Most military personnel are exposed to a harsh environment that leaves them psychologically or physically injured and in need of long-term care. As a result, many veterans discharged from duties after accidents in the line of work qualify for reparations set by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) (Maynard & Nelson, 2020). Benefits provided to these former soldiers often go towards healthcare costs and other day-to-day expenses. However, the eligibility for veterans compensation programs ranges from 0% to 100%, based on an examination and average impairment incurred by a service member that hinders their earning capacity (Maynard & Nelson, 2020). It is unclear how the people who do not qualify for reimbursement survive after being discharged from duty, especially the older adults. Therefore, this needs and asset-based assessment explores the aging veterans living in the Hudson Valley, New York, to identify the availability of service connections essential for a decent lifestyle.
Engaging Stakeholders
Proposing changes that support the veterans requires a clear plan to identify the relevant stakeholders. According to Grinnell et al. (2019), stakeholders are people who make decisions about key social programs intended to serve specific clients. In connection to this study, the clients are aging veterans residing in the Hudson Valley. The program should also consider any other retired soldier whose disability does not appear until years later. The inclusion of all former service members can help make decisions that improve the lives of those who find it difficult to reintegrate into society following long years of combat. The individuals and groups involved in the decision-making process include policymakers, program funders, the general public, program administrators, social work practitioners, and clients (Grinnell et al., 2019). Policymakers include lawmakers and personnel who run agencies concerned with veteran affairs. For instance, Service Connection and VA are two organizations responsible for assessing and reimbursing veterans who require compensations.
The general public is a special interest group because their taxes go towards rehabilitation programs and managing organizations that help veterans. Therefore, the people hold lawmakers and program administrators responsible by ensuring public funds are spent wisely (Grinnell et al., 2019). This means that members of the Hudson Valley, in collaboration with the private institutions and social workers, can identify gaps that need to be filled to improve veteran affairs. The community can propose the construction of physical exercise and healthcare services, nutrition and feeding programs, mental counseling services, and housing of the retired soldiers in the region.
Describing the Program
The problem identified in this case is the lack of Service Connection among the aging veterans living in the Hudson Valley. Service Connection refers to US Veterans Affairs disability benefits eligibility for the injuries or impairment acquired during or aggravated by military service (Kane et al., 2021). Therefore, this crucial program is only available to veterans whose medical conditions were directly caused by the military service or the conditions exposed to the members while in the military. In 2018, the number of veterans who qualified to access remuneration was 4.7 million, and the total expenditure in the year was $78 billion (Maynard & Nelson, 2020). Consequently, most individuals are excluded from the compensation list, which frustrates them as they navigate through challenges experienced during their reintegration into civil society. The service-connected members enjoy a wide range of benefits, such as supported work settings, residential services for veterans with mental conditions, inpatient and outpatient services (Maynard & Nelson, 2020). The treatments are catered for by the government based on the eligibility percentage, and reimbursement provides a significant income to those whose earning capacity has been reduced.
While this program is beneficial to the veterans in the service-connected listing, other former service members are neglected by the government. Specifically, there is an estimate that individuals eligible for Service Connection will increase to over 5.6 million and raise expenditure to $129 billion by the year 2028 (Maynard & Nelson, 2020). This sharp increase in program dependents will strain the financial budget set aside to help the veterans. Therefore, Morgan et al. (2020) proposed reducing barriers to accessing these programs by tangible components such as cash, scholarship, social amenities, and healthcare facilities. For some veterans, especially mentally ill and older adults, this compensation is the only source of income. As a result, there is a need to expand eligibility to cover some of the cases ignored by the qualification criteria.
Focus the Evaluation
Evaluation of the program begins with the identification and definition of a social problem to be addressed. Grinnell et al. (2019) defined social need as something that is necessary to sustain the human condition, to which people have rights. In the case of Houston Valley veterans and all other individuals, each person should have access to clean water, nutritious food, safe housing, clean air, and healthcare, among other services. New York State has over 838,000 veterans, with 53% being over 65 years or older (NYS Health Foundation [NHS], 2017). These individuals are at a higher risk of requiring mental and other health services, including access to programs that help them reintegrate into society. For instance, NHS (2017) reported that 22% of the post-9/11 veterans displayed a probable mental health diagnosis, with 16% indicating signs of major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. This makes their lives difficult and creates a need to have healthcare services to help the veterans live a normal life by addressing mental health issues.
