InFocus Veterans Services

from our 22 News broadcast Center this is 22 News In Focus good afternoon and welcome to 22 News In Focus I'm Sia speller National military appreciation month is held each May to recognize and celebrate the service and sacrifices made by our veterans and service members Congress chose may as National military appreciation month because of several military events during the month including Memorial Day Loyalty Day and victory in Europe or VE Day commemorating the end of World War II in 1945 so today on 22 News and focus we'll be talking with several veteran service organizations about programs and services available in our region for veterans active military and their families the US Department of Veterans Affairs or VA provides Medical Care and a variety of benefits and services to active members and Veterans of the US armed forces and their families in Western Massachusetts the VA has a medical center in leads that provides primary care and Specialty Health Services as well as several clinics across the region so joining me now is Sarah Robinson public affairs officer for the VA central western Massachusetts healthc care system we thank you so much for being on the program thank you for having me so many people may not know but the VA is actually made up of three administrations the veterans Health Administration veterans benefits Administration and the national cemetery Administration so let's start with health services at the medical center tell us about about that all right so uh VA central western Mass is where um we are located our main facility is in Leeds which will actually be um celebrating its Centennial so it will be the 100y year anniversary on May 11th um at the Leeds campus 421 North me street um so that is very exciting we are looking forward to that so on the main campus we offer a variety of services including uh Primary Care some specialty care services including Audiology um Optometry mental health um and we also have some residential uh Treatment Services as well as a PTSD unit again it's a full service hospital so you know surgery and rehabilitative care as well so we have rehabilit rehabilitative care um but we do not offer um surgery or emergency medicine okay yes and you know what about long-term care that's provided at the veter home in Holio so um the Veterans Home in hoolio is a state run facility um we are federal so we do provide long-term care at our community living center um so it is a nursing home um in nature yeah and tell us about the medical treatments available so um as I mentioned uh we do have some Residential Treatment programs we have our um our RTP and our community living center which we finally um refer to as CLC as well as our um acute mental health ward and um our ptsc unit yeah so this is something that I feel like has really taken Center Stage you know for Years Veterans didn't want to talk about traumatic experiences in Wartime many suffered with mental health issues because of that and substance abuse disorders as well as a way to cope so what mental health and substance abuse care do you offer so we offer inpatient and outpatient um at all of our clinics we offer a mental health care so that includes um our main fac and leads where we have inpatient and Outpatient Care um Springfields Fitchburg greenfields Pittsfield and and Worcester yeah and homelessness is also a really big issue across the country and even seeing it right here you know in Western Massachusetts so is the VA seeing an increase um or decrease in homelessness among veterans in our area so we've seen a decrease um of homelessness of veterans in our area we also have a dedicated team um that tracks many of our homeless veterans and um supplies them with anything that they need including housing vouchers and temporary housing so they can um transition into permanent housing yeah and as a whole housing is um you know a really big issue here in Massachusetts so what are some of the housing support programs offered so we have social workers we have a large team of social workers that are dedicated to work with the veterans um to make sure that they um gain permanent housing and Are there specific programs for women so there are are specific programs for women um in terms of healthcare um so the residential programs that I spoke of earlier they do provide women uh dorms as well as in our Worcester and leads clinics they have a special Wing dedicated to um Women's healthc Care Services yeah and I want to talk now about um benefits for veterans you know that can include financial assistance education training job placement and other services so how would a veteran or a family member find out if they're eligible to apply for those Services yeah so we do um so there's the veterans benefits Association which are dedicated specifically to benefits um we work with our various vsos um to Aid them with applying for those benefits as well and then we have our eligibility Enrollment Services so they can apply for VA Healthcare and how about what services are offered through the clinics so um the that our office through the clinics are um Primary Care Mental Health we have Pharmacy Radiology laboratory and Specialty Care Services and so to get to these Services you know are is there any transportation services that are um offered yeah actually we have a veteran transportation service um we have a coordinator and um they can anytime that they need rides to their appointments they can go ahead and give us a call our main line is um 584 44 and extension 6711 or 6710 and is it just for appointments or are there other um instances where