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If you know a veteran, please forward this issue to him or her as it provides important updates, resources, and information.
Senate Votes to Expand Access to Benefits for Disabled Veterans
Legislation to exempt 100% of disabled veterans’ benefit payments from income calculations for any commonwealth programs or benefits received Senate support. Senate Bill 126 would ensure veterans who receive disability compensation would not have those payments counted against them when applying to programs such as the Real Estate Property Tax Exemption, Education Gratuity Program, Veterans Temporary Assistance Program, and Military Relief Assistance Program. The bill would also extend the exclusion of the veterans’ compensation benefits to their unmarried surviving spouses. Celebrating Women Veterans’ Month
From Left to Right: Giana Van Nice, U.S. Navy; Christina Kinlaw, Marine Corps; Sarah Cook, Marine Corps; Tamara Barber-Kamer, U.S. Army; PA Senator Tracy Pennycuick; Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity; Brigadier General Maureen Weigl, Deputy Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; Tamara Sullivan, U.S. Army In honor of Women Veterans’ Month, the state Capitol hosted a Women Veterans Day Ceremony celebrating Pennsylvania women who proudly served the commonwealth and nation. This is the second year the day has been observed in the commonwealth. During the Revolutionary War, women served their country by following their husbands and performing the housekeeping of war, cooking, cleaning, and tending to the wounded. During the Civil War, hundreds of women from the north and south contributed. Disguised as men, some fought for years without their secret being revealed. World War I saw 35,000 women serve as clerks, truck drivers, radio operators, telephone operators, translators, and munition workers. In World War II, 350,000 women stepped up as nurses, cryptographers, military intelligence, and parachute riggers. Women weren’t recognized as military members or veterans until 1948. Until then, only women nurses and secretaries received full veteran benefits. This century, more than 300,000 women served in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to the ceremony, a special exhibit was created to showcase profiles of women veterans, highlighting their military journeys and their lasting impact on their communities. An online exhibit features the biographies of more than 130 women veterans from across Pennsylvania. Manheim Residents Honored for 55 Years of VFW Service
The VFW Post No. 5956 in Manheim honored Walter and Louise Gerhart for each of their 55 years of service to the VFW. Ms. Gerhart held nearly every position at the post level and currently serves as chair of the Trustee, Scholarship, and Hospital committees. The current conductoress at the district level, she has also been named district president twice, and she has held the position of state historian for the Pennsylvania VFW Auxiliary for 13 years. Mr. Gerhart served this country with honor and distinction as a member of the United States Army during the Korean War. Following his military service, he joined the VFW where he served every position at the post level and was named commander twice. He also served as chaplain for four years and quartermaster, the position he currently holds, for 25 years. Mr. Gerhart has also supported the VFW youth baseball team program in the community. Happy 100th Birthday to Elizabethtown Veteran
Happy belated 100th birthday to Elizabethtown resident Jack Crow! Born in Hollywood, California, in 1924, Jack is the beloved husband of Margaret Crow and the proud father of three children. He has also been blessed with seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. To his great credit, Mr. Crow served this country with honor and distinction as a member of the United States Army from 1943-46. Legislation Giving Disabled Veterans Financial Relief Receives Senate Support
To provide financial relief to more disabled veterans, the Senate passed Senate Bill 194 to exclude U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Attendance benefits as income when calculating eligibility for Pennsylvania’s 100% Disabled Veterans’ Property Tax Exemption. Federal Aid and Attendance benefits provide monthly payments to disabled veterans who are housebound or need help with daily activities. Without the exclusion of this federal benefit, some disabled veterans are prevented form qualifying for property tax reductions. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration. Updated VA Home Loan Benefits Help Veterans Remain Competitive in Housing MarketTo ensure the VA’s home loan programs continue to promote access to homeownership for veterans, updates have been made to allow eligible veterans, active-duty service members, and surviving spouses to use their VA home loan benefits to pay for certain real estate buyer-broker fees when purchasing a home beginning Aug. 10, 2024. The VA encourages veterans to negotiate buyer-broker fees with their real estate professional. Veterans can also still ask sellers to cover the buyer-broker fees at closing. In addition to other safeguards, all buyer-broker fees charged to veterans using the VA home loan benefit must be reasonable and customary within local markets. The update to the use of VA home loan benefits was made in response to a settlement reached in March by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) in a class-action lawsuit that requires NAR to change its brokerage fee rules. The changes to the real estate market by the settlement remains unknown, but there is an increased expectation that home buyers will pay for their own buyer-broker fees. In VA’s program, it has been common practice for sellers to pay for the veteran’s buyer-broker fees; without the changes made by the VA, veterans could have been at a disadvantage in the evolving homebuying market. Understanding VA Survivors Benefits, Avoiding ScamsThe passing of a veteran can be a difficult time for those left behind, which is why the VA offers help navigating through the challenges. There are many VA benefits that may be available to a surviving spouse, dependent children, and/or parents. Surviving family members may be eligible for such things as financial assistance, home loans, education assistance, VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), or survivor pension. A full list of all survivors’ benefits can be found here. Sadly, wherever there is money, scams follow, and survivors’ benefits are no different. Timely reporting of a veteran’s death to the VA helps family members avoid posthumous scams, which can cause additional financial and emotional stress during an already difficult time. You can learn how to properly report the death of a veteran