1. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) VA 101

2. have “borne the battle”
VA Mission and Values
Integrity
VA Mission:
To care for those who
have “borne the battle”
and for their families
and their survivors.
Commitment
Advocacy
Respect
Stress the importance of focusing on our mission and embracing the values so that we set the stage everyday to provide the best of service to our Veterans.
Excellence

3. History of VA
1921: Congress combined all World War I Veterans programs to create the Veterans Bureau
1930: Veterans Administration is established as a federal administration
1959: VA adopted the phrase, “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan,” from President Lincoln’s second inaugural speech given in 1865, as the official VA motto
1989: VA is established as a Cabinet-level position
2014: The MyVA Transformation Strategy begins under former Secretary Robert A. McDonald and former Deputy Secretary Sloan D. Gibson
2017: The new VA Secretary, Dr. David J. Shulkin was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 13, 2017

4. VA in the News
“A lot of good things happen here at the VA. For example, VA medical is leading the charge in some areas and doing well.”
- Muskogee, OK Employee

5. What Makes VA Special 5

6. Our Research and Innovation
VA employees won 3 Nobel prizes and 7 Lasker awards
VA’s Outpatient Pharmacy received the highest customer satisfaction score for 6th consecutive year
Veterans give VA higher satisfaction ratings than patients at private hospitals
VA is a model for healthcare organizations

7. Our Cutting Edge Technology
VA invests in cutting-edge virtual care technologies that put the Veteran in control of their health:
Clinical Video Telehealth
Home Telehealth
Store and Forward Telehealth
Telemental Health
Mobile Health
MyHealtheVet
Secure Messaging
SCAN-ECHO
Mobile Apps
VA Point of Service Kiosks
Stakeholder Enterprise Portal

8. 22.2 Million 356K 32% 89% .5% 6.2% 3.7% 194K EMPLOYEES VETERANS
Who We Are
89%
Veterans Health Administration
.5%
National Cemetery Administration
356K
EMPLOYEES
32%
VETERANS
6.2%
Veterans Benefits Administration
3.7%
VA Central Office
194K
Female Employees
22.2
Projected U.S. Veteran Population:
Million
Source: va.gov/vetdata

9. What We Do Job Coach Veterans Law Judge Cemetery Caretaker Chief of
Radiology
Social Worker
Police
Officer
Veteran
Service
Representative
VA Doctors
Program
Analyst
Gardener
Administrative
Worker
Construction
Worker
Engineer
Source:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald, Communications and VA 101 to Secretary McDonald. 2014
Nurses

10. How We’re Organized TBD Veterans Benefits Administration
Support Offices
General Counsel
Secretary
Acting
Deputy Secretary
Acting
Chief of Staff
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
Immediate Office of the Secretary
Inspector General
Special Staff Offices
Acquisitions, Logistics, Construction
Assistant Secretary for Management
Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology
Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning
Assistant Secretary for Operations Security and Preparedness
Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and
Administration
Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs
Veterans Benefits Administration
Veterans Health Administration
National Cemetery Administration

11. Veterans Benefits Administration National Cemetery Administration
Our Administrations
Veterans Benefits Administration
VA Central Office
Veterans Health
Administration
National Cemetery Administration

12. Module 2: The Services and Benefits We Deliver 12

13. Overview of Benefits and Services
Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)
Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
National Cemetery Administration (NCA)
Provides financial and other forms of assistance
Provides health care
Provides burial benefits and manages VA’s National Cemeteries

14. Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)

15. VBA Facts
In 2015 VA processed the highest number of disability compensation and pension claims in history – 1.4 Million claims!
VBA completed 1.32 million claims in 2014
Approximately 50% of VBA employees are Veterans
VBA delivered over $62.4 billion in 9/11-Post GI Bill Education Benefits to over 1.57 million Veterans and eligible family members since 2009
Over 4.5 million Veterans currently receive compensation benefits
VA assisted 89,000 Veterans in avoiding home foreclosure
Source: va.gov/vetdata

16. VBA Programs Compensation (Disability, Dependency)
Benefits Include:
Compensation (Disability, Dependency)
Pension and Fiduciary (Disability, Survivor)
Insurance (Life, Mortgage)
Home Loan Guaranty
Education Programs (GI Bill, Retraining, and Educational Assistance Programs)
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment

17. Common Questions About Benefits1
What are my benefits?
Am I eligible?
How do I apply?
What types of VBA facilities are there? 2 3 4

18. Regional Processing Offices (Virtual) Veterans Employment Centers
Types of VBA Facilities
Regional Processing Offices
(Virtual) Veterans Employment Centers
Regional Offices
Regional Loan Centers
*Regional Offices outside of the 50 States are located in Guam, Philippines, American Samoa, Virgin Island, and Puerto Rico
*There is also an insurance center at the Philadelphia VA Regional Office and Insurance Center

19. Veterans Health Administration (VHA)

20. VHA Facts
VHA provides care at 168 VA Medical Centers and 1047 outpatient sites of varying complexity of care
The Women Veterans Call Center made 183,000 calls to women Veterans to share information about VA services they may be eligible for from FY13-FY15
VHA serves 8.3 million
each year
In 2015, 534,000 phone calls were answered on the Veterans Crisis Line
VHA operates the nation’s largest integrated health care system
Source: va.gov/vetdata