a veteran might be eligible to get a ride somewhere so those are mainly for appointments um we also do work with um daab um which is another transportation service and let's talk a little bit about burial benefits you know what does that include specifically so bual benefits is usually through the national cemetery but we do have a department um in our patient customer care Suite um and then they work with um providing final stage of Life Care um Through The Descendant Affairs yeah and um how about for the families as well are there resources to help the families kind of go through this process so we do our best uh you know to support the families as they go through the process yes and does the VA have any Partnerships with any organizations in our region uh we certainly do so we have um Partnerships like I said with our veteran service organization um as well as vet the vet center who um is actually under the larger umbrella of the VA um and other various services and if a veteran or family member has any questions you know about the overall process and what you guys offer what's the best way for them to find that information out the best way to find out that information would definitely be to contact the customer care Suite um and talk to our eligibility enrollment specialist um they are usually um able to help help navigate we have Patient Advocates there as well so the best number to reach them is uh 413 582 3106 yeah and so for some of our viewers that might just be joining us right now you know talk a little bit about um you know what's being offered here for our veterans in Western Massachusetts where where you're located as well yep so again we are located um in Hampshire Franklin birkshire and hampon County so that is Leeds um Greenfield Pittsfield Fitchburg um and Worcester um and so the best way to contact us is uh you can um you know contact our main line which is 413-584-4040 um and you know ask request to um speak to one of our enrollment Specialists to be enrolled in VA Healthcare um unless you have a provider already you can go ahead and contact contact your pack team provider yeah and you know why would you say um you know it's important for our veterans to know about these resources and to utilize them um it's really important because you know the the services are um here for them um and it's best for them to utilize them to get um well-rounded Services uh especially for healthcare and mental Healthcare okay Sarah thank you so much for your Insight I really appreciate it thank you and when we return we'll be talking about the services provided by the Springfield Vet Center you're watching 22 News in focus welcome back to 22 News In Focus we're talking about veteran services as part of National military appreciation month which is observed in May our next guest is Brian doe a veterans outreach program specialist at the Springfield Vet Center and we thank you for being here with us today thank you for having me I appreciate it so I'm just going to have you start talking about what your role is at the vet center and you know why are you involved sure so as the Outreach specialist at the vet center U my primary job is to provide um Outreach to uh veterans current service members and their families uh whether that's going to the local military installations like Barnes and West over uh air Air Reserve Base or going to local colleges um any type of local events whether it's the big e or um any events where uh veterans and their family members may be present uh but also when it comes to just any members of the community that U might know a veteran um or have a family member that's a veteran just providing our information to them uh to be able to get you know a brochure or business card into their hand uh we think it's extremely important um and we just want to make as many people aware of our services as possible so the center is different than a medical facility could you explain to us the differences correct so we are a larger or we are a part of the larger uh Department of Veterans Affairs system so we fall under the veterans uh Health Administration uh but we uh fall under what's called Readjustment Counseling Service uh so our vet center um is a community based Clinic uh and we're located right in West Springfield but there's actually uh seven vet centers across Massachusetts and then over 300 across the country and we also have what are called mobile vet centers as well which are are mobile units uh that respond to rural rural communities and uh do Outreach um and also uh counseling um out of those mobile vet centers as well and so those um mobile vet centers as well as our community based clinics are separate from uh the VA medical centers and also we have separate eligibility as well for our services yeah could you talk about that eligibility for these services and programs sure so um our eligibility is is pretty vast um if anybody does have any questions um when it comes we have a a local um web page um it's uh vetc center. v.gov ums Springfield dv- Center um or they could call us at 41373 75167 um because when it comes to eligibility you know um yes we have a specific eligibility for counseling services but we're never going to turn away a veteran that's in need of help um so we've really established a good network of Veteran resources in the area we have a lot of great Community Partners and so we'll we'll communicate with them over the phone in person and uh if we're not the the service for them we'll make sure to get them in the hands of somebody is and do a nice warm handoff and uh make sure that they get the support that they