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80–663 PDF 2013

S. HRG. 113–39 

CALL TO ACTION: VA OUTREACH AND 

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

APRIL 24, 2013 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

( 

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.fdsys.gov 

(II) 

COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS 

BERNARD SANDERS, (I) Vermont, Chairman 

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia 

PATTY MURRAY, Washington 

SHERROD BROWN, Ohio 

JON TESTER, Montana 

MARK BEGICH, Alaska 

RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut 

MAZIE HIRONO, Hawaii 

RICHARD BURR, North Carolina, Ranking 

Member 

JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia 

MIKE JOHANNS, Nebraska 

JERRY MORAN, Kansas 

JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas 

DEAN HELLER, Nevada 

STEVE ROBERTSON, Staff Director 

LUPE WISSEL, Republican Staff Director 

(III) 

C O N T E N T S 

APRIL 24, 2013 

SENATORS 

Page 

Sanders, Hon. Bernard, Chairman, U.S. Senator from Vermont ........................ 1 

Burr, Hon. Richard, Ranking Member, U.S. Senator from North Carolina ....... 2 

Tester, Hon. Jon, U.S. Senator from Montana ...................................................... 4 

Brown, Hon. Sherrod, U.S. Senator from Ohio ..................................................... 4 

Blumenthal, Hon. Richard, U.S. Senator from Connecticut ................................ 54 

WITNESSES 

Sowers, Tommy, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental 

Affairs, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs .................................................... 6 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 8 

Response to request arising during the hearing by Hon. Richard Burr ...... 16,17 

Spencer, Wendy, Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National 

and Community Service ...................................................................................... 21 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 23 

Nee, Coleman, Department of Veterans’ Services, The Commonwealth of 

Massachusetts ...................................................................................................... 34 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 36 

Monroe, Mike, Vice President of Military Initiatives, Point of Light .................. 38 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 40 

Weingartner, Eric, Managing Director, Survival and Veterans, Robin Hood 

Foundation ............................................................................................................ 43 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 45 

APPENDIX 

Caraway, Martin, Legislative Chair, National Association of County Veterans 

Service Officers; prepared statement ................................................................. 57 

Brown, Sherri L., Senior Vice President, Service to the Armed Forces, American Red Cross; prepared statement ................................................................... 58 

Haynie, J. Michael, Executive Director, Institute for Veterans and Military 

Families, Syracuse University; prepared statement ......................................... 62 

Sutherland, David W., Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired), Chairman and CoFounder of Staff Sergeant Donnie D. Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Community Services (Dixon Center); prepared statement ..................... 66 

Melmed, Matthew E., Executive Director, Zero To Three: National Center 

for Infants, Toddlers, and Families; prepared statement ................................. 73 

(1) 

CALL TO ACTION: VA OUTREACH AND 

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2013 

U.S. SENATE, 

COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS, 

Washington, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:02 a.m., in room 

418, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Bernard Sanders, Chairman of the Committee, presiding. 

Present: Senators Sanders, Brown, Tester, Blumenthal and Burr. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BERNARD SANDERS, 

CHAIRMAN, U.S. SENATOR FROM VERMONT 

Chairman SANDERS. Chairman Sanders. Good morning and 

thank you for coming to what I think is going to be a very informative and important hearing on how the VA and other organizations that work with the VA do outreach. 

Before I begin with the substance of this hearing, I do want to 

make a statement, and that is to point out to Dr. Sowers and to 

the VA that it is completely unacceptable, with the vast resources 

of the VA, that they were incapable of submitting their testimony 

to this Committee on time. 

It is disrespectful. We, the Committee, by rule is supposed to receive testimony in advance of the hearing so we can absorb it and 

learn from it. Testimony came in late. This is the second time since 

I have been chair that this has happened. 

I just want to make the VA aware that I will not allow this to 

continue. I do not think it is too much for this Committee to get 

testimony on time so staff and Members have an opportunity to 

adequately understand its contents. 

Now, on to the substance of this hearing. There was a survey in 

October 2010 that indicated nearly 60 percent of veterans did not 

understand or were not fully aware of the benefits available to 

them. 

I happen to think that in many areas the VA does enormously 

good work and important work. I was just in the VA center in 

White River Junction on Saturday and looked at a program that 

is literally saving many lives. 

But no matter how good the programs are that the VA has, no 

matter how good its variety of health care programs may be, or 

what they are doing in homelessness or many other areas, it does 

not mean anything to the veteran if that veteran does not know 

about it. 

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We have 22 million veterans in this country. Some of them do 

not want to access the VA and that is fine. But I do think it is our 

job to do as much as we possibly can to make sure that every veteran in America has the information they need to make the choice, 

to understand what the VA is offering so they can say, ‘‘No, I do 

not want to access it,’’ or, ‘‘Wow, I really did not know that. This 

is terribly important to my family.’’ ‘‘I did not know about this educational opportunity. I did not know about this health care 

program.’’ 

So, the truth is also that we are in the 21st Century. We have 

computers and email and social media; and while I think we can 

say historically, the VA has not done a terribly good job in outreach, I think what we can also say in fairness to the VA in the 

last few years we have seen a significant turnaround. 

I got involved in this issue because about 10 years ago in the 

State of Vermont, I was not impressed about how few Vermont veterans knew about VA programs. 

I went around the State with VA and we had hundreds and hundreds of people coming out to these meetings, saying, ‘‘Oh, I did not 

know that I am entitled to that. I did not know what the VA has 

to offer in terms of low cost prescription drugs. I did not know how 

I can access that.’’ 

So, the bad news is, historically, the VA has not done a particularly good job in outreach. The good news is that we have seen 

some significant turnaround. Nobody who looks at VA’s Web site 

today could deny that it is a lot better than it was a year ago and 

that VA is making progress on other fronts as well. 

We are here today to learn from the VA how they are communicating with veterans, some of whom are in desperate need of VA 

programs but do not know about them. 

A particular problem is with older veterans—Korea, Vietnam, 

folks—who do not necessarily feel comfortable on the internet. How 

are we reaching out to those veterans? 

There is a lot to discuss and I look forward not only to hearing 

from Dr. Sowers but to hearing from our wonderful panel that will 

follow him and talk about the very good work they are doing independent of the VA. 

Senator Burr. 

STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD BURR, RANKING MEMBER, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM NORTH CAROLINA 

Senator BURR. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I will not cover the same thing that Chairman Sanders covered 

as it related to the timeliness of your remarks; but whatever the 

Chairman chooses to do, I will back him fully. I think that the 

Committee deserves better from the VA including a pledge to the 

Chairman to work in whatever fashion to make sure that this practice—I say practice because it is not an isolated incident—stops. 

Mr. Chairman, thank you for this important hearing that will 

focus on the outreach of VA and how community-based organizations can help veterans access services. 

I would like to also take this opportunity to welcome all of our 

witnesses today. Before I talk about the importance of leveraging 

community assets that can help identify veterans in need or help 

3 

veterans find needed assistance locally, I would like to touch on the 

VA’s current outreach efforts. 

During both the fiscal years 2012 and 2013 budget hearings, I 

asked the VA to provide information on the amount of money enterprise-wide that VA spent on outreach activities as well as what 

matrix it uses to determine the effectiveness of its outreach 

initiatives. 

In response to my questions for fiscal year 2012, the VA’s Office 

of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, or OPIA, indicated that it 

had previously stood up the National Veterans’ Outreach Office, 

which was tasked with tracking costs associated with outreach activities, providing training to VA to outreach personnel, and evaluating and developing metrics to measure effectiveness. 

They stated that they hoped they would be able to provide the 

cost information within the next year. A year later, in pre-hearing 

questions for the 2013 budget hearing, I again asked VA for information on the amount of money spent on outreach. VA provided 

the Committee with information showing that from fiscal year 2009 

to 2013, VA had spent a total of $83.7 million on outreach. 

Although this amount only included an estimate on the spending 

of 2013, I was pleased that VA had begun to account for the money 

being spent. I was hopeful that this was the first step toward Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Office and NVO undertaking the 

needed process of coordinating VA outreach as well as determining 

which programs were effective in assisting veterans and which 

were not. Unfortunately, this has not happened. 

It is my understanding that from March until August of last 

year, NVO was without a director. Only in August 2012 was a fulltime director hired to run NVO and oversee all the VA outreach 

activities. 

To make matters worse, the previous director was on temporary 

assignment, meaning NVO had been without full-time leadership 

for over a year. 

Because of this, VA has no enterprise-wide metrics to determine 

whether outreach is effective and is unable in the short term to 

provide the Committee with updated cost information. 

Mr. Sowers, VA is a large department and I understand individual medical centers, regional offices, and programmatic offices 

are largely responsible for their own outreach activities. However, 

NVO under your office has been charged with coordinating outreach, and I believe this should be a real priority for you: to ensure 

that NVO is meeting its assigned task. 

There are veterans in need of services and it is vital that VA effectively reach out to them to ensure that they are aware of the 

health care and benefit assistance that is available. 

If VA is unable to quantify their current outreach efforts, I believe it calls into question whether any future outreach will be duplicative or will have the desired outcome. 

Turning to the second panel, I am interested in hearing more on 

how we can leverage existing community assets to reach veterans 

in need. As I have discussed in previous Committee hearings, private-public partnerships in the context of mental health care is a 

great way to ensure that veterans get the care they earned and 

deserve. 

4 

By using a similar model for outreach, veterans will be better 

placed to find programs offered by local governments and non-profits that can best meet their needs. 

Finally, I hope to learn more about the existing community integration initiatives, whether there are any best practices that can 

be expanded nationally, and if there are ways to partner with the 

VA. 

Veterans live in both rural and urban areas, and VA resources 

may not be available close to where they live. However, almost 

every community in this country has a network of veterans, businesses, or non-profits willing to help in the efforts which can be coordinated in a meaningful way. 

I look forward to the testimony today and I thank the Chair. 

Chairman SANDERS. Thank you, Senator Burr. 

Senator Tester. 

STATEMENT OF HON. JON TESTER, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM MONTANA 

Senator TESTER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member 

Burr, Mr. Sowers, and the witness that are to come yet. 

We are at a time when agencies are attempting to do more with 

less. So, it only makes sense to work more collaboratively with 

partners, to better utilize all the tools that are at our disposal. 

That means building partnerships with other Federal agencies to 

ensure the we are working as efficiently and productively as possible. It also means jurisdictional issues and duplication of effort 

that impede progress. It also means that we need to explore and 

build stronger partnerships with local partners, non-profits, and 

the private sector. 

We have a lot of challenges addressing the needs of our veterans 

and we have got a lot of folks out there that are willing to help. 

We have got to the folks who are willing to help better engaged in 

the process. I think that is why you are here and the next panel 

is here. 

So, I think that if we coordinate better, we can reach that common goal of serving our veterans better, and that is the bottom 

line. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman SANDERS. Senator Brown. 

STATEMENT OF HON. SHERROD BROWN, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM OHIO 

Senator BROWN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Thank you, Mr. Sowers, for joining us, and I appreciate the comments of Senator Burr and Senator Tester. 

A comment to our Nation’s veterans begins at outreach before 

ending the backlog, before quality of care, before ending homelessness. Our efforts will fall short if we are not reaching every veteran. That obviously almost goes without saying. 

I appreciate the Chairman holding a hearing on this important 

issue. And outreach cannot be solely a VA issue. It has to be the 

responsibility of all of us. I have done a series of events around 

Ohio promoting VRAP for the last several months. 

5 

People in my State in many cases are not aware of it. They have 

benefited greatly from it, those who have signed up. We know that 

is replicated in State after State. 

The Ohio Department of Veterans’ Services estimated it has contract information for more than 450,000 of Ohio’s veterans. Yet VA 

estimates that Ohio actually is the home some 875,000 veterans. 

Not all of those accounted for may qualify for benefits. Some of 

those veterans surely would not. 

We know from experience that many do: from burial expenses to 

education to health care. So, it is more than just the benefits of VA. 

The veterans we are not reaching are also missing out on a wide 

network of Veterans Service Organizations. 

We know that people come home after serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, do not connect with the local VA in either the veterans service office, which Ohio has in each of the 88 counties, or the Veterans Service Organizations. 

Outreach is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. I have held a series 

of field hearings in Appalachia in southeast Ohio. I was taken by 

the dean of Ohio University’s eastern campus who said, ‘‘Many Appalachian veterans or families never seek help. They do the best 

they can through self-help. This is oftentimes not enough for those 

encountering depression, anxiety, or post traumatic stress due to 

their previous combat experience. 

‘‘If we are to effectively help Appalachian veterans and their families, we will need to educate them and the public about the impact 

of the combat experience on these veterans. We will need to implement aggressive outreach programs informing veterans about the 

services that are available to them.’’ 

He was speaking specifically of Appalachian veterans but we 

know anecdotally that that is far too common for veterans all over 

the country. 

So, we spend a lot of time investing in the VA. We spend money 

giving VA resources. These investments do not mean a whole lot 

if we have not reached out as well as we should to the people who 

served our country. 

So, Mr. Sowers, thank you. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman SANDERS. Let me just ask this if I might. Mr. Burr, 

would you say, in general, in North Carolina is the average veteran 

aware of his or her benefits? 

Senator BURR. Mr. Chairman, let me say that North Carolina 

may be a unique State simply because of the military footprint that 

is there and the fact that we are the fastest growing veterans population in the country. 

So, I think our veterans are pretty aware. It is probably not 

through the outreach programs of the VA. It is more the size of the 

infrastructure. 

Chairman SANDERS. Jon, what do you think in Montana? 

Senator TESTER. I think it depends on what conflict they were involved in. I can tell you there are a lot of vets that were turned 

down for service years ago. They quite frankly do not know that 

they can come back and try again, because we have changed the 

rules of the game. 

So, that is a challenge. 

6 

I think that the VSOs—if the VA was able to utilize them and 

if the VSOs could get recruitment to members involved in the different organizations, it could really help the VA get their education 

out. It is very difficult. 

I mean, I will just tell you. I had a meeting when I first got on 

this Committee and there was a veteran that came in to the meeting we had and he says, I just came out of the woods, and it was 

not a figurative statement. He literally just came out of the woods, 

and he had been there since the Vietnam conflict. 

Chairman SANDERS. Sherrod. 

Senator BROWN. Yes, briefly. I go back to my dad. My dad was 

a World War II vet, and he hardly ever talked about it like many 

in that generation. One of the things I most appreciate about being 

on this Committee is to encourage older vets, World War II vets, 

whether they are making the visits to Washington, to see the veterans memorial or at a veterans’ organization in Chillicothe to get 

them to tell their stories. 

I think that sort of reluctance to speak out is also—generally 

they are not particularly aware of this—it is a pretty self-reliant 

group of people. I also think the military so often does not really 

give them any guidance when they leave the Armed Forces and 

come back to this country. 

They do not tell them much about how you can go to Youngstown 

State in a special program for combat veterans or how you can connect with the local community-based outpatient clinic. The military 

needs to do better. I think we need to do better. I think our culture 

needs to do better with this. 

Chairman SANDERS. Thank you. 

Dr. Sowers, the mic is yours. 

STATEMENT OF TOMMY SOWERS, Ph.D., ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

Mr. SOWERS. Chairman Sanders, Ranking Member Burr, and distinguished Members of the Committee, on behalf of Secretary 

Shinseki and the employees at the VA, I am honored to be here 

this morning to update you on the Department’s outreach. I would 

like to briefly explain where we are, the situation, and where we 

are headed. 

Chairman, as you mentioned, there are more than 22 million veterans in the United States, yet less than half currently access the 

VA. In addition, the 2010 survey that you referenced said that 60 

percent of veterans knew either very little or nothing at all about 

their VA benefits. 

I used to be one of the 60 percent. While on active duty in the 

military, the military had my full attention. Upon leaving the 

Army, I learned what many other veterans already know, that 

while service made me strong, the VA can make me stronger. 

Because of the VA, I was able to file and receive a claim, earn 

my doctorate, thanks to the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and I get first-rate 

health care at VA facilities. I know firsthand the impact of awareness of these benefits. 

7 

From early in his tenure, Secretary Shinseki identified increasing veterans access as one of his top three priorities, and today we 

can see our outreach efforts making a difference. 

Accessing health care has never been simpler. Across the country, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are utilizing VA health care at 

a rate greater than any previous generation, including an unprecedented increase in the number of women receiving care at the VA. 

Education and compensation benefits have been never been 

greater. I and about a million other veterans and family members 

have gone back to school on the Post-9/11 GI Bill. In the last few 

years, we have added about a million more to our compensation 

rolls. 

But in the Special Forces, I learned you cannot accomplish a mission alone. You have got to work by, with, and through others in 

order to get it done. The Secretary and I both meet regularly with 

non-profits, for-profits, and veterans service and advocacy 

organizations. 

Following my comments this morning, we will hear from a few 

of the over 10,000 organizations committed to making a difference 

in the lives of veterans and their families. 

Mike Monroe of Point of Light works closely with our caregiver 

initiative and our benefits administration to find ways to increase 

economic opportunities for veterans. 

In New York City, Eric Weingartner of the Robin Hood Foundation helps veterans and families in poverty complementing our aggressive homeless outreach, and our medical centers collaborate 

with volunteers through Wendy Spencer at the Corporation for National and Community Service. 

We have also greatly expanded our outreach to State and local 

governments. Last year the VA signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs. 

Massachusetts’ veterans leader, Coleman Nee, does great work 

from connecting our homeless prevention efforts with local leaders 

to helping veterans get the training and certifications they need to 

get good jobs. 

And last week in Boston, VA medical staff worked closely with 

Coleman and other State officials to respond to those events, connecting the victims with our experience with dealing, assessing, 

and recovering from trauma. 

Tomorrow, VA is deploying three mobile Vet Centers throughout 

the greater Boston area to assist local authorities with counseling 

those affected by the attack, and we will be there for those injured 

while they recover, helping them re-define their mission. For decades we have challenged and inspired our injured veterans through 

our rehabilitative sports programs. 

I could continue to tell you about where we are from our Web 

site, from Make the Connection Campaign to our involvement with 

think tanks to our expanded social media presence. But I know all 

good messages are delivered succinctly. So, I look forward to saying 

more during the question portion. 

What I am really excited about today is where we are headed tomorrow. Immediately after my arrival last August, we evaluated 

8 

our current outreach and initiated planning to launch a new campaign called VA Access. 

VA Access is a multi-year communication and outreach effort involving our three administrations and VA staff offices. We have incorporated best practices from the private sector, built-in strategic 

and tactical objectives, set milestones, and established quantifiable 

metrics to measure our performance. 

The central method we use to measure our success is by the 

number of new customers, in our case veterans, accessing the 

system. 

VA Access is built around VA’s first ever national advertising 

campaign. We partnered with the Ad Council and are excited to 

work with the renowned and award-winning advertising firm DDB 

on a pro bono basis. We are learning about our customers with extensive quantitative and qualitative research; and kicking off in the 

weeks prior to Veterans’ Day this year, you will start seeing our 

coordinated campaign on TV, radio, billboards and magazines. 

That is our perspective on the situation, where we are and where 

we are going. VA deeply appreciates the continued support of this 

Committee. 

On a personal level, I am deeply honored to represent my fellow 

veterans and help them access the services and benefits they have 

earned. 

Thank you. I look forward to your questions. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Sowers follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF TOMMY SOWERS, PH.D., ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC

AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Good morning. Chairman Sanders, Senator Burr and distinguished Members of 

the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Thank you for the opportunity today to discuss the Department’s outreach efforts, our approach and major accomplishments, 

along with emerging initiatives and the way forward. I will highlight successful programs we have already conducted and other programs we will be conducting in the 

coming weeks, months and year. One important theme of our outreach strategy is 

the importance of national and local partnerships, which are essential to reach Veterans and their families. 

VA’s three Administrations—Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Health 

Administration, and National Cemetery Administration—and our central office are 

working closer than ever to plan, coordinate and integrate meaningful outreach activities across the Department. The 2012 Biennial Report to Congress, submitted 

earlier today, outlines the outreach activities of the Department. 

OVERVIEW

Since Secretary Eric K. Shinseki arrived in VA in January 2009, everything the 

VA does, including outreach activities is driven by a framework based on three fundamental principles; people-centric, results-oriented, and forward-looking. 

• People-Centric: Veterans remain the centerpiece of our effort. As it pertains to 

outreach, this means VA must address Veterans’ changing needs over time and develop strategies that effectively communicates how VA is meeting the needs of Veterans. 

• Results-Oriented: The real measurement of VA’s success is the timeliness, quality and consistency of the benefits and services we provide to Veterans and other 

beneficiaries. 

• Forward-Looking: Seek opportunities for delivering the best services with available resources, continuing to do things smarter and more effectively. VA outreach 

efforts must leverage the latest technology to reach today’s Veterans and future Veterans. Future outreach and services must take into consideration the changing Veteran landscape. 

VA’s approach to outreach is built on three pillars: (1) outreach efforts will be centrally planned with decentralized execution; (2) VA will leverage technology to the 

9 

maximum extent possible; and (3) VA will maximize partnerships to achieve optimal 

results. 

On a daily basis, the National Veterans Outreach Office (NVO), aligned under the 

Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs (OPIA), provides strategic oversight 

over VA’s outreach efforts and ensures the above three pillars are applied throughout the Department. 

To accomplish our important outreach mission, and among many other supporting 

efforts, VA is increasing the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of on-line information 

available to Veterans, Servicemembers, and eligible beneficiaries. The good news is 

our outreach efforts are making a difference in the lives of Veterans. 

The Post-9/11 generation of Veterans is using VA benefits and services at higher 

rates than any previous group in Veterans in history. Iraq and Afghanistan combat 

Veterans are eligible, within 5 years from the date of their discharge or release from 

active duty, for up to five years of free health care. Over 55 percent of returning 

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans are utilizing VA health care today. 

Approximately one million Veterans have enrolled in the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill since 

its inception. The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides enlisted Servicemembers, officers and 

some family members with up to 36 months of benefits, payment of tuition and fees, 

a stipend for books, and a monthly housing allowance. Veterans and other beneficiaries are using these benefits to pursue undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, and non-degree-producing technical certification. 

VA has also dramatically expanded its outreach to women Veterans. The number 

of women Veterans using VA health care has increased to 354,000. VA health care 

for women includes gender-specific primary care such as breast cancer screens; mental health evaluation and assistance for issues such as sexual trauma, domestic violence and parenting; and specialty care including reproductive health care. 

INCREASING AWARENESS AND ACCESS

The importance of outreach cannot be overstated. There are more than 22 million 

Veterans in the United States—and based on the most-recent National Survey of 

Veterans—less than half are currently accessing any VA benefits. In addition, that 

same survey revealed almost 60 percent of Veterans know either ‘‘very little’’ or 

‘‘nothing at all’’ about their VA benefits. These statistics present both a challenge 

and an opportunity. 

To address this challenge, VA is also moving to more self-service, technology-enabled interactions in order to provide Veterans easier access to information and the 

ability to execute transactions at a time and place convenient to the Veteran. 

Closer coordination and synchronization of VA outreach activities and efforts has 

been instrumental in achieving several major accomplishments during the past few 

years: 

• VA is working closely with State Directors of Veterans Affairs to ensure their 

veterans service officers are properly trained to better prepare fully developed 

claims to reduce processing time. 

• eBenefits enrollment surpassed the 2.5 million point by the end of Fiscal Year 

2012—in part due to increased marketing, outreach and closer collaboration between VA and Department of Defense (DOD). 

• Veteran’s homelessness has decreased more than 17 percent since 2009 as VA 

has intensified our national outreach, public communication, public-private partnerships and advocacy work in unison to rescue homeless Veterans while simultaneously implementing prevention programs. 

• Veterans Health Administration (VHA) outreach is integrated with new construction and health service initiatives to better provide access, and serve Veterans 

as demonstrated through three hospital construction projects, including opening a 

state-of-the art hospital in Las Vegas—the first in 17 years. 

• Since 2009, VA has added 57 new community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) 

giving us a total of 840 CBOCs through 2013 and we have increased the number 

of mobile outpatient clinics and mobile Vet Centers serving rural Veterans to 81. 

• For the eleventh consecutive year, the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) 

was rated the top customer service organization in the Nation, outperforming major 

U.S. corporations. According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, in 2012 

NCA received the highest scores ever attained by a public or private organization. 

• VA’s Mental Health outreach is fully integrated with suicide prevention programs to reach Veterans through both traditional and social media to build awareness on how to seek VA help and assistance. 

• VHA’s ‘‘Make the Connection’’ campaign has been highly successful in getting 

Veterans to seek assistance and in saving lives. For example, in outreach conducted 

10 

since November 2011, Web site visits have exceeded 2.3 million, more than 5.7 million on-line views, and 3.8 million impressions on Facebook. 

• VBA has expanded its outreach to U.S. military Reserve Component (Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Marine Reserves, etc.) Servicemembers and their 

families. This outreach effort is accomplished through six major initiatives: (1) Demobilization Initiative, (2) Individual Ready Reserve Muster, (3) Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, (4) Post-deployment Health Reassessment, (5) Transition Assistance, and (6) OEF/OIF/OND Internet Web page and social media. 

• Since the beginning of combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, through FY 

2012, VA’s Vet Centers have engaged 604,194 OEF/OIF/OND Veterans, 443,841 of 

whom were outreach contacts seen primarily at military demobilization and National Guard and Reserve sites. Services include mental health counseling, career 

counseling and VA service and benefits assistance. 

• Eligible Veterans and family members received Vet Center Services at over 

89,000 distinct outreach activities and events. These services include individual and 

group counseling, marital and family counseling, bereavement counseling, medical 

and benefits referral and employment counseling. 

The Department continues to improve its outreach efforts by initiating many new 

programs such as deploying mobile Vet Centers into rural areas, establishing more 

community based outpatient clinics and providing mental health crisis line services; 

increasing visibility through different advertising and marketing campaigns; coordinating communication across VA using consistent messaging; and strengthening 

partnerships with other Federal agencies, state, city and local governments, Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), Military Support Organizations (MSOs), and 

other stakeholders who support or assist Veterans and their families in accessing 

VA benefits and services. 

