JUNE 13-14 ANNOUNCEMENTS Announcements: As stated previously, please provide any feedback you have on the new support call format of reporting by exception and striving to always have a topic or guest speaker on the call. The Buddy-to-Buddy program is seeking community events to attend. If there are any events in your area, please let us know so that we may send a representative! Please log on to the website to submit your interaction logs, drill/event visit logs here: https://buddytobuddy.org/volunteer/auth/login. If you are on Facebook, please visit and like our page: www.facebook.com/BuddytoBuddyProgram.
JUNE 13-14 DISCUSSION VOLUNTEER SUPPORT CALL NOTES Monday, June 13, 2016, 5-6 pm VOLUNTEER SUPPORT CALL Summary of Volunteer Discussion: Case 1: Woman called whose dad is a Vietnam era veteran. He was recently diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Lives in West MI. Called requesting assistance to make home bathroom more accessible. What would you do? What further information do we need? a. Volunteer: 1010EZ to get into VA system & make sure he had DD214. They have grants for all sorts of things related to housing. Agent Orange, lung cancer is a presumptive. You don’t have to prove where you were in Vietnam, presumptive means they’ll get the claim pretty easily. b. Volunteer: VA just released something for OEF/OIF vets, so much metallic stuff in the dust that they’re taking that into account with their rating conditions. (http://www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsheets/serviceconnected/Presumption .pdf) c. Volunteer: What would be the fastest way to get the 1010 form? Send to service officer? You want them to see an accredited service officer right away. www.michiganveterans.com and click on “Locate a Benefits Counselor” – will bring up a list of VA-Accredited service officers in the local area. d. We want to make sure we are referring to VA-Accredited Coalition Service Officers. This means an accredited service officer who is with the VFW, American Legion, or DAV. These coalition service officers have special benefits that are great for veterans to have. Their services are 100% FREE to veterans.
e. Volunteer: Want to make sure he brings all of his medical records to the appointment so they can all be copied, so they don’t have to wait for all that. f. Volunteer: VA may be able to do bathroom adjustments, they have grants available g. Volunteer: Is VVA part of the coalition? Some years they are and some years they aren’t. VVA and MCL come in and out of the coalition. a. Volunteer: A lot of times, there are groups of volunteers who are fairly well known in the community, but most local cities have some sort of activity like that b. Volunteer: I would get him involved in VA system immediately, they can expedite it, and they have services available for that. For a veteran I helped, I called VA on his behalf and they told me how to do it. I know that have a department that just deals with that type of situation there. c. Volunteer: To expedite, I’d recommend contacting a service officer. For the bathroom issues, I would contact local VFW or American Legion post to see if they’d be willing to volunteer to help out. d. Volunteer: When talking with a VFW benefits counselor, she said it was very important that veterans apply while they’re still living. DON’T WAIT. It can impact your survivor’s benefits. They need a DD 214 and a medical history. Case 2: This PFC was accompanied by her SSG - the PFC married in April. Her spouse does not have employment. Together they have pressing debt for medical care and more anticipated medical expenses soon. She is in treatment for depression now. Without a lot of detail on specifics the SSG said: (a) the chain of command wants to activate the PFC for a short duration (thus increase her income some); (b) she has worked extensively with the PFC on a family budget; (c) was not sure where to turn for assistance next. The SSG is due to retire from the Guard within 6-months. My concern was to distinguish long-term needs vs short-term needs (monetarily). The SSG was unclear if there was any program of financial assistance available (the active Army would turn to AER). I agreed to: (a) research financial services available (if any), and (b) to get back to the SSG with what I learn in dealing with staff at the Armory and, perhaps, at B2B HQ in Ann Arbor. During lunch I visited the Admin NCO in the company office and was provided an 8page form titled "The Michigan National Guard Family Fund Application Form." In reading eligibility it appeared to be just like AER. I caught up to the SSG and provided her the form. She said that she would get the PFC to complete the application (as much as $2,000 might be available) today and get it turned in at the Family Support Office (open only M thru F during banker's hours). The SSG has my business card. What would you do? What further information do we need? a. Volunteer: I don’t understand the whole situation, but I’d definitely want them to know about Healthy Michigan. She’s in the Guard, right? Should they look into health insurance through the Guard? i.i. NG & Reserves are eligible for TriCare b. Volunteer: National Guard does have an emergency fund for soldiers. Stephanie Zarb: Most orgs will only pay very little or only up to $500 towards medical debt c. Volunteer: Is she still currently serving? – Yes d. Volunteer: Has she deployed? – We don’t know. Why is this important? If they’ve deployed, we can get them into the VA, and the Guard might be able to do more for them as well. i. Volunteer: It’s possible that depression is combat-related injury, VA would be able to back pay for that. e. Volunteer: Family Assistance Center for the unit that she’s assigned to, we have one here at the JRC, and she just works miracles. f. Volunteer: Guard does have a staff member, psychologist in Lansing, so the CO would get them in touch with the person in Lansing. g. Volunteer: MVTF; Soldiers/Sailors Fund.