Veteran services in the COVID-19 era

By Tyler Francke, Veterans News Magazine

Veteran Service offices move increasingly online amid pandemic

It’s one of the largest annual events for veterans in Prineville, and — like most things in 2020 — it looked a little different this year.

Rather than being held at its traditional location at Carey Foster Hall, the Crook County Veteran Services Department’s Veterans Appreciation Dinner was moved to the Meadow Lakes Golf Course. And, instead of veterans and their families gathering together with hundreds of others, it was transitioned to a drive-thru event.

Despite the changes, Crook County pulled out all the stops, and the to-go meals came complete with all the trimmings: turkey, ham, potatoes, green beans, rolls and cranberries.

“It’s to show the community that we are still supporting the community and recognizing veterans’ service,” Adam Williams, interim executive director of the Crook County Veteran Services Department, told the Central Oregonian in November.

Finding new ways to connect with and provide services to folks in your own communities has been the story and the challenge for many organizations this year. That has been no different for many local veteran service offices, which help veterans and their families navigate the often-confusing landscape of veteran benefits and provide other essential services — typically, face to face.

“The biggest difficulty is losing the one-on-one, direct, inperson support,” says Joe Glover, ODVA’s assistant director of Statewide Veteran Services, the division tasked with training, certifying and supporting the Oregon’s statewide network of local veteran service offices.

“Having to try and stay in touch with veterans in a remote environment, filling out claims and mailing them to claimants slows the process down significantly,” Glover continues. “VSO offices have had to get creative in the way that they do this, and rely heavily on virtual engagement. Not always the easiest thing to do, particularly with our older veterans.”

With more than half of the Oregon veteran population estimated to be over the age of 65, the need for connecting with these segments is critical — especially in rural areas, where access to services may be more limited.

Serving homeless veterans during COVID-19 has been particularly challenging, Glover says. Traditional means of reaching veterans experiencing housing insecurity, such as stand-downs, have had to be canceled or significantly reduced.

And it’s not just about services, Glover explains.

“The VSO community truly loves veterans and the work that they do,” he says. “The very nature of this job is to be social, to connect with those in their communities and to develop relationships. Every VSO is missing that personal connection that can only be accomplished by being in person. That’s been the toughest thing.”

Though the pandemic, as well as widespread wildfires in Oregon this year, have brought challenges, there have been some positives.

“Appeals are now much faster, and can be done from any internet connected device,” he says, referring to appeals veterans may file to contest federal VA decisions regarding their serviceconnected disability compensation claims. “The days of having to drive anywhere to have your appeal done are behind us thanks to the new innovative process.”

Glover gives a lot of credit to VSOs for finding creative ways to stay connected to their communities during these times, mentioning the Veterans Appreciation Dinner in Prineville as a prime example.

“Veteran Service Officers are truly and genuinely passionate about the work that they do,” Glover says. “They are constantly trying to come up with ways to engage with veterans and families, and reach out to them.”

As the pandemic is expected to impact Oregonians and services on which they rely well into 2021, Glover expects more and more veteran services to make the electronic transition.

“This period has shown that there were a great number of things that were reliant on antiquated technology or methodology,” he says. “One in particular was the reliance of a fax line to submit claims and documents.”

Soon, Glover says, the federal VA will instead require veterans to submit claims electronically through VA.gov in a process called Direct Claims Submit.

Glover says he is sure the changes are just the beginning in a process that will continue to improve services and outcomes for all veterans in Oregon.