VA ACCESS CAMPAIGN

Shortly after my arrival in August 2012, we initiated detailed planning to launch 

a new outreach campaign called ‘‘VA Access.’’ The campaign launched in January 2013. VA Access is a comprehensive outreach strategy involving all resources 

within the Department. Its primary objective is to inform Veterans of the care and 

benefits they have earned and how to access them, for example, using the eBenefits 

portal. The campaign is a multi-year effort using both traditional and social media 

communication mediums. 

VA Access is based on a three key principles. First, Veterans learn best from 

other Veterans. Second, sustained outreach empowers Veterans and their family 

members to stay informed of their benefits through important stages in their lives. 

Third, the life of every Veteran—or their family members—is improved or enhanced 

by accessing the Veterans benefits they have earned. I will now briefly summarize 

the major components of VA Access. 

‘‘Pro Bono’’ National Advertising Campaign. Our flagship project is VA’s first-ever 

national advertising campaign with the New York City-based Ad Council, which is 

made possible by pro bono contributions of our partners. With our close involvement 

and oversight, the Ad Council and our pro bono partner have conducted extensive 

research—including the use of Veteran focus groups—and will create, produce and 

distribute ads on TV, radio, social media, billboards and magazines. 

We recently completed our quantitative and qualitative research. Creative development and review, including field testing, will start in May. And the Ads will start 

running nationally this October. 

The Ad Council program represents huge benefits to taxpayers and Veterans by 

maximizing a cost-efficient marketing and advertising program while reaching national Veterans audiences and stakeholders. 

Social Media Enhancements/Efforts. VA also recognizes the importance of Social 

Media to reach our audiences. Our online communication presence is now fresh, relevant and Veteran-focused. This past October, we totally redesigned our public-facing Web page (www.VA.gov). Our new web design is more user friendly, intuitive, 

and features a new look and feel, so Veterans and beneficiaries can better navigate 

content for their specific needs. We are removing redundant, outdated and trivial 

information. 

‘‘Buddy Program.’’ Nearly one in four Federal employees is a Veteran. However, 

as is true with the larger population, many Veterans working in the Federal Government may not be aware of VA benefits and services available to them. To address this, later this year we will launch a new initiative with our Federal Agency 

partners. 

11 

The objective of our ‘‘Buddy Program’’ is to inform Federal employees who are 

Veterans of their benefits, while encouraging them to share the information with 

other Veterans they know. 

Veteran Employment Program Offices and public affairs staff can post information about the program on agency intra-net sites—informing participants on how 

they can enroll in eBenefits or learn more about VA health care programs, they may 

be eligible for. We are also distributing posters to other Federal agencies to help 

promote this effort. 

Veterans Day. As we look toward November 2013, we see the culmination of intensive outreach activities coming together at the perfect point in time—Veterans Day. 

As our Nation pauses to recognize and thank Veterans, a positive sentiment focused 

on Veterans fills the air. This presents an incredible opportunity for VA and Veterans groups to join together for a unified call to action to increase access to VA. 

As we approach Veterans Day, we are asking VSOs to have ‘‘open house’’ events 

and other events focused on getting more Veterans to access the benefits and services they have earned. The stage is set and we are moving forward. 

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PARTNERSHIPS

OPIA’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) continues to implement a broad 

outreach strategy to ensure VA is communicating and coordinating our efforts 

across all levels of Federal, state and local governments. 

Over the last two years IGA has established or strengthened its working relationship with the following groups and organizations that represent state and local governments or entities: 

• Governors—National Governors Association (NGA). 

• National Guard Bureau and the State Adjutant Generals. 

• State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA). 

• State Veterans Home Administrators (NASVH). 

• Council of State Governments (CSG). 

• State Legislators (NCSL). 

• County Elected Officials (NaCo). 

• County Veteran Service Officers (NACVSO). 

• Mayors (U.S.C.M.). 

IGA has implemented and routinely participates in the following outreach initiatives: 

• Formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the Secretary of VA 

and the President of NASDVA, furthering VA’s commitment to coordinating our efforts with our state partners. 

• Quarterly conference calls with NASDVA to provide VA subject matter experts 

(SMEs) to address VA priority programs and initiatives. 

• Bi-weekly meetings with the Governors’ Federal Representatives in Washington 

DC to provide information on VA priority programs and initiatives and address VA 

related issues or concerns. 

• Weekly meetings with White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to further coordinate our outreach efforts with other Federal agencies with programs impacting Veterans. 

• Annual Conferences for all state and local organizations listed above. 

• Mid-Winter Conferences for NASDVA and NASVH. 

TRIBAL GOVERNMENT OUTREACH

In November 2009, President Obama tasked all Federal departments to fully implement Executive Order 13175 on ‘‘Consultation and Coordination with Indian 

Tribal Governments.’’ VA developed its plan in 2010, Secretary Shinseki signed VA’s 

Tribal Consultation policy in 2011, and the VA Office of Tribal Government Relations (OTGR) was established in OPIA and staffed in 2011. 

The end result of our efforts is to expand and enhance communications between 

the Department and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribal leaders to improve services to AI/AN Veterans. 

Outreach activities undertaken by OTGR include: 

• Sponsoring outreach booths at approximately five conferences hosted by Native 

American advocacy organizations. VA staff gave presentations during conference 

events and gave updates on VA programs for Native American Veterans. 

• Initiating tribal consultation on programs and services offered by the VA’s three 

Administrations. Tribal consultation events were held in Washington D.C., Anchorage, AK, Lincoln, NE and Denver, CO. 

12 

• Collaborating on tribal consultation with the Department of Health and Human 

Services/Indian Health Service (IHS) on a draft agreement to facilitate VA reimbursement for direct care services provided by IHS AI/AN Veterans. 

• Hosting meetings in Washington, DC; Spokane, WA; Shakopee, MN; Albuquerque, NM; Grand Ronde, OR; Norman, OK; and Milwaukee, WI with tribal leaders, Veterans and Veteran service providers. Collectively, these sessions drew over 

1,000 attendees. 

• Facilitating three listening sessions between VA officials and tribal leaders and 

Veterans in Bismarck, ND, Billings, MT, and Albuquerque, NM. 

• Drafting a resource guide for tribes interested in integrating aspects of Veterans Courts into tribal justice systems. 

• Sponsoring themed outreach materials in 2011 to VHA Alaska, focused on outreach to Alaska Native communities within the state. 

• Initiating a bi-weekly electronic newsletter for tribal leaders and Veterans in 

the Midwest. 

HOMELESS VETERANS OUTREACH

In keeping with President Obama’s pledge to honor and support our Veterans, the 

Secretary of VA established a VA priority goal of ending homelessness among Veterans in 2015. In support of that goal, OPIA’s Homeless Veterans Initiative Office 

(HVIO) authored, with input from all VA administrations and staff offices, VA’s 

Five-Year Plan to End Veteran Homelessness. 

A vital component of VA’s strategy to end homelessness among Veterans is VA’s 

National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (NCCHV), because it serves as the 

entry portal through which many homeless and at- risk Veterans find out about VA 

homeless services. NCCHV provides 24/7 access to VA homeless services by phone 

at 877–4-AID-VET and by online chat at www.va.gov/homeless. 

In 2011, HVIO launched a multi-pronged outreach campaign urging every citizen 

to ‘‘Make the Call’’ to the NCCHV if they are or know a Veteran who is homeless 

or at risk of homelessness. 

The ‘‘Make the Call’’ campaign included the following six elements: 

• Outreach awareness and information events in 28 targeted cities across the 

country in October 2012 to launch the outreach campaign; 

• Outreach that enlisted assistance from national and local organizations that 

come into contact with Veterans on a daily basis; 

• Assistance from over 2,300 community partners such as soup kitchens, shelters, 

local government agencies, first responders, and faith based organizations to help 

share information with homeless and at risk Veterans about VA resources; 

• Four web videos that focused on the roles different professions (social workers, 

medical professionals, first responders, and legal professionals) can play in connecting Veterans with services to prevent or overcome homelessness. 

VA is committed to preventing and ending homelessness among Veterans and 

their families by the end of 2015 and is poised to assist homeless and at-risk Veterans in achieving their optimal level of functioning and quality of life. Outreach 

is critical to ensuring the goal of ending Veteran homelessness is achieved. 

As a result of VA’s outreach campaign focused on homeless Veterans, calls to 

NCCHV increased by 123 percent and VA’s media activities resulted in over one billion impressions during fiscal year 2012. More importantly, VA helped prevent 

many Veterans from becoming homeless and helped many others successfully transition from homelessness to having a home and becoming self-sufficient. Today, more 

Veterans are accessing VA homeless services than ever before. Below are a few specific measures that reflect the success of VA’s homeless Veteran outreach activities. 

• From September 2011 to September 2012, calls to NCCHV rose from 36,100 to 

80,558. During the same period, there was a 125 percent increase in calls from Veterans seeking assistance to NCCHV, evidence VA is increasingly reaching its targeted population. 

• There was a 334 percent increase in calls from Veterans at risk of homelessness 

between fiscal year 2011 to fiscal year 2012. 

• The media campaign resulted in over 1 billion impressions: 

– Cable television—15 second and 30 second spots: 358,978,000 impressions; 

– Out of home—posters, transit shelters, bulletins, bus advertising: 

230,000,000 impressions; 

– Radio—15 second and 30 second audio spots: 534,718,000 impressions; 

– Online display—banner ads: 100,653,568 impressions/80,000 clicks; 

– Online video share—30 second and 60 second audio/video: 350,000 video 

views. 

13 

OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIGITAL STRATEGY

Through the Office of Public Affairs, VA will continue to execute a digital media 

strategy that is content focused to provide Veterans and other stakeholders relevant 

and timely information delivered on a variety of platforms. Digital content is available through traditional va.gov Web sites as well as social media platforms like 

Facebook, Twitter and blogs, and other cutting edge platforms. 

Currently VA’s Facebook page has more than 250,000 subscribers, which is more 

than any other cabinet-level agency. 

REHABILITATIVE SPORTS

VA plans and executes outreach to our wounded, injured and ill Veterans through 

our rehabilitative adaptive sports programs. In a strategic partnership with the U.S. 

Olympic Committee, VA grant monies support both national events and local events 

in communities where our Veterans live. These events not only support rehabilitation, but provide VA an opportunity to educate Veterans about other available programs, benefits and services that could health and overall quality of life. These 

events also give Veterans opportunities to share information and success stories 

about VA benefits and services with other Veterans. 

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Successful Veteran outreach cannot be accomplished by the VA alone. Many Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and non-profit organizations (NPOs) are making 

a huge difference in the lives of Veterans. The Ad Council research underscores the 

importance of ‘‘Vet-to-Vet’’ contact and peer influence. Simply put, Veterans trust 

other Veterans. 

Therefore, sustaining and building relationships with VSO and NPO groups is 

crucial to helping inform Veterans and to enrolling more Veterans in VA. 

The Secretary and I both meet quarterly with several VSO representatives, and 

VA is now reaching out more directly to NPOs. In those forums, we share information and we are asking the VSOs to help us enroll Veterans in concert with their 

respective Veteran advocacy roles 

SUMMARY

The Department of Veterans Affairs outreach programs focus on increased awareness and access of the VA benefits and services earned by Veterans and their families. We are working to coordinate and integrate outreach efforts across the VA to 

improve efficiency of resources, maximize technology and social media assets, and 

improving cooperation with Veterans Service and Non-profit organizations working 

to assist Veterans and their families every day. 

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement. I am pleased to answer any questions you or other Members of the Committee may have. 

Chairman SANDERS. Thank you very much for your testimony. 

Let me begin with health care. How many veterans now access the 

VA health care system? 

Mr. SOWERS. We have 8.9 million enrolled. 

Chairman SANDERS. Who are in the program? 

Mr. SOWERS. That is correct, Chairman Sanders. 

Chairman SANDERS. What is your guess as to how many people 

might be eligible for the program who are not in it? 

Mr. SOWERS. Well, there are 22.4 million veterans that are out 

there, Chairman Sanders; and unless they were dishonorably discharged, they are eligible for the program, they are eligible for 

health care. 

Chairman SANDERS. How many veterans do we think lack any 

health insurance at all? 

Mr. SOWERS. That is a good question, Chairman Sanders. I will 

get with VHA to get that precise estimate. 

Chairman SANDERS. You would agree with me that your job is 

to make sure that every veteran in America, whether or not he or 

14 

she wants to access VA services, and many do not for whatever 

reason, know what those benefits are. 

Mr. SOWERS. That is correct, Chairman Sanders. 

Chairman SANDERS. You are dealing with a wide spectrum of 

folks. You are dealing with people who just left Iraq and Afghanistan, who are very computer savvy. You are dealing with World 

War II veterans who have never used a computer in their lives. 

You have a whole bunch of universes out there that you have to 

access. 

I am concerned about the older veterans right now, say Vietnam 

vets. Do you suspect that there are many Vietnam vets who might 

have, initially when they returned home from Vietnam, had bad experiences with the VA? What is your strategy of reaching out to 

those veterans? 

Mr. SOWERS. Chairman Sanders, thank you very much for that 

question. The strategy is multi-faceted. Actually, Vietnam veterans 

is the larger proportion of veterans on FaceBook but it is going to 

require more than FaceBook. It is going to require some direct face 

time as well. Vietnam veterans represent the largest cohort with 

a membership within the Veterans Service Organizations. 

So, when I came in, I initiated meetings with the Veterans Service Organizations and non-profit leaders. We have got to reach 

these veterans by, with, and through some of these partners. 

I will give you one other example. About a hundred hours ago I 

was standing in Wales, Alaska, population 145, looking over the 

frozen Bering Sea. I was standing there with the Alaska State Veterans’ Affairs Director, the head of our health care system, and our 

local tribal veteran representative. 

In this town of 145, about as rural as you can get, there are Vietnam veterans there that, as you said, may not want these programs; but once we explained it to them in a face-to-face way, we 

got veterans to sign up. 

We need those sorts of interactions to occur in rural communities 

across the country. 

Chairman SANDERS. For the Post-9/11 veterans, the VA is now 

providing free health care for the first 5 years upon their return. 

What percentage of those veterans know that? 

Mr. SOWERS. Chairman Sanders, what we have seen is that 56 

percent of the 1.5 million Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have utilized VA health care. That is historically unprecedented. 

We have historically been around the mid-30s. In terms of the 

Iraq and Afghanistan vets, and what we are finding is that Iraq 

and Afghanistan veterans especially with the Post-9/11 GI Bill, 

have sky-high awareness of this incredible program that you all 

have supported again and again. 

Chairman SANDERS. Let me interrupt you for a second. My time 

is running out. So, you think we are doing well. Is that because of 

the TAP program? Has that been important? 

Mr. SOWERS. Chairman Sanders, I believe the improvements to 

TAP have made positive contributions to it. When I got out, it was 

more like death by PowerPoint. I have seen the new TAP. It is an 

improvement from what I went through but we have got to do 

more. 

15 

There is a lot of confusion out there between the compensation 

and care, and that is a message that I have been working aggressively to get out. 

Chairman SANDERS. All right. So, 56 percent does seem to be a 

pretty high number. Do you think we have done a fairly good job 

informing the younger veterans about VA health care and that significant numbers of them are taking advantage of that? 

Mr. SOWERS. Chairman Sanders, the numbers are historically 

high. I just think we have got to do better. I mean, I have run into 

veterans, smart veterans—one of my buddies is a Rhodes Scholar 

who injured his shoulder in the service and did not yet know about 

the 5 years of free health care. 

So, it is something we have got to continue to work on although 

we are seeing historically high numbers. 

Chairman SANDERS. I think you have heard from all of the members the importance of working effectively with State, local government, and non-profits. Say a few words about what you are trying 

to do in that area. 

Mr. SOWERS. Chairman Sanders, it is vitally important and within my office is the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. The memorandum of understanding signed with the National Association of 

State Directors of Veterans Affairs is absolutely important. 

When I travel around to the States, when I was in Ohio, I met 

with Tom Moe. He told me about the unique, innovative programs 

that they are doing in Ohio. When I was in North Carolina, it was 

Tim Wipperman there who told about the unique programs that 

they are doing there. 

We know that the best solutions are not all coming out of DC, 

that they are at the local level where we are seeing great solutions. 

Part of that memorandum of understanding is working with that 

organization to recognize and understand the best practices so that 

we can spread those out across the country. 

Chairman SANDERS. OK. 

Senator Burr. 

Senator BURR. Dr. Sowers, welcome. I covered the numbers that 

VA provided for me for the 5-year period, the $83 million. However, 

it is my understanding that NVO and OPIA is currently unable to 

provide the information that I requested which is updated cost information and projections as part of the questions for the record for 

the 2014 review. 

Is that true? 

Mr. SOWERS. Ranking Member Burr, I will inquire about that, 

the specific question that you asked. I know for our outreach efforts 

we have a specific number that we are tracking for what NVO 

spends on outreach. 

Senator BURR. Let me ask on behalf of the Committee if you 

would provide those numbers for us and as well the metrics that 

you discussed in your opening statement that you have created to 

monitor it. 

[The information requested during the hearing follows:] 

16 

RESPONSE TO REQUEST ARISING DURING THE HEARING BY HON. RICHARD BURR TO

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Question 1. What is the Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs outreach 

budget for FY 14? 

Response. The National Veterans Outreach Office outreach budget for Fiscal Year 

2014 is $4,000,000.00. This amount supports a more aggressive VA outreach plan, 

which includes the first iteration of an Ad Council national advertising campaign. 

These professional advertising services will enable the Department to conduct a national advertising effort designed to increase awareness among Veterans and family 

members regarding the breadth of services available to them and how to access 

those benefits and services. 

Question 2. What is the metric VA is using to assess the effectiveness of VA’s outreach campaign? 

Response. The metric established for outreach is new access to one or more of 

VA’s programs. Access is defined as a Veteran, family member, or a Servicemember 

who enroll, register, and/or use one or more VA benefits and services. The access 

baseline is the number of unique individuals who have accessed VA in FY 2012. 

New access is defined as an individual accessing VA who was not found in the system in FY 2012. The data was extracted from VBA, VHA, NCA and VA’s e-Benefits 

portal. 

In order to track and measure VA access, a reporting process was established and 

approved by the VA Chief of Staff in December 2012. On a monthly basis, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and 

National Cemetery Administration (NCA) provide data within their respective areas 

of responsibility to the VA Office of Policy and Planning (OPP) to process and determine new clients accessing VA. The period for tracking and measure new access to 

VA for FY 2013 is October 1, 2012. 

Senator BURR. I would agree with Chairman Sanders that 56 

percent is an awfully good number, and I think it begs us to stop 

and ask, what is different about those separating from the current 

conflicts from the population that is more of a traditional VA population, that they might be so much better informed about the VA. 

I think probably we could all point to social media as a tremendous tool which begs the question, that if we agree that it has had 

a major impact on the ability of veterans to become aware of the 

benefits that are available to them, why all of a sudden the departure to a $4.3 million advertising campaign, which I sort of look at 

from a standpoint of it being traditional and social media being the 

21st Century mode of communication? 

Mr. SOWERS. Ranking Member Burr, that is a great question. I 

see this as a combined arms campaign. You have got to be in the 

air. You have got to be on the ground. You have got to be where 

the veteran is and the time, tone, medium, and frequency that they 

care about. 

I will give you an example of how we are using social media to 

reach out. The Make the Connection Campaign is a campaign that 

started in June of last year. 

Senator BURR. Make no mistake. Clearly, you are doing social 

media effectively. So, tell me what the theme and what your expectations are of a $4.3 million advertising buy. 

Is it to actually increase the reach or is it to be a little bit more 

high-profile relative to the effort? 

Mr. SOWERS. Ranking Member Burr, thank you for that question. 

You know, a key thing about this campaign, if you are referring to 

the Ad Council campaign, it works on donated media and it works 

on pro bono work from the advertising firm. 

17 

Some folks, as we heard earlier, they want to receive mail. They 

want to receive things, you know, that they can feel and touch. 

Some folks want to see the messages on TV. 

The great thing about working with the Ad Council and the pro 

bono firm, DDB, is that they bring to us decades of research on 

how to effectively message across a wide variety of medium. 

So, it cannot just be social media. That will be part of the campaign but it will not be the entire part. 

Senator BURR. So, is there a matrix that has been developed to 

determine whether this effort produces the predicable results? 

Mr. SOWERS. Ranking Member Burr, the key metric that we are 

using is the number of new customers accessing the VA. After my 

arrival, we started tracking that for the first time, enterprise-wide. 

You know, I am a customer of three products of the VA from two 

different Administrations; and so now, on a month-to-month basis, 

we know the number of new customers that are coming into the 

VA. 

This year is the key one, where I can level set and get a sense 

of the exact matrix and how it flows, which months we see a higher 

intake versus others. 

When we kick off this campaign in October, we will have a very 

clear idea with a full year of already counting exactly how many 

folks are coming into the VA. 

Senator BURR. Last question. The initiative the will kick off in 

October. How many, if any, outreach programs were terminated 

and replaced by this program? 

Mr. SOWERS. Ranking Member Burr, I can get back to you with 

a distinct answer. I see this as an additive program; but I will go 

back and check the history of it, of exactly what was replaced. 

Senator BURR. Since you have taken over, have we terminated 

any outreach programs? 

Mr. SOWERS. Ranking Member Burr, I will get back to you on the 

specifics of that. 

Senator BURR. Thank you. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

[The information requested during the hearing follows:] 

RESPONSE TO REQUEST ARISING DURING THE HEARING BY HON. RICHARD BURR TO

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Question. Have any VA outreach programs been canceled since August 2012? 

Response. The Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs has not canceled 

any outreach program. 

Chairman SANDERS. Senator Tester. 

Senator TESTER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Thank you for your service, Mr. Sowers. Thanks for being here 

today. I want to talk a little bit about partnership with volunteers 

particularly as it applies to rural America. 

I was encouraged to see the vets program which is under the Department of Labor and their initiative to provide outreach to unemployed veterans in rural area. It is critically important that we get 

a better idea of what services particular veterans need to utilize to 

get back into the work force. 

18 

So, from your perspective, can you speak to any initiatives 

launched by the VA to partner with various community groups to 

expand care or services to rural America? 

Mr. SOWERS. Senator Tester, thank you very much for the question. As you know, I am a rural vet. I grew up in a town of 13,000 

and there was no VA facility there. 

But what is in my hometown is a VFW post. There is an American Legion post. There are a number of VSOs that have their 

boots on the ground in those communities. 

So, what I initiated when I came to VA was, I need to speak with 

the communicators of these organization. So, on a quarterly basis 

we bring these veterans service organizations and non-profits in, 

and we bring them in not just to talk but to listen. 

What we did, for example, on the Web site is instead of just revealing the Web site and saying, tah-dah, here it is, we brought in 

the VSO and non-profit leaders to ask what do you need, how can 

we do this better, how can we communicate with you. 

Rural veterans, we know, are online. So, there is an online portion to it, yet there is also an on-the-ground component. 

One thing that has happened in the last few years is the expansion of our mobile Vet Centers. I love the Vet Centers. They are 

a phenomenal, low threshold way that people can access VA. But 

the mobile Vet Centers have taken the show on the road. 

Just as we are going to be able to deploy them to Boston tomorrow, they predominantly focus on rural areas where we do not have 

a VA facility. It brings counselors; it brings people that know about 

the benefits to that area. 

Senator TESTER. I want to talk about something the Chairman 

has been an advocate of for some time now and this is community 

health centers. 

The VA announced steps to partner aggressively with local providers such as community mental health centers. OK. But there 

has been, I think, a lack of communication and collaboration between the VA and the private providers I talked about in the previous hearing, as a matter of fact, to deliver care at local access 

points. It has been an issue for a long time. 

What steps can be taken to improve the communication and collaboration between the VA and actual local health care providers, 

whether it is mental health or otherwise? 

Mr. SOWERS. Senator Tester, thank you for that question. I have 

seen it work in a couple of different ways. One is the veterans’ crisis line that you may know about. It has registered 700,000 calls, 

26,000 saves. 

At that center when they receive calls from wherever they are 

coming in, they immediately connect with the local providers, 

whether that is law enforcement, whether that is the mental health 

providers. They connect that call through the VA to the local 

provider. 

The second one is what I just saw in Alaska. Since Secretary 

Shinseki’s visit in 2011, we have expanded our sharing agreements 

with local tribal authorities that provide health care. So now, both 

tribal veterans and non-veterans can go to a local facility and receive that care instead of having to fly to Anchorage. 

19 

Senator TESTER. Well, you are the point man on intergovernmental affair. Can you talk about conversations that are going on 

within the government between, for instance, you, the VA, and 

Health and Human Services? 

Indian Health is another one. You talked about that just a 

minute ago. Is there a conversation at this level that is being bled 

down to the ground so that the folks on the ground—so you can 

work between agencies? 

Mr. SOWERS. Senator Tester, it is a great question. An example 

is the partnership that we have had with the Indian Health Services. So, that does not just require the VA to communicate out to 

the veterans but Indian Health Service to communicate out to their 

local providers as well. 

So, we have been at the same table as we are forming the policy 

in partnership and then we both take our lines of operations. 

Senator TESTER. Anything with HHS, Health and Human Services? Any conversations, any partnerships there? 

Mr. SOWERS. Senator Tester, right now we are working closely 

with HHS on information about the Affordable Care Act to make 

sure that veterans are informed and understand some of the 

changes that are moving forward. 

Senator TESTER. All right. Thank you very much. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman SANDERS. Senator Brown. 

Senator BROWN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. Sowers, on the second panel one of the witnesses said in his 

prepared remarks that there are more than 40,000 organizations, 

overwhelmingly non-profits, working with veterans. I do not really 

even know what to recommend on this. 