need uh whether it's you know just transitioning out of the military or um you know uh if they're still in the military um or you know coming home uh after um you know deploying or something like that um so when it comes to eligibility specifically for our vet center um it's for service members that have deployed overseas so if they've been for example if they've been to Iraq Afghanistan uh Vietnam Grenada you know any uh what we call areas of hostility or in direct support of those operations um and then uh one of our other eligibilities where we see um unfortunately a lot of veterans that experience military sexual trauma um and then also we work with drone Crews um there's a um out of joint based Cape Cod there's drone operators out of there so um we've seen definitely an increase in the amount of drone operators that are seeking Services as well as uh medical uh any type of um uh people that provided U Medical Services to casualties of War but then also recently we've expanded services to include all National Guard and reservists um that have a behavior health condition tied to their military service so um doesn't have to be diagnosed if they're you know struggling they're they're stressed out with work or something like that um we're able to provide services for those uh current service members as well so do participants have to be enrolled in VA Healthcare to be eligible yeah so they do not have to actually be enrolled in VA Healthcare so that's a misconception a lot of times a lot of folks will think that they have to be enrolled in Via Healthcare um and and they don't need to be usually what happens is we get we uh you know get a copy of their DD214 or some type of uh eligibility documentation but um we often will facilitate uh enrolling them in VA Healthcare so we'll in introduce them to the uh enrollment and eligibility team at the VA uh because we want the veterans you know and service members to take advantage of of the VA Healthcare and also uh you know other benefits that they've earned as well and what type of specific servic are provided sure so primarily we offer counseling so uh Individual Counseling group counseling um we have seven licensed clinicians at our vet center so everything from uh social workers uh we have marriage and family therapists we work with family members as well um we have uh licens um uh we have clinical yeah licensed clinical social workers um l mhc's so licensed Mental Health Counselors um as well as clinical psychologists as well um and so when we talk about individual cing it could range from everything from like holistic um kind of more mind mindfulness based uh counseling which is like grounding work and kind of more um you know uh uh things that are just like where we do calming relaxing things like that and but then we also have more evidence-based treatments as well so we have you know like some more uh heavy duty heavy duty treatments where it's like 10 to 12 sessions of really kind of intense trauma based work that we do um and then everything in between um and then when it comes to the group group counseling we have a lot of group Services as well and are these Services um in person or is there any virtual or any you know over the phone types of services yeah so um we we offer in-person services uh right at 95 Ashley AV West Springfield um but then we also um offer services both virtually and over the phone um and uh when it comes to we do the individual counseling as well as our group Services both uh in person and virtually yeah you touched a little bit on you know therapeutic activities cu can you just delve into that a little bit more yeah so we're pretty fortunate um with the amount of therapeutic activities that we're able to offer at the vet center um so we have an equin program we partner with the therapeutic equin center out of hok we've been doing that for a number of years uh we partner with hok rose um out of out of um hoo um on the Connecticut River and do kayaking uh we have a hiking group where we hike local mountains around Western Massachusetts um we have a golf group that we do um actually a tcoa country club so there's a lot of different activities that uh veterans current service members and their families can take advantage of at our vet center we do barbecues we have three barbecues planned over the summer as well um and we also do something called chiong we have a Vietnam Veteran by the name of Rich Ryan he's been volunteering at our vet center for a number of years and he's been doing this mindful uh you know u u version of it's like a modified version of Tai Chi and he's been doing that chiong at our vet center and it's been it's been wonderful so how about for women in minorities Are there specific programs for them yep so we also we have uh women specific programs we have a lot of different cultural programs we also have a Spanish speaking group at our uh at our vet center and we we have a bilingual uh counselor as well so um when it comes to being able to offer uh services to diverse population we really pride ourselves on that and that's something that um yeah we've been offering for a number of years and we've seen um you know especially with the population around Western Massachusetts we really try to uh cater to to the needs of of our veteran population I think done been doing a pretty good job of that and what are some of the main concerns that you're hearing from your clients yeah so uh it could range from everything from just general stress from you know coming you know getting out of the military and transitioning to civilian life it could be you know obviously everything