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Serving Those Who Served Since 1864
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Public Act 13-34

• Requiring Cities and Towns to Designate a
  Veterans Service Contact Person. Effective 1 Oct
  2013
• Cities or Towns may form a local Veterans
  Advisory CommitteeOR
• Appoint an employee to serve as a Veterans
  Service Contact Person and complete an annual
  training course conducted by CT-DVA, OAA

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Public Act 13-34 Duties Responsibilities

• Reemployment
• Education
• Rehabilitation
• Adjustment to Peacetime Living
• Coord w/Local, State National Govt Private
  Agencies to secure benefits
• Coord Vocational Training Services

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240,000 Veterans in Connecticut
CT VETERANS ARE 10 of
the Population 45 over 65 17 are 55-59 years
of age 8 are Women 17 use VA Connecticut Health
Care 10 have Service Connected
Disabilities Over 20,500 Connecticut citizens
have been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan
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• Connecticut
• Department of Veterans Affairs
• The First Home for Veterans in the Nation Est.
  1864

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The Fitch Home

• The first home for disabled war veterans in the
  United States.
• Founded on July 4, 1864, it was known as Fitchs
  Home for
• Soldiers and their Orphans.
• Benjamin Fitch establish the home for Civil War
  veterans and for
• Children whose fathers were killed in that war.
• From 1864 to 1940 the Fitch home served the needs
  of hundred of orphans and thousands of men who
  served their country in various wars.
• In 1940 the Fitch Home became the Connecticut
  State Veterans Hospital and relocated at Rocky
  Hill.

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CONNECTICUT VETERANS HOME AT ROCKY
HILL ESTABLISHED 1940
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ROCKY HILL VETERANS HOMEServing those Who
Served
Over 400 veterans live at the Ct Veterans
Home From all of our nations conflicts
WWII Korea
Vietnam Era Gulf War
Iraq Afghanistan

Gulf War
World War II
Iraq
Korea
Vietnam

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Veterans Home at Rocky Hill, CT

• Health Care Facility, 125 Beds
• Residential and Rehabilitative Services, 350 Beds
• Substance Abuse Program, 50 Beds
• Must be a Connecticut Resident
• Have An Honorable Discharge
• Fee for Services Provided

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RESIDENTIAL FACILITYFocus on Homeless and Needy
Veterans
BASIC SERVICES Food, Clothing Medical
Care Veteran Improvement Program
Residential Services Vocational Counseling
and Job Placement Recreational
Activities Case Management Services
Educational Opportunities
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Residential Rehabilitation Services

• Room and Board
• Substance Abuse Treatment and Counseling
• Training and Education
• Temporary Employment
• Interagency Work Experience
• Job Placement and Assistance
• Recreational Services
• Social Work Services
• Supportive Housing for Working Veterans

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VETERANS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMSubstance Abuse
Recovery at Fellowship House

• Professional Staff Program to Assist
  Veterans with drug and alcohol abuse problems.
• 6 months Intensive Clinical Treatment
• 6 months Residential Treatment and Support
• Vocational and Employment Support Services during
  treatment
• Collaboration with VA Connecticut and Connecticut
  Department of Mental Health and Addiction
  Services

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Homeless Veterans In Connecticut

• 1/3 of Homeless Adults are Veterans
• 900 in CT, 200,000 Nationwide
• ½ Have Mental Issues
• 70 Have Alcohol and Substance Abuse Problems
• Poor Economy Has Increased Homeless Numbers

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VA Homeless Programs

• Homeless Outreach Engagement (Find em and Fix
  em)
• Transitional Housing
• (Grant Per Diem)
• Permanent Housing in the Community
• HUD-VASH Housing
• Veteran Justice Outreach

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Patriots Landing

• Provides Temporary Housing, NTE One Year
• (5) Fully Equipped Houses, (16) Beds
• OIF, OEF, OND Veterans Priority
• All Other Veterans, Space Available
• CT Resident
• Honorable Discharge
• Independent Living
• Single Veterans
• Fee For Services
• Smoke, Alcohol and Drug Free Environment
• Residential Programs and Services

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Sgt John L. Levitow Veterans Health Center opened
Oct 2008

• State of the Art
• Long Term Healthcare
• 125 Bed Facility
• Infrastructure improvements
• Alzheimers Wing
• Respite Care
• Hospice Care
• Therapy Areas
• Family Areas
• Recreation Areas
• Internet Café
• Gov Rell Room