Is there any effort or thought or are there plans for VA to sort 

of have a registry of them to work with them to try to get them— 

there are some that work cross-purposes. I mean, one group I 

would worry about is the for-profits, some of the for-profit colleges 

and university that tend to run up debt for students, veterans and 

non-veterans alike. 

Is there reason for you to manage these or try to manage these 

or is there an ability to do that with all these non-profits out there, 

most of whom would generally want to help veterans but do not 

really have much coordination one with the other? 

Mr. SOWERS. Senator Brown, it is a great question. When I was 

in Ohio with Tom Moe, we had a roundtable meeting with a lot of 

the local providers there. I think it would be very challenging for 

us and I am not sure I would want to manage or attempt to manage—— 

Senator BROWN. I might have used the wrong word. Is there, I 

mean, tell me about the relationships. How do you look at many 

of these 40,000? Is there any coordination or advice you give them 

or anything you can do to sort of make them perform better, if that 

is the case? 

Mr. SOWERS. So, Senator Brown, there are a few things that we 

have done on this. One is I have sent periodic outreach to Veterans 

Service Organizations and non-profits to get an understanding of 

the solutions that they are delivering at the local level. 

20 

I think a very key set of relationships we formalized is in the 

case of the State veterans’ affairs directors and then working with 

the counties and cities as well is working through our local veterans’ leaders in those communities who know the solutions, who 

know the local providers. 

Part of my interest is to make sure that the great solutions that 

are happening, VetCounts being a perfect example which you are 

doing in Ohio, that the lessons that are being learned there are 

shared. 

So, surfacing those best practices, we are getting those right now 

through the Association of State Directors. 

Senator BROWN. OK. Thank you. I mentioned in my opening 

statement about 870,000 veterans in Ohio, not many more than 

half can Ohio State government actually identify by name and location and all of that. 

What do you do with States like Ohio? I mean we have 88 county 

Veteran Service Organizations. We have, as all of us do, many 

VSOs that are doing terrific work. 

How do we reduce that gap so we know where they are, so the 

State government can communicate with them and let them know 

of the VA education, health care, homeless services—all of those? 

Mr. SOWERS. Senator Brown, thank you very much for that question. We have got to do that, you know, we cannot manage what 

we cannot measure. And having a clear understanding of where the 

veterans are, what their demographics are, is a key to any outreach 

campaign. 

So, you are going to start seeing some changes through the VA’s 

Web site. For example, when you come to it, it is going to ask you 

for your zip code and where you are at. That way we can start customizing messages to veterans of specific regions. 

But a key thing I have heard from the States, and we want to 

deliver, is data on who we are tracking and who they are tracking 

and getting a good sharing between the two so that we can close 

that gap. 

Senator BROWN. Thank you. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman SANDERS. Thank you. Let me ask one last question. 

Tell me if I am right on this one. VA standards and eligibility requirements often change. If I have 20 percent disability and my income is X and next year my income is Y, I may at one point be 

eligible and the next point not be eligible. 

Is that a barrier in terms of access to health care that maybe 

somebody applied and were, at the time ineligible. Then, 3 years 

later the standard may have changed. Is that a problem for the 

VA? 

Mr. SOWERS. Chairman Sanders, that is a challenge because, as 

you mentioned, there were veterans that maybe left the service 20– 

30 years ago when the VA was an administration and not a cabinet 

level department. It offered different benefits and services. 

So, again it is one of the key things of why a campaign like VA 

Access is critical, to ease the ability of saying this is what the current benefits are. We want to drive people to this site and make 

the site—we made it more user friendly. We want to continue in 

that trend. 

21 

Chairman SANDERS. There is another issue and I wish I had the 

book in front of me. It looks like a huge telephone book. But in the 

State of Vermont, which is a rural State, and incomes and cost of 

living are different in certain parts of the State, we have one county next to another county; and your income eligibility is different. 

So, if I am earning X dollars in Y county, I might be eligible in 

that county but not another. Does that create problems for VA? 

Mr. SOWERS. Chairman Sanders, I would say anytime there is a 

change in requirements, there is some messaging that needs to go 

with that. That is why we want to bring in some of the best practices of the private sector here. 

Chairman SANDERS. In this case, I am not just faulting the VA. 

I am faulting maybe us as well. If people know what they are eligible for and are not in all kinds of different levels, it might be easier 

for the average veteran to say, ‘‘yes, I can walk in the door,’’ rather 

than having been rejected and never coming back again even 

though he or she may now be eligible. 

That was my point. It was not a criticism of VA. But when I see 

a telephone book for eligible requirements based on different incomes in the State of Vermont, frankly it does not make a whole 

lot of sense to me. 

Senator Burr, any other questions? 

Senator BURR. No. 

Chairman SANDERS. OK. Dr. Sowers, thank you very much for 

your testimony. 

Mr. SOWERS. Thank you. 

Chairman SANDERS. We will have the next panel come up please. 

Panelists, thank you very much for being with us. I think what 

we all recognize and what we have heard from this Committee and 

from Dr. Sowers is that we cannot do our job or the VA cannot do 

its job unless it is done not only by a strong outreach effort by VA 

but also by private non-profits as well and other government agencies. The goal is to bring all of the players together and I know all 

of you without exception have been actively involved in that. 

We thank you very much for the work that you have done. We 

want your ideas as to how we can improve upon what we do, how 

we can make the cooperation between the VA and your organizations stronger. 

Let us begin. I am delighted to welcome Wendy Spencer, who is 

the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and 

Community Service. Wendy, thanks very much for being with us. 

STATEMENT OF WENDY SPENCER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY 

SERVICE 

Ms. SPENCER. Thank you so much, Chairman Sanders, Ranking 

Member Burr, I appreciate the opportunity to testify today. I also 

want to thank both of you for entrusting me with the honor of serving as the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community 

Service. I began about a year ago so I am very excited to be in my 

new role. 

We at CNCS share your commitment to serving our veterans and 

military families. Personally as a wife, a daughter, granddaughter, 

22 

and even a stepmother of men who served in four branches of the 

military, this is very personal to me and it is a priority. 

Meeting the needs of our veterans and military families is a national challenge. National service, what we do, is an innovative, 

cost-effective, and proven solution to this challenge. 

We are a grant-making agency built on public-private partnership. Each year we generate an investment of hundreds of millions 

of dollars in private and other outside resources. 

We recruit, mobilize, and manage 80,000 AmeriCorps members, 

330,000 Senior Corps participants, and an additional 4.5 million 

community volunteers. 

Through our vast network of grantees and partners, dedicated 

Americans serve in 70,000 locations across the Nation. They are in 

schools, faith- and community-based organizations, non-profits, 

many of which you are familiar with like Habitat for Humanity, 

Points of Light, American Red Cross, The American Legion Auxiliary, Catholic Charities, and thousands more. 

National servicemembers are taking on some of our Nation’s 

most pressing problems, including supporting veterans and the 

military family community. 

Our commitment to veterans and their families is deep and it is 

actually two-fold. We serve them and we ask them to serve with 

us. Those strategies are proving to be tremendously beneficial and 

have great results. 

National servicemembers serve at hundreds of VA clinics and 

hospitals, at Veterans Service Organizations and non-profits. They 

are connecting veterans to job opportunities, helping them access 

their benefits, providing peer counseling, mentoring their children, 

and more. Last year, our program served more than 1.5 million veterans and family members in every State in the country. 

Veterans themselves also bring unique skills and leadership to 

solve problems at home. National service actually gives our veterans a new mission on the home front, a pathway to opportunity 

if you will, and a better transition to civilian life. 

Last year, more than 27,000 veterans served in our programs. In 

fact, many of our programs are vets helping fellow vets which we 

find very successful. 

In Washington State, for example, the Governor appointed the 

Commission for National and Community Service and the State’s 

Department of Veterans’ Affairs to join together in 2009 to launch 

an AmeriCorps program called VetCorps. 

VetCorps is made up of veterans or military family members. 

They serve full-time to support veterans enrolled in public colleges 

across the State. In fact, every public college. 

They take their fellow veterans by the hand and assist them with 

every aspect of their transition. Their mission is to never leave a 

veteran behind and to help them succeed in college and in life. I 

am pleased to report that it is working. 

Last year, 31 AmeriCorps members in VetCorps served 7,100 veterans. Nine out of every ten of these veterans served reported to 

us they had better understanding of how to navigate college and 

use their VA benefits. 

23 

Early results show us that VetCorps members have substantially 

boosted the number of veterans on track to graduate from college, 

a goal that we all share. 

In conclusion, let me tell you about Mike Bremer. Mike is an 

Iraq war veteran who served in AmeriCorps as a member of an allveteran fire team in Colorado. Mike said, and these are his words, 

‘‘When I returned from Iraq with the Army infantry, I felt like I 

lost all meaning and purpose in life and I had trouble finding 

meaningful work. My AmeriCorps experience gave me new purpose 

and a valuable new skill set. I received incredible training and experience through AmeriCorps.’’ 

I am pleased to share with you today that Mike now has a fulltime job as a firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service. I called Mike 

yesterday to tell him I was going to share his message with you, 

and he is doing quite well. 

Mike found his new mission and we know what ours is. 

Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Burr, we are poised, ready, 

committed, dedicated to work with each of you and each Member 

of this Committee and the VA to serve our veterans and their families as well as they have served each of us. We hope you will consider national service as an important part of the solution. 

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. As a moment of 

privilege, I would like to thank my colleagues here, grantees and 

partners in the room, and especially my senior advisor for veterans 

issues, Koby Langley, who is an Iraq war veteran, Bronze Star Recipient, and served as a former Command Judge Advocate who is 

advising me and helping us grow services to veterans and the military family. 

Thank you very much. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Spencer follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF WENDY SPENCER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, 

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE (CNCS) 

Chairman Sanders, Ranking Member Burr, and Members of the Committee: 

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. 

I am Wendy Spencer, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). I have had the privilege of serving in this 

role since April 2012, following my nomination by President Obama and unanimous 

confirmation by the U.S. Senate. I thank the Members of this Committee for your 

faith and confidence in me and for this honor you have entrusted to me. 

I have forged my career in volunteer management and administration over the 

past three decades. Prior to this appointment, I served as CEO of the Florida Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Service under Governors Bush, Crist, and 

Scott, and am therefore honored to be the first CEO of CNCS to come directly from 

the national service field. I am also honored to be the first in this position to testify 

before this full Committee. 

I was grateful for your invitation and am here today because CNCS shares your 

commitment to serving our veterans and military families. As a Nation, we are 

tasked to meet the needs of the 1.5 million servicemembers hanging up their uniforms for the last time and transitioning to civilian life in the next five years, as 

well as the military families who have borne so much of the burden during the long 

and protracted years of war. 

The good news I have to report is that Americans have answered the call to serve 

in countless ways to support our military service men and women, veterans, and 

their families. As the Obama Administration’s Joining Forces initiative makes clear, 

this is not a challenge for government, alone; it is a challenge for all of us who live 

safer, freer, and more secure because of the sacrifice of these heroes. National service is an innovative, cost-effective, and proven solution to this challenge. 

24 

During my testimony, I will discuss who we are, our commitment to our Nation’s 

heroes, and how national service is poised to play an even greater role in helping 

our returning servicemembers and their families transition back to civilian life. 

ABOUT THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

CNCS is a Federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service each year 

through our signature national service programs, AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, 

and innovative programs such as the Social Innovation Fund and Volunteer Generation Fund that take community-based solutions to scale. We also lead the President’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. 

Our programs bring human capital to America’s civic infrastructure. This includes 

more than: 

• 80,000 AmeriCorps members; • 330,000 Senior Corps volunteers; and • 4.5 million community volunteers recruited, managed, and mobilized by our national servicemembers and call to service initiatives. 

We are unique in that we are a public-private partnership. We work with a vast 

network of grantees and partners to get things done in communities across the 

country. And we generate the investment of hundreds of millions in private and 

non-CNCS funds every year. 

Through our AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs, dedicated citizens of all 

ages and backgrounds are serving hands-on and in many cases full-time at 70,000 

locations nationwide, including schools, faith- and community-based organizations, 

state and local public agencies, and venerable nonprofits such as Points of Light, 

Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, United Way, Catholic Charities, and 

the American Legion Auxiliary. 

Every day, these national servicemembers tackle complex societal challenges on 

the ground, such as helping youth stay on track to graduate; fighting poverty; responding to disasters; restoring parks; bringing life back to forgotten neighborhoods; 

and connecting veterans and military families to the services they need and the benefits they have earned, which is the challenge that unites us here today. It’s working; we see results of national service each and every day. 

National service is based on the idea that our Nation’s greatest asset is our citizens. When Americans are civically engaged and empowered, no challenge is insurmountable. That is why CNCS is proud to lead the Federal effort to support, 

strengthen, and scale America’s volunteer sector through national service, and help 

address some of the most pressing issues facing our Nation. 

NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITMENT TO

VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES

As the Members of this Committee and the witnesses of this panel know, one such 

pressing national issue is meeting the needs of our transitioning military and their 

families. I am the wife, daughter, granddaughter, and stepmother of men who have 

served our country in four branches of the military, so this is very personal to me 

and I understand the challenge. 

Further, this generation of American veterans presents new challenges which are 

uniquely served by national servicemembers, volunteers, and fellow veterans and 

military family members. 

The bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 (Serve America 

Act) was landmark legislation that focused national service on key national priorities, including veterans and military families. In the spirit and the letter of the 

Serve America Act, the CNCS 2011–2015 Strategic Plan set goals, strategies, and 

objectives to support the veteran and military family community. 

Our commitment to veterans and military families begins in large part by who 

we choose to lead our efforts. In 2011, we chose a two-tour combat veteran of Kosovo 

and Iraq, and the recipient of the Bronze Star, Koby Langley, as Senior Advisor for 

Wounded Warrior, Veteran, and Military Family Initiatives at CNCS. Koby has 

served our country with distinction as a public servant in the Army, as a special 

assistant to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and most recently as a senior executive in the Department of Defense (DOD) where he advised on wounded warrior and 

transition policy, led in the interagency development of the Veterans Job Bank, as 

well as the first ever DOD wounded warrior employment initiative. Today, our investments in supporting the veteran and military family community have never 

been stronger. 

Our commitment to this community is twofold. We directly serve veterans and 

their families through national service, and we recruit and enroll veterans and their 

families to serve in national service programs. We have seen success on both fronts. 

25 

1 A complete list of veteran and military family-oriented grantees supported since 2010 is provided as Appendix A to this testimony. 

Serving Veterans and Military Families Through National Service 

Our AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers, serving at the community 

level, are the face and helping hands of a grateful Nation. These national servicemembers serve at hundreds of Department of Veterans (VA) Affairs facilities, including clinics, community centers, and 80 hospitals; veteran service organizations; 

and nonprofits such as Blue Star Families and Operation Homefront. 

They perform a wide range of service activities on a daily basis to support veterans and their families, including raising awareness of benefits among veterans 

and helping them navigate the application process; connecting them to critical 

wellness and support services such as legal assistance, health care, job training, and 

affordable housing; or providing transportation to the nearest VA hospital or other 

medical appointments, to job counseling or interviews, and to take care of personal 

needs by running household errands. 

Examples of our grantees in action include: 

• Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska, which utilizes the antipoverty, capacity-building arm of AmeriCorps—AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in 

Service to America)—to help veterans and their families transition from a life in the 

military to a life in the classroom. The VISTA members have set up resource guides 

and a Web site specifically for student veterans, compiled a list of faculty members 

with military experience, and facilitated the student veterans’ transition to the local 

community through service events such as the September 11th National Day of 

Service and Remembrance. 

• The city of Raleigh, North Carolina, which places two AmeriCorps VISTA members at the Raleigh Business and Technology Center. These VISTAs wrote, submitted, and were awarded an $851K grant from the North Carolina Department of 

Transportation and the Workforce Development Commission. The grant supports a 

cross-sector collaboration with the largest solar panel company in the state, providing veterans access to a 144-hour Solar Electrical Technician Certification 

Course, a Lineman Certification Course, a 200-hour pre-apprentice program, and 

support with transportation and job placements. This partnership is creating a pathway to education, green jobs, and transportation assistance for approximately 200 

veterans. 

• The LifeBridge Veteran AmeriCorps program in West Virginia, which provides 

peer-to-peer mentoring, life and job skills training, information and referral services, 

as well as financial literacy guidance to veterans, homeless individuals, or those at 

risk of becoming homeless. The program has been critical to helping fill gaps in resources for the state’s veteran population. Last year, AmeriCorps members serving 

in the LifeBridge program drove documented increases in job skills among the population they served, recruited hundreds of volunteers, and provided direct support 

services to 200 members of the veteran and military family community in West Virginia. 

Through these and other programs, last year approximately 1.5 million veterans 

and military family members across every state were impacted by the service of 

AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers. Since implementation of the 

Serve America Act over the past three years, CNCS has awarded national service 

grants to more than 240 organizations in more than 400 communities across the 

country to serve the veteran and military family community.1

CNCS and our national service programs are developing good ideas, promising 

practices, and effective programs and initiatives that make a meaningful difference 

for veterans and military families and taking them to scale. This includes: 

• The Community Blueprint, which began as collaboration between AmeriCorps 

VISTA members working with the American Legion Auxiliary, and has since grown 

into a multi-state initiative led by our grantee, the Points of Light. 

• Operation Honor Card, which has solicited and documented pledges of 25.8 million hours of service by Americans in support of veterans and military families. Operation Honor Card is a joint project of the CNCS, Blue Star Families, American 

Red Cross, Points of Light, and ServiceNation. With more than 22.4 million of these 

service hours having already been served, Operation Honor Card has raised awareness of the strength and challenges of our servicemembers and represents the commitment of communities and citizens nationwide who have come together to assist 

veterans and military families by writing letters of appreciation, sending care packages, hosting donation drives, organizing welcome home events, feeding homeless 

veterans, tutoring and mentoring military children, and much more. 

26 

2 All Volunteer Force: From Military to Civilian Service. Civic Enterprises. Published November 2009. 3 VISTA Member Exit Survey: September 2011-November 2012. Survey results and testimonials 

of veterans serving in VISTA are provided as Appendix B to this testimony. 4 Understanding the Involvement of Veterans and Military Families in National Service. A field 

assessment report prepared for the Corporation for National and Community Service by Westat. 

February 2013. 

• A new partnership with Delaware Governor Jack Markell, chairman of the National Governors Association, and the National Guard Bureau, which will place 

AmeriCorps members in Delaware and locations across the country as part of Joining Community Forces. The partnership will strengthen National Guard support 

services for guardsmen and their families at risk of homelessness, joblessness, or 

otherwise in need of economic stability assistance by providing access to AmeriCorps 

VISTA members for all 54 states and territories. I was proud to join the Governor 

and Senators Carper and Coons last month to announce this partnership. 

Recruiting and Enrolling Veterans and Military Families in National Service 

National service is also a unique and effective way to tap the talent and leadership skills of veterans to solve problems at home. 

More than 17,000 veterans have served in AmeriCorps since its inception in 1994. 

And last year alone, more than 26,000 veterans served through Senior Corps. Veterans bring the skills they acquired in the service to continue serving on the homefront through AmeriCorps and Senior Corps—responding to disasters, building 

homes, mentoring at-risk youth, and supporting other veterans and their families. 

Veterans of all ages have demonstrated a desire to serve their country both in and 

out of the service and this continues to be true for our youngest generation of veterans. A landmark report by Civic Enterprises found that younger veterans are 

eager to continue serving, and that veterans who volunteer have more successful 

transitions home than those who do not.2

This is proven true in national service programs. In a recent VISTA member exit 

survey, 80 percent of members reported that their participation in national service 

helped them reconnect with community activities in civilian life.3

Further, our national service field research shows that veterans and their families 

are more likely to accept assistance offered by an individual affiliated with the military than a well-intentioned civilian,4 so this distinctive national service model— 

Vets helping Vets—has seen tremendous success. 

Examples of our grantees in action include: 

• The Washington state Vet Corps, an innovative program launched in 2009 by 

the Washington Commission for National and Community Service and the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs, which engages veterans and military family 

members in AmeriCorps to support and boost the graduation rates of student veterans enrolled under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Last year, the 31 members in Washington’s VetCorps served 7,100 veterans across the state. Nine out of every 10 (93 percent) of the veterans they served reported that, because of VetCorps, they better understand how to use their VA benefits and how to navigate the college environment. 

And early results show that VetCorps members have substantially boosted the number of veterans on track to graduate from college. 

• Formative nonprofits serving the veteran community such as the Mission Continues, Service Nation, and Team Rubicon, which have leveraged national service 

to expand their service model and to highlight veterans as civic assets and leaders 

in their communities. For example, after a 20 year military career, Ernest ‘‘Cal’’ 

Verdin is now an AmeriCorps VISTA member serving as a Regional Director of 

Team Rubicon. In response to Hurricane Sandy, Cal led the volunteer management 

efforts in Rockaway, New York, which included approximately 300 Team Rubicon 

volunteers and 10,000 community volunteers in recovery efforts over a five-week period. 

• The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), which in partnership with the National Guard Bureau’s Prevention, Treatment, and Outreach Program, launched its own VetCorps to fight substance abuse, addition, and other challenges facing returning veterans. According to the DOD Millennium Cohort Study, 

22 percent of National Guard members were problem drinkers and 29 percent had 

financial problems. The CADCA VetCorps program places AmeriCorps members, 

particularly military service personnel and veterans, in CADCA’s substance abuse 

prevention coalitions throughout the country to mitigate these problems. More than 

100 AmeriCorps members will deploy to support returning guardsmen and reservists as they face behavioral health challenges. 

27 

• The Southwest Conservation Corps, which provides opportunities for veterans 

to serve as team leaders maintaining and responding to wild-fires on national lands, 

and launched an all-Veterans Fire Corps in 2010. As an AmeriCorps member in the 

Corps, Mike Bremer worked in three districts of the San Juan National Forest and 

for the New Mexico Bureau of Land Management. He showed stellar performance 

and leadership, was recognized nationally as Corps Member of the Year, and was 

promoted to a crew leader—a precursor to his now full-time job as a firefighter with 

the U.S. Forest Service. Mike explained, ‘‘When I returned from Iraq with the Army 

Infantry, I felt like I lost all meaning and purpose in life and I had trouble finding 

meaningful work. My Corps experience gave me new purpose and a valuable new 

skillset. I received incredible training and experience alongside other veterans who 

had similar experiences—we were all looking for a new life after war.’’ 

Through these and other programs, national service engages veterans and their 

families in a new mission on the home front. 

Recognizing the unique skills and leadership abilities of America’s veterans, as 

well as the benefits of national service to veterans and military families, CNCS and 

our network of grantees have stepped up our efforts to recruit these heroes to serve 

in our programs. We have partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to participate in more than 50 ‘‘Hiring Our Heroes’’ job fairs across the country. 

Additionally, a number of AmeriCorps grantees, including Teach for America, Volunteers of America, the Washington Conservation Corps, and the St. Bernard 

Project, have launched veteran recruiting efforts for their AmeriCorps positions, and 

in some cases reserved positions specifically for veterans. 

NATIONAL SERVICE WORKS FOR VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES

National service works for veterans and their families. It is an innovative, costeffective, and proven solution to many of the challenges facing our Nation’s heroes, 

from accessing benefits and services to utilizing the Post-9/11 GI Bill to reintegrating to civilian life. 

As referenced earlier in this testimony, CNCS has provided historic levels of support to the military community in recent years. Yet we have still not fully realized 

the potential of national service to meet this pressing need. As the Federal agency 

charged with expanding impactful, community-based solutions to serve veterans and 

military families, we are poised to do more to continue and expand our efforts to 

serve and engage veterans. 

CNCS’ unique value is a ‘‘triple bottom line’’ return on investment: National service benefits those who serve, those who are served, and the larger community and 

Nation. We have: 

• Capability: We are the only Federal agency with access to such a vast network 

of grantees, community-based partners, national servicemembers, and volunteers 

that improve the lives of Americans every day. 

• Authority: The bipartisan Serve America Act gave us the authority and expectation to expand services to veteran and military families and coordinate activities 

with the VA and other Federal agencies. 

• Accountability: CNCS is committed to the highest level of accountability 

through oversight of our grantees and national service participants, as well as by 

using performance measures and evaluations to ensure that our programs have real 

and quantifiable impact. • Ability to Leverage Non-Federal Resources: Our grants to nonprofits, schools, 

and other community-based organizations are often required to be matched with 

funding from local, private, and non-CNCS partners. And our national servicemembers mobilize millions of community volunteers alongside them. 

The success of CNCS and our national servicemembers is beyond measure in both 

the lives of the individuals and communities they serve and those who commit to 

serving. We recognize that servicemembers, veterans, and their families face unique 

challenges and we believe CNCS has a cost-effective model efficiently serving many 

of their needs. We also understand there is more to do and know that with a fully 

funded interagency service Corps, we could provide support services to even more 

servicemembers, veterans, and their families. An example of this is FEMA Corps, 

a partnership between CNCS and FEMA that created a specialized unit of 

AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. This partnership is projected to 

save FEMA and taxpayers more than $60 million per year. Additionally, CNCS and 

the Department of Education launched School Turnaround AmeriCorps to place 

AmeriCorps members in persistently underachieving schools across the country. 

With these models we are in discussions with several Federal agencies—including 

VA—to help them accomplish their mission through national service. 

28 

The CNCS commitment to veterans and military families has never been greater, 

and we stand ready to do more. We look forward to working with this Committee, 

the VA, and other partners across every sector that are committed to serving our 

veterans and their families as well as they have served us. 

Again, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. 

29 

APPENDIX A.—NONPROFIT AND STATE-BASED INITIATIVES SUPPORTED BY THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE SERVING VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES

American Red Cross Oregon Trail 

Chapter 

WA State Employment Security 

Department 

Vermont Student Assistance Corporation 

St. Bernard Project 

Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska 

AMVETS Career Center 

Great Basin Institute 

CA Dept. Veterans Affairs 

Goodwill Industries of the Southern 

Rivers, Inc. 

