New data from the Department of Veterans Affairs reveals that former servicemembers in need of treatment for mental illness continue to face delays in receiving counseling and medication.
USA Today reported that the VA did not help about 34 percent of veterans seeking mental health treatment within two weeks of their application in 2013. The mental health appointments include treatment for substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as psychiatry and psychology counseling.
According to a statement from the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, the federal agency mandates that appointments must be scheduled within a 14-day timeframe.
The news source reported that the waiting period varies depending on the type of illness and treatment. For first-time psychiatric therapy appointments, around half of the 47,700 applicants had a wait longer than two weeks, with the average wait lasting 15 days. Location also impacts the length of the wait. According to the source, veterans at Houston area medical centers were not treated until 28 days later. Los Angeles and Orlando were also among the cities with the worst delays.
A report released by the VA earlier this year stated that the agency is also focused on improving its post-discharge follow up of patients.
As the unemployment rate for veterans who recently returned from service lingers at 10 percent, the federal government has been searching for ways to help former servicemembers succeed in the workforce. A new partnership between the State Department and private businesses seeks to not only bolster veterans, but also strengthen the relationship between the public and private sectors.
During a speech at the State Department, Secretary of State John Kerry announced the Veterans Innovation Partnership, or VIP, a program that will grant returning servicemembers fellowships at the State Department, as well as private companies such as the Overseas Private Investment Corp. According to a statement released by the Department of Defense, the program places an emphasis on international employment.
"The Veterans Innovation Partnership, VIP as we are calling it, is not about just what the State Department can do for veterans, it's really based on the notion that veterans can do a lot for the State Department and that we would be foolish not to try to reach out and harness the talent that exists," Kerry said.
Several other companies and institutions have signed up for the initiative, such as the University of Massachusetts, Boston and robot design company iRobot. According to the DOD, Kerry is encouraging other private sector businesses to join the program.
For veterans currently looking for work, it looks like the Lone Star State might be their best bet.
A recent report ranking the top metropolitan areas for former servicemembers found that Houston was the leader in veteran employment, with neighboring cities Dallas and Austin close behind, Stars and Stripes reported. According to the news source, Houston claimed the No. 1 spot because of its high rate of job creation and its low unemployment numbers.
For mid-sized metropolitan regions, Ann Arbor, Mich. came out as No. 1, while Columbia, Mo., claimed the top spot for small urban areas.
Eric Engquist, whose company compiled the rankings, told the news outlet that he hopes the latest information will help both military and hiring organizations improve their employment resources and support for veterans.
"What we're really telling servicemembers is to do their homework before they leave the military," Engquist said. "You need to be well informed about the opportunities available, and think about where you'll live along with what you want to do."
The unemployment rate for veterans is worst among recent servicemembers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10 percent of veterans who returned from active duty after 2001 are currently unemployed.
Nearly one million veterans will be affected by cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) once the benefits automatically expire Nov. 1 along with the 2009 stimulus bill, Forbes reported.
According to a recently released report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, roughly 900,000 veterans lived in households that are dependent, either whole or part, on SNAP benefits in 2011. In Florida alone, more than 109,000 households include former servicemembers receiving food stamps, while Texas comes in at a close second with roughly 105,000 households.
SNAP benefits were increased for low-income families across the nation due to the 2009 Recovery Act, passed at the height of the recession. According to the Center, the benefits will drop to less than $1.40 per person per meal once the legislation expires.
Thousands of servicemembers returning from active duty depend on food stamps while they look for employment. Even though the overall unemployment rate for veterans is currently lower than the national average of 7.2 percent, 10 percent of veterans who returned from service after 2001 are unemployed.
In addition to veterans, The Associated Press reported that 47 million U.S. citizens – half of which are children and teenagers – receive food stamps each month.
The House of Representatives passed a bill Oct. 28 that's expected to reduce the Department of Veteran Affairs disability claims and appeals backlog through new initiatives, The Marine Corps Times reported. HR 2189, officially known as the Ending VA Claims Disability Backlog and Accountability Act, implements a commission to streamline the VA's processing system.
"Republicans and Democrats came together to support a range of legislation with two overarching goals: helping veterans, while improving accountability and efficiency at the Department of Veterans Affairs," House Veterans Affairs Committee chairman Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., said in a statement released on the committee's website.
According to the VA, disability claims filed with the agency are meant to have a waiting period of only 125 days. However, the VA has seen its backlog grow considerably since 2009. Currently, 67 percent of the backlog is supplemental claims filed for additional veterans benefits, while just 33 percent are first-time claims, stated a recent released Veterans Benefits Administration report.
While HR 2189 is meant to improve the processing of disability claims and appeals, many VA officials believe that the newly created commission will only delay the backlog further.
For its first-ever Veterans Institute workshop taking place Nov. 14, Disney has secured first lady Michelle Obama as keynote speaker, according to entertainment news outlet Variety.