that happened after covid um and and just I think obviously the the general uh climate that's you know with the Environ or with the current climate of the country and so uh or whether people with work and jug juggling famili so there's a lot of different things that go on in in folks lives and so being able to address their specific needs that's what we really try to do when it comes to treatment planning when it comes to how we provide services at the vet center we we do it on a real really individual basis um our our treatment our clinical team's fantastic and they're able to really provide I think a very thorough um and vast um you know CL they're able to provide vast clinical care that's really uh Superior and it's uh it's been amazing to work there over the last 10 years yeah you know so you listed off you know all the programs and services that you offer what about cost is there a cost Associated yeah so pretty amazingly there's zero cost associated with the services that we provide um and that that could be from anything from um you know all the different like whether it's the you know Golf Group um hiking kaying you know the different trips that we provide we took uh 20 Vietnam veterans down to the wall down in Washington DC back in 2018 didn't cost them a dime um and we do barbecues like I said over the summer and yeah veterans and their families and current service members are more than welcome to attend and it doesn't cost them anything um and so you know when it comes to you know being able to provide those services and support we really you know value what they've done for our country and the least that we could do is be able to provide those services for them at no charge all right Brian do Springfield Vet Center thank you so much really really great insight as well thank you very much and after a short break we'll be taking or rather talking about soer on a nonprofit that's been dedicated to ending veteran homelessness for 30 years you're watching 22 news in Focus we're back now with 22 News in focus and we're talking about veteran services as part of National military appreciation month which is observed in May Soldier on has been providing housing and other services to homeless veterans since 1994 joining me now to discuss what soldon does and how it's changed in 30 years is Bruce B Le CEO for soldon thanks for joining us B thank you so let's just first talk about the mission of soldon and how has it evolved over the last 30 years so the mission it sounds simple is to end veteran homelessness and how it's evolved over the last 30 years is it started out really we started out as a transitional program located on the VA campus in leads and since then we've grown into a multiple of States a lot of programming we build in support permanent housing we have a pretty extensive outreach program and we still continue to offer Transitional services yeah and so the number of unhomed persons in Massachusetts has really reached a crisis level right um you know and a lot of individuals and families on waiting list as well so can you estimate how many homeless veterans there are in Western Massachusetts well I can tell you this that the point in time count reflects 126 or 129 most recently I think everywhere we go we would multiply the point and time count by three or four because there's really more homelessness out there than you see on the streets or that it's easy to count so if I had to pick a number you know I'd say it's a couple hundred that are literally homeless we have a lot of them living in our properties as of tonight so you know we're pretty in touch with the individuals the totals moves around on us yeah and so you know out out and about every day come across homeless veterans and you know hear a little bit about their story sometimes and you just wonder you know how how could this happen so tell us how how do our veterans find themselves unhoused well as I put it I think the general P the general public would think of it as maybe substance abuse mental health issues um Financial issues and I think all of those certainly contribute but the real piece of homelessness that I don't think we all recognize is it's a loss of a support system a lot of people share those other struggles but they're not homeless and I think that's because there's not a support system for those men and women and that's what really we've become is a support system that stays with them it's not temporary many live with us till they pass away so it's a it really becomes a community and that's what the men and women need yeah and what are the housing options through Soldier on and where are they located so in Western massp where we have several around but in western Mass we have transitional beds in Pittsfield we have a building in on the leads VA campus and then we also have a female program for with up to 16 women veterans in a transitional program on the VA campus additionally we have permanent housing so we built developed and support several buildings in Western Massachusetts I think we have 191 apartments that we've developed and and they're full at pretty much all the time and they're located in Agawam chapi leads Pittsfield around western Mass and then we have Outreach programs which they don't live in our buildings the the men and women that we serve but we serve them in the community we can pay rent we can pay utilities we can pay security deposits to help keep veterans in housing or to put them in housing and then figure out what the services and supports they need from there and for Soldier on what are the eligibility requirements and then the application