Georgia Perimeter College 

Spartanburg County, SC School 

District 7 

American Red Cross, St. Joseph County 

Chapter 

Ministry of Caring Inc. 

Affordable Housing and Homeless 

Alliance 

Volunteers of America of Illinois 

Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House 

Virginia Department of Veterans 

Services 

The Piney Woods School 

Family Services of Butler Memorial 

Hospital 

United Way of Central West Virginia 

Arizona Board of Regents OBO N. 

Arizona University 

American Red Cross Southern Arizona 

Chapter 

Waynesville RVI School District 

Idaho Department of Labor 

Rhode Island School of Design 

Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources 

Washington County Youth Service 

Bureau 

IHOM LifeCorp AmeriCorps 

Utah Conservation Corps 

Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand 

Rapids, Inc. 

Tennessee’s Community Assistance Corp. 

Washington Campus Compact 

WestCare Foundation, Inc. 

Rebuilding Together, Inc. 

Habitat for Humanity International, Inc. 

WA State Department of Veterans 

Affairs 

Utah Campus Compact 

Public Allies, Inc. 

Minnesota Council on Crime and Justice 

National Association for Public Interest 

Law 

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of 

America 

New Sector Alliance, Inc. 

American Legion Auxiliary National 

Headquarters 

• American Red Cross National 

Headquarters 

• American Red Cross, South Florida 

Region 

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America 

• Blue Star Families 

• Give an Hour 

• Madison Street Veterans Association 

• Military Officers Association of 

America 

• National Military Family Association 

• Operation Homefront 

• Ride 2 Recovery 

• Senior Volunteer Services 

• Still Serving Veterans 

• Student Veterans of America 

• TN Community Assistance 

Corporation 

• The Mission Continues 

• Veterans Innovation Center 

American Red Cross of Greater NY 

Billings Metro VISTA Project, city of 

Billings 

Brain Injury Association of Utah 

CA Conservation Corps (CCC) Vet Green 

Corps 

CareConnect RSVP 

Central Iowa Shelter Services 

city of Charleston 

city of Houston 

Communities In Action VISTA Project 

Community Action Association of PA 

Community Human Services Corporation 

Community Renewal Team 

Families in Transition 

George Washington University 

Georgia 4H Foundation 

Habitat for Humanity International 

Hands on Volunteer Network of the 

Valley 

HandsOn Greater Phoenix 

Idaho National Guard 

Legal Aid Society 

Maine Commission for Community 

Service 

Maryland Campus Compact 

Metropolitan Community College 

Military Family Research Institute 

Minnesota Campus Compact 

Mission Solano Rescue Mission 

Montana Legal Services Association 

Municipality of Maunabo, Office of VA 

National Alliance on Mental Illness—TN 

NC Association of Community 

Development Corporations 

New Directions, Inc. 

New London Homeless Hospitality 

Center 

North Dakota State University 

Ohio Campus Compact/University of 

Akron 

Pathways PA 

Prescott College 

Prevention Resource Center 

Rural Advancement Foundation 

International 

South Carolina Office of Rural Health 

30 

St. Stephen’s Human Services 

Tabor Community Services, Inc. 

The American Legion Auxiliary National 

VISTA Community Anti-Drug 

Coalitions of America 

The Service Collaboration of Western NY 

United Way of Central Kentucky 

United Way of the CSRA, Inc. 

University of Arizona 

University of Arkansas Cooperative 

Extension 

University of Wisconsin Extension 4-H 

Utah National Guard 

‘‘Veterans Health Administration’’ 

Volunteer WV—the WV Commission 

Volunteers of America, Dakotas 

Washington County Youth Service 

Bureau 

Waynesville Public Schools 

West Alabama Chapter of American Red 

Cross 

Yakima County—Department of Human 

Services 

Adamsville Lion’s Club 

Alexian Brother Senior Neighbors 

Alexian Brother Senior Neighbors 

Alpert Jewish Community Center/ 

American Red Cross, Lowcountry 

Chapter 

Agency on Aging—Bloomington RSVP 

Area Agency on Aging: Region 1 

city of Miles City (6 RSVP projects) 

Athens-Limestone RSVP 

Baltimore City 

Baltimore County 

Black Hills State University 

Brooke County Senior Center 

Bryan County RSVP 

Butler County RSVP 

Calcasieu Parish Police Jury RSVP 

CareConnect RSVP 

Cascade County, District IX HRDCCASE 

RSVP 

CASE RSVP 

Catholic Charities of Jackson, Michigan 

Catholic Charities of Onondaga County 

Catholic Charities of SW Ohio/Cincinnati 

RSVP 

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of 

Ogdensburg 

Cattaraugus County Department of the 

Aging 

Central Vermont Council on Aging 

Centre County Commissioners 

Cheyenne Housing Authority 

city of Alamogordo 

city of Albuquerque 

city of Jacksonville 

city of Kosciusko 

city of Mitchell 

city of Rapid City 

city of Santa Fe RSVP 

city of Waveland 

Clarksville/Montgomery County CAC 

Clinch Valley Community Action 

Coahoma Opportunities, Inc. 

Coastal Community Action Program 

Coles Council County on Aging 

Collier County 

Columbia River Fire and Rescue 

Coming of Age—Bay Area/RSVP of San 

Francisco and Alameda Counties 

Community Service Society 

Community Services Council 

Conejo Recreation and Park District 

Connections, Inc. 

Cornell Cooperative Extension 

Council of the Southern Mountains 

RSVP 

County of Bucks—Area Agency on Aging 

Covenant Medical Center 

Cumberland County Coordinating 

Council on Older Adults 

Decorah Public Library 

Deming Luna County Commission on 

Aging 

DOVE, Inc. 

Durham Community Technical College 

Dutchess County Community Action 

Partnership 

East Bay Community Action Program 

Erie County Department for Senior 

Services 

Experience, Inc. 

Family and Community Christian 

Association 

Family Services of Champaign County 

Federal Hill House 

Four County Mental Health Center 

RSVP 

Friends of Suffolk Co. RSVP/ Suffolk 

ESVP 

Garland County Council on Aging 

Harford County RSVP 

Highland Community College 

Human Services Council 

Hutchinson Community College RSVP 

Iberia Council on Aging RSVP 

INCA RSVP 

Interfaith Older Adult Programs 

Iowa Lakes Community College 

Kauai County Agency on Elderly Affairs 

KI BOIS Community Action Foundation, 

INC. 

Klein and Stiffle Jewish Community 

Centers 

Lake County CAP 

Land-of-Sky Regional Council 

Lawton RSVP 

Lincoln/Kit Carson County RSVP 

Lorain County Office on Aging 

Louisville-Jefferson Co Metro 

Lower Eastern Shore RSVP 

Lowndes County Council on Aging, Inc. 

Luzerne/Wyoming Counties’ Bureau For 

Aging 

McLennan County Community College 

Mesa County RSVP 

Mid-Florida Community Services 

Montgomery County 

Mountain States Group, Inc. 

New Castle County RSVP 

New Hanover County 

North Coast Opportunities 

31 

North Dakota State University 

North Iowa Area Community College 

Northern Arizona University 

Olympic Community Action Program 

Osceola Co. Council on Aging 

Paducah-McCracken County Senior 

Citizens 

Pennyrile Allied Community Services 

Philadelphia Corporation for Aging 

Pima Council on Aging 

Positive Maturity, Inc. 

Prime Plus, Norfolk Senior Center 

Rocky Mountain Development Council, 

Area 

VIA Agency on Aging, city of Miles City 

RSVP in Oklahoma 

RSVP in Pottawatomie County 

RSVP of Central OK, Inc. 

RSVP of Dane County, Inc. 

RSVP of Kay County 

RSVP of Montgomery County 

RSVP of the Flint Hills 

RSVP of Volunteer Center of Los 

Angeles 

RSVP Tulsa 

Sacramento Cty. Dept. of Human 

Assistance 

Senior Action, Inc. 

Senior Citizens Association 

Senior Connections 

Senior Friendship Centers 

RSVP of the Central Coast 

Sierra Joint Office on Aging 

South Florida Community College 

Southwestern IL College 

SOWEGA Council on Aging 

St. Mary County RSVP 

Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce 

Stuttgart—North Arkansas County 

RSVP 

Sumter Senior Services 

TN Opportunity Programs, Inc. 

Triton College 

United Way of Martin County 

Upper East TN HAD 

Utah National Guard 

Venango County Commissioners 

Village of Ruidoso 

Volunteer Macon 

Volunteers of America—Northern 

Colorado 

Volunteers of America of New Orleans 

RSVP 

Volunteers of America of Minnesota 

Volunteers of America RSVP Program 

Volunteers of America, Dakotas 

Wayne County Action Program Inc. 

Western IL AAA 

Yadkin Economic Development District, 

Inc. 

Yellowstone County Council on Aging, 

York County Council on Aging 

YWCA of McLean County 

32 

APPENDIX B.—VISTA MEMBER EXIT SURVEY: SEPTEMBER 2011-NOVEMBER 2012 

VISTA members are an integral component of the anti-poverty mission of the 

AmeriCorps VISTA program. Not only do members support VISTA projects in carrying out programs to overcome poverty, they also help organizations that sponsor 

VISTA projects build capacity and support services and maintain grounded connections with the communities they serve. 

In an effort to empower and validate the contributions of our VISTAs, we ask 

them to fill in the Member Satisfaction Survey when they complete their service. 

The survey is an important tool for us to gain an understanding of the satisfaction 

with the VISTA program and to identify the training and support needs of the active VISTA member. 

The survey is also an important tool for us to measure how best we can support 

VISTAs who are veterans of the U.S military. The results of the Member Satisfaction Survey are overwhelmingly positive among VISTAs who are veterans. 

• Nearly 78% of members who are veterans rate their overall experience of serving with AmeriCorps VISTA as ’extremely satisfied’ or ’satisfied’. 

• 80% of members who are veterans state that participation in national service 

helped them reconnect with community activities in civilian life. 

Survey Question: Has your participation in national service helped you reconnect 

with community activities in civilian life? 

RESPONSES BY VISTA WHO ARE VETERANS

COMMENTS BY AMERICORPS VISTA MEMBERS WHO ARE VETERANS

I was very shy, and I had low self-esteem issues. AmeriCorps VISTA service 

taught me that I can do whatever I put my mind to. It exposed me to new avenues 

in life I would have never thought I could travel. 

Veteran in Cleveland, OH 

Being an AmeriCorps VISTA fulfills the desire I’ve had for years to become a 

servant in the Army, Marine, or Navy. I was rejected years ago because of my diabetes. It is a true honor to be a part of the Corporation for National and Community 

Service. 

Veteran in Columbus, OH 

My AmeriCorps VISTA experience was defining. Before joining VISTA, I had no 

confidence at all. I had been on disability for 15 years, and I had tried to find work, 

but alas no results. I really thought I would never find anything. Couple that with 

the fact that I never really thought I had accomplished anything in my life, and 

AmeriCorps service was really defining for me. 

Veteran in Vancouver, WA 

The experience of working with the youth of the community has helped me make 

the decision to pursue a new job working with the youth. 

Veteran in Caldwell, ID 

My AmeriCorps service helped me to realize that I can make a difference to those 

who are less fortunate and living in low income communities. Therefore, I decided 

while doing my service that I would go back to school. I am now getting my Master’s 

degree in Public Administration. 

Veteran in Montgomery, AL 

It helped me determine that I want a career in the nonprofit sector. 

Veteran in Tuscaloosa, AL 


424Spencer.eps
33 

It has helped me define myself as a person and my beliefs. 

Veteran in Washington, DC. 

My year of AmeriCorps service changed my life and helped me to realize that I 

belong in public service. 

Veteran in Ashland, KY 

My experience with AmeriCorps confirmed to me that my choice to become a social worker was the right choice. Helping homeless veterans helped me understand 

that this is exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life. I will always be grateful 

for this experience because of that. This experience will stay with me for the rest 

of my life. 

Veteran in Washington, DC. 

I realized that I have the capacity, willingness, ability, and skills to pursue my 

graduate program and be a psychologist and work in low-income communities, particularly with minority groups. 

Veteran in Emmitsburg, MD 

It has confirmed my belief in continuing to help my fellow man/woman in any way 

that I can. Also, it has reaffirmed my deep belief in God, that we are all his creation, and that we all should be concerned about the welfare of others. 

Veteran in Wyandotte, MI 

I learned that * * * if you continue to make one small difference at a time, you 

eventually make a big difference. This was a very important lesson that I took away 

from my service experience. 

Veteran in Beckley, WV 

Experiencing diversity whether it was race, culture, or economic status, taught me 

to always remember that people come from different situations and to never be 

judgmental toward someone. 

Veteran in Madison, WI 

I never knew how much children depended on people other than their parents 

until I worked in an alternative school. I saw how the feeling of ‘‘no one cares’’ affects children. It is something that will stay with me forever. It made the decision 

for me to become an educator. 

Veteran in Hampton, VA 

After my service as a VISTA volunteer, I thought I could return to my career as 

a computer programmer and put volunteering out of my mind. I did return to programming, but I ending up leaving the field again to obtain a Master of Divinity. 

I’m now a community-based Chaplain! 

Veteran in Kissimmee, FL 

When I came into VISTA, I was in a dark place after my military service, trying 

to find my place and reintegrate into my community. VISTA helped me do just that. 

Now I am moving into employment, my next step as a disabled veteran and Wounded Warrior. I am so very thankful to VISTA and United Way for their patience and 

help. I am forever grateful for this experience. 

Veteran in Augusta, GA 

My VISTA experience was making myself a better person, being a part of a compassionate community, and doing something important in my life. 

Veteran in Baton Rouge, LA 

As a veteran, I would like to continue * * * to help others in these and future 

times. I feel AmeriCorps VISTA is the perfect opportunity to do so. 

Veteran in Columbus, OH 

I have not had a full-time job in almost 20 years. My AmeriCorps service helped 

show me that I was capable, employable. It showed me that if I focus on an issue 

and I receive the proper training, experience, and positive feedback, then there is 

nothing I can’t do. I have been honored to serve my community*** and those 

in need connect to agencies and organizations that are there to provide services. 

Veteran in Washington, DC. 

It gave me an idea of what I like, what I need from a work environment, and 

the balance that I must have in my life in order to function at my best on the job, 

especially, as a veteran with PTSD. 

Veteran in Atlanta, GA 

Chairman SANDERS. Thank you very much, Ms. Spencer. 

Secretary Coleman Nee from the Department of Veterans’ Services for The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is our next panelist. 

34 

The reason we asked you to come is that we have heard you are 

doing as good a job as any State in the country in terms of providing services to veterans, and we want to see what we can learn 

from you. 

Thank you very much for being with us, Mr. Nee. 

STATEMENT OF COLEMAN NEE, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ 

SERVICES, THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS 

Mr. NEE. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. We do an excellent job in Massachusetts which I would like to take credit for but 

I cannot. I have an outstanding team that does phenomenal work 

every day. So, I will pass on your thanks to them. 

Before we begin, I would also like to thank you, this Committee, 

the Federal Government, and the VA, as Dr. Sowers mentioned, 

providing resources, thoughts and prayers to those of us in the 

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and in particular the city of Boston over the last 2 weeks. 

My name is Coleman Nee and I am Secretary of Veteran Services 

for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I want to thank the 

Chairman and the Members for the opportunity to address you and 

speak about the important role State departments of veterans’ 

services can and do play in order to ensure we are providing the 

highest quality of benefits and services to our veterans and their 

families. 

On behalf of Governor Deval Patrick and Lieutenant Governor 

Timothy Murray, I am proud that Massachusetts is a leader in providing veterans’ benefits and services. 

Some of our highlights include the fact that by State law we 

mandate a vet service officer to every city or town in the Commonwealth. We provide over $70 million in State taxpayer funds in direct financial benefits to veterans and dependents. We launched a 

first-in-the-nation Web portal for veterans benefits, called 

MassVetsAdvisor.org. 

We collaborate with the our Division of Career Services to maximize employment opportunities for every veteran; and we are offering unique peer support programs in the area of veteran suicide 

prevention, crisis intervention, and ending homelessness. 

The greatest emphasis we have, and I think it has been highlighted here today, is that we placed a collaboration between Federal, State, municipal, and private NGO’s and non-profits to ensure 

we are creating meaningful partnerships to maximize resources 

and provide the finest benefits and services this country has to 

offer and that all of our veterans most assuredly have earned. 

In Massachusetts, we found that there is not always a lack of resources for veterans and their families. In fact, the biggest impediment is accessing the benefits and lack of knowledge of those benefits and how to navigate the various bureaucracies associated with 

those benefits. 

To that end, we have instituted a number of programs over the 

past few years to increase access, knowledge, and navigation of 

those resources and benefits and we feel some of these could serve 

as national models. 

Included in this is our SAVE program, Statewide Advocacy for 

Veterans Empowerment Team. SAVE is a collaboration with our 

35 

Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Suicide Prevention 

Bureau. It is comprised of veterans or family members of veterans 

who have lived through similar transitions and can use their experiences to build a rapport with veterans and/or veteran family 

member. 

It offers peer-to-peer crisis intervention coupled with resource 

navigation to advocate for veterans who are not able to obtain the 

benefits they have earned due to institutional or personal barriers. 

In fiscal year 2012, we provided direct outreach to over 1,400 veterans in Massachusetts; 234 of those veterans received direct referral and linkage services; 94 veterans received active case management with 10 of those individuals receiving case management for 

‘‘critical incidences.’’ 

I can assure you that the young men and women who work on 

that team have guaranteed that they are men and women who are 

veterans of the Commonwealth who are alive today who I doubt 

may be alive were it not for the help and assistance that this team 

provided. 

Based on the success of this, we have migrated this approach to 

peer support to the area of ending veterans homelessness. 

In our Statewide Housing and Advocacy for Reintegration and 

Prevention Team or SHARP is an effort and a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the VA’s Center for Ending Veterans’ Homelessness, accomplishing through peer 

support, mental health services, psychiatric evaluations, and linkages to emergency shelters at Vet Center facilities as well as nonprofits. 

We are enrolling more veterans in our HUD-VASH program. We 

are housing them quicker. We are keeping them housed permanently. Our rate of working with these veterans through peer support and maintaining their ability to access services not only has 

resulted in a 27 percent decrease in the amount of homeless veterans over the past 2 years but it is resulting in significant cost 

savings as these veterans are accessing more efficient and more effective treatment and permanent supportive housing rather than 

continuing through the system of going from shelter to shelter and 

services to services without any coordinated effort. 

Our Women Veterans Network continues to increase outreach 

and direct services. We are very proud of our Women Veterans Network. There are over 27,000 women veterans in the Commonwealth. Women are the fastest growing segment of our veterans’ 

population, and access to outreach and benefits and services for 

women is more critical than ever. 

We produce annual newsletters. We are holding our fifth annual 

Statewide women’s veterans conference this June. We do many networking events, and we hold a Women Veterans Appreciation Day 

where we award the outstanding woman veteran of the year award, 

the Deborah Sampson Award, to a different woman veteran each 

year. Last year our Women Veterans Network provided direct case 

work and referral services to over 500 women veterans alone. 

Finally, our MassVetsAdvisor.org Web site which was started 

with $1 million in Federal funding supported through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It is a collaboration between 

36 

the Mass Technology Collaborative, the Home Base Program, and 

the Red Sox Foundation. 

That is a one-stop resource that streamlines the data of over 400 

benefits and services from Federal, State, and local non-profits 

under one Web portal easy to search based on your time of service, 

when you served, and branch of service. 

So in closing, I would say that the State Department of Veteran’s 

Services operates at the community level and in conjunction with 

the numerous other human service agencies and providers. 

This model allows us to be in tune with local resources and programs that can provide on-the-ground critical resources to ensure 

no veteran or family member is denied access to services. 

In closing, I would like to thank the Committee for the opportunity to testify here today and encourage you to examine our 

State programs and services for best practices. We feel that in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs we can provide 

the finest resources and care for our veterans and their family 

members going forward. 

Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Nee follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF COLEMAN NEE, SECRETARY, 

MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ SERVICES

Good morning Chairman Sanders and Honorable Members of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. My name is Coleman Nee and I am Secretary of the 

Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services. 

I want to thank the Chairman and the Members for this opportunity to address 

you and speak about the important role state departments of veterans’ services can 

and do play in order to ensure we are providing the highest quality benefits and 

services to our veterans and their families. 

On behalf of Governor Deval Patrick and Lt. Governor Timothy Murray, I am 

proud to report that Massachusetts leads the Nation in veterans’ benefits and services. Highlights of Massachusetts benefits include: a veteran service officer in every 

city and town; providing over $70 million dollars in direct financial benefits to veterans and their dependents; launching the first-in-the-nation web portal for veterans benefits MassVetsAdvisor.org; collaborating with the Massachusetts Division 

of Career Services to maximize employment opportunities for every veteran; and offering unique peer support services in the areas of veteran suicide prevention, crisis 

intervention and support to find homes. 

Our greatest asset is the emphasis we have placed on collaboration between Federal, state, municipal and private providers to ensure we are creating meaningful 

partnerships to maximize resources and provide the finest benefits and services the 

country has to offer. 

In Massachusetts, we have found that there is not a lack of resources for our veterans and their families. The major impediment to accessing benefits is the lack of 

knowledge of those benefits and resources and the navigation of the various bureaucracies associated with those benefits. 

To that end, Massachusetts has instituted a number of programs over the past 

few years to increase access, knowledge, and navigation of resources and benefits 

that we feel can serve as national models. 

These programs include: 

Statewide Advocacy for Veterans Empowerment (SAVE) Team 

• SAVE is a collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health 

and their suicide prevention division. 

• The SAVE Team is comprised of veterans or family members of veterans who 

have lived through similar transitions and can use their experiences to build a rapport with veterans and/or veteran family member. 

• SAVE Team members offers peer-to-peer crisis intervention coupled with resource navigation to advocate for veterans who are not able to obtain the benefits 

they have earned due to institutional or personal barriers. 

• In FY 2012, SAVE highlights include: 

37 

– Direct outreach provided to over 1400 veterans; 

– 234 veterans received direct referral and linkage services; 

– 94 veterans received active case management with 10 of those involving ‘‘critical incidences;’’ 

– Partnership with the Massachusetts National Guard and provided critical 

support services during the Army-wide suicide prevention stand down last fall; 

• As SAVE achieved its 5th Anniversary on February 11, 2013. DVS has experienced increased requests for support and awareness education to include educators, 

clinical staff, first responders, and correctional officers. 

• Most recently, we have received requests from hiring managers and employers 

who are eager to know more about military culture as a means to improve their 

processes to hire veterans and support them when they return from deployment. 

Statewide Housing Advocacy for Reintegration and Prevention (SHARP) Team 

• Based on the success of the SAVE peer model, SHARP is a collaboration between DVS and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the effort to end 

homelessness among veterans. 

• This is accomplished through peer support, mental health services, psychiatric 

evaluation and linkages to emergency shelter at a Veteran-centric facility and permanent supportive housing through enrollment in the HUD-VASH program. 

• SHARP was created as a pilot program in December 2010 with initial Federal 

funding of $323,000. The initial staff of 4 peer specialists, a substance abuse counselor, psychiatrist and VA case management were able to provide safe and stable 

housing for 50 veterans in the Greater Boston area. 

• Based on the success of the pilot program, the VA increased DVS funding by 

an additional $1.4M in October 2012 to allow for the expansion of the SHARP model 

by adding 9 new peer support specialists and 12 new case managers positions contracted to local veteran centric providers. 

• This collaboration with the VA and veteran service providers will allow DVS to 

substantially increase our outreach and access to veterans while putting Massachusetts on the path to be the first state in the country to end veterans’ homelessness. 

Women Veterans Network (WVN) 

• The Women Veterans Network continues to increase outreach and direct services to the over 27,000 women veterans in the Commonwealth. 

• As women are the fastest growing segment of the veterans’ population, outreach 

and access to benefits is even more critical. 

• The WVN provides a semiannual newsletter, an annual conference, several networking events, and an annual Women Veterans Appreciation Day. 

• More recently, the WVN offers peer support and has provided direct case work 

and referral services to over 500 women veterans last year alone. 

MassVetsAdvisor.org 

• Massachusetts received $1 million in Federal funding supported through the 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to promote broadband adoption 

and usage for veterans. 

• The Massachusetts Broadband Institute, a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ 

Services and the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home 

Base Program, to develop the Web site as an easy-to-use resource for Veterans and 

their family members. 

• This one-stop resource streamlines comprehensive data of over 400 benefits and 

resources from state and Federal resources and lists only the benefits and services 

each veteran is qualified for. 

• MassVetsAdvisor has allowed DVS to reach veterans of all generations and 

seamlessly connect them to their local resources, thereby significantly enhancing 

their access to and knowledge of benefits. 

State departments of veterans’ services operate at the community level, in conjunction with numerous other state human service agencies and private providers. 

This model allows us to be in tune with local resources and programs that can provide critical resources to ensure no veteran or family member is denied access or 

service. 

Traditional care through the VA is based on the individual veteran. Every veteran 

receives different care based on his or her eligibility and the veteran may not qualify for certain programs and benefits at the VA level. The states are free to operate 

outside the traditional parameters of VA programs. This flexibility allows the states 

to maximize non-VA resources and provide the critical connections to unique comVerDate Nov 24 2008 19:12 Oct 25, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 H:\ACTIVE\042413.TXT PAULIN
38 

munity resources to ensure veterans and their families have the access and knowledge they so deserve. 

In closing, I want to again thank the Committee for the opportunity to testify 

today. Additionally, I encourage this Committee to examine unique state programs 

and best practices, like the Massachusetts SAVE & SHARP initiatives, for potential 

expansion and pilot programs through the Department of Veterans Affairs so other 

states can benefit and we can provide the finest resources for our veterans and their 

family members. 