Gather Credible Evidence
Establishing a lasting solution for the identified social needs to help the veterans should be multidimensional. Veterans experience different problems, including mental health illnesses and other challenges as they transition to civilian life, and varied remedies could be implemented to help discharged service members. For instance, Igielnik (2020) observed 35% of the veterans had trouble paying bills, 28% received unemployment compensation, 20% struggled with alcohol or substance abuse, 16% had trouble getting medical care, and 12% obtained food benefits. Such figures show that the number of veterans who require government support to gain stability following the end of their service is high and might inflate the yearly financial budget. As Maynard and Nelson (2020) indicated, the cost of veteran compensation will exceed $129 billion in 2028. Consequently, direct and indirect interventions should be implemented to address social needs while keeping the expenditure at a reasonable level.
This social problem will be resolved by identifying the available community assets and resources to help the elderly veterans of Hudson Valley. Allar et al. (2017) indicated asset mapping in society considers residents with skills and expertise to help, voluntary clubs and networks, local public and private institutions, physical and economic assets. Using this description, there are various assets available for the people of Hudson Valley to utilize to help the veterans. NHS (2017) noted that in New York, there are 12 VA medical centers, 48 outpatient clinics, and 16 Vet Centers that specialize in readjustment counseling. These physical amenities are a direct form of intervention that offers veterans’ healthcare and mental service. The two main medical centers in Hudson Valley are Castle Point Campus of the VA and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Hospital (NHS, 2017). Seven community-based clinics offer health services in Carmel, Eastern Dutchess, Goshen, Monticello, New City, Port Jervis, and Poughkeepsie, as well as three mobile clinics. Middle Town and White Plains Vet Centers are also nearby, and people who reside in Hudson Valley can easily access these two facilities.
Several VA Hudson Valley utilities have integrated recent technology to help minimize travel but still offer essential services to veterans. Hospitals such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Castle Point, New City, and Port Jervis provide video conferencing, home telehealth services, and store-and-forward telehealth (“Health services,” n.d.). Such health systems allow the veterans to securely set up remote visits and transmit health data to the experts based in those centers. Common services offered remotely include mental health, dermatology, retinal care, primary care, bariatric surgery, and rehabilitation. Social workers are critical in healthcare because they help veterans and their families manage difficulties by offering home health, legal services, transportation, and community living resources. The social workers in Hudson Valley are available in all seven community-based clinics (“Health services,” n.d.). Health services in the Hudson Valley include primary care, specialty care, mental health, social programs and services focusing on housing and transitional support. The available resources and assets within the area sufficiently help address the identified problem, and the assistance can be extended to all other veterans who do not qualify for Service Connection.
References
Allar, I., Elliott, E., Jones, E., Kristjansson, A. L., Taliaferro, A., & Bulger, S. M. (2017). Involving families and communities in CSPAP development using asset mapping.Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 88(5), 7-14. Web.
Grinnell, R. M., Gabor, P., & Unrau, Y. A. (2019). Program evaluation for social workers: Foundations of evidence-based programs. Oxford University Press, USA.
Health services | VA Hudson Valley health care | Veterans affairs. (n.d.). Veterans Affairs. Web.
Igielnik, R. (2020). Key findings about America’s military veterans. Pew Research Center. Web.
Kane, N. S., Anastasides, N., Litke, D. R., Helmer, D. A., Hunt, S. C., Quigley, K. S., Pigeon, W. R., & McAndrew, L. M. (2021). Under-recognition of medically unexplained symptom conditions among US Veterans with Gulf War Illness.Plos One, 16(12). Web.
Maynard, C., & Nelson, K. (2020). Compensation for veterans with service connected disabilities: Current findings and future implications.Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 31(1), 57-62. Web.
Morgan, N. R., Aronson, K. R., Perkins, D. F., Bleser, J. A., Davenport, K., Vogt, D., Copeland, L. A., Finley, E. P., & Gilman, C. L. (2020). Reducing barriers to post-9/11 veterans’ use of programs and services as they transition to civilian life. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1), 1-14. Web.
NYS Health Foundation. (2017). Veterans and health in New York State. Web.