process walk us through that as well so as Brian mentioned in his program it's similar to that it's a lower bar of Eligibility than let's say VA medical so really if you've served one day of active duty in the military or the reserves or the National Guard in a one day of service anything other than a dishonorable discharge we can help M and how would you access that we'll show a number here at the end or I can say it but we have a hotline number that's manned by forly homeless veterans you call that number and you have help coming on the way within 24 hours so that's another way or our website wolder on.org yeah so pretty quickly 24 hours you were saying yeah that we have a mobile service model so pretty much all of our employees have RAV fours um and we go out and we meet the veterans where they are it's not up to them to get to us it's up to us to get to them yeah and we have some of those numbers on the screen right there that you were mentioning right so those numbers can get you assistance if you're a veteran if you're being evicted if you're homeless if you have other struggles feel free to call the number and how about medical um services so we offer a little bit of medical more than we used to we have an RN that comes on site that we contract with we also rely on the VA so they're a great resource for us um we have now a program in our permanent housing that's just starting where the VA has more Medical Services coming to our buildings meeting with our veterans so the VA is a big resource for us and also Community providers and how about Substance Abuse and Mental Health all of that we use the VA here in leads has a program for mental health and substance abuse we also have private contractors private programs that we work with if we can figure out a way to get them paid whether it's through Mass Medicaid whether it's through a VA benefit so we have a lot of resources and that's part of what we do on a daily basis and what types of case management and referral services do you offer so the services we offer have grown it's not necessarily that we had some great vision 20 years ago but we've learned as we've done more of this so we have a case manager for everybody in our program and they would work with you to see what benefits you have what benefits you're eligible for what do you need do you want to go to school do you want to what type of housing do you want and then we have a wellness director we have a healthc care Navigator now in all of our programs who is very specifically versed on the local Health Care Providers as well as the insurances um we have two full-time attorneys that work with our attorneys with our veterans to really make sure this is at no cost to the veteran that if there are barriers in the legal system which isn't uncommon we help them work through those barriers so we offer transportation we offer a meal a day in our permanent housing so there's a lot of supports that we've added over the years yeah and how about programs and services for for women specifically so as I mentioned earlier we have a 16 unit transitional program on the VA campus here in Leeds and then because of the success of that program we built a 14 unit permanent housing building in Pittsfield Mass on our campus and four just females because as Brian mentioned many of the women that we see have suffered military sexual trauma if they've been addicted if they've had mental health issues if they've been homeless they may have had a lot of experiences that they need a very safe secure environment to kind of get back on their feet yeah and so our viewers at home if they're wondering you know how can I help soldiers on how can they get involved and help you guys well I think we have an 800 number which uh we actually the best way would be to go through the website and reach out how do you want to help you can certainly donate we're fortunate that we have a lot of Grants and all of the salaries all of my salary all of our operating cost are paid for so any donations do go directly to the veteran or a new project or building um and then you know Reach Out get a hold of us we have volunteer programs and other ways that someone can support us yeah and lastly do you have any really big fundraising events that you you know you guys look forward to every year we have uh several I think locally there's a golf tournament in August in the burkers that's been very popular it has two full flights um that's coming up on August 16th and then we have various other ones during the year that um we rely on all right Bru thank you so much for providing that um really helpful and useful information for our viewers at home thank you and when we return we'll be talking with the executive director of the bilingual veterans Outreach centers a nonprofit that offers multiple services to Veterans Statewide you're watching 22 News In Focus welcome back to 22 News in focus our topic today is on veteran services as part of National military appreciation month joining me now is gumercindo Gomez executive director of the bilingual veterans Outreach centers for Massachusetts thanks so much for joining us today well thank you for having so tell us about your program your services when you were founded the Outreach Center came about in August 17th 1986 that's after my retirement uh from military services I went to volunteer my services at the vet center and when Hispanics uh knew that a Hispanic was at the vet center uh they came in looking for services but of course I was not there as a counselor I was making the coffee and getting the donuts ready for them and uh I thought the need that