Thank you. 

Chairman SANDERS. Mr. Nee, thank you very much for your 

work and for your testimony. 

Mr. NEE. Thank you. 

Chairman SANDERS. Our next panelist comes from the Military 

Initiatives for Points of Light. They do outstanding work. 

Mike Monroe, thank you very much for being with us. 

STATEMENT OF MIKE MONROE, VICE PRESIDENT OF 

MILITARY INITIATIVES, POINT OF LIGHT 

Mr. MONROE. Thank you, Chairman Sanders. 

Chairman Sanders, Ranking Member Burr, on behalf of Michelle 

Nunn, our CEO, and Neil Bush, our Chair, and thousands of volunteers, I would like to thank you for giving Points of Light the opportunity to talk about the Community Blueprint Initiative. 

My name is Mike Monroe and I serve as the Vice President of 

Military Initiatives at Points of Light. I came to this role in June 

of last year after serving as a Marine officer, infantry officer for 12 

years, and as a civilian employee of several government agencies. 

Let me start with a simple statement. The Community Blueprint 

is a set of tools and resources that individuals and community organizations can use to help veteran, servicemembers, and their 

families succeed. 

The Blueprint got its start at the 2010 White Oak Summit where 

representatives from more than 55 non-profit, corporate, and government organizations gathered to discuss the thousands of nonprofits engaged in efforts to help returning veterans and the problems caused by a real lack of coordination of their efforts. 

Some of those in attendance included the Military Officers Association of America, Blue Star Families, the USO, the National Military Family Association, and The American Legion Auxiliary. 

Those at the summit were determined to create a way for community organizations to work together to offer better, more comprehensive, and more accessible services to the hundreds of thousands of veterans returning home. Members of this original group 

stepped forward and created the Community Blueprint Advisory 

Council. 

This council, still intact today, created a suite of best practices 

to help returning veterans in eight critical areas—employment, 

housing, education, reintegration, behavioral health, volunteerism, 

family strength, and financial and legal matters. 

Four things that make the Community Blueprint uniquely useful, powerful, and sustainable are. It is a public-private partnership. It can be customized to a community’s needs and scaled to fit 

a community’s size. It is completely volunteer powered, and it engages veterans as part of the solution. 

39 

The Community Blueprint was officially launched in October 

2012 with the generous support from lead sponsor, ITT Exelis 

along with the UPS Foundation and the Corporation for National 

Community Service. The Community Blueprint is a strong publicprivate partnership bringing on-the-ground organizations and people together, driven by local needs and using proven tools and resources to make the transition to civilian life easier for tens of 

thousands of returning veterans and their families. 

Exelis has also formed the Exelis Action Corps to engage its own 

employees, 10 percent of whom are veterans, as volunteers working 

to help meet veterans’ needs. 

At Points of Light, we think the best way for government, the 

private sector, and the non-profit sector to help the over one million 

projected transitioning veterans reintegrate back into society is by 

defining what works and implementing proven strategies in a cooperative, coordinated way at the community level. 

We know that no one organization can provide a lifetime of continued support. Points of Light and it partners are working alongside government agencies to help fill the gaps and connect veterans 

to critical services. 

Veterans like David Scott, a third generation Navy veteran who 

served in Desert Storm and Operation Deny Flight. David is a disabled veteran. On his own, David could not get the health care he 

needed. Thanks to an intervention by the local Red Cross, a part 

of the Blueprint Community in Atlanta, David finally got an appointment with the VA Clinic in Oakwood, Georgia, to get help 

with his long-term care needs. 

The Community Blueprint engages veterans as part of the solution. With backing from AmeriCorps, the Blueprint has created a 

Veteran Leader Corps, consisting of 75 members, half of whom are 

veterans, serving in 19 Blueprint Communities. These 75 men and 

women add to our ‘‘boots on the ground’’ as AmeriCorps members 

who are in the field providing direct service to veterans every day. 

Veteran Leader Corps members use Blueprint tools and resources 

to help veterans and military families in all areas of need but most 

specifically in job readiness and volunteerism. 

Veteran Leader Corps members like Retired Chief Petty Officer 

Robert Rotkosky, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, who dedicated his career to protecting our way of life. After 20 years of faithful service 

to our country and a second career as a contractor helping the military, ‘‘Ski’’ as he is known to us had more to give. He chose to support his fellow sailors, marines, soldiers, airmen, and guardians by 

enlisting in the Veterans Leader Corp in Huntsville, AL. ‘‘Ski’’ now 

works with ‘‘Still Serving Veterans’’ Huntsville, where he and his 

colleagues have used Blueprint tools and resources to help 41 veterans find jobs and 100 veterans get proper benefits in just 3 

months. 

Since the launch 6 months ago, the Blueprint program has expanded from 20 to 44 communities. Blueprint communities now dot 

the country from Fayetteville, NC, to Lakewood, WA; from Denver, 

CO, to Fairborn, OH. 

The Blueprint tools and resources can be useful to hundreds, 

even thousands of other communities. 

40 

I want to thank you again, Mr. Chairman, and all the Members 

of the Committee for your service and support of veterans and their 

families. 

We look forward to continuing to work with you to provide those 

who served our country with what they have earned, a prosperous 

and healthy future aided, as needed, by a network of compassionate support. 

Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Monroe follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF MIKE MONROE, VICE PRESIDENT, MILITARY INITIATIVES, 

POINTS OF LIGHT

Chairman Sanders, Ranking Member Burr, and Members of the Committee: My 

name is Mike Monroe, and I serve as the Vice President of Military Initiatives at 

Points of Light. I came to this role in June of last year, after serving the country 

as both a member of the Marine Corps and as a civilian employee of several government agencies. 

On behalf of Michelle Nunn, our CEO and Neil Bush, our Board Chair, I would 

like to thank the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee for bringing attention to the 

essential role that community-based organizations play in addressing the challenges 

faced by the men and women who have served our country in the Armed Forces. 

Thank you also for giving Points of Light the opportunity to present the Community 

Blueprint Initiative to the Committee. 

As the Committee is well aware, more than 2.4 million men and women have 

served in current conflicts. Over the next four years, 1 million service men and 

women will transition out of the military and back into their communities. Many 

will face significant challenges returning to civilian life. And many will face tremendous obstacles, including unemployment, behavioral health issues, and homelessness. 

There are some 40,000 nonprofits working to help, but too often these efforts are 

isolated and have low impact. No single organization or agency can provide a lifetime of care and support, but people across the country are asking for guidance on 

how to help veterans, servicemembers and their families in a coordinated, comprehensive, and community-wide way. 

This challenge led to the launch of the Community Blueprint. The initial idea 

came out of a retreat in 2010 where over 55 nonprofit, government, and for-profit 

entities concluded this problem had to be resolved. From this initial group of 55, 

a group of 16 leaders stepped forward to help build this new effort, which they 

called the ‘‘Community Blueprint.’’ 

Under the leadership of these 16 (known at the ‘Blueprint Advisory Council’) and 

with the help of some American Legion Auxiliary VISTA’s, the Blueprint was created. The group set out to create tools and resources that would help communities 

assist veterans, military members and their families at the local level. Once the content was created, the Advisory Council (now at 18 members) wanted the Blueprint 

to be housed and administered by an organization that had expertise and experience 

at the community level. After an extensive search, they found a home for it at 

Points of Light, an international nonprofit founded by President George H. W. Bush 

and the largest organization in the world dedicated to volunteer service. 

This Council, still intact today, created a suite of best practices to help returning 

veterans in eight critical areas: 

EMPLOYMENT

To help veterans find meaningful employment, the Council created the following 

seven community solutions related to employment: 

• Job Fairs—hosting job fairs focused on veterans, reservists, national guardsmen, and their spouses. 

• Resume Preparation Workshops—staging resume workshops for veterans and 

military spouses. 

• Mock Interview Workshops—holding mock interview workshops for veterans 

and military spouses. 

• Training: planning Reverse Boot Camps designed to introduce veterans and servicemembers to the types of jobs available in their community, including managing 

their expectations regarding office culture, advancing their careers and aiding in the 

translation of military experience to civilian terms. 

41 

• Inducements for Military-Friendly Employer Practices—educating employers 

about the unique professional challenges and skills of this population. 

• Annual Media Campaign—raising awareness of the benefits of hiring a veteran. 

• Community Action Team—forming a Community Action Team focused on employment. 

VOLUNTEERISM

The following are community solutions for leveraging volunteerism to meet the 

needs of servicemembers, veterans and their families. 

• Effective Volunteer Engagement—providing training for volunteers to serve 

with and for the military community. 

• Implementing a Service Fair—holding a service fair to share the many ways in 

which volunteers can serve in the area of veterans services. 

• Volunteerism Community Action Team—learning how to form a Volunteerism 

Community Action Team. 

FAMILY STRENGTH

The following are community solutions for addressing the challenges of veterans 

and their families: 

• Social Service Outreach—publicizing the formal military outreach efforts by 

local nonprofits. 

• Child Care—providing child care for families during deployment and recovery 

from wounds. 

• Respite for Caregivers and Care Recipients—providing respite care for those 

who are responsible for the needs of loved one. 

• Annual Media Campaign—thanking families for their service and highlighting 

local and government services. 

• Community Action Team—learning how to form a Family Strength Community 

Action Team. 

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Behavioral health struggles, such as post-traumatic stress (PTS), Post Traumatic 

Stress Disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD) or Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), can lead to malaise, unemployment, problematic family relations and— 

in an increasing number of cases—suicide. 

To serve our servicemembers and veterans in a manner commensurate with their 

needs, we must understand and provide for the unique stressors they face on a dayto-day basis. 

The following are community solutions for addressing the behavioral health challenges of veterans and their families. 

• Annual Anti-Stigma Campaign—encouraging veterans and their families to defy 

stigmas and seek help. 

• Provider Training—training local health providers on special issues such as 

PTSD/TBI and other veteran issues and resources. 

• First Responder Training—training police, fire rescue, school personnel and ERs 

about issues and resources that affect members of the military community. 

• Ease of Access to Care—making it easier for veterans, servicemembers and 

their families to access mental health care. 

• Community Action Team—learning how to form a Behavioral Health Community Action Team. 

FINANCIAL AND LEGAL

Financial and legal challenges can be a distraction from the mission of current 

servicemembers and an additional burden to veterans and military families struggling to re-integrate into civilian society. Often when these challenges emerge, many 

veterans may hesitate to reach out for help, given their training in self-reliance. 

The following are community solutions for addressing the financial and legal challenges of veterans and their families: 

• Financial and Legal Training—educating the community about common financial/legal issues and available resources. 

• Veterans Court—publicizing steps to utilize special court systems that are sensitive to military issues. 

• Community Action Team—learning how to form a financial and legal Community Action Team. 

42 

EDUCATION

Education changes lives in unimaginable ways, and in the modern world nothing 

is so great a predictor of a person’s future employment, salary or standard of living. 

America’s military veterans and children face unique challenges in education. We 

owe it to them to help them overcome these hurdles and attain the education they 

need to be successful. 

The following are community solutions for addressing challenges related to education and the military community: 

K–12 Education 

• School Transfers—adopting systems to ensure easy acceptance of transcripts 

and credits of a relocating military child. 

• School Training—training schools to identify military children and inform 

schools on the pertinent issues and available resources. 

• Community Resources—implementing programs that welcome and support military children. 

• Annual Media Campaign—celebrating the contributions and sacrifices of the 

military child. 

• Guide to Impact Aid—learning about Impact Aid, a Department of Education 

program that compensates schools with significant military child attendance. 

• Community Action Team—learning how to form a K–12 Education Community 

Action Team. 

Higher Education 

• Career Counselor Training—training counselors about special military issues 

and resources. 

• Mentoring—offering mentors to student veterans, servicemembers and their 

families. 

• Scholarships—offering special financial programs for student veterans, servicemembers and their families. 

• Campus Welcome and Reintegration—developing and implementing strategies 

to identify and support military-connected students and families. 

HOUSING

Homelessness in a developed nation is inexcusable, but homelessness among the 

military community is even more shameful. Veterans have sacrificed for their country, often risking their lives to protect American freedoms. 

In the United States, 200,000 veterans will be homeless at some point over the 

course of a year, with approximately 107,000 veterans homeless each night. Nearly 

one fifth of the homeless population is veterans, though only 8 percent of the general population can claim veteran status. The following are community solutions for 

addressing housing stability and homelessness among veterans: 

• Homelessness Training—providing shelters, veteran service organizations, nonprofits, and community members with the knowledge required to effectively combat 

veteran homelessness. 

• Supportive Housing Awareness—raising awareness of veteran homelessness 

and the availability of supportive housing opportunities; raising awareness among 

housing developers and funders of the importance of supportive housing as a solution to homelessness. 

REINTEGRATION

Servicemembers, whether returning from deployment or permanently separating 

from the military, come home to a time of celebration with family and friends. However, when the excitement wears off, the reality and challenges of reintegration 

begin. 

The following are community solutions for addressing the reintegration challenges 

of veterans and their families: 

• Welcome Program—providing outreach to veterans, servicemembers and their 

families entering into the community. 

• Mentoring Program—establishing a mentoring program for veterans moving 

into the community. 

• Annual Media Campaign—thanking local veterans for their service and highlighting resources. 

• Coordination with Yellow Ribbon Program—expanding this DOD Program for 

supporting reserve and national guard families into outreach to veterans. 

43 

• Community Action Team—learning how to form a Reintegration Community 

Action Team. 

This set of tools and practices provides a framework for communities to produce 

positive, measurable outcomes for veterans, military members and their families. 

Our goal is to have hundreds of communities (200 by 2014) touching veterans, military and their families through the Blueprint framework. 

To do this we are putting some ‘‘boots on the ground.’’ Points of Light’s Veteran 

Leader Corps is a new AmeriCorps program. The program has 75 members (half of 

whom are veterans) spread out around 15 to 20 communities, focusing on employment and volunteerism. 

Veterans Leader Corps (VLC) members work out of host sites within communities. 

These host sites are local nonprofits focusing on veterans’ issues. The first group of 

VLC members launched in Oct 2012 (30 members in 11 communities). The remaining VLC members (45 in eight additional communities) launched at the end of 

March 2013. There are now 44 Blueprint Communities. 

The building and expansion of the Blueprint is made possible by a grant from the 

Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) as well as funding from 

ITT Exelis and UPS. Exelis has created the Exelis Action Corps (EAC) to offer their 

employees opportunities to lead and participate in volunteer service projects that 

focus on veterans, military members and their families. We are working to ensure 

that the EAC is integrated with local Blueprint Communities as well as VLC efforts. 

At Points of Light, we think the best way for government, the private sector and 

the nonprofit sector to help the over 1 million transitioning veterans reintegrate into 

society is to define what works and implement these proven strategies through local 

cooperation and coordination. We know that no one organization can provide a lifetime of continued support. Points of Light and its partners are working, alongside 

government agencies, to help fill the gaps and connect veterans to critical services. 

Veterans like David Scott, a third-generation Navy veteran who served—and was 

disabled—in Desert Storm and Operation Deny Flight. On his own, David couldn’t 

get the health care he needed. Thanks to an intervention by the local Red Cross— 

a part of the Blueprint Community in Atlanta—David finally got an appointment 

with the VA Clinic in Oakwood, GA, to get help with his long-term care needs. 

We also think many veterans want to continue to serve here at home. Retired 

Chief Petty Officer Robert Rotkosky, a former Navy SEAL, dedicated his career to 

protecting our way of life. After 20 years of faithful service to our country and a 

second career as a contractor helping the military, ‘‘Ski’’ (as he is known) had more 

to give. He chose to support his fellow sailors, marines, soldiers, airmen, and guardians by enlisting in the Veterans Leader Corp in Huntsville, Alabama. ‘‘Ski’’ now 

works with ‘‘Still Serving Veterans’’ Huntsville, AL, where he and his colleagues 

have helped 41 veterans find jobs and 100 veterans get proper benefits in just 3 

months. 

At Points of Light, we value the commitment that service men and women have 

given to our country. We believe that helping returning veterans successfully reenter society is not only the right thing to do but the smart thing to do. These veterans have much yet to give and they are hungry for the opportunity to provide for 

their families and to be of continued service to their communities. 

Chairman SANDERS. Mr. Monroe, thank you for your testimony 

and for the wonderful work your organization is doing. 

We are now going to hear from Eric Weingartner. Mr. Weingartner is the Managing Director of Survival and Veterans at the Robin 

Hood Foundation. 

Mr. Weingartner, thanks very much for being with us. 

STATEMENT OF ERIC WEINGARTNER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, 

SURVIVAL AND VETERANS, ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION 

Mr. WEINGARTNER. Thank you, Senator. Good morning, Chairman Sanders, Senators, and the Committee staff. 

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of Robin Hood, 

thank you for including us in this important discussion on community partnerships with the Veterans Administration. 

My name is Eric Weingartner and I manage those portfolios, 

Senator, that you mentioned at Robin Hood in New York City. 

44 

Despite some progress on the part of the Veterans Administration, our work in New York City leaves us to conclude that the VA 

operates in relative isolation; disconnected from public and private 

resources that are fundamental to the livelihood and health our 

Nation’s veterans. 

My intent today is to share with you our experience working in 

the veterans space with a suggestion or two for how to move 

forward. 

For context, Robin Hood’s mission is simple—fight poverty in 

New York City. Since 1988, Robin Hood has focused on finding, 

funding, and creating programs in schools that generate meaningful results for families in New York’s poorest neighborhoods. 

Over our 25-year history, Robin Hood has distributed more than $1.25 billion to hundreds of New York City-based not-for-profit 

organizations. 

Robin Hood’s programs have always served veterans. However, 

in the beginning in 2009, we noticed an up tick in the number of 

veterans showing up at our food pantries, our homeless shelters, 

and our job training programs. 

In response, we committed to tackling the issue more deliberately, and in partnership with the then-Chairman of the Joint 

Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, we raised a $13-million fund 

to incubate new programs to support veterans and their families. 

So, in the summer of 2011, we began to invest locally and were 

struck by a few underlying challenges. 

First, when veterans leave the military, they are discharged 

abruptly and without a support system to make a transition to civilian life. 

Second, demographic data on veterans is incomplete and not centrally managed, making it difficult to reach out to those veterans 

who could benefit from support services. 

Third, the VA and its programs are not properly integrated with 

local communities; and last, Veterans Service Organizations, while 

very well meaning and in some cases effective, are not at a scale 

or quality to meet the demand. 

In the face of these challenges, today we have invested $7.5 million in over 25 brand new programs. Our programs have placed 

over 700 vets in jobs, moved 250 street homeless veterans into 

shelter and connected 1250 veterans to legal services in partnership with our local VA. 

All of our new models aim to do two fundamental things: one, get 

help to those veterans and their families that need it most; and 

two, to serve as a testing ground for models that can be replicated 

nationally. 

A few underlying principles have guided our investment. Lessons 

that we believe have national relevance. 

First, we relied on New York City, the city of New York and the 

city’s major funder of human services to be our partner. The majority of our investment has been made in partnership with our local 

government, augmenting existing city programs. We believe that 

this coordination is the primary condition for success. 

Second, instead of relying on Veteran Services Organizations to 

expand their reach, we instead choose to create new models with 

New York City’s most established not-for-profit service providers 

45 

such as New York University’s medical school, Single Stop, Common Ground, and the Jericho Project. 

Third, we formed an advisory board to ensure that the private 

sector both participated in our planning and was engaged in shaping new models of programming. Admiral Mullen and Robin Hood 

member, Steve Cohen, lead that board. 

What is ahead of us? I think some daunting challenges relating 

to reintegration must be addressed fundamentally. Government 

does not transition soldiers from military life to civilian life and the 

VA fails to create a safety net for soldiers after discharge. 

The Department of Defense and the VA need to manage a harm 

handoff. This coordination would connect soldiers to jobs or college 

in advance of discharge and would include a commitment to facilitate benefits, housing, and health care very efficiently and right 

away. 

While we are hopeful that the DOD’s redesigned TAP program 

will improve the transition, we are fairly skeptical that the plans 

go far enough to ensure an effective safety net. 

Today I ask the Committee to help our veterans by committing 

to a new model of service and accountability. The VA must hold 

itself accountable to plan that can demonstrate integration and 

partnership with local communities. One that is measured by the 

Senate. 

The city of New York funds and manages an impressive roster 

of not-for-profits that are both publicly and privately funded. Unfortunately, we believe that the VA is structurally isolated from the 

system of services and should count on and utilize these resources 

in a more deliberate and systemic way. 

To this end, this spring Robin Hood, the city of New York, the 

business community, and the not-for-profit sector will pilot a first 

of its kind veterans’ collaborative in New York City; and we ask 

the VA to join our effort to develop the connective tissue between 

the VA and the broader New York City community. 

Our team has been formed over the last 18 months and stands 

ready to formally collaborate with the VA to revamp our shared 

goal of ensuring financial, physical, and emotional health for our 

veterans. 

I ask the VA to commit today to this New York City pilot to create a first of its kind national model for helping our veterans get 

all the way home. 

Thank you very much for your time. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Weingartner follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF ERIC WEINGARTNER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SURVIVAL AND

VETERANS, ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of Robin Hood, thank you for including us in this important discussion on community partnerships with the Veterans 

Administration, ‘‘Call to Action: VA Outreach and Community Partnerships.’’ 

THE ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION

For context, Robin Hood’s mission is simple—fight poverty in New York City. 

Since 1988, Robin Hood has focused on finding, funding, and creating programs and 

schools that generate meaningful results for families in New York’s poorest neighborhoods. Over our 25-year history, Robin Hood has distributed more than $1.25 billion to hundreds of New York City-based not for profit organizations. 

46 

ROBIN HOOD VETERANS INITIATIVE

Since our founding, Robin Hood’s grantees have served veterans. But beginning 

in 2009, we noticed an uptick in the number of veterans relying on our food, job 

training, and housing programs. In response, we committed to tackling the issue 

more deliberately. In the spring of 2011, in partnership with the then-Chairman of 

the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, we raised a $13-million fund to incubate new programs to support veterans and their families. 

In advance of our investment, Robin Hood staff worked to understand the veterans landscape in New York City and were alarmed by the conditions that we saw 

for both veterans and the organizations in place to serve them and their families. 

A few underlying challenges were most glaring: 

1. When veterans leave the military, they are discharged abruptly and without 

a support system to make a transition to civilian life. 

2. Demographic data on veterans is incomplete and not centrally managed, making recruitment a major challenge. 

3. The VA and its programs are not integrated with local communities. 

4. And last, Veterans Service Organizations are not at a scale or quality to meet 

the demand. 

We also recognized that there was an absence of leadership in the veterans space 

both nationally and locally, a leadership presence that was needed to engage a set 

of disparate partners to serve veterans more deliberately. Robin Hood has worked 

to fill some of that gap locally, both through grant making and through an informal 

network of government and private partners focused on the shared commitment to 

serve those who have served. 

A few underlying principles have guided Robin Hood’s investment in the veterans 

space, lessons that we believe have national relevance. First, we relied on the city 

of New York, the City’s major funder of human services, to be our partner. The majority of our investment has been made in partnership with our local government, 

augmenting existing City programs. We believe that this coordination is a condition 

for success. Second, instead of relying on veterans’ service organizations to expand 

their reach, we instead chose to create new models with New York City’s most established not for profit service providers. Third, we formed an advisory board to ensure that the private sector both participated in our planning and was engaged in 

shaping new models of programming. Admiral Mullen and businessman Steve 

Cohen lead our advisory board. 

To date, Robin Hood has made 25 grants totaling over $7.5 million. The grants 

have served over 6,500 veterans and their families. In the coming year, we plan to 

spend an additional $4.5 million, in effect spending the remainder of the fund. And 

while the special fund will exist no longer, its impact will continue. The grants we 

have made leave behind an institutional infrastructure for helping veterans, and the 

most successful of the veterans grants will carry on as core Robin Hood investments. 

Below is the breakdown of our vets funding to date: 


RobinHood1.eps
47 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Case Management/Benefit Connection: 

It is well acknowledged that veterans and their families often struggle to find appropriate resources to thrive following their service. In fact, only about half of all 

veterans access benefits for which they are eligible. 

This is not uncommon among poor New Yorkers generally. In response, Robin 

Hood created a program called Single Stop. Single Stop is a network of over 80 community-based sites citywide that serve 125,000 poor New Yorkers annually by 

screening and enrolling them in public benefits. 

Our first step in our Veterans Initiative was to tap into this existing infrastructure to help needy veterans. First, in July 2013, we forged an innovative, cost-effective peer-based service model (veteran to veteran) to help 1,800 veterans and their 

families access public benefits, veterans’ benefits, jobs, housing, mental health, education, and other social services. To date (April 2013), we have served over 500 

needy veterans. Second, in October 2012, we expanded the Single Stop pilot to help 

175 veterans tap veterans’ benefits utilizing ‘‘accredited benefits counselors’’ at six 

sites across the city managed by the Bloomberg Administration. Finally, in 

April 2013, in partnership with the VA, we forged a pilot initiative with three VA 

Medical Centers in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx to provide Single Stop 

services (access to public benefits, jobs, housing and other social services) to 1,750 

veterans identified as homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. And we do so to 

help the VA in its quest to eliminate veterans’ homelessness by 2015. 

Veterans’ Legal Services: 

Poor veterans, like other poor New Yorkers, often need legal services. In fact, 

given the unique burden placed on servicemembers and their families, and the prevalence of mental health and substance abuse issues, the needs may be even greater, 

and more varied, than the typical poor household. Thus, in October 2011, Robin 

Hood partnered with three trusted legal providers to provide free legal services to 

800 low-income veterans citywide. Since then, we have added a fourth legal partner. 

To date (April 2013), the four legal providers have helped over 1,200 needy veterans 

with free legal services. 

Mental Health: 

One in five veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan reports a service-related disability or suffers from post-traumatic stress or major depression. 