21. VHA Services Services Include: Dental Care Mental Health Care
Long Term Care and Programs
Pharmacies
Chaplain Support
Caregiver Support and Housing
Women’s Health Care
Geriatrics and Palliative Care
Preventive, Primary, and Specialty Care
Substance Abuse and Weight Management Programs

22. Common Questions About VHA
What are the different types of VHA facilities available to Veterans?
How do I find a VHA facility?
What resources and services does VHA provide? 1 2 3

23. Types of VHA Facilities
Community and Assisted Living Centers
Integrated Clinical Facilities
Fisher Houses
VHA Facilities
Office of Research
and Development*
Medical Centers/
Health Care Systems
Rehabilitation
Centers
(“Domiciliaries”)
Veteran Centers and Readjustment Counseling
VA Clinics
(Community Based Outpatient Clinics)
*The Office of Research and Development is an office, not a facility – it has the only research program dedicated solely to improving the lives of the men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces.

24. Veteran Centers Services Include: Individual and Group Counseling
Liaison with VA Facilities
Discharge Upgrade Information
Employee Assistance Referrals
Community, Social Service, and Medical Referrals
Family and Significant Other Counseling
VA Benefits Assistance Referrals
Who is eligible for Veteran Center readjustment counseling?
If you served in any combat zone and received a military campaign ribbon, then you and your family are eligible for Vet Center services. Or, if you are a victim of military sexual trauma.
Veteran Center counseling records remain private!

25. How Do I Find a VHA Facility or VHA Resources?
Interactive maps showing VA locations are available.
For more information, visit:
Or call VHA helpline:
VETS (8387)

26. How Do I Access My Medical Information?

27. National Cemetery Administration (NCA)

28. NCA Facts For 5 consecutive times NCA topped the
American Customer Satisfaction Index’s
survey of customer satisfaction
NCA scored a 96 out of 100, the highest mark for any organization in the history of the American Customer Satisfaction Index
NCA currently maintains 3.5 million gravesites
4.3 million Veterans and their family members have been laid to rest in VA cemeteries
75% of NCA employees are Veterans
Source: va.gov/vetdata

29. NCA VIDEO (Use Closed Captioning)
Explore NCA
NCA VIDEO (Use Closed Captioning)

30. NCA Services Services Include:
Burial Spaces for Veterans and Eligible Family Members in Any of the National Cemeteries with Available Space, or a VA-Funded State Cemetery
The Opening and Closing of the Grave
Perpetual Care of the Graves
Headstones, Markers, and Bronze Medallions
Burial Flags
Presidential Memorial Certificates
Construction Grants for State and Tribal Cemeteries
All of these benefits are provided at no cost to the family. VBA pays a burial and plot allowance for those Veterans eligible by law.

31. Common Questions About NCA
What burial benefits are available for Veterans and their family members?
Am I eligible for burial benefits?
How do I arrange for burial in a National Cemetery? 1 2 3

32. To learn more, visit: explore.va.gov
Who is Eligible for NCA Benefits?
To learn more, visit: explore.va.gov
Explore VA Benefits Website

33. How Do I Arrange a Burial?
Veterans or their family members can prepare for burial in a National Cemetery by:
Providing appropriate loved ones with a copy of his/her DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from Active Military Service)
Informing family members of their wish to be laid to rest in a national, state or tribal Veterans cemetery
To learn more, visit:

34. Additional Services for Veterans and Their Families

35. How Do I File An Appeal? Why appeal a claim?
The two most common reasons people appeal are (1) VA denied benefits for a disability the Veteran believes is related to service; (2) the Veteran believes that the disability is more severe than rated by VA.
What types of claims can be appealed?
A Veteran or dependent/caregiver can appeal a claim regarding any benefit offered by VA – disability, healthcare, or burial related.
How do you appeal a claim?
To appeal, a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) should be filed with VA*. Appeals must be filed within one year of the date of decision.
To learn more, visit:
*A NOD may be submitted to the local office which rendered the decision (e.g. RO, VAMC etc.). Instructions are included in the decision-notification letter.

36. Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs)
VSOs provide a wide range of support to Veterans and their dependents, including help to complete forms, understand benefits, or claim advocacy.
There are two types of VSOs:
A recognized or chartered VSO can legally represent you before VA for a claim
A non-recognized or non-chartered VSO can provide you with information but cannot be your representative before VA 1 2
A Veteran may choose any recognized organization to help with their claim
Call for more information or visit:

37. Crisis Services To help a homeless Veteran, call:
If a Veteran who expresses thoughts of hurting themselves text or call:
Check out the award winning HBO documentary from the Canandaigua Veterans Crisis Center on TMS. It is Under TMS ID # Veterans Press 1.

38. Veteran Services Outside VA
There are some Veteran programs and services which are not administered by VA:
Programs/Services
Administration
Arlington National Cemetery
Department of the Army
Combat-Related Special Compensation
Department of Defense (Branch of Service)
Concurrent Receipt
Department of Defense- Defense Financing and Accounting Service (DFAS)
Discharge upgrade
Branch of Service
Employment and Training
Department of Labor- Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS)
Military Medals, Records, Discharge Documents (DD-214)
National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)
Small Business Loans
Small Business Administration
Survivor’s Benefits Programs, TriCare
Department of Defense
Veterans Preference
Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Each U.S. state/territory Veterans Office may offer unique benefits