there was for our Hispanic veterans to get services in their own language and cultureal that's when I created the Puerto Rican V Association when it opened the doors in August 86 been Now 37 years wow really amazing to hear you talk about you know the foundation and and everything that's happened since then so you know is it just for veterans or do you also offer programs for for uh family members as well well this is the great thing about the vet uh the Outreach Center the Outreach Center is the only Outreach Center uh from uh EO vs uh in Boston here in Western Massachusetts we also have a center in Pittsfield and we work with the whole structure the whole family widows and anybody or any dependent that is part of that veteran uh our biggest and strongest service is uh claims uh we work hand on hand with Vietnam Veterans of America which I am the president for Vietnam Veterans of America and the state and we have 17 uh national service officers throughout the state and we do specialize in claims right now since July last year we have brought into the state 22,700 th000 and we still got until June to bring a few more Millions yeah and this is where we specialize on but we take care of anything and everything that that veteran needs because we network with this other uh individuals that have been here talking about their programs we didn't work with them and we work closely together to ensure that if I cannot provide a service they can provide it I will send those vs to them so in addition to claims what are some of the other services that you offer well we we specialize in housing also we have a 20 apartment building that is called the sergeant Gomez veterans campus and this came uh was put together and opened the doors in 2016 and here we house a 20 needed needed veterans to include females and widows we also specialize in transitional home we have a transitional home at 52 Maple Court in Springfields where we house homeless veterans for a 2year period and here we assist them to get back in their feet with drug alcohol situations jobs whatever their need might be so they can get back on their feet if when they graduate from this program and uh we have housing available permanent then we move them into those uh places or we contact uh Soldier son which we were very close with them and they hosted for us yeah so touching on the uh VA claims as well again your agency has nationally accredited service officers that are provided by the VA so tell us what is their job the service officer uh the national service officer this individual totally qualify with the VA he's got all credentials that he needs to go into that VA system computers and take a look at the records of the veteran that he's working with here he can see if there's paperwork that's being processed or it's not being processed or there's paperwork that they send and it did not make it to the VA so we ensure that that claim stays on top uh and we keep the individual focus in his claim because he can come to our our Outreach Center and be able to talk to his service officer right there and then and be able to view his records within the VA yeah and what type type of benefits are veterans and their families eligible to claim well the biggest thing here is when a veteran an individual Soldier sailor Airman whatever has gone through service and came back with a disability some that happened to him her while they were on duty then we take and gather all uh that information and every proof that we can get especially doctor's uh statements and we submit those for their claims so we can ensure that they got a solid claim that they're going to get uh Service uh just recently we touched on a female veteran that has been trying to work her claim since 2018 with no success once we got a hold of her taught her what to do and what to get for us we were able to put $233,000 in her pocket and $3,800 every month and that's that's lifechanging for a lot of our veterans right so it's education is really key and you you provide that for them well that's very important because if you can take the veteran with the family and put secure dollars in their pockets then you take that stress out of them and you are able to work with them in those other issues so it become just easier to uh resolve their other issues they might have once they have that money that they can pay their rent their utilities and bring food to the table yeah and so with some of our other guests today on the show we've talked about our unhoused veterans as well so what about um you know your services do you offer services for our unhoused veterans on house Veterans of course like I was telling you we have this transitional home and we have this uh 20 apartment building and if we ain't got room then we be touching Soldiers Home that work very close with them and they're able to help this veterans yeah and again talk about eligibility for our Our Guest that might just be joining us right now and they're just tuning in but the eligibility uh to receive this type of services is that you have been and you have served in Military and your discharge qual qualifies you for benefits of course a dishonorable discharge will not do it General discharge will help an honorable discharge of course and uh many occasions you must have served uh 90 plus one day uh in in service to be able to get uh many of this benefits that qualifies you as a veteran and how about fundraising opportunities campaigns coming up well we get most of our funding from the state and our budget right now is about $4 million uh and we just do one fundraiser a year that is our banquet uh because