In the decade between 2002 and 2012, 2.4 million servicemembers have left active 

duty and have become eligible for VA health care with roughly 900,000 registering 

with the VA. Assessments of the electronic medical records for those who were evaluated by the VA show that approximately 22 percent of veterans evaluated were diagnosed with depression, and the prevalence of PTSD among these veterans was reported at 29 percent. Furthermore, the suicide rate for veterans is staggering; 18 

veterans die daily by their own hands. 

Yet, a primary reason that returning veterans fail to seek treatment is perceived 

stigma. Many individuals fear that seeking mental-health services will jeopardize 

their career, community standing or both. Others are reluctant to expose their 

vulnerabilities to providers who may also be Armed Forces personnel themselves, 

given the military’s emphasis on strength, confidence and bravery. And some veterans have found the settings or providers they used especially bureaucratic or unsatisfactory in other ways, and would pursue a different option if available. 

To date, we have invested $1.2 million across 3 grantees providing mental health 

services to veterans. We have enabled the Langone Medical Center at New York 

University School of Medicine’s Military Veteran Clinic to provide family-focused, 

comprehensive outreach, screening, treatment and follow-up for mental health disorders for low income veterans and their families. In year one alone, over 300 families will be served through an intensive out-patient model. In addition, we have 

partnered with Vets Prevail to provide free, online cognitive behavior counseling, elearning and peer-to-peer support for returning veterans outside the VA—the idea 

being to provide an easily accessible, stigma-free option to veterans otherwise falling 

through the cracks. Our partnership with Give an Hour, a member-based organization of therapists, has provided more than 70,000 hours of free therapy to veterans 

and their families facing bouts of depression and PTSD The therapeutic service is 

now being copied across the country. 

Moving forward, we will push to further expand the presence of veteran and veteran family programming at the private medical institutions in New York City. 

48 

1 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 

2 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Jobs: 

There are 240,000 veterans living in New York city of whom 7 percent are unemployed.1 The unemployment rate for veterans who served in the military since September 2001 (Gulf War-era II veterans) is 12 percent. It is more than twice that rate 

for young veterans (those ages 18 to 24) who served during Gulf War era II at 

roughly 29.1 percent for 2011.2 The grants we’ve made focus on job training and 

placement and will help veterans build upon their existing skills to find work in 

growing sectors where employers are hiring. Our largest partnership to date is with 

the city of New York’s Workforce One (WF1) system, where we’ve provided $600,000 

to increase the number of veterans and their spouses that are placed in jobs to almost 1,500 annually. Through a new grant to Helmets to Hardhats, we project that 

200 veterans will be placed in union apprenticeships, primarily in the trades, in the 

coming year. 

In total, we have invested just shy of $2 million in over eight organizations related to employment and training. 

Veterans Housing: 

In November 2009, President Obama and Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki, announced a commitment by the Federal Government to end homelessness 

amongst our veterans in five years—by 2015. Vets make up approximately 6 percent 

of the New York State population, but are at least 10 percent of New York City’s 

street homeless population. 

To date, Robin Hood has invested $1.6 million toward housing and homeless services for our city’s veterans. A grant of$785,000 has been allocated to three direct 

service providers (Bowery Residents’ Committee, Goddard Riverside and Common 

Ground Community) in partnership with the city’s Department of Homeless Services 

and the local VA Thus far, we have been able to bring 240 veterans out of the cold 

and put them on a path to permanent housing. We estimate that only 50 chronically 

street homeless veterans remain on our city’s streets today, down from 300 veterans 

just 18 ago. This successful veterans outreach grant was the first of its kind nationally. 

In addition to tackling street homelessness, Robin Hood made a grant in April 

2012 of $200,000 to Homeward Bound, Jericho Project’s new program for moving 

low-income veterans into affordable, independent housing. With this grant, Jericho 

will help 60 homeless and unemployed vets connect to employment, financial counseling and entitlements, and ultimately secure permanent, affordable housing. 

Since July 2009, we have supported the Doe Fund, Inc.’s Porter Avenue veterans’ 

shelter and employment program to connect homeless veterans with employment 

and permanent housing. Last year alone, 240 veterans received temporary housing, 

with almost 70 of them securing permanent jobs and over 120 to permanent housing. Last year’s grant was $100,000 toward case management staff. Since 2009, 

Robin Hood has granted Doe Fund $775,000 toward its veterans work ($475,000 of 

which was granted prior to the establishment of our Veterans Fund). 

Beyond our grant making, Robin Hood convened the HUD-VASH Boot Camp in 

August 2011 (ongoing) to support regulatory reform to expedite HUD-VASH supportive housing process to house more homeless veterans by collaborating with city 

agencies, the VA, non-profits and the Interagency Council on Homelessness. So far 

these efforts have reduced by half the time for veterans to move into housing (to 

123–181 days from 240–360 days). 

Education: 

Education is a true path out of poverty, and we have invested $615,000 in two 

organizations to help keep vets on that path. The number of veterans enrolled at 

City University of New York’s (CUNY) six community colleges has increased remarkably. In spring 2008, 299 student veterans were enrolled at the six community 

colleges. The figure increased to 998 student veterans by spring 2010. However, only 

one in five veterans graduates from CUNY’s community colleges within six years. 

Our grant to Project for Return and Opportunity in Veterans’ Education (PROVE) 

is supporting veterans who are newly-enrolled college students, assisting them as 

they transition from military service to student life within the CUNY community 

college system. We have also made a grant to Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans of America, 

in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Adult Education, to help 150 OEF/OIF veterans avoid predatory for-profit colleges. 

49 

ALIGNING THE VA WITH COMMUNITIES

The Robin Hood investment in the veterans’ space is one example of community 

resources available to veterans and their families. These programs, along with a 

much larger cohort of City, State, Federal and other privately funded programs, 

make up an impressive mosaic of supports that are accessible and appropriate to 

augment VA services. And despite some progress on the part of the Veterans Administration, our work in New York City leaves us to conclude that the VA operates 

in relative isolation; disconnected from public and private resources that are fundamental to the livelihood and health our Nation’s veterans. Robin Hood asks the U.S. 

Senate and Veterans Administration to consider a deliberate shift as it pertains to 

community partnership and local resources. 

Fundamentally, government does not transition soldiers from military life to civilian life, and the VA fails to create a safety net for soldiers after discharge. The Department of Defense and the VA need to better support this transition. This would 

include a process to connect soldiers to jobs or college in advance of discharge and 

a commitment to facilitate timely benefits, housing and health care for our veterans 

that need help the most. And while we are hopeful that the DOD’s redesigned Transition Assistance Program will improve the transition, we are also skeptical that the 

plans go far enough to ensure an effective safety net. 

Presuming that a full shift in the discharge process is unrealized in the near 

term, and considering the 2.4 million veterans already living a civilian life, the VA 

needs to develop a community ‘‘blueprint’’ by which VA medical and social service 

staff can access local resources in a more deliberate and strategic way. As outlined 

above, the large majority of resources developed under Robin Hood’s watch are not 

core deliverables managed by the VA, instead, we’ve focused on employment, education, housing placement, case management, benefit enrollment, and legal services. 

These programs, save the connection to VA benefits that are in some cases funded 

by VA subcontractors, fall outside of the scope of VA staff though are critical elements associated with veterans’ transition and ongoing life outside of the military. 

These resources are largely funded by City and State government and are eligible 

to veterans and under utilized by veterans and their families. In each community, 

the VA needs to structure a process by which VA staff can smartly ensure that veterans access and enroll in these important programs that will complement the 

health care services made available by the VA. It is unrealistic to believe that a 

‘‘community plan’’ will look the same in every community, though the VA should develop a set of criteria that establish these important connections, and local VA leadership should be evaluated on the effectiveness of these local partnerships with municipal government and private resources. 

To this end, this spring, Robin Hood, the city of New York, the business community, and the not-for-profit sector will pilot a first of its kind veterans collaborative 

in New York City, and we ask the VA to join our effort to develop the connective 

tissue between the VA and the broader NYC community. Our team has been formed 

over the last 18 months and stands ready to formally collaborate with the VA to 

revamp our shared goal of ensuring financial and physical health for our veterans. 

I ask that the VA commit today to our New York City pilot to create a first of its 

kind model for reintegration. 

On behalf of the entire Robin Hood community, thank you for your time and 

interest. 

Chairman SANDERS. Thank you very much, Mr. Weingartner. 

Let me start off with kind of a simple, basic question. I think we 

all recognize that to do right by our veterans there has to be intensive cooperation by the VA and other Federal agencies, the nonprofits, State and local governments. 

Ms. Spencer, has the VA done a good job in trying to coordinate 

those efforts? How is the relationship between the VA and those 

other entities? 

Ms. SPENCER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for that question. We 

are currently having some very serious conversations with the VA 

about expanding the VetCorps model I mentioned to you in the 

State of Washington that is having such success in making sure 

that those who are enrolled in college today on the GI Bill 

graduate. 

50 

We need them to be successful. This is a fabulous tool—the Post9/11 GI Bill—and we need these veterans who decide to take advantage of this benefit to succeed. 

I serve on the Interagency Council on Homelessness which Secretary Shinseki currently chairs. I heard him recently talk passionately about this benefit of the Post-9/11 GI Bill and how he wants 

to see a higher rate of graduation as well. 

So, we are in very serious conversations with his team about how 

we can have an interagency agreement between the Corporation for 

National and Community Service and VA to scale and reach more 

veterans in college and have that peer-to-peer veteran. 

So, the desire is certainly there. The passion is there. I think 

they are doing well. I want to do more with VBA, the Veteran’s 

Benefit Administration. 

Chairman SANDERS. OK. Let me just ask that same question to 

Mr. Nee. Are you getting the cooperation that you need from the 

VA? What suggestions do you have as to how that effort can be 

improved? 

Mr. NEE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We work pretty cooperatively with VA, particularly at the national level. Secretary 

Shinseki has been very aggressive in terms of signing this MOU 

with the State directors and secretaries in order to continue that 

partnership. 

I think it has a lot of room it can grow in. I think we can demonstrate in collaboration with VA that when we serve veterans and 

veteran benefits and provide those benefits we do not just need to 

look at VA as the end-all/be-all for all veterans to go into. 

I mean, we certainly do not do that when it comes to public 

health. I mean, we all have individual public health, State departments, and city departments of public health. We do not just refer 

to, you know, the Health and Human Services Department of the 

Federal Government nor do we do that for the Department of 

Education. 

We should not do that for veterans either. Veterans have benefits 

and services that exist at all levels of government and can access, 

as the panelists have said here, many benefits and services 

through non-profits and other organizations. 

We take the approach in Massachusetts that when we serve veterans, we bring them the benefit buffet; and at the end of the buffet, we try to create a plate for them that makes sense for them. 

That will include some VA; that will include some other entries 

as well. But at the end of the day, we need to do a better job collaborating that. 

Chairman SANDERS. Good. Thank you. Mr. Monroe, the same 

question to you. Are you happy with the cooperation that you are 

getting from the VA at this point? 

Mr. MONROE. Chairman Sanders, thank you for that question. 

We launched in October, you know. I consider us still in startup 

mode, so my main focus is building the infrastructure, if you will, 

around what we have and growing the Blueprint Communities. 

We do not have a requirement that a Blueprint Community has 

to be working with the local VA. As we sign them up, we walk 

them through a sign-up process and we ask them, are you working 

with the local VA? If you are, what are you doing? If not, why not? 

51 

I can tell you that, off the top of my head, of the 44 I think about 

60 percent have a good relationship at the local level. 

Once we are kind of up on plane a little bit more, I intend to try 

to reach out a little bit more to the VA and solidify that a little 

bit more. But right now, yes, everything at the local level seems 

to be working well. 

Chairman SANDERS. Thank you. 

Mr. Weingartner, the same question. 

Mr. WEINGARTNER. I think I would be less optimistic than some 

of my colleagues on the panel. I think that fundamentally the VA 

in New York City leaves on the table a set of collaborations that 

are so critical for the vets that they are serving and is fairly 

isolated. 

So, to push in whether or not it is the city of New York or—— 

Chairman SANDERS. Let me ask you. Let me pick up. 

Mr. WEINGARTNER. Please. 

Chairman SANDERS. You say they are fairly isolated. Are you 

suggesting that in New York City many veterans do not know 

about the benefits to which they are entitled? 

Mr. WEINGARTNER. I think it is multifaceted. I think that is a 

condition. I think that vets that are being served by the VA probably need a broader swathe of services that are not provided by the 

VA, and then, in turn, when the VA has the attention of a vet that 

has a complex social service need, that they themselves are not 

uniquely positioned to fulfill that, and, in turn, do not know how 

to push back. 

So, I think it is a double whammy, you know. You have isolation 

from a health care perspective, but then, secondarily, you have a 

mosaic of human services that are publicly and privately funded 

that have nothing to do with the VA that are, I think, isolated from 

that structure. 

And, you know, I think that is a real massive loss of opportunity. 

Chairman SANDERS. Thank you very much. 

Senator Burr. 

Senator BURR. Mr. Chairman, I think we are beginning to hear 

more and more that VA—from a standpoint of their delivery of 

services—maybe lacks the ability to reach out in a communitybased way to figure out how much more they can bring to the table 

in providing the holistic approach. 

I think Mr. Weingartner clearly points that out, but we have 

heard it as it related to mental health, specific illnesses; and it is 

something I hope we are going to dig into. 

Wendy, I cannot let you be here without saying that I got your 

testimony at 11:06 p.m. last night. I take for granted that OMB 

had to sign off on your testimony. Is that correct? 

Ms. SPENCER. Yes. 

Senator BURR. What changes did they make to your testimony? 

Any? 

Ms. SPENCER. None, Senator. I am not aware of any particular 

changes. We were in concert. 

Senator BURR. OK. I hope you do not mind me asking. But you 

are held to the same standard that the VA is and we would expect 

that testimony to be here 48 hours in advance. 

Ms. SPENCER. Thank you, sir. 

52 

Senator BURR. Mr. Weingartner, I am particularly struck with 

the honesty that you have communicated with us. How can you 

find veterans in New York and the VA cannot? 

Mr. WEINGARTNER. It has been—let me give you a little bit more 

background in terms of the answer. Robin Hood this year will 

grant $140 million to programs across a massive range of programming. The only set of programs where we will struggle around recruitment is with vets. 

Literally, every program we fund has a waiting list except for 

veterans. It is a really, really complex struggle. There are a lot of 

different approaches. Each program has their own plan to find vets. 

Some of it is through the VA, some of it is through the city of New 

York, some of it is through individual recruitment. 

And, part of it is that—for example, we augmented a city pro- gram with $700,000 to find 1,250 vets jobs. Jobs sell. So, we are 

marketing vets to find jobs. So, each one of these programs is literally clawing to fill the spaces with vets that can take part in it. 

Senator BURR. I am not taking a shot at the VA. But all of you 

have something unique. You are finding people that they are not 

finding. You are providing services to people that currently are not 

being supplied that service within the Veterans’ Administration. 

I want to sort of take a different tact than the Chairman did because I do not want to plow ground that has already been plowed. 

What can we do to strengthen the partnership between you and 

the Veterans’ Administration? Naturally, it would start at the beginning of any initiative that they went out on; and I would be curious to ask, has the VA reached out to you on their August campaign to say, here is what we are getting ready to do? We are 

launching this massive ad campaign and here is how you fit. 

Is there any dialog between you guys and the VA about how you 

fit and how your organizations supports what their mission is? 

Let me just backwards if I can. 

Mr. WEINGARTNER. So, I think that is a big problem, what you 

are articulating; and from my perspective, I think it would go both 

ways. 

First, if a vet is in our purview in any of, say, the 30 programs 

that we recently funded, it is incumbent on the VA to make it really, really easy for us to push them into services that are uniquely 

funded by the VA. 

Second, I would ask the VA to tell me, how do you demonstrate 

that every single vet that walks in this door has had some level 

of assessment and that the VA has established a partnership locally in literally every community where you would know that 

there is a warm handoff between the medical services and getting 

that vet a job and connecting that vet to food stamps and connecting that vet to housing? Because, literally, right now vets are 

walking in the door and there is no structure around the ability to 

handoff a vet into community programs which make up the vast 

majority of human services in any local community. 

So, I would have them report back to you on what exactly is their 

structural relationship between the resources that are local. 

So, I think Mr. Monroe talked a little bit about a Blueprint. Admiral Mullen, who is essentially our tutor in the veterans’ space, 

basically indicated that you have to conceive of and implement a 

53 

local approach that is unique, and the VA would have to master 

that in every one of their communities and they should be held accountable for that. 

Senator BURR. Just go down the line if anybody would like to 

comment on that. 

Mr. MONROE. Ranking Member Burr, thank you. 

For me, again, back to us being in startup mode—big VA, if you 

will—we have not had many touch points with them. I intend to 

get to where when I am up on plain reaching out with them. At 

the local level, I said a lot of the Blueprint communities, they are 

very nimble. They are small organizations. They are out there. 

They know where people are so they are able to make—— 

Senator BURR. You are in 22 States. You are in an unlimited 

amount of communities, 44 communities, 22 States, 75 veteran lead 

corps. You are a major force in the non-profit world to supply services to veterans. 

Has the VA reached out to you and said, what is it you are doing 

so that we can figure out how it complements what we are trying 

to do? 

Mr. MONROE. Not yet, sir. 

Senator BURR. OK. Mr. Nee. 

Mr. NEE. Thank you, Ranking Member. I think what we see with 

VA is that the collaboration really exists. It depends on the medical 

center. It depends on the Vet Center. It is all local to local. 

So, if we have a Vet Center that is committed to working with 

the State, then we will do very well. When those veterans come in 

to get mental health services or VA specific health care services, 

they will then turn them over to us and we can do a benefits assessment to see what other State or local or non-profit benefits 

they are eligible for. 

I think when we look at national models, what I would hope is 

that we are not talking about the Federal Government seeing what 

we are doing and then adopting it themselves, but rather providing 

the States the resources to augment or increase their local models. 

For instance, Women Veteran’s Networks, we have a very good 

one. We run it on a very tight budget, $75,000 a year. It is not a 

lot of money but it does a lot of great good. 

If VA were to make grants available for States to establish statebased Women Veterans’ Networks, that would go a long way to its 

helping access benefits and services for women vets. 

Senator BURR. Let me just ask you on the program. 

Mr. NEE. Sure. 

Senator BURR. Has VA come to you and said, gee, this is a very 

interesting model. We would like to roll this out in communities 

across the country. Can you help us do that? 

Mr. NEE. They have a national Women Veteran’s Network. They 

have not come to us specifically on our program, although we do 

collaborate pretty closely with them on getting women into VA 

health care services. 

Senator BURR. But the unique thing about what all of you have 

provided us is the re-enforcement that these community-based programs are absolutely essential if the goal is to try to get everybody. 

Now, if the goal is only to get 40 percent, then that is one thing; 

but if the goal is 100 percent, is there anybody that realistically beVerDate Nov 24 2008 19:12 Oct 25, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00057 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 H:\ACTIVE\042413.TXT PAULIN
54 

lieves that it can be done without a partnership within the communities that the veterans live in? 

And, I think with the uniqueness of your program, it is more effective because it is community based. 

Mr. NEE. Correct. I do not believe if we just rely on VA to serve 

veterans in this country that we will reach all the veterans. I think 

in order for us to serve all the veterans in this Nation and their 

family members as well, we need to have tight and coordinated 

partnerships with State, local, and non-profit organizations. 

Otherwise, you just cannot meet all the needs. 

Senator BURR. Mr. Chairman, you have been very generous. 

Thank you. 

Chairman SANDERS. Thank you, Senator Burr. 

Senator Blumenthal. 

STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM CONNECTICUT 

Senator BLUMENTHAL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you 

for holding this hearing. 

Thank you all for being here today and your excellent work in 

this very important area. 

I was interested, Ms. Spencer, in your discussion of reserving 

spaces for veterans in some of the volunteer programs; I think you 

mentioned Teach for America, Volunteers of America, and the 

Washington Conservation Corps. 

I wonder if you could provide some additional details as to other 

organizations that reserve spaces—what more can be done to provide those kinds of opportunities for veterans, and whether you 

think the veterans have been responsive to it? 

Ms. SPENCER. Thank you, Senator Blumenthal. 

We are very excited about the progress. When the Serve America 

Act was signed 4 years ago, we had seen a huge interest in our veterans work because it has become a key priority in our work with 

veterans and military families. 

So, we are seeing the success in several ways. One is in the way 

which you have described us encouraging our grantees, our partners in the field, to reach out to veterans and military families as 

well, to recruit them to become AmeriCorps members or Senior 

Corps participants and also to become volunteers to serve alongside 

our formally enrolled AmeriCorps members or Senior Corps participants. That is one way. 

Another way is by adding more grantees with our annual Notice 

of Funding opportunity, increasing the number of grantees who are 

serving veterans. This will also grow the opportunity to serve as 

well. 

We are having very serious conversations. I just shared a few 

minutes ago with the VA about expanding a program called 

VetCorps which is helping veterans enrolled in college on the GI 

Bill succeed and graduate. We need them to graduate, and this is 

a program where we have veterans who are AmeriCorps members 

serving other veterans. 

That is a real sweet spot of success for us because we then have 

that peer-to-peer connection. They understand what they are going 

through. They can relate. We are seeing a lot of success. And that 

55 

also applies to family members, because family members also understand the life of a veteran. 

So, we are aggressively reaching out to our partners, our grantees, Veteran Service Organizations, working even with other Federal agencies. We have just announced a partnership with the National Guard Bureau where we are going to place AmeriCorps-VISTAs in every State Guard Bureau in the country that would like 

them to support veterans and military families with their economic 

needs. 

We, hopefully very soon, are days away from signing an interagency agreement with the Department of Labor, and where this 

will work is our Senior Corps participants from RSVP will reach 

out and help transitioning servicemembers get a job, help them 

with job training, job skills, counseling. 

So, there are endless the ways that we can work. We are working 

right now. We have five million volunteers—AmeriCorps member 

or Senior Corps participant—opportunities. 

So, there is not a stone we are not turning over for reaching out 

and including them. 

Senator BLUMENTHAL. You mentioned VetCorps? 

Ms. SPENCER. Yes. VetCorps in Washington State. 

Senator BLUMENTHAL. Is it just in one State right now? 

Ms. SPENCER. Well, that particular program labeled VetCorps is 

in the State of Washington where we currently have about 50—it 

is growing—50 veterans or military family members serving in 

every public college in the State of Washington, reaching out and 

working. Last year, they served 7,100 veterans. 

Senator BLUMENTHAL. There are similar organizations around 

the country. 

Ms. SPENCER. Right. There is one in Georgia, Piedmont College, 

which is a very similar model. We are encouraging other grantees 

to consider this as a great model also. 

Senator BLUMENTHAL. I appreciate what you said about veterans 

helping other veterans which seems to be the most productive way 

to help veterans, something about that common experience or bond 

that I think is almost irreplaceable. And I wonder if there is more 

that we can do to enlist veterans in these programs, either parttime or full-time. 

Ms. SPENCER. I think there is, and it is working with my colleagues here today. It is working with other Federal agencies like 

the VA, Department of Labor, National Guard Bureau, and others 

who are interested in this. It is getting that word out. 

But we have, as I mentioned, 5 million either volunteers or 

AmeriCorps members or Senior Corps participants who are passionate about this. We are in 70,000 locations across the country. 

So, we have got the capacity. We have offices in every State. We 

have State commissions, Governor-appointed State commissions we 

work with very closely. All have our same goal: to help these 1.5 

million veterans returning in the next 5 years, and those who have 

already returned home who need our help. 

Senator BLUMENTHAL. Thank you. 

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman SANDERS. Thank you, Senator Blumenthal. 

56 

Let me just conclude by reiterating what I think you have heard 

from every Member here. We appreciate that if we are going to do 

justice for all veterans—the older veterans and those who are just 

returning—we are going to need a level of cooperation, a very 

strong level of cooperation between the VA and other Federal agencies as well as non-profits and State agencies throughout the country. 

You are here today because in many ways you are models of 

what we would like to see. I just want to personally thank all of 

you for the great work that you are doing. We look forward to 

working with you in the future. 

This hearing is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 11:34 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.] 

(57) 

A P P E N D I X 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF MARTIN CARAWAY, LEGISLATIVE CHAIR, NATIONAL

ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICERS

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, and staff: It is truly my honor to 

present this written testimony for this hearing. As Legislative Chair of the National 

Association of County Veterans Service Officers, I am submitting this testimony to 

comment on: 

The issues regarding outreach services to veterans of military service of the 

United States of America. 

The National Association of County Veterans Service Officers is an organization 

made up of local government employees. Local government employees that believe 

we can help the Department of Veterans Affairs reduce the number of backlogged 

benefits claims, while also providing critical outreach activities to educate veteran’s 

and eligible dependents in rural and metropolitan areas alike. 

Our members work in local government offices, in 37 States and currently are 

comprised of 2,400 full time employees in 700 communities. Every veteran, their dependents and their survivors who live in our respective jurisdictions are all our clients. We serve them at no cost to the client. We are equipped to handle, and ready 

to assist veterans one on one, with every Department of Veterans Affairs benefit, 

and every state and local benefits. The reason we are here today is to assist the 

Department of Veterans Affairs’ and Chairman Sanders’ initiatives in providing 

quality outreach to our veteran community. 

There are over 22 million honorably discharged veterans of the Armed Forces of 

the United States. During the course of their life after the military they may have 

occasion to file a benefits claim for pension or compensation. Most veterans are not 

members of a Veterans Service Organization, but chances are that they live within 

one of our communities served by a State, County, or City Veterans Service Officer. 

In many cases the citizens of our communities believe that we are the VA. 

When military members leave the armed services they all have heard of the VA, 

and may be aware of some of the benefits they are entitled to, yet upon arrival to 

their home state they do not necessarily know how to actively pursue those benefits. 