The event, which will be held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., will help small and mid-sized companies create initiatives to hire and support returning servicemembers, the Disney Parks Blog stated. This is the latest effort by the large corporation to assist veterans with their various needs. Last year, Disney launched Heroes Work Here, a company-wide directive that raised funds for veterans' education and recruited former servicemembers for casting roles and more.
Variety reported that Disney has already hired more than 1,000 veterans since implementing the Heroes Work Here program. According to the news source, the company decided to partner with the first lady because of her strong support of veterans. Obama started the Joining Forces program in 2012, providing former servicemembers and military families with the right resources to secure full-time employment, the White House website states.
The news source also reported that ABC anchor Bob Woodruff is scheduled to appear at the workshop, as well as Department of Veterans Affairs senior advisor Rosye Cloud and Disney CEO and chairman Robert Iger.
A tax credit created to help former servicemembers find employment opportunities is set to expire at the end of 2013, jeopardizing the future of veterans in the workforce, according to CNN Money. The credit offers companies a $9,600 incentive to hire veterans, who often have trouble finding work when returning from military service.
Called the Returning Heroes Tax Credit, the law was passed in November 2011. Earlier this year, President Obama called on Congress to make the tax credit a permanent fixture in the nation's fiscal budget. However, the news source stated that Congress has yet to do so, which means the credit will expire unless immediately renewed. The source added that several lawmakers, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-CT, are attempting to keep the tax credit alive through new legislation.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 7.5 percent of veterans are unemployed, just slightly hired than the national unemployment rate, which currently stands at 7.2 percent. While this number is lower than it has been in previous years – when the tax credit was introduced, 8.6 percent of veterans were unemployed – Gulf War-era II veterans continue to have the highest rate of unemployment at more than 11 percent and face a number of obstacles when re-entering the workforce.
Inmates at a medium-security correctional facility in Maryland have been training 24 Labrador retrievers through America's VetDogs, a program that provides disabled veterans and wounded soldiers with service animals, The Baltimore Sun reported.
According to the news source, the inmates take care of the dogs for a year and work with a specialized dog trainer once a week in order to teach their dogs approximately 30 commands, such as picking up canes and opening cabinets.
"The VetDogs program was created so that America's veterans would have the opportunity and the chance to live with pride and self-reliance once again," the organization's website states.
In addition to service animals, America's VetDogs also provides guide dogs to veterans who are visually impaired.
The unlikely partnership between the veterans organization and the state correctional facility has not only fostered a strong connection between former servicemembers and inmates, but also between the inmates and their four-legged trainees. The news source reported that the dogs sleep and eat with the inmates, helping them pass the time of their prison sentences and instilling them with a new sense of purpose. One inmate told the news outlet that his Labrador became his "child."
Michigan has been suffering from a lack of skilled workers, impacting labor industries ranging from agriculture to construction. Utilizing veterans to their full potential, however, might help alleviate this shortage.
A recent report compiled by the state's Department of Technology, Management and Budget suggested that Michigan's large veteran population, which accounts for 8.8 percent of its adult population, is currently an untapped labor resource. Even though Michigan veterans only have a 44 percent labor participation rate, journalist Rick Haglund, writing for Michigan Live, suggested that returning servicemembers could put their acquired field skills to good use in the state's diverse labor market.
According to the report, veterans in Michigan are well-educated – about 1 in 4 hold a bachelor's degree or higher – and more likely than non-veterans to graduate high school. While veterans have the skills to be major players in the workforce, they might need some extra coaxing.
"We need to ensure our employers understand the value of military service and education," Christine Quinn, director of the state's Workforce Development Agency, told Michigan Live. "And we need to assist our veterans by taking their military experiences and cross-walking them into opportunities that fit the demand from employers."
According to the news source, the federal government has already started implementing programs to incorporate veterans into the labor ranks, including an August 2013 directive from the U.S. Labor Department requiring government contractors to have veterans compose 8 percent of their employees. Meanwhile, Michigan has a "Shifting Heroes" program that provides employment specialists to former servicemembers.
Police officials in an eastern Massachusetts town are notifying residents of a phone scam that purports to solicit money for former servicemembers, Your Town Hingham reported.
The Hingham Police Department sent an email to the town's residents this week, warning them about the so-called Hingham Veterans that has recently attempted to solicit money over the phone. About 15 complaints of solicitations were filed Oct. 24, raising the police department's suspicions.
Authority officials told the news source that while the phone calls are being driven by a real veterans organization – the Vietnam Veterans of Massachusetts – the Hingham Veterans group does not exist. The town, however, does have a Veterans Services department.
According to the news outlet, the veterans group hired a firm to collect the funds, some of which are going to actual veterans who do not reside in Hingham. This goes against the paperwork the firm, Focal Point Consulting, handed in to Veterans Services.
"To hire a firm that when [a resident asks], 'Is it going to Hingham veterans,' and they say, 'Yes,' that could be fraudulent," Hingham Veterans Service Officer Keith Jermyn told the news source.