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Veterans Experience Live (VetXL): Survivors Together - Memorial Day Q&A with VA and Community Partners. What Are Your Questions?
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On May 26th at 1PM EST the Department of Veterans Affairs and our community partners, to include State VA, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), American Red Cross Military Veteran Caregiver Network, Blue Star Families, and Elizabeth Dole Foundation will be here to answer questions about survivor resources, benefits, caregiver support, memorial affairs, and mental wellness. Ask your questions now!
You can ask questions to the following people:
» Coleton Whitaker - Senior Director of Programs, Elizabeth Dole Foundation
» Leigh Edmonds - Sr. Manager of Communications, TAPS
» Melissa Comeau - Director, Military and Veteran Caregiver Network
» Jay Gorman - Psychologist, VA
» COL Les' Melnyk - Chief, Public Affairs and Outreach, National Cemetery Administration
» Sgt Ed McEvoy - National Outreach Specialist, Vet Center, VA
» RDML Ann Duff - Director of the Office of Survivors Assistance, VA
» LTC Hugo Lentze - Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer, Travis Manion Foundation
» Leah Christensen - Clinical Program Coordinator, VA Caregiver Support Program
» Mary Beard - National Employment Coordinator, VBA
» Geri Maples - Chapter Coordinator, Blue Star Families
Veterans Crisis Line:
The Veterans Crisis Line connects Veterans and Service members in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring VA responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text.
· Call [login to see] and Press 1, 24/7.
· Chat online (https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help-now/chat)
· Text to 838255.
Get Help - Mental Health (https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/mentalhealth/get-help/index.asp)
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS):
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is the leading national organization providing compassionate care and survivor support services for the families of America’s fallen military heroes. Since 1994, TAPS has offered support to all those grieving the death of a military loved one through peer-based emotional support, connections with grief and trauma resources, grief seminars and retreats for adults, Good Grief Camps for children, casework assistance, connections to community-based care, online and in-person support groups and the 24/7 National Military Survivor Helpline, all at no cost to surviving families. For more information, please visit TAPS.org or call 202.588.TAPS (8277).
You can ask questions to the following people:
» Coleton Whitaker - Senior Director of Programs, Elizabeth Dole Foundation
» Leigh Edmonds - Sr. Manager of Communications, TAPS
» Melissa Comeau - Director, Military and Veteran Caregiver Network
» Jay Gorman - Psychologist, VA
» COL Les' Melnyk - Chief, Public Affairs and Outreach, National Cemetery Administration
» Sgt Ed McEvoy - National Outreach Specialist, Vet Center, VA
» RDML Ann Duff - Director of the Office of Survivors Assistance, VA
» LTC Hugo Lentze - Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer, Travis Manion Foundation
» Leah Christensen - Clinical Program Coordinator, VA Caregiver Support Program
» Mary Beard - National Employment Coordinator, VBA
» Geri Maples - Chapter Coordinator, Blue Star Families
Veterans Crisis Line:
The Veterans Crisis Line connects Veterans and Service members in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring VA responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text.
· Call [login to see] and Press 1, 24/7.
· Chat online (https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help-now/chat)
· Text to 838255.
Get Help - Mental Health (https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/mentalhealth/get-help/index.asp)
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS):
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is the leading national organization providing compassionate care and survivor support services for the families of America’s fallen military heroes. Since 1994, TAPS has offered support to all those grieving the death of a military loved one through peer-based emotional support, connections with grief and trauma resources, grief seminars and retreats for adults, Good Grief Camps for children, casework assistance, connections to community-based care, online and in-person support groups and the 24/7 National Military Survivor Helpline, all at no cost to surviving families. For more information, please visit TAPS.org or call 202.588.TAPS (8277).
Posted in these groups: 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Caregiver
Mental Health
Memorial Day
Family
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Caregiver Mental Health Memorial Day Family
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To all of you that took time out of your day to spend with us today during this special moment, THANK YOU!! Reminds me of the great quote by John F. Kennedy which says, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them". You all truly exemplify that.
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LTC Hugo Lentze
Thanks, Matt, and thanks to everyone who supports veterans, their families, and the military community. Let us not forget the reason for Memorial Day this weekend!
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Yes, I have a question. Why did the eligibility of the Caregiver program to include stipends for spouses go from medical needs to a silly questionnaire? "Sir your spouse is no longer qualified because you can escape a burning house."
This dubious questionnaire for eligibility does not correlate well with the medical needs of a veteran. It opens up the door to a caregiver who takes care of a veteran with suicidal ideations becoming no longer qualified for the stipends because the veteran can escape from a burning house. It is quite appalling to see this process implemented not only from point of view of poor correlation of the questions to the actual needs of the veteran, and the fact the VA thought this was an appropriate course of action. What is mind boggling is how could the VA with a budget of around $243 billion a year not have the collective brain power and wherewithal to understand asking questions like can the veteran chew gum and walk at the same time as a criterion would be the causation for 90% of the caregivers becoming ineligible for the stipend?
I don't claim to know the metrics, but I do know there are MANY veterans and their families who struggle financially which is further exacerbated by caregivers who must stay home to take care of the veteran in lieu of a salary. Taking away the caregiver stipend will financially ruin many families because their source of "income" is very limited. It is mind boggling.
This dubious questionnaire for eligibility does not correlate well with the medical needs of a veteran. It opens up the door to a caregiver who takes care of a veteran with suicidal ideations becoming no longer qualified for the stipends because the veteran can escape from a burning house. It is quite appalling to see this process implemented not only from point of view of poor correlation of the questions to the actual needs of the veteran, and the fact the VA thought this was an appropriate course of action. What is mind boggling is how could the VA with a budget of around $243 billion a year not have the collective brain power and wherewithal to understand asking questions like can the veteran chew gum and walk at the same time as a criterion would be the causation for 90% of the caregivers becoming ineligible for the stipend?
I don't claim to know the metrics, but I do know there are MANY veterans and their families who struggle financially which is further exacerbated by caregivers who must stay home to take care of the veteran in lieu of a salary. Taking away the caregiver stipend will financially ruin many families because their source of "income" is very limited. It is mind boggling.
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Melissa Comeau
Modernizing VA, Family Caregiver Program Updates, and Single Sign-On with MyHealtheVet | The BLUF...
In this episode of The BLUF we explore how the VA is modernizing, updates taking place for the Family Caregiver Program, and a new Single Sign-On function wi...
MAJ Ken Landgren Thank you for sharing about the VA Caregiver Program. I wanted to share this new video that talks about the updates taking place for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. If you are a military or veteran caregiver (or if you have one) we encourage caregiver to join the Military and Veteran Caregiver Network at Red Cross. There is a group dedicated to benefits and compensation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHV-Jxi3OrM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHV-Jxi3OrM
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Leah Christensen
Thank you for your question. As of March 22, 2022, VA is reviewing and examining the current Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) eligibility criteria. During this time, here’s what Family Caregivers of Legacy Participants and Legacy Applicants can expect: https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/102672/updates-on-the-family-caregiver-program-for-legacy-participants-and-applicants/
Updates on the Family Caregiver program for legacy participants and applicants - VAntage Point
VA is reviewing the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers eligibility criteria. Here's what legacy participants and applicants should know.
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My dad is a veteran and has passed away. I was trying to find out about his medals. Also he had a COE home loan and he didn't use it so how can I use it?
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