Outreach has, for many years, been a focus of the National Association of County 

Veterans Service Officers. We define outreach as ‘‘the act or process of reaching out 

in a systematic manner to proactively provide information and services and benefits 

counseling to veterans, and to the spouses, children, and parents of veterans who 

may be eligible to receive benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs; and to ensure that such individuals are fully informed about, and 

assisted in applying for, any benefits and programs under such laws.’’ 

We believe that our members are in the perfect situation to meaningfully reach 

out to our Nation’s veterans. We are already there in 37 States with 2,400 full time 

employees in 700 communities. It makes sense to utilize these existing government 

employees, who are employed by their local governments to provide the desperately 

needed services to our returning military veterans. Many of our members are fully 

accredited with the Department of Veterans Affairs, have attended and successfully 

completed Training, Responsibility, Involvement and Preparation of Claims (TRIP) 

training and have had a background check performed on them as a condition of employment. 

There has been much cooperation between the Federal, State and Local Government over many years. There are cooperative Memorandums of Understanding 

(MOU) with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Justice, and other Federal arms of government routinely signed every year. Many Federal agencies provide funding to local agencies to assist them with Federal responsibilities. The 

United States Forest Service cooperatively works with local jurisdictions to safeVerDate Nov 24 2008 19:12 Oct 25, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6621 H:\ACTIVE\042413.TXT PAULIN
58 

guard the resources on the National Forest. The Drug Enforcement Administration 

provides funding to local law enforcement agencies to expand their impact in the 

war on drugs. Federal funding of local agencies is widely used and accepted 

throughout the United States and could be easily expanded to include the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

In this day and age of our great nation it is unthinkable that a young man or 

woman enters the military service, serves honorably, and then upon discharge finds 

difficulties in obtaining the rights and benefits that they earned through service and 

sacrifice. It is our responsibility, the people of the United States, to live up to that 

promise of a better and brighter future. That promise includes a myriad of veterans 

benefits should the servicemember become injured in defense of freedom; but also 

includes an underlying premise that says if you serve your country with honor, your 

country will be there to serve you—not with a handout, but with a hand up. Together we must develop a mechanism for solutions so that veterans are able to return and earn their part of the American Dream. 

The National Association of County Veterans Service Officers is grateful for this 

opportunity to testify to this Committee. We recommend that this Committee look 

into ways to expand services to veterans by utilizing local governmental agencies. 

This concept has the potential to make a significant difference in the lives of returning veterans and will afford them a better opportunity to obtain their earned benefits, in a timely manner. Thank you for your time and attention. 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF SHERRI L. BROWN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, SERVICE TO

THE ARMED FORCES, AMERICAN RED CROSS

Chairman Sanders, Ranking Member Burr, and distinguished Members of the 

Veterans’ Affairs Committee: I would like to commend the Committee for holding 

this hearing on Veterans Affairs Outreach and Community Partnerships and I appreciate the opportunity to submit this written testimony on behalf of the American 

Red Cross. 

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims 

of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the Nation’s blood; teaches skills that save 

lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and relevant to this testimony, supports military members and their families. 

The American Red Cross has supported servicemembers, veterans and their families for more than a century. Our military and veteran services are our oldest, most 

foundational and cherished mission passed down through generations. As a veteran 

myself, I am honored to support this mission today. 

GENERAL OVERVIEW OF SUPPORT FOR OUR VETERANS

The Red Cross began providing service to veterans in 1917, when we opened the 

Institute for Crippled and Disabled Men in New York City. The Institute specialized 

in occupational training for those returning from World War I with missing limbs. 

As the war ended, more programs were introduced to address the large number of 

maimed and disabled Veterans returning to civilian life. To aid their needs, innovative occupational therapy and recreational programs were implemented in Veterans 

Hospitals. 

When the United States Veterans Bureau was established by Congress in August 1921 as the official agency responsible for the care of veterans, Red Cross support of ill and injured veterans continued through the Hospital and Recreation 

Corps, the Junior Red Cross, and what later became known as the Gray Lady Service of uniformed volunteer nurses. 

Today, our work with veterans continues and includes emergency services such 

as emergency communications and financial assistance: support for the wounded, ill 

and injured in VA medical facilities and local communities; reintegration and resiliency support; and providing opportunities for volunteerism. Our network is farreaching and available around the clock. 

Red Cross offices across the country and around the world participate in education and outreach events throughout the cycle of military service. Beginning with 

new recruits at Military Entrance Processing Stations, pre-deployment briefings, 

welcome home events, family days, and others, we get the word out on how to reach 

the Red Cross and what types of support we can provide. We are there for community based outreach events in partnership with Veteran Service Organizations such 

as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, 

and their Auxiliaries; fraternal and service organizations such as the Elks, Lions, 

and Rotary; faith-based organizations and others. 

59 

The Red Cross is able to provide these important services through employees and 

volunteers who work alongside the military community across the country and 

around the world. This includes a network of 1,200 Red Cross offices both on installations and in communities across the country. Currently, we also have staff and 

volunteers serving with deployed servicemembers in Afghanistan, Djibouti, and 

Kuwait. 

A cornerstone of Red Cross support to the United States Armed Forces is our 

emergency communications services. When a military family experiences a crisis, 

the American Red Cross is there to help. Wherever their military service takes 

them, servicemembers can rest assured that the Red Cross will deliver notification 

of an emergency such as the death or serious illness of an immediate family member, as well as the good news of the birth of a servicemember’s child or grandchild. 

Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, the Red Cross relays urgent messages 

containing accurate, factual, complete and verified descriptions of the emergency to 

servicemembers stationed anywhere in the world, including on ships at sea and at 

embassies and remote locations. During fiscal year 2012, the Red Cross provided 

over 320,000 emergency communication services to 131,000 military members and 

their families, including nearly $7 million in financial assistance to more than 6,000 

families on behalf of the military aid societies. 

In addition to our emergency communications services and support to servicemembers on installations, the Red Cross has two resiliency courses to assist servicemembers, veterans and their families with the challenges of deployment. Both of 

these psycho-educational courses are led by independently licensed mental health 

volunteers and are available to anyone impacted by a military deployment—particularly those who directly support the servicemember, such as spouses, parents, siblings and significant others, and includes all branches of the Armed Forces. The 

courses are offered through Red Cross offices in the United States, its territories 

and through installations in the European region. 

Coping with Deployments: Psychological First Aid for Military Families was 

launched in October 2008 to assist military family members before and during a deployment cycle. The skill building course teaches family members how to strengthen 

their ability to successfully respond to challenges that they may encounter when a 

loved one is away. The course also explains how to support others experiencing 

stressful feelings or events. Since 2008, approximately 4,500 people have participated in the instructor-led course. 

In September 2011, the Red Cross launched Reconnection Workshops, a series of 

small-group, interactive courses for military families that focus on reintegration following deployment. The course was developed with the assistance of the Walmart 

Foundation and consists of five different topics that servicemembers and their families identified as critical to the reintegration period: managing anger, communication techniques, identifying depression, understanding and supporting the needs of 

children, and recognizing issues around stress and Traumatic Brain Injury. The Red 

Cross has reached nearly 4,000 people with this course. 

In short, we work at the community level to ensure the veteran and his or her 

family knows what resources are available to them in their hometown, that our efforts reflect their needs, and the community is working together to serve them. 

COMMUNITY BASED PARTNERSHIPS AND THE VA

The Red Cross does much of our work through partnerships. The strong relationships we have with the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs 

and the many other local and national non-profits who serve the military community are invaluable to our mission. An important facet is ensuring that what the 

Red Cross provides is both relevant to those we serve, and also complementary to 

the government and other community resources available. I cannot over-emphasize 

that no one organization can provide everything that a veteran and his or her family 

may need. Each organization brings something unique to the table, and we must 

continue to work closely together to ensure the assistance is well placed and reaches 

those who need it. 

The Red Cross works closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The 

Red Cross is one of six charter members when Veterans Affairs Volunteer Services 

(VAVS) was formed in 1946, and proudly stands as a leader among more than 7,400 

local and national organizations. We are classified as a Servicemember (voting) Organization, which requires a minimum of participation on 30 VAVS advisory committees. Additionally, we hold a seat on the VAVS Executive Committee (EC). Red 

Cross Chapters nationwide have representatives on more than 90 VAVS Advisory 

Committees and provide services in 139 VA Medical facilities. 

60 

In addition, more than 900 Red Cross volunteers work an average of 80,000 hours 

in VA facilities annually and are active in every aspect of the VA Voluntary Service 

program. Red Cross volunteers contribute in a number of ways, including Red Cross 

College Clubs creating mobile gardens for Community Living Centers; youth interviewing patients for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project; Veterans 

helping Veterans get to medical appointments through the Volunteer Transportation 

Program; and licensed medical professionals giving their time to those who served 

our country. 

In March 2012, Red Cross volunteer, Joy Neulieb, from Battle Creek, Michigan, 

received the VA Volunteer Services Committee Female Volunteer of the Year Award 

for her services in the Community Living Center, In Patient Mental Health and 

Therapeutic Recreation Section of the Battle Creek Michigan VA Medical Center. 

Ms. Neulieb is a shining example of Red Cross in action. 

Our work with the VA extends beyond serving those veterans in a VA hospital 

facility. The VA Crisis Line connects veterans with qualified VA responders through 

a confidential hotline. Through our partnership with the VA, we recognized that collaboration between our Emergency Communications Center and the VA Crisis Line 

could literally help save lives. More than once a day (478 times last year), the Red 

Cross Emergency Communications Center receives calls from family members seeking our intervention when a servicemember or veteran has indicated they might 

harm themselves. Now, when the VA Crisis Line receives a call concerning someone 

on active duty and they cannot quickly locate the individual, the Red Cross is immediately brought in to assist by working with the military. Additionally, we work 

closely with the VA Crisis Line in situations where the Red Cross is contacted concerning a veteran to provide immediate and compassionate assistance. 

Through a network of Veteran Service Officers, the Red Cross assists veterans, 

widows, widowers and dependents with the preparation and submission of claims 

and at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals office in Washington, DC. 

The Red Cross also acknowledges the tremendous resource our veterans are to the 

work force. The American Red Cross Military Outreach Program is designed to build 

a robust pipeline of talent from the veteran and military spouse communities and 

hire qualified candidates to support the mission of the organization. In 2012, the 

Red Cross set an aggressive goal to hire 1,000 veterans by the end of 2014. This 

commitment includes not only placing veterans in appropriate positions, but also developing training and transition programs for servicemembers and spouses. 

PARTNERSHIPS AND PILOT PROGRAMS

Red Cross collaboration to support veterans also extends beyond those ties we 

have with the VA. Several years ago, a coalition of more than 50 non-profit and government leaders got together to discuss how we could better work together and really make a difference for the military and veteran communities. One effort that developed from the meeting was rooted in what so many of us have seen at the local 

level—that is, building powerful community coalitions to deliver tremendous benefits. This initiative is now called ‘‘the Community Blueprint Network.’’ The Community Blueprint is a set of tools and practices that provide a framework for communities to produce positive, measurable outcomes for veterans, military members and 

their families. It is administered by our partner, the Points of Light Institute, under 

the leadership of my colleague, Mike Monroe. 

The Red Cross is sponsoring one of the Community Blueprint pilot sites in South 

Florida. The coalition is focusing on reintegration for veterans by helping bridge the 

gaps that can sometimes exist between leaving the military and returning to the 

community. The program focuses on the individual veteran by assessing their needs 

and developing an individual plan which may include peer support, assistance for 

health, education, employment, and other issues. The Red Cross does not provide 

all these things by itself, but works with our partners to ensure the veteran gets 

what he or she needs. For example, all veterans who participate in the program are 

assisted with registration for VA benefits, and those requiring assistance beyond 

those services offered by the VA are connected with one of our partners. 

The Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter of the American Red Cross is also supporting 

a Community Blueprint initiative with the charge of becoming the conduit for veterans to gain access to the full range of support available to them. This coalition 

consists of a group of over 40 agencies including national entities such as Goodwill 

Industries, the VA Regional Office, United Way 211, as well as local organizations 

like Hope Atlanta and Warriors 2 Citizens. 

Several Red Cross chapters have formed strong state and local partnerships to 

provide support to the veteran community. Through a state AmeriCorps program, 

the American Red Cross Southern Arizona Region engages AmeriCorps members to 

61 

reach the military community and provide Red Cross services including recruiting 

other volunteers, sharing the overall Red Cross message, helping with development/ 

fundraising, volunteering at the VA hospital, and acting as a force multiplier on military installations. 

The Southern Arizona Region, with support from a Supportive Services to Veterans and Families grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs, initiated a program to help prevent and address veteran homelessness. The program is staffed by 

individuals specializing in intake, housing, finance, employment outreach and other 

areas to provide a temporary bridge of support leading to self-sufficiency through 

employment or receipt of VA and/or other entitlements they may be due. This support may come in the way of financial assistance with rent, utilities, moving related 

and other expenses, and case management services to assist with receiving VA and 

other local-community based support. 

CONCLUSION

Thank you again for the opportunity to submit this testimony. These are just a 

few examples of how the Red Cross has been called to action in partnership with 

community-based organizations as well as with the VA and other government agencies. We are pleased to work with our partners in the VA as well as our partners 

in the non-profit, government and private sectors and are working hard to improve 

efficiencies and to increase individual and community awareness. 

Finally, support for our veterans is and will remain steadfast. As the US Armed 

Forces withdraw from Afghanistan and more servicemembers transition to civilian 

life, it will be more important than ever that we all continue to work together to 

meet the needs of the changing veteran community. The Red Cross is committed to 

working side by side with the VA and other organizations to provide the network 

of support our veterans deserve. 

I am pleased to address any questions you may have and look forward to working 

with members of Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and others to support our veterans and their families. 

Thank you. 

62 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF J. MICHAEL HAYNIE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR

VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY


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conducting effective outreach to private sector stakeholders to the veterans community; that is, 

outreach that serves to align the resources of non-governmental partners in a way that's coordinated, 

efficient, and responsive to the needs of veterans, and at the same time is positioned to nurture 

enduring civic engagement focused on veterans' issues.;;; This later point is less understood and undervalued in the context of the benefits of VA outreach to the private sector, and is thus worth 

emphasizing. The extent to which the VA and other governmental organizations actively and 

meaningfully engage the private sector related to veterans' concerns correlates directly to reinforcing 

norms of citizenship linked to how and why military service must be valued by sociery in the age of an 

all-volunteer military force structure (A VF). In other words, such engagement reinforces President 

Lincoln's pledge "to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan" as 

an enduring societal promise that holds true for this and future generations of veterans. 

All this said, there are five principle motivations that underlie the imperative of timely and robust VA 

outreach to the private sector, related to veterans' issues, programs, and policies: 

1) Effective and comprehensive outreach supports efficient service delivery and principled 

resource allocation in the face of a constrained fiscal environment across the federal 

government. In 2013, the VA will direct an estimated $140.3 billion to veteran-related 

programs and services, and many have suggested this level of expenditure will increase 

substantially over the next decade.;' In fact, Harvard Professor Linda Bilmes writes that: 

"The history ofprevious wars shows that the cost of caringfor war veterans rises for several decades, 

and peaks in 30 to 40 years or more after a conflict. This will be especially true for veterans of the 

cumnt wars. Veterans from Iraq and Af!,hanistan are utili'(jng V A medical services and applying 

for disability benefits at much higher rates than in previous wars. ,. 

In the face of resource constraints across government, it's possible that veterans' programs 

and benefits will become vulnerable to future spending reductions. If this situation were to 

come to pass, it's important that the private and not-for-profit sectors are positioned to serve 

as a secondary support network for veterans and their families, complementing and 

augmenting government services in a way that supports effective transition. 

2) The foundational logic supporting the all-volunteer force (AVF) makes civic engagement in 

the concerns of those who serve the nation in uniform a social and security imperative. The 

AVF has fostered a situation where a shared burden for national defense is an artifact of the 

past; as such, increasingly fewer members of our society have any tangible connection to the 

military." This distance is evident in the fact that today, both veterans and non-veterans agree 

that the American public does not fully understand the complex challenges facing the nation's 

veterans and military families. Managing this divide requires carefully balancing the inherent 

tensions between the military'S functional purpose of maintaining a distinct ethos and set of 

values necessary to provide effective security, while at the same time ensuring this effort 

remains sensibly responsive to, and culturally integrated with, American society.'" As such, VA 

outreach to the private sector serves the purpose of institutionalizing a three-way dialogue 

between the public, the military, and the government that nurtures stable civil-military relations 

in the long-term through increased opportunity for public participation in the concerns of 

veterans and their families. 

700 University Avenue I Suire 303 / Syrocuse, NY 13244 

315-443-0141 / Fax: 315-443-2654 / http:/ /vets.syr.edu 
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3) The number, breadth, and focus of private sector and not-for-profit organizations serving 

veterans and their families are overwhelming to many seeking to utilize available services and 

supports. Berween July 2001 and August 2012, there was a 181 % increase in the number of 

registered veteran support nonprofit organizations filing a Fortn 990 with the Internal 

Revenue Service, with a corresponding increase of $2.9 trillion in reported total assets 

(National Center for Charitable Statistics). ,ill Many of these organizations provide important 

and effective services to the nation's veterans while many others - though well-intended - are 

fundamentally disconnected from the true needs of the veterans' community. Focused and 

comprehensive VA outreach is positioned to serve the purpose of more smartly aligning and 

focusing private sector resources, toward the most pressing needs of veterans and their 

families. 

4) The private sector is uniquely positioned to support the social and economic transition from 

militaty to civilian life in a way that the VA and other govemmental organizations cannot. The 

issue of veterans' employment is a clear and compelling example. For example, the past 

several years have been witness to unprecedented efforts by many in the private sector in 

response to the deteriorating post-service employment situation of contemporaty veterans. 

Consider the efforts of the 100,000 Jobs Mission - a consortium of private sector firtns 

collaborating to hire veterans led by JPMorgan Chase - resulting in the successful employment 

of more than 64,000 veterans in the past 18 months.~ Consider the efforts of the consortium 

of large manufacturers united under the "Get Skills to Work" initiative led by GE, committed 

to creating careers in manufacturing for more than 15,000 veterans. Consider the work of the 

U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which over the past two years has held more than 400 job fairs 

for veterans across the U.S. Such efforts must be recognized, supported, and nurtured 

through effective and comprehensive outreach from the VA. It's clear from our research and 

engagement with the veterans' community that the most effective way to support the 

transition of service members to civilian life is to engage private sector actors in that effort. 

5) Finally and most importantly, robust public-private partnership is likely to generate the holistic 

''wrap-around'' supports proven most effective in facilitating a successful transition from 

military to civilian life. Research suggests that the transition from military to civilian life is, for 

many, discontinuous and even traumatic. An important component of successfully navigating 

such a transition involves transitioning one's identity; that is, supporting the transition of the 

individual's "sense of self" from a Soldier, Sailor, Airtnan, or Marine to that of civilian and 

citizen: The most effective way to realize this goal is to situate supports and services in a 

civilian societal context. Engaging the private sector in support of the transition of service 

members to civilian life is essential to cultivate healthy and meaningful integration of veterans 

into civilian society. 

Given the foundational arguments detailed above in support of VA outreach to the private sector, we 

suggest that now is the time to institutionalize processes and practices designed to harness the "Sea of 

Goodwill" for this and future generations of veterans. While veterans are honored in American society 

today, this social distinction is neither a historical constant, nor is it assured for future generations. ~ 

Inevitably, a consequence of the end of America's longest wartime chapter will be a diminished public 

focus on veterans' issues. As such, now is the time to act on the opportunity to institutionalize publicprivate collaboration as the nortn of policy and service delivery. 

700 University Avenue / Suite 303 I Syracuse, NY 13244 

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In that vein, it's to the VA's great credit that over the past year outreach to the private and not-forprofit sector has been unprecedented. In fact, in the context of my seven years working in the veteran's 

community, I have not witnessed a time where the VA has been more willing, open, and transparent 

with regard to efforts to engage the private sector in service to veterans and their families. For 

example, the V A recently initiated a series of convening events designed to solicit feedback from the 

not-for-profit community, and these efforts have included personal engagement from the most senior 

VA leadership - to include the VA Secretary himself. Further, these efforts have also been 

accompanied by an enhanced level of transparency from the VA with regard to both its success and its 

ongoing challenges. It's clear and apparent that such efforts are beginning to bear fruit, and therefore 

building from these important steps should represent a priority for the VA outreach team. In that vein, 

the following might represent priority initiatives for VA, related to outreach as a call to action: 

1) The VA should develop, through collaboration with the private sector, a clear strategic vision 

that informs their outreach. This vision should be articulated and disseminated both inside 

and outside of VA, to supporring embedding the notion of outreach into the VA culture. 

2) The VA should develop, through collaboration with the private sector, a strategic outreach 

strategy which details processes and practices positioned to implement the outreach vision. 

This strategy should incorporate a plan and processes related to evaluating and measuring the 

extent of outreach conducted by the VA, as well as the efficacy of such outreach as correlated 

to the social, economic, and health & wellness concerns of veterans and their families. 

3) The VA should expand and prioritize outreach to the academic community, related to the 

concerns of veterans and their families. Data-driven scholarship that informs veterans' policy 

is central to principled policy formulation, implementation and evaluation - especially in the 

face of an increasingly complex universe of economic, social, and policy challenges impacting 

veterans and military families. This scholarship, consequently, demands an interdisciplinary 

perspective to draw upon and integrate important intellectual conttibutions from multiple 

academic disciplines and fields of practice. Such a level of coordinated, interdisciplinary 

scholarship aimed at accumulating policy-relevant and actionable knowledge on veterans' 

issues does not presently exist. Such an effort demands robust collaboration between the VA 

and the academic community, and a focused outreach strategy will help cultivate, unite and 

organize an interdisciplinary field of veteran studies in higher-education, which supports 

principled policymaking and effective service delivery. 

In the end, the research and programmatic engagement of the NMF has highlighted to our team that a 

comprehensive and institutionalized VA outreach strategy - focused toward bridging and uniting the 

public and private sector related to veterans' issues - represents an absolute imperative. Such an effort 

is positioned to serve important economic, social and security objectives that impact both our veterans, 

but also more broadly the nation. Expanding and institutionalizing a strategic approach to VA outreach 

represents a step toward a 'whole-of-the-nation' model of empowering those who have worn the cloth 

of the nation, and is consistent with the inherent social contract that defines the relationship between 

America and its veterans. 

Thank you for the honor and opportunity to contribute to the important work of this committee. 

700 University Avenue / Suite 303 I Syracuse, NY 13244 

315-443-0141 / Fax: 315-443-2654 / http://vets.syr.edu 
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PREPARED STATEMENT OF DAVID W. SUTHERLAND, COLONEL, U.S. ARMY, RETIRED

CHAIRMAN AND CO-FOUNDER OF STAFF SERGEANT DONNIE D. DIXON CENTER FOR

MILITARY AND VETERANS COMMUNITY SERVICES (DIXON CENTER) 

Chairman Sanders, Ranking Member Burr and Members of the Committee, 

Thank you for inviting me to share my views and ideas on how our country can better assist America’s veterans through community partnerships. This is a topic I am 

very passionate about and so I appreciate the opportunity to address this distinguished panel. My name is David Sutherland and I am the Chairman and CoFounder of the Staff Sergeant Donnie D. Dixon Center for Military and Veterans 


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Community Services (Dixon Center), a catalyst for bringing community leaders, organizations and service providers together to help integrate and strengthen local 

services for veterans and military families. I also speak today as a veteran of the 

United States Army with 29 years of service, including multiple deployments during 

Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. I retired in 

2012 as a U.S. Army Colonel where my final assignment was as the Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In that position, my principle focus 

was on Warrior and Family Support. 

My military service over two wars informs me about the difficult challenges facing 

America’s veterans and motivates me to help empower returning servicemembers, 

military veterans, their families and the families of our fallen to achieve their capacity for greatness. This generation, like all generations of veterans, is wired to serve. 

And they have served with distinction against enormous challenges. Most returning 

servicemembers and their families have not known a time when we haven’t been 

at war, preparing for war or coming home from war. During the last 11 years of 

my Army career, I spent a cumulative three years at home. Of course, war has had 

an impact on America’s military veterans and their families. But I have no doubt 

they will thrive. They just need a little help during transition to get them started 

and they will achieve great things. They represent the best of our society. In my 

work with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and my advocacy through Dixon Center, I am 

convinced that the answers to the challenges facing our country’s veterans already 

exist in our neighborhoods and communities. The goal for this Committee and for 

all Americans should be to increase community involvement and promote community-based services through public-private partnerships to advance education, employment and access to health care for veterans and their families. 

The Story of Mervin: 

Mervin Roxas is one of those veterans on the road to greatness thanks to a little 

community support during his recent transition. Mervin was born in the Philippines 

but moved to the United States with his family when he was a teenager. Motivated 

to serve his adopted country following the attacks on September 11, Mervin joined 

the United States Marines and was twice deployed to Iraq. On his second tour of 

duty, Mervin was seriously injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) blew 

up his patrol vehicle. He was riding in the top position manning the vehicle’s machine gun. The bomb ripped off his entire left arm and part of his shoulder and 

shattered his jaw and cheekbone. Three Marines died from injuries caused by the 

IED explosion. That was July 5, 2004; Mervin was only 21 years old. He was evacuated out of the war zone and later to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, where he spent 11 months in specialized medical care and rehabilitative 

services. The military awarded Mervin the Purple Heart for his service. After being 

medically discharged from Walter Reed, Mervin returned to California to be with 

his family and to restart his new life. But Mervin struggled early on in his transition. He no longer had easy access to the supports and resources readily available 

to him throughout his military career. He and his family had to navigate the social 

service and government systems on their own, with little support or guidance. ‘‘The 

direction I was used to in the military wasn’t there for me,’’ Mervin said, ‘‘I was 

basically let loose in the civilian world after being discharged with little direction. 