as we work with this veterans and secure their dollars they find it in their heart to make donations to the organization not large donation but whatever they can and we use this money to take to get back to them and services all right and I think we have a full screen up here with some information um some hours and um you know let's talk a little bit about that well we open up our doors at 8:30 close at 4:30 we do not go to lunch and we're open uh uh five days a week and of course uh we're going to call if an individual needs help our telephone number is 413 731 0194 and we're located at 281 Franklin Street in Springfields all right gindo always a pleasure to speak with you thank you for being on the program today amen thank you Massachusetts requires every city in town to have a veteran services agent we'll find out what they do after a short break you're watching 22 News In Focus we're back now with 22 News in focus and a Massachusetts law requires that a veteran service officer or vso in every city and town in the state these agents help guide veterans to essential services for eligible veterans active members and their families here with me now is Stephanie Shaw the city of Chap's director of veteran services thank you for joining us thank you for having me so tell us a little bit about your background you know what led you to this um it was a really inconceivable path to be honest um I joined the military on a dare and then when I got out of the military I joined a volunteer entity that was supporting the unit I was in the family Readiness group and then I got a paid contracted position with the mass National Guard with Family Programs for 7 years taking care of case management and de deployment Cycles so through that position I had learned about the municipal veteran service officers and I knew that was going to be my next step and it's it's just it's my dream job yeah so a dare that was a huge leap my current father-in-law told me I couldn't do it and I said watch me well good for you for proving that you can do it you I'm really good at Truth or Dare yeah and so why is the state require veteran services in every community so since the Civil War um the state implemented a law called chapter 115 and it's I I compare it a lot to an octopus bding eight plates at a time um there's no other department in the municipalities that do what we do the first step number one we administer an income supplementation program or medical and reimbursement program for qualified veterans and widows and so that's a big piece is we work with a lot of surviving family members and we we do a big service because we provide a safe entity where we can connect them to federal state and local benefits and we can supplement their income and give them a much better quality of life second we are responsible for making sure that our municipalities are honoring our patriotic holidays and that's a huge task load because there's so many we're we're about to enter military appreciation month we just are leaving month of the military child Memorial Day Purple Heart Day dday Pearl Harbor Day Veterans Day Vietnam Veterans Day so there's always something going on and we the the the US and really the Commonwealth are just so great about being patriotic and then there's a slew of additional benefits regarding veterans graves in our municipalities and access to Federal benefits so no two days are the same it's always very exciting work it's very rewarding work yeah and what are the primary roles of a vso so our primary role is to screen people for their eligibility for any of those tiers of benefits whether it's federal state or local and it's all based on two things your service and your Finance and so we have these conversations and we are also versed in non-veteran specific benefits whether it's the state's Medicare supplement program that just of age and income qualifies you or if it's food stamps or fuel assistance and so we it's a holistic whole picture conversation that we have with these clients to make sure that they're taking care of in our Commonwealth yeah and so while there are many benefits available to Veterans and their families they may not be eligible for all those benefits right so you know would you explain the different types of services that veterans and active military members are entitled to and the qualifications uh absolutely there's a lot of misconceptions about what uh the definition of veteran is uh the Department of Veterans Affairs has a different definition than the state of Massachusetts than we heard from Soldier Ron you know one day of active duty service we heard from Gomer syo 90 days plus one so our jobs are to understand the difference eligibilities and I tell all the veterans that come in not everyone is eligible for the same things it matters how you served was it active duty guard or reserve it matters when you served peace time or wartime it matters where you've served around the world and it matters when you begin your relationship with the Department of Veterans Affairs because it's a federal department that responds to the laws that congress passes and it's eternally passing new laws so we're just responding to all of that and making sure that we're as up to dat as we can yeah and you know know what's the best way for for um any veterans um participants that want to learn about everything you just said you know is it it laid out directly for them um I wish that'd be so nice wouldn't it um no I I would say for anyone that has served in any branch of the military in any component or if you are the surviving family of someone who served in the military