to the VA here. SAFE-Watch: A Suicide Prevention Safety NetVeterans are at particularly high risk of suicide with a rate that is 1.5 times higher than that of the overall U.S. population. In 2018, the VA implemented the Suicide Risk Identification Strategy to standardize suicide risk screening and evaluation across all facilities. VA providers must complete the Comprehensive Suicide Risk Screen Evaluation (CSRE) whenever a veteran reports acute signs of suicide risk. The CSRE assesses risk levels and shapes personalized risk management strategies. For those veterans who still require completion of the CSRE, the Suicide Assessment Follow-up Evaluation – Watch (SAFE-Watch) was created to identify at-risk veterans so no one is overlooked. SAFE-Watch produces alerts and populates real-time reports for care providers. The alert notifies the facility’s suicide prevention team to complete their required assessments and safety measures. This has helped to substantially increase the rate of CSRE completion, with the VA Heartland Network reporting that after SAFE-Watch was implemented, the completion rate increased from 65% in 2021 to 90% in 2022. The VA has expanded the use of SAFE-Watch to 28 VA facilities with another 11 adoptions in progress. You can learn more about SAFE-Watch here. The VA has a variety of mental health resources, information, treatment options, and more — all accessible to veterans, veterans’ supporters, and the public. You can find more information here. Partnership Renewal Seeks to Help with Suicide PreventionThe VA recently announced the nonmonetary partnership renewal with the Expiration Term of Service Sponsorship Program (ETS-SP), with the goal of suicide prevention. The partnership, facilitated by the VA’s National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP), addresses social determinants of health (SDOH) that influence mental health resilience and improved health outcomes. The collaboration between the VA and ETS-SP and ETS-SP’s military transition program, Onward Ops, enhances support for service members and veterans as they reintegrate into civilian life and communities, proactively reducing suicide risks while supporting the health and well-being of veterans and their families. Additionally, ETS-SP and its Onward Ops program are expanding their outreach efforts beyond just those in the Army or Army veterans. While Onward Ops resources have always been available to all branches of service, they are expanding their outreach efforts to other branches of service to increase awareness of the program’s resources. Onward Ops has also enhanced its veteran support, including the introduction of a suicide risk calculator, representing a significant advancement in efforts to identify and support at-risk veterans. For veterans at acutely high risk, Onward Ops can quickly and easily refer them to the Veterans Crisis Line and VA mental health providers. The VA’s Transition Assistance Program offers additional information, resources, and tools to help service members, families, and caregivers transition successfully to civilian life. Veterans: Be Prepared Before a Suicide Crisis HappensIf there’s one thing you learn in the military, it’s the value of preparation. When you are prepared to face what lies ahead, your chances of success increase. That same reasoning should be applied to a potential suicide crisis. Now, not every veteran will face a crisis. And not every veteran who faces a crisis will have thoughts of suicide. But if you or a veteran you care about is going through a tough time, you can be ready in case a crisis happens. Suicide is preventable, and it’s important to think ahead and understand the resources available to help you. Veterans have access to lifesaving support that can be invaluable before a crisis happens. Resources available to help lower the risk for suicide include such things as the Veterans Crisis Line; the Keep It Secure program, that helps to ensure firearms and medications are securely and safely stored; the Safety Plan app, which helps an individual identify personal coping strategies and sources of support; and a veteran self-help portal with tools to help veterans work on solving problems, managing their anger, developing parental skills, and more; evidence-based mental health therapy; parenting resources; employment assistance; and housing and financial services. There are people who want to help and resources ready to support you. Veterans Job Listing
Every week, the Pennsylvania Nation Guard Associations updates its free job board with good openings for National Guard members, veterans, and their families across Pennsylvania and in nearby states. The board features nearly 10,000 employment and internship postings. What are Vet Centers?
VA vet centers provide free and confidential readjustment counseling for war-zone veterans and their families, from World War II to the current Global War on Terror. Vet centers are small, non-medical, counseling centers conveniently located in our region. They’re staffed by highly trained counselors and team members dedicated to seeing you through the challenges that come with managing life during and after the military. Our region is served by the Lancaster Vet Center, which is one of 12 vet centers in Pennsylvania and more than 300 across the country. Whether you come in for one-on-one counseling or to participate in a group session, at vet centers you can form social connections, try new things and build a support system with people who understand you and want to help you succeed. Who is Eligible to Receive Services at Vet Centers?Vet center services are available to veterans at no cost, regardless of discharge character, and without the need to be enrolled in VA health care or having a service-connected disability. If you are a veteran or service member, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, you can access vet center services if you:
Contacting Your Local Vet CenterEven if you are unsure if you meet the criteria to receive services from a vet center, please contact a center. Center services are also available to family members when their participation would support the growth and goals of the veteran or active-duty service member. If you consider them family, so does your local center. Bereavement services are also available to family members of veterans who were receiving vet center services at the time of the veteran’s death, and to the families of service members who died while serving on active duty. The Lancaster Vet Center, located at 1817 Olde Homestead Lane, Suite 207, Lancaster, PA 17601, can be contacted at 717-283-0735 or toll free 24/7 at 1-877-WAR-VETS (927-8387). The other vet center locations in Pennsylvania are:
For more information, please visit www.vetcenter.va.gov. |
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