11,838,343 State Funding 21,985,494 Federal
Grant PROJECT TOTAL 33,823,838
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Sgt John L. Levitow Veterans Health Center opened
Oct 2008
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Connecticut Veterans Cemetery System
Darien, SPRING GROVE CEMETERY Established 1884
CLOSED Rocky Hill, COLONEL RAYMOND GATES
Established 1959 OPEN Middletown, STATE
VETERANS CEMETERY Established 1984 OPEN

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CT DVA OFFICE OF ADVOCACY AND ASSISTANCEConnecti
ng Connecticuts Veterans to the Benefits They
EARNED

• 8 Service Officers authorized to assist veterans
  and their families to access Federal, State or
  Municipality Services and Benefits
• CO-LOCATED with the Federal VA Regional Office in
  NEWINGTON
• And in EACH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
• WATERBURY, BRIDGEPORT, NORWICH and
• MILFORD
• CALL Vets INFO LINE 1-866-9CT-VETS or
  www.ct.gov/ctva
• We have obtained over 45 million in new
  Pensions, Disability Compensation, Educational,
  Home Loans, Healthcare and Burial Benefits for
  Connecticut Veterans and their Families

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Connecticut Veterans Benefits

• Municipal Property Tax Exemptions
• Education Benefits, Tuition Waiver
• Financial Assistance Soldiers Sailors Marines
  Fund, Temp Emer Asst Fund
• Employment Benefits, Veterans Preference Points
• State Employee Retirement Benefits
• DMV Registration License Fee Exemption
• Honorary H.S. Diplomas for WWII, Korea and
  Vietnam Veterans

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Connecticut Veterans Benefits

• Burial in State Veterans Cemetery
• CT Wartime Service Medal
• Housing Preference Home Loans
• CT Veterans Registry
• Military Support Program
• Flag on Drivers License, Vets ID

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The Connecticut Wartime Service Medaland the
Veterans Hall of Fame
Gov. Rell presents the Hall of Fame Medal to Navy
Veteran Dr. James Sedalia Peters II
To Date over 28,000 Connecticut Wartime Medals
have been awarded to our veterans
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Partners in Service to Veterans
Heroes for Hire Veterans Job Fairs
Co-Sponsored by CT Dept of Labor and CT DVA
Thousands of Veterans meet with 200CT companies
about employment training opportunities
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Gov Rells Veterans OASIS Program Operation
Academic Support for Incoming Servicepersons

• A Public/Private Partnership
• Each Public College and University
• Drop-In Room for Returning Veterans
• Resources, Renewal, Relationships
• Veteran to Veteran
• 17 OASIS Centers are open

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CT Military Support Program
Call Center 866-251-2913 A Joint Program of CT
National Guard, Dept of Veterans Affairs
Dept. of Mental Health and Addiction
Services offers free and confidential counseling
for Relationship and family issues Depression,
stress and anxiety Child and youth
issues Substance abuse Who is eligible for
support? Connecticut Veterans of all wars and
their Spouses or Significant others, Teens,
Kids, Siblings, Parents, Grandparents
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Veterans Administration

• Veterans Health Administration, VHA
• Veterans Benefits Administration, VBA
• West Haven and Newington Campus
• Outpatient Clinic Locations
• Danbury
• New London
• Stamford
• Waterbury
• Willimantic
• Winsted

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Veterans Readjustment Counseling Centers, (Vets
Centers)

• Danbury
• Norwich
• Rocky Hill
• West Haven

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VA Healthcare

• Establish eligibility, VA Form 10-10EZ
• Priority Groups 1 through 8 based on disability
  and level of income. (See Ch 1,Fed Benefits Book
• OIF/OEF 5 yr VA Healthcare

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Filing a Claim

• Contact a Veterans Service Officer
• Provide all Supporting Medical Documentation
• Complete a Comp and Pen Exam
• Backlog, 2 yr, 1 yr,
• 125 day goal, End 2014
• VBMS, FDC, e-benefits, My Healthevet, PMC
• Be Patient

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Today America has deployed over 2.4 million Armed
Forces in the current conflicts in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Connecticut has sent 20,500 to war
since 9/11/01. Connecticut will be ready when
they come home, just as we always have been.
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Questions ???

• Connecticut Veterans Website
  
• www.veterans.ct.gov
• CT Dept of Veterans Affairs
• www.ct.gov/ctva
• Veterans Administration
• www.va.gov