Director’s Message

Kelly Fitzpatrick

Act adds to the list of health conditions that the federal VA presumes were caused by exposure to these substances while in service. This law helps us provide generations of veterans and their survivors with the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.

In December, ODVA joined the Portland VA Health Care System Director David Holt, the Veterans Benefit Administration Regional Office Executive Director Melanie “Renaye” Murphy, the Veterans Health Administration VAPORHCS Chief of Staff, Dr. Sahana Misra, and Washington Department of Veterans Affairs to hold a Tele-Town Hall during PACT Act Week. More than 4,100 veterans in Oregon and Washington attended the call to learn more about the new expansion of healthcare and presumptives addressed by this Act.

Since the passage of this Act that massively expands veteran healthcare and benefits, ODVA has continued frequent communication on multiple media platforms to ensure every veteran and dependent is aware of the PACT Act, how to get a screening, and how to locate a Veteran Service Office in Oregon to file a claim.

To further the outreach to veterans and their dependent about this important change in VA law and benefits, following the introductory portion of the Veterans Advisory Committee, we will hold a follow-up PACT Act Town Hall in partnership with Portland VA Health Care System Director David Holt, the Veterans Benefit Administration Regional Office Executive Director Melanie “Renaye” Murphy leveraging the Advisory Committee meeting as yet another important means of spreading the word about this historic expansion of benefits to veterans

Strategic Communications Division

Nicole Hoeft, Division Director

Communications

This quarter Strategic Communications finalized procurement of media services to support Charitable Check-off Veteran Suicide Prevention and Awareness media campaign efforts. A fully executed contract was completed in December and planning has begun to develop a statewide Veteran Suicide Awareness and Prevention campaign for use in 2023 Charitable Check-off funds are donated through chartable tax donations for the purpose of creating awareness and providing prevention tools for Oregon veterans in crisis.

In December, ODVA joined the Portland VA Regional Office, the Veterans Benefit Administration, the Veterans Health Administration VAPORHCS, and Washington Department of Veterans Affairs to hold a Tele-Town Hall during PACT Act Week. More than 4,100 veterans in Oregon and Washington attended the call to learn more about the new expansion of healthcare and presumptives addressed by this Act.

Since the passage of this Act that massively expands veteran healthcare and benefits, ODVA has continued frequent communication on multiple media platforms to ensure every veteran and dependent is aware of the PACT Act, how to get a screening, and how to locate a Veteran Service Office in Oregon to file a claim.

In the last quarter, ODVA also supported numerous communication and outreach initiatives aimed at engaging with veterans and partners to increase agency program awareness, and drive veterans to services.

Veteran Programs and Partner Communications

• Volunteer training (Marion, Linn, and Benton counties)

• Registration Open Feb. 22: Women Veterans Conference Press Release

• Promoted ODVA’s Home Loan lending of more than $100 million to veterans in 2022

• PACT Act messaging

• Start of weekly Legislative Veteran Bill Digest

• Emergency services for veterans in acute suicidal crisis (new VA benefit)

Media Engagement

• Increasing: Oregon Veterans Home Loan program

• Free dental insurance now available to many Oregon veterans

• Volunteers needed for Oregon Veteran Volunteer Training Program

• A mother’s fight for honor and dignity: Oregonian column

Strategic Communications Division

Nicole Hoeft, Division Director

• Offering help and support for LGBTQ+ veterans

Outreach and Partner Engagements

• VA PACT Act Week Tele Town Hall

• Yellow Ribbon events: Post Deployment C/182 CAV; B/3-116 CAV (AR)

• Oregon Veterans’ Home in The Dalles 25th Anniversary event

• Presented to the Oregon State Lottery about how Lottery Funds are allocated for veteran services in Oregon.

• Attended the United Veterans Groups of Oregon quarterly meeting

Honor and Remember Communications and Engagements

• Black History Month

• Coast Guard Reserves Birthday

• Pearl Harbor Day

• Wreaths Across America

• National Guard Birthday

Front Desk Reception

As part of the agency’s organizational rebalancing, the front desk function now falls under the Strategic Communication Division. In January, Amy Rumney joined the Front Desk team bringing 20 years of office reception experience.

Also in January, the team launched a new intake process that allows ODVA to better track the needs and outcomes of calls and walk-ins to the Salem office. This information will be used to improve front desk services and identify information that can be improved on ODVA’s website and other communication efforts in response to real time data analytics.

Since the beginning of the year, this new intake process has been very informative. Data since January 1 indicates that:

• 76% of calls or walk-in’s are veterans, followed by 10% Spouses/Dependents, 8% citizens, and 6% organizations

• 31% are seeking fiduciary services, 25% are engaging about claims or locating a Veteran Service Office, and 13% are calling about home loans.

• 40% of issues are able to be resolved by our front desk team, while 28% are referred to specific VA or local services.

Appeals And Special Advocacy

Joe Glover, Division Director

LGBTQ+ Veteran Program

The LGBTQ+ Veteran program originated from Oregon Senate Bill 946 (2015). This bill received bipartisan support and established the first ever dedicated LGBTQ+ Veteran Coordinator and program in the country.

This program works to help LGBTQ+ veterans and their families receive benefits that they are entitled to due to military service, but also specifically target advocacy focusing on assisting veterans with benefit challenges stemming from discriminatory discharges from policies such as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as well as assisting with identity-confirming name changes to military discharge paperwork for transgender veterans.

A key component to the program is the advocacy work that is done as a certified Veterans Service Officer (VSO) The pathway to VSO certification is typically a year-plus long effort with numerous milestones, trainings, and shadowing of other VSOs before receiving certification. This is in addition to the other casework that is being done with veterans and their families

On December 21st, 2022 the program coordinator received their certification while at the same time having assisted 68 different veterans in 2022 with advocacy work and support.

LGBTQ+ Success Story:

On January 21, 2023 the Oregonian wrote an article highlighting a mother’s efforts to obtain eligibility for her deceased son to be buried at Willamette National Cemetery (A Mother’s Fight For Honor and Dignity, Oregonian).

This veteran was discharged for being gay under a discrimination policy that predated Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and he received an Other Than Honorable Discharge which was a barrier to federal and state veteran benefits.

After a multi-year fight, the veteran’s discharge was successfully upgraded to honorable, however, unfortunately the veteran was still not able to access veteran benefits because he was discharged before serving 24 months of active-duty service time.

Sadly the veteran passed away in January 2021 and was initially denied burial eligibility at Willamette National Cemetery. However, continued partnership efforts from US Senator Jeff Merkley’s office, ODVA, and Multnomah County Veteran Services teamed up with the veteran’s mother to continue to exhaust all available options to have his burial eligibility established.

Appeals And Special Advocacy

Joe Glover, Division Director

Success from these efforts came on January 19, 2023 when the Board of Correction of Naval Records issued a determination that credited this veteran with 24 months of honorable activeduty service clearing the way for his burial at the Willamette National Cemetery this June to coincide with Pride Month.

On February 5, 2023 ODVA Director Kelly Fitzpatrick wrote a Letter to the Editor to the Oregonian (Offering Help and Support for LGBTQ+ Veterans, Oregonian) to highlight the work of this program and shared,

“ODVA believes that all veterans in Oregon should be proud of their military service. We look forward to a day when no veteran feels forced to stay in the shadows simply because of who they are or whom they love

If you or someone you know was discharged based on sexual orientation and want to learn more about accessing your veteran benefits, please contact ODVA’s LGBTQ+ Veteran Coordinator at lgbtqvets@odva.oregon.gov or 503-373-2327.”