) Army Wounded Warrior,
  Navy Safe Harbor, Marines4Life, AirForce Palace
  Heart
• Family Advocacy Program Guard Reserves
• DOD Military Community Family Policy (No VA
  counterpart)
• DOL-Veterans Employment Training Service Real
  Life Lines
• VA Vocational Rehabilitation Employment Program
• Veteran Service Organizations

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COMMUNITY REINTEGRATION

• ACCESS TO PRIVATE HEALTH CARE REMOTE AREAS
• OUTREACH Getting to those who slip through the
  cracks
• THE CAREGIVER Non Family Member
• COMMUNITY RESOURCES Real Dollars
• SELF-EMPLOYMENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP as an Option
• DOD has never met the mandatory requirement of
  procuring a minimum of 3 of all of its goods and
  services from Service Disabled Veteran Owned
  Businesses.

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The True Measure of Success

• The extent that veterans are able to re-enter
  society, as close to or better than they were
  when they left,
• and for those disabled due to service, at a
  minimum, to achieve stability of function a
  decent quality of life.
• The Total Cost of War
• Support for Our Troops and
• Care for Our Veterans their Families
• FOREVER
• Its the Right Thing to Do!

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CALL TO ACTION

• Veterans Helping Veterans
• to Succeed
• NABVETS
• THE VETS GROUP