It was pretty tough to cope with at the beginning.’’ Mervin also had to deal with 

the new changes to his life as a result of his disability. His dream of becoming a 

police officer was finished and his hopes for the future were diminished. ‘‘I was 

angry about the situation, confused, and I guess kind of depressed as well,’’ Mervin 

said. 

VETERANS JUST NEED A LITTLE HELP DURING TRANSITION

Mervin’s early struggles to cope with his new life and his initial challenges during 

transition are not unique. Veterans can struggle with isolation and the negative 

stigma often associated with veterans of war. Stories similar to Mervin’s can be 

found throughout the country. The personal struggles may vary, but generally involve mental health stress, unemployment, homelessness, broken relationships, or 

substance abuse. Consider these statistics: 

• Young veterans, ages 20 to 24, who served during Gulf War era II had an unemployment rate of 29% in 2011, higher than that of young non-veterans (18%), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition: 

– 24% of veterans are unable to find a job that matches their skill level; 

– 11% are unable to find a job that matches their education level; 

– Almost two-thirds of those employed are unsatisfied with their work and report that they aren’t using their skills and abilities; and 

68 

– 44% of part-time workers could not find full-time employment. 

• Over one-third of servicemembers from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation 

Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) suffer from post-traumatic stress (PTS) and mild 

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), according to a recent RAND study. These are the 

signature wounds of these wars. 

• More veterans have died by suicide since 9/11 than in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Women veterans are 2–3 times more likely to commit suicide 

than non-veteran women, according to an Oregon Health and Science University 

study. 

• Twelve percent of all homeless veterans are OIF/OEF veterans, according to the 

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. 

– 33% of the male homeless population are veterans; 

– 67% served three or more years; and 

– 76% experience alcohol, drug or mental health problems; and 

– 20% of female veterans are homeless. 

• About 1.5 million other veterans are considered at risk of homelessness due to 

poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or 

substandard housing. 

The personal stories of heartache and struggle—combined with these and other 

harsh statistics—should motivate all leaders and citizens to examine new solutions 

to address the transition needs of our returning servicemembers and veterans. The 

drawdown of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan accelerates the challenges and widens the gaps in transition services for veterans and their families. Each year, the 

military discharges or demobilizes, on average, 350,000 servicemembers or roughly 

the population the size of the city of St. Louis. However these men and women— 

many who have confronted multiple deployments and combat tours—will not return 

to a single metropolitan area. Instead, they will return to their hometowns or other 

communities across the country. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data 

shows that U.S. veterans live in more than 3,100 counties that represent rural 

areas, like Calhoun County, Arkansas, or urban areas, like Cook County (Chicago), 

Illinois. Even those who generally look to the Federal Government (Department of 

Veterans Affairs) as the sole answer in addressing veterans’ needs realize that the 

geographic diversity and the expected spike in the veterans’ population (1 million 

over the next 5 years) require a new approach and a new way of thinking. There 

is only so much the government can do, alone. 

The solution to these complex challenges already exists within the communities 

our veterans come home to—because the best remedy to defeating the stresses from 

combat for our veterans is finding a community and ‘‘fitting in.’’ More than anything 

else, veterans—myself included—want to be connected to community. Communities 

are the center of gravity; they solve the problems, provide the leadership, develop 

the solutions, offer empathy and provide the continuum of care. Communities are 

critical to our country’s ability to do right by the veterans who have bravely worn 

the uniform. Based on my extensive outreach over the past five years, both as the 

Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and in my current 

role as Chairman of Dixon Center, I have seen first-hand the ‘‘sea of goodwill’’ that 

exists across the country. The American people share a tremendous desire and commitment to serve our veterans, military families, and the families of the fallen. 

Unfortunately, a disconnect exists within these communities. Many communities 

and their leaders may know what the military is, but they don’t know us. Less than 

one percent of the American public has ever served in the U.S. Armed Services. 

Many communities—their leaders, residents and services providers—have made 

services for veterans and military families a top priority, but often they are encumbered by bureaucracy and denied access to service resources by the very government 

entities charged with caring for and supporting U.S. veterans. As a result, veterans 

and their families become more isolated from essential services and supports and 

their reintegration struggles continue, often leading to new concerns that negatively 

play out in their relationships, families, workplaces and communities. 

COMMUNITIES WORKING TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF VETERANS

Mervin, the young Marine I told you about earlier, is now fully contributing in 

his California community and achieving greatness. His U.S. Marine Corps training 

taught him to be courageous, decisive, and resilient. So he took the initiative to explore his community and find or develop his own supports. He enrolled in classes 

at a local college and looked for opportunities to volunteer in the community. Mervin 

admits his transition to college was difficult at first. ‘‘In the beginning, I had a hard 

time dealing with the new environment with the other students and people who 

69 

didn’t really understand me or my situation. It took about a year to realize that I 

had to adjust myself.’’ Mervin tapped into a community of other student veterans 

at his college. This informal support system, which later grew to include non-veteran friends, was there when he needed someone to talk to. ‘‘They understood. They 

were there to help, but they didn’t pretend to know the answers to my problems,’’ 

he said. 

One day while at college, Mervin stumbled upon a job fair and decided to see what 

employment opportunities his community had to offer a decorated veteran. Mervin 

is representative of the new generation of veterans I mentioned earlier that is wired 

to serve. He was drawn to a booth staffed by Easter Seals Southern California. 

Easter Seals provides services to help children and adults with disabilities and/or 

special needs as well as support to their families for nearly 100 years. Today, Easter 

Seals assists more than one million individuals and their families annually through 

a network of more than 70 affiliates that operate more than 550 Easter Seals service sites across the country. Each affiliate provides top-quality, innovative services 

tailored to meet the specific needs of the people we serve. Mervin was also attracted 

to Easter Seals’ national commitment to veterans and military families. ‘‘We just 

kind of clicked,’’ Mervin recalled. But there was one problem: he didn’t have his resume, at least not with him. The Easter Seals representative saw special qualities 

in Mervin and told him to send his resume to his office as quickly as possible. By 

that evening, Mervin had faxed his resume to Easter Seals and, soon after, he was 

hired as a Life Skills Coach—teaching life skills to adults with developmental disabilities. The extra little help he received at the job fair started him on the path 

toward success. He has since gotten married, been promoted at work, and ran a 

marathon—raising money for a local veterans support program as a way of giving 

back to the community that had supported him in his transition to civilian life. 

Mervin, now 30, did not need much of a push to get him going. The community supports and assistance he needed, he found on his own. Sometimes the community 

support was as simple as the routineness of everyday life in his hometown. ‘‘When 

I returned, I went to the same barber I had been going to since I was in high school. 

We’d just make conversation, talk about events in the news, how things were 

going—the usual things,’’ Mervin said. ‘‘Even that simple connection to people outside the military, having that routine, going to a place where I knew people. Just 

those little things really do make you feel connected to your community.’’ 

Other veterans may require intensive services and supports or additional assistance in connecting to community and government programs. To help meet these 

needs, thousands of new nonprofit organizations have formed over the past decade. 

In addition, existing community organizations have developed new programs or 

reprioritized services to meet the emerging transition needs of veterans and military 

families that, in many cases, are going unmet due to the Federal Government’s disappointing response to this underserved population. For example: 

• Student Veterans of America (SVA) was formed after the passage of the Post9/11 G.I. Bill when many OEF/OIF veterans started school and found that their 

campuses were unprepared to support them as they pursued their education. Since 

2008, SVA has provided programs, resources, and support to the ever-evolving network of local student veteran organizations. I serve on the SVA Board of Directors 

and work closely with the chapter leadership across the country to affect change and 

generate action. • The ‘‘Community Blueprint’’ is a roadmap for local communities across America 

to address the most common challenges facing Veterans, returning servicemembers 

and their families by transforming goodwill into service. The Community Blueprint 

is a set of tools and practices that provide a framework for communities to produce 

positive, measurable outcomes for veterans, military members and their families. • Allies in Service is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving our 

veterans, servicemembers and their families as they reintegrate back into the Dallas 

community. Under the leadership of Roger Staubach, they have developed a community-based model to improve the overall quality of life for Dallas-area veterans. • Utility Workers Military Assistance—UMAP National Effort is designed to assist those men and women transitioning from the military into the civilian sector 

with gainful career opportunities in the Utility Workers sector and other labor affiliated program opportunities. In addition to workforce development and assistance 

UMAP provides support to their own military veteran members and their families. 

On a national level they partner with the military affiliates from all branches and 

work shoulder to shoulder with those on a national base that have developed and 

will continue to provide support to our veterans, Guard and Reserve candidates and 

their families. 

• Charlotte Home Bridge helps Charlotte veterans successfully transition home 

after military service by identifying their education, employment and healthcare 

70 

needs and connecting them to available community, state and Federal resources. 

The result of this works results in: veterans and their families in successfully pursuing their dreams of building a healthy and productive life in the Charlotte region; 

community benefits from their leadership and commitment; and a reduced drain on 

community resources. • The International Brotherhood of Teamsters formed its Helmets to Hardhats 

(H2H) program and Teamsters Military Assistance Program (TMAP) to connect 

highly trained, unemployed veterans with training and career opportunities in the 

construction industry. Under TMAP, veterans and Guard and Reserve members can 

receive, at no cost, apprenticeship and other training that leads to industry credentials. The Teamsters, like other organizations, found the high unemployment rate 

among veterans, particularly among the OIF/OEF generation, unacceptable and developed their own programs to compliment government efforts. 

• The Welcome Back Veterans Initiative was formed in 2008 by Major League 

Baseball Charities, the McCormick Foundation and the Entertainment Industry 

Foundation to ensure veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress and their families had access to mental health education and treatments backed by cutting-edge 

research at our Nation’s University Hospitals. These organizations were motivated 

by the newspaper headlines addressing the mental health challenges of our returning servicemembers and developed and funded this effort to help address the long 

delays or gaps in mental health services at the VA and the Department of Defense. 

The emergence of these new military and veterans’ organizations and service initiatives (while well-intentioned) has created two new problems that can further impede the ability of veterans and returning servicemembers to access transition assistance. First, there is no reliable, community-based coordination mechanism to integrate and consolidate community services so that veterans and military families 

aren’t simply bouncing back and forth between bureaucratic mazes. Second, Federal 

policies and operating procedures make it difficult, if not impossible, for qualified 

new and well-established community organizations to access Federal resources or 

assist Federal agencies in serving the veterans and families in their communities. 

The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee can play a meaningful role in each of these 

areas. 

COORDINATING COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES

During my work with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I was introduced to numerous 

military and veterans’ programs in communities across the country that achieved 

great results. However, I quickly learned that these programs, even the ones in the 

same community, were not aligned with each other or other services in the community. I would meet with community leaders and executives of community organizations who recognized the fragmentation and conceded that better coordination would 

result in more effective services and better stewardship of the scarce resources. It 

became clear that a clearinghouse for collaboration, consolidation, communication, 

lessons learned and innovative practices was necessary to help advance a holistic 

approach centered on education, meaningful employment and access to health care. 

I co-founded the Center for Military and Veterans Community Services to facilitate 

this community alignment, coordination and consolidation of new and existing community services. I named the center after a career solider I served with in Iraq, 

Staff Sergeant Donnie D. Dixon, who was killed during his second tour of duty in 

Iraq. Between my work as a direct report to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of 

Staff and the Dixon Center launch in May 2012 my team and I have worked with 

over 550 communities and cultivated a network of 20,000 organizations and likeminded individuals through community convening sessions, one-on-one consultations 

and direct collaborations, partnerships and consolidations of networks. This provides 

an understanding of grass roots solutions that are working or not working. 

Dixon Center is sponsored by Easter Seals that leads through highly interconnected and synergistic strategic and tactical approaches to advance a shared mission and vision. Dixon Center and Easter Seals jointly invest in and leverage their 

partnership for immediate and long-term mission impact benefiting servicemembers 

and Veterans, their families and the families of the fallen; and all those stakeholders, influencers, and decisionmakers that have a role in supporting the military 

and Easter Seals is a leading provider of services to individuals with disabilities and 

other special needs and their families, providing high-quality direct services and 

supports through a national network of community-based facilities that leverage 

and enhance local delivery systems and truly make a positive difference in the lives 

of Veterans and their families. The two organizations are integrated and collaborative, yet also distinct and intentionally independent to best achieve optimal results. The partnership has proven to be effective and complimentary as Dixon CenVerDate Nov 24 2008 19:12 Oct 25, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00074 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6621 H:\ACTIVE\042413.TXT PAULIN
71 

ter focuses on improving the delivery to services while Easter Seals specializes in 

the delivery of services to veterans and military families. However, I want to emphasize that my testimony here today reflects my views and those of Dixon Center 

alone. 

Dixon Center, and the communities and organizations we work with, recognizes 

that no single agency or organization has the manpower, resources or intellectual 

capital to fully assist our veterans and military families. The Center has provided 

leadership, advice, training and recommendations to help communities develop linkages and coordinate or consolidate services so that veterans and military families 

have easier, more effective access to community resources and supports. Each community must undertake its own planning process and develop its own coordination 

and consolidation models. However, we have found common elements in successful 

communities. They include: starting Veterans Treatment Courts; building veteran 

and military family awareness initiatives; providing affordable housing; increasing 

access to legal services; expanding veteran job training partnerships with businesses; organizing student veteran coordinators at colleges and universities; and developing veteran community action teams. 

However, the most important first steps a community should carry out are to: 

1. Engage in Community Asset Mapping. Without coordination and consolidation 

of resources and service delivery, communities and its military and veterans’ organizations are simply creating another maze of bureaucracy and confusion for the veterans to ignore and feel another level of disconnection. Each community must undergo the hard work of identifying all of the community resources, organizations and 

programs aimed at helping veterans and military families to create a single community profile and to foster linkages and potential consolidation of existing community 

assets. To assist communities in this process, Points of Light, an international nonprofit founded by President George H.W. Bush, hosts The Community Blueprint, a 

set of tools and practices that provides communities with the framework and process 

for consolidating and coordinating local efforts to produce positive, measurable outcomes for veterans, military members and their families. 

2. Develop and Promote Community Rally Points. In combat, a rally point is a key, 

recognizable location to fall back on should an operational mission be disrupted or 

threatened. Each community should identify a specific, physical location that enables a veteran to access information and assistance on issues pertaining to health 

care, employment, education, housing, financial and legal problems, and strategies 

for accessing VA services. 

Policy Recommendation: 

Congress should, through both authorization and appropriations language, direct 

the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to fund Community Asset Mapping and 

Community Rally Points within new authority and funding or as part of existing 

VA-community grant programs. 

PROMOTE VA-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH POLICIES

A 2012 report (Well After Service: Veteran Reintegration and American Communities) argued that Federal agencies have ‘‘insufficient reach into the communities 

from which veterans come and to which they return’’ and recommended a comprehensive reintegration strategy focused on veterans wellness that leverages the 

reach and resources of community-based organizations. Hundreds of communities 

and thousands of community-based organizations are prepared to assist the VA as 

it supports the 22 million living veterans and the one million additional men and 

women expected to transition to civilian life over the next five years. Public-private 

partnerships can be powerful. However, VA policy and procedures make it difficult 

for qualified new and well-established community organizations to partner with the 

VA to assist in this daunting service and capacity challenge. 

Through executive order, statute and its own initiatives (i.e.: NGO Gateway), the 

VA has recognized the need to work with community-based partners to complement 

and expand their services, particularly in parts of the country where the VA does 

not have a physical presence. In addition, Congress has taken significant action recently to help foster public-private partnership at the VA through the creation of 

grant programs (i.e.: Supportive Services for Veterans Families) or pilot programs 

to ensure veterans and military families have timely access to local and effective 

services. However, the process to partner with the VA on the local and national 

level is confusing, inconsistent, bureaucratic, ineffective and frustrating. For example, certain program opportunities are coordinated and decided at the headquarter 

level while others are seemingly available through the regional or local center. 

There is no uniform way for organizations to partner with the VA or guidance to 

72 

effectively communicate with decisionmakers. In addition, certain opportunities are 

closed to select business or organizational criteria. While I understand and fully 

support priority preference to promote the use of veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, most veteran organizations are led by or operated 

by U.S. veterans and should, at the very least, have an opportunity to compete for 

those programs or contracts. Finally, the VA must expand its current community 

partnership agenda, which mostly includes holding semi-regular NGO/nonprofit 

meetings and signing memorandum of understandings, to include meaningful partnerships that include financially reimbursing organizations for the quality, effective 

services the VA expects of these organizations. 

Policy Recommendations: 

• Congress should expand public-private partnerships by developing new programs or new requirements within existing programs that direct the VA and other 

Federal agencies to partner with and provide access by community-based organization, including qualified new and well-established nonprofit or nongovernmental organizations (NGO’s), to leverage existing community infrastructure. 

• Congress should require that the VA establish annual prime and subcontracting 

goals specific for NGO’s and nonprofits to promote community partnerships. 

• Congress should direct the VA to establish a preferred community partner list 

of fully vetted organizations for each of its service lines so that, in cases of emergency or service capacity limitations, the VA can easily refer program eligible veterans to qualified community organizations for services without delay and bureaucratic red tape. 

CONCLUSION

America’s veterans are not receiving the compassionate outreach, care and services they need to transition successfully from military to civilian life. This is not for 

lack of interest or desire from America’s communities or local organizations. I have 

seen community after community and organization after organization stand up to 

help take on this great responsibility. Congress must do everything it can to ensure 

that Federal agencies make decisions in the best interest of veterans, military servicemembers, their families and the families of the fallen and not what is in the 

best interest of their own agency and their program and service turf. In addition, 

Congress should expect the VA and other Federal agencies to develop structured 

community outreach plans and report on meaningful partnerships that have developed as a result of their plans. 

Mr. Chairman, I was pleased you gave today’s hearing and its theme of partnership with the community some urgency by referencing it as a ‘‘Call to Action.’’ The 

brave men and women who have fought for our country deserve nothing less than 

effective and immediate action. Through Dixon Center, we are stepping up community activity and action through corporate and foundation gifts to facilitate services 

to veterans and military families living in Indiana (Indianapolis), Maryland, Minnesota (St. Cloud), New Jersey, New York (Syracuse), Ohio (Cincinnati), Oregon 

(Salem), and Virginia. I pledge to continue this collaborative work in states and 

communities across the United States. I also urge this Committee to continue its 

leadership in this area and compel the VA and other Federal agencies to expand 

meaningful community-based outreach and partnerships to ensure veterans and returning servicemembers, like Mervin Roxas, get the assistance they need during 

transition to thrive and grow in their communities. Thank you for the opportunity 

to share with you my update. 

73 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF MATTHEW E. MELMED, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ZERO TO

THREE: NATIONAL CENTER FOR INFANTS, TODDLERS, AND FAMILIES


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While data on the numbers and ages of children of Veterans is extremely limited, it is estimated 

that 30% of all Veterans have children (yiestat, 2010). Emerging data from a regional report 

suggests that, in the state of Illinois, nearly one of out of five Veterans has one or more children 

under the age of 5 in their household. For female Veterans, that number rises to nearly one out 

offour with a child age 0 to 5 (Carrow, Rynell, & Tepstra, 2012). Approximately one quarter of 

Illinois' new Veterans with children are single parents, with almost half of Veteran mothers 

parenting alone (Carrow et aI., 2012). The scale and rates of mental health problems such as 

depression, anxiety and PTSD have been found to be more than twice as high among pregnant 

women Veterans compared to non-pregnant women Veterans. (Mattocks, et aI, 2009). According 

to the DVA (2011), Veteran men are twice as likely to become homeless as non-Veteran men. 

Veteran women are three times more likely to become homeless than non-Veteran women. For 

female Veterans, risk for homelessness is highest between the ages of l8-29-potentially 

overlapping with early parenting. 

Women are the fastest growing group within the Veteran population, representing 11.6% of 

Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans (DVA, 2013). For 

female Veterans who are expectant or new mothers, the tasks of parenting their infants may be 

overlaid with complicating factors associated with military sexual trauma (DVA, 2013), 

psychological health issues (DVA, 2013), unemployment (U.S. Department of Labor, 2012), and 

homelessness (DVA, 2011). A 2011 study by the California Research Bureau indicated that 

"transitioning to civilian life and help with family life and family services were key nonhealthcare needs at time of transition for all women veterans in all eras of service." (Blanton, 

2011, p. 2) 

Veteran parental stress may be further exacerbated by the loss of subsidized childcare typically 

made available to active duty families through the Office of Family Policy, Office of Secretary 

of Defense (OSD). The need for affordable, high quality childcare, combined with both financial 

and psychological stressors, makes the role of civilian, community-based professionals even 

more critical to the health and well-being of Veteran expectant mothers, new parents, and their 

young children. 

For a number of years, ZERO TO THREE has worked with the Department of Defense, through 

our Coming Together Around Military FamiliesTM project, to help military installations ensure 

that service providers for young children and families understand and are prepared to address the 

effects of deployment, as well as trauma, grief, and loss, on the many young children whose 

parents have been deployed. With so many young Service members coming home to civilian life, 

with many either returning to young families or likely to start them, we have begun to think 

through how the communities that receive them can develop the connections and support these 

families need. We have launched Coming Together Around Veterans' FamiliesTM, for activities 

such as a free training for interdisciplinary professionals serving families in Los Angeles. With 

private funding, we are exploring ways to adapt our materials developed for military families 

with young children to the needs of Veterans' families. One of our new resources is a children's 

book, Sparrow, designed to support a young child whose parent/caregiver has been injured, 

physically or emotionally, while on deployment. We also examined the perceptions of 

professionals in the Chicago area about the services available to Veterans' families with very 

young children and gaps that exist in those services. 

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424Zero3_3.eps

Unlike the military, which has more responsibility for responding to the needs of the entire 

family, the VA historically has had responsibility in general only for the returning Veteran. 

While there has been much attention to the impact ofPTSD and TBI on returning military 

Service members, health and mental health services provided by DV A are designed primarily for 

the Veterans themselves. Despite a growing body of research that shows how a Veteran's social 

network supports a successful transition to civilian life, VA mental health services have only 

recently begun to include Veterans' spouses. Current services do not consider the needs of all 

family members. It will be the communities where these Veterans and their families live that will 

need to respond in a coordinated way to the issues these families may be facing. 

As more troops gradually transition into the larger community, it is essential that civilian early 

childhood professionals, as well as professionals at the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DV A), 

have the information and resources to be fully responsive to Veteran parents' unique and 

evolving needs and to be aware of how early development of young children can be affected by 

the condition of the parent. In addition, methods of data collection must be improved so that the 

numbers and ages of children of Veterans are captured on a national scale. In order to develop 

and implement systems of care that are optimally responsive to children of Veterans who have 

transitioned out of the service, the scale of the need must be fully identified and understood 

(Children and Family Futures, 2013). 

In conclusion, I appreciate the opportunity to provide input to the Committee as it strives to 

ensure awareness and access of the VA benefits and services earned by Veterans and their 

families through coordinated and integrated outreach efforts. In order to ensure the best 

outcomes for Veteran families with infants and toddlers, it is crucial that communities, as well as 

policymakers in Congress and at the DV A, carefully examine and respond to their needs. We can 

and must improve the outreach to this population and ensure that we are effective in informing 

Veteran families on the full range of services available---and in making sure those services are 

coordinated and accessible. We can make a difference in the lives ofthese children and families 

if we act now to ensure that what we know from the science of early childhood development 

guides what we do for these very vulnerable babies and their families. 

References 

Blanton, R. E., Foster, L. K., & California State Library, C. (2012). California's Women 

Veterans: Responses to the 2011 Survey. CRB Briefly Stated. California Research Bureau. 

Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.govIPDFSIED536751.pdf 

Carrow, L., Rynell, A., & Tepstra, A. (2012, December). New veterans in Illinois: A call to 

action. Chicago: Social IMPACT Research Center. 

Mattocks, K., Skanderson, M., Goulet, J., Brandt, C., Womack, l, Krebs, E., & ... Haskell, S. 

(2010). Pregnancy and Mental Health Among Women Veterans Returning from Iraq and 

Afghanistan. Journal O/Women's Health (15409996), 19(12),2159-2166. 

doi: 10.1 089/jwh.2009.1892 

Maughan, A., Cicchetti, D., Toth, S. L., & Rogosch, F. A. (2007). Early-occurring maternal 

depression and maternal negativity in predicting young children's emotion regulation and 

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socioemotional difficulties. Journal 0/ Abnormal Child Psychology, 35, 685-703. doi: 

10.1 007/s1 0802-007 -9129-0. 

Schechter, D. S., Zeanah, C. H., Myers, M. M., Brunelli, S. A., Liebowitz, M. R., Marshall, R. 

D., ... Hofer, M. A. (2004). Psychobiological dysregulation in violence-exposed 

mothers: Salivary cortisol of mothers with very young pre- and post-separation stress. 

Bulletin o/the Menninger Clinic, 68(4),319-336. 

Schwerdtfeger, K. L., & Goff, B. S. N. (2007). lntergenerational transmission of trauma: 

Exploring mother-infant prenatal attachment. Journal o/Traumatic Stress, 20(1), 39-

51. doi: 1O.l002/jts.20179 

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2012). The Current Population Survey: 

Veteran Status. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat48.pdf 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2013). Facts and Statistics About Women Veterans. 

Women Veterans Health Care. Retrieved from 

http://www.womenshealth.va.govIWOMENSHEALTH/facts.asp 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center on Homelessness among Veterans (2011, 

August). Prevalence and risk of homeless ness among U.S. Veterans: a multisite 

investigation. Retrieved from http://www.va.govIHOMELESS/docslPrevalence_Study.pdf 

Westat. (2010). National survey of veterans, Active Duty service members, demobilized 

National Guard and Reserve members, family Members, and surviving Spouse. Retrieved 

from http://www.va.gov/vetdataidocs/SurveysAndStudiesINVSSurveyFinaIWeigh 

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