you need the DD214 and you're going to want to contact your municipality your city your town and the easiest way um the most the least stumbly way really is if you can get onto that Town's website there's going to be a veteran services office or contact the veteran agent Link in phone number and that's going to be your number one way they're constantly moving our offices there's always the evolution of change of staff so I would never tell someone here's the name or here's the email go to the municipal website it'll have the most current access and so in addition to state and federal benefits you also offer some referrals and assistance for housing fuel employment other services Absolut um you know what are some of the most pressing issues that veterans are coming to you for um every day is different um we do see the common fuel assistance income supplementation I've walked people through the Social Security application I've done service connected disabilities I'm in accredited veteran service officer through a National Organization um there's really like I said no two days are the same uh housing is a big issue in the state I will tell a lot of people it's a really dicey situation because a lot of programs can't help until you've already fallen behind and that's a very scary place to be and some people will put themselves even more in a bad place trying to use credit cards or loans to sustain temporary housing when in fact if they would just let themselves fall into the catchment net that's out there with these other entities they could be scooped up and so it's it's not a comfortable place to be regarding housing if it's fuel assistance if it's food insecurity call us we can get you to the right entity there's and there's more than one um and there's some that are civilian based there's some that are veteran based there are some that are just Goodwill um meaning so it's there's a lot out there people just have to ask and I think people veterans in general are very proud and so we respect their pride and we respect their privacy I'm grateful in chabe my office is not in City Hall so there's no big red flag why you're coming here all the time uh we have a separate property and it's very discreet and we just honor their service we their loved one service if it's a widow and I had two new staff start who had never heard of my office till January when they applied and now they're running around with trumpets going you guys have to come see this office and I wish everybody read the letters we mail out I wish everybody stopped by and knew that we were there and just making them feel as comfortable um as possible and know that these options are there for them yes yeah and how about mental health and substance abuse so we are not clinicians none of the veteran service officers I can't say that some of them actually have their degrees and licensed social workers but it's not the role of a vso to administer medical care or counseling um but we are very well versed in the programs and the eligibility and the availability of the programs sometimes people aren't eligible for VA Healthcare or the vet center but CSO is a great option or we work with their private insurances through the referral program through their primary care I think that that case management piece is what you're really going to get with the Vos and if you qualify for the chapter 115 Financial benefits we we remove all out of pocket Medical expense burdens and we can reimburse them or pay them direct to the provider so that's a big help for a lot of our fixed income um or struggling veterans do you have any numbers on how many people your office helps annually um yes it's crazy so on average I have over a hundred um service connection claims going we administer monthly benefits to over a 100 applicants and clients we facilitate Outreach and collaboration I think collaboration is really really big so last year the association I'm a part of the western Mass veteran service officers we partnered with the vet center and a few other entities and we put together four game nights and between those four game nights we saw over 600 veterans in their families and they were people that we don't see with those month-to-month benefits so we're always looking to connect with more veterans Hampton County has over 30,000 veterans and Hampshire County is just under that and so here in western Mass we've got almost 50,000 veterans yeah just all I think it's just under 10,000 women veterans we so we've started veteran women veteran Network programs um and it's just about the Outreach and letting people know we administer a burial benefit in this sound and every year I get four or five veterans who would have qualified and it's their next of kin coming to me to help cover their burial and it just it saddens me to think I could have enhanced their quality of life for the their last few years if I had known about them or if they had known about me yeah thank you Stephanie we really appreciate you being on the program today thanks for having me and I'll have some final words once we return you're watching 22 News in focus yes today we've been discussing the many resources available to Veterans active military and their families as part of National military appreciation month I want to thank all of our guests for their service and for providing this important information on our show and thank you to our viewers for watching if you've missed any of the program or want more information about the organizations on today's program just head to our website wwlp.com from all of us here at 22 News enjoy the rest of your Sunday