FOUR WAYS TO HELP VETERANS RIGHT NOW
April 1st, 2009

We hear a lot about the VA system being overwhelmed. However, few people realize that there are specific steps we can take right now that will reap tremendous benefits for veterans. In particular, if I had a wish list, I would name the following steps as a good beginning:

1. Mandatory mental health screening for soldiers, before and after combat. The presumption should be that combat is a life changing, traumatic event, even for highly skilled soldiers. Physical exams are part of the standard care. Why not mental exams? This would end the stigma for those who want help, and eliminate the ticking time bomb of veterans who don’t acknowledge that they need help until it’s too late.

2. A streamlined claims process for those suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injury. This would include having a larger team of psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists and social workers focused solely on this population. In addition, the VA should drop the requirement that claimants name specific incidents and “prove” their traumas. If you serve in combat, the claim of PTSD or TBI should be treated as legitimate. The suspicion that claimants are trying to scam the system is insulting and unsupported by any evidence.

3. A special program to deal with homeless veterans. Since veterans comprise up to forty percent of all homeless men, this would have the added benefit of reducing overall homelessness. This program would be part of more proactive efforts on the part of the VA to reach out to veterans. Usually, it’s up individuals to seek and find help, and many are not capable of doing that. Last week the VA announced an outreach effort, sending 100 veterans out into the country to look for veterans needing help. This is a good start, but a very small drop in the bucket.

4. Tax incentives for companies hiring veterans. As President Obama pointed out, jobs are the key to ending homelessness. Yet studies show that many companies are reluctant to hire veterans, fearing that they will have to address ancillary problems as veterans cope with the adjustment to civilian life.

Our volunteer military is the envy of the world, but volunteering for combat does not mean you sign up to be treated as a second class citizen when the fighting is over.