News

Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 12:29 PM

Subject: VA Vet Centers Coming

Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 14:17:17 -0400
From: va.media.relations@VA.GOV
Subject: VA Opening 39 New Vet Centers

To view and download VA news release, please visit the following Internet address: http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel

VA Vet Centers Coming to 39 Communities
Peake: Provide counseling for all combat veterans

WASHINGTON (July 9, 2008) - Combat veterans will receive readjustment counseling and other assistance in 39 additional communities across the country where the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will develop Vet Centers by fall 2009.

"Community-based Vet Centers -- already in all 50 states -- are a key component of VA's mental health program," said Dr. James B. Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. "I'm pleased we can expand access to bring services closer to even more veterans, including screening and counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder."

The existing 232 centers conduct community outreach to offer counseling on employment, family issues and education to combat veterans and family members, as well as bereavement counseling for families of service members killed on active duty and counseling for veterans who were sexually harassed on active duty.

Vet Center services are available at no cost to veterans who experienced combat during any war era. They are staffed by small teams of counselors, outreach workers and other specialists, many of whom are combat veterans. The Vet Center program was established in 1979 by Congress, recognizing that many Vietnam veterans were still having readjustment problems.

The centers have hired 100 combat veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as outreach specialists, often placing them near military processing stations, to brief servicemen and women leaving the military about VA benefits.

VA's 2009 budget proposal seeks $20 million more than this year's budget for Vet Centers, to include operating and leasing space for the new centers. Eighteen of the counties that will have new centers already have one or more; the other 21 do not. A list of the new Vet Center locations is attached.

Communities Receiving New VA Vet Centers

California - Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino and San Diego Counties

Urgent Action Needed on Two Senate Bills

Please Write Your Senators TODAY!

On June 26, 2008, the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs approved two important VA bills, a health bill, S. 2969, the Veterans Health Care Authorization Act of 2008, and a benefits bill, S. 3023, the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 2008. These bills contain provisions that were either drafted by DAV National Legislative staff, or were significantly influenced by DAV's testimony and the work we do on a regular basis with the staffs of the Committee and individual Senators and House Members.

Among the most important provisions in the health bill are enhancements of personnel rules to help VA hire and keep critical health care professionals and other clinical staff members for the care and treatment of sick and disabled veterans in VA facilities; expansions of numerous existing VA health care programs; new programs of support and respite to come to the aid of stressed family caregivers of severely injured veterans; new and expanded health care programs for women veterans; and, improvements to VA's existing homeless veterans efforts.

In the benefits bill, VA would be required to provide simpler, more easily understandable written communications to veterans during the periods when their VA disability claims are pending; would increase the maximum loan guaranty amount for home purchases and make other important improvements in benefits that DAV supports.

These are two vitally important bills for disabled veterans and their family caregivers. The health care bill contains numerous ideas from our "Stand Up for Veterans" special initiative and consistent with national resolutions you have adopted in convention.

Because Congress will only be in session four or fewer weeks before adjournment in September, please write your Senators today to urge them to pass these important bills for America's sick and disabled veterans.