Friday, July 30, 2010

Thanks for honoring and supporting our Sacramento area heroes EVERY day of the year!

https://app.icontact.com/icp/loadimage.php/mogile/693834/60afad6c6335d34eb4d84725dab5d0b1/image/jpeg

VETcentral FCJL Job Alert- Ref#10698657

Center: Sacramento Works Career Center - Rancho Cordova
These jobs are posted by a federal contractor in your area. The details of the Federal Contractor Job Listing (FCJL) are available online by following the link on the job title(s) below. These jobs are provided to your center to allow you to provide priority referrals to veterans under the provisions of the Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002 (38 USC 4212(a)).

You may view a full set of the daily job announcements at any time from the following URL: http://vetjobcentral.com/OS/jobs.aspx?OS=9331

Thank you,
VETcentral Support






















Capitol Autism Services Recruitment Event @ Franklin Sacramento Works Career Center 8/11

ATTEND A RECRUITMENT EVENT
Franklin Sacramento Works Career Center
7000 Franklin Blvd., Suite 540 Sacramento, CA 95823
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 at 1:30 PM
Check-in no later than 12:45
Be prepared to speak to a hiring manager (bring your resume on event date)
Call to reserve a seat: 916-262-3227
All candidates must have your right to work documents. Otherwise submit your resumes to:
JOBS@CAPITOLAUTISMSERVICES.COM

Craig Cares - Caregivers, CNAs, HHAs needed immediately

Craig Cares, a home health care agency, is seeking Caregivers, CNAs and HHAs to work in the greater Sacramento metropolitan area. Candidates who meet the qualifications listed on the attached flyer are urged to apply in person at 576 North Sunrise Ave., #110B, Roseville and bring a current resume, 3 professional references, proof of insurance, and two forms of right to work documentation.

RSI - Field Service Technician-Supervisor position in Sacramento

RSI, Recruiter Solutions International, is seeking candidates fora Field Service Technician/Supervisor position in Sacramento. Must have 5 years minimum related experience working the field service rebuilding automatic transmissions from a heavy duty automotive standpoint AND 4 or more years supervisory or workshop management experience.

To apply: E-mail resume in Word format to lisa@rsipeople.com. See flyer for details.

Dianne’s New Employment Opportunities for Veterans

Dianne Ames

Workforce Development Professional 2

Rancho Cordova -Sacramento Works Career Center

10381 Old Placerville Road, Suite 150

Sacramento, CA 95827

W: 916-255-3240

F: 916-255-3932

Keeping The Spirit of ’45 Alive Reunion – Fresno - August 14, 2010 2:pm

CA JFSAP Military OneSource Consultant

phone: 916-386-6421| fax: 916-381-1209| mobile: 916-217-5197
B.T. Collins Army Reserve Center
6270 Midway St. Bldg 652
| Sacramento, CA 95828
julie.baumgartner@militaryonesource.com

Military OneSource
Call Anytime: (800) 342-9647
Access Online: www.militaryonesource.com
You name it...we can help.
Military OneSource is a virtual extension of existing installation services.

SEE OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SACVCSN.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION

To my friends and veteran's families..

FRESNO, CALIFORNIA TO COMMEMORATE 65TH ANNIVERSARY

OF END OF WORLD WAR II WITH "CLASS OF '45 REUNION"

TO HONOR THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE GREATEST GENERATION

Some of the last remaining veterans of World War II, the men who fought and the women who served in uniform and on the home front, will gather in Fresno, CA at the Warnor theatre 2:00PM, the afternoon of August 14, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of what is perhaps the Greatest Day of the Greatest Generation: the day the war ended and the peace began. It was a day of national unity.


On Saturday, August 14, from noon 2 p.m. they and their families will be gathering at the Warnor Theatre, to share their memories of their great day, listening and dancing to live entertainment of the '40s, Son of Joaquin, Jeremy "ELVIS" Pearce, and Sound of Freedom Band, posing for photographs that will be archived on the Internet and published in a special "Class of '45" Yearbook. The public is invited to join them, to shake their hand and to thank them for their service to America, and the world.









Deployment suggestions from a Blue Star Mom

A Blue Star Mom - who has gone through 2 deployments - offers suggestions for parents about their child's deployment (whether the child is still single or already married).

http://www.defense.gov//news/newsarticle.aspx?id=60190

96 Days..Till We Need to Ship Our Holiday Packages

The holidays will be here before we know it! Soldiers' Angels has lots to do to get ready: we need to help collect enough to ship out 180 thousand Holiday Care Packages.

We have 96 days to collect items for our soldiers Christmas packages and ship overseas to our soldiers. We have much to do to get ready to meet our holiday goals. Get the word out you are collecting holiday items for Soldiers' Angels holiday care packages. Contact your local Walmart, grocery store, schools, churches, workplace, service group, ask to put out a donation collection box. Monetary donations are always accepted. We need postage money to ship our holiday packages.

Every item collected is that much closer to filling a care package with holiday cheer~

We need 180,000 of Everything:

Hot Cocoa Packets
Hot Cider Packets
Men's White Socks (sizes 9-15)
Candy Bars (any size)
Hard Candy - 90,000 pounds
Candy Canes
Beef Jerky
Gum
Sunflower Seeds
Halloween Candy
Power Bars
Nuts
Any yummy prepackaged yummy goodies!
Christmas Cards- signed with encouraging messages
Stainless Steel Thermal Mug
Handmade Blanket of Belief - directions on our website
www.soldiersangels.org
This list is flexible - anything will be considered for our holiday packages.
Contact me with questions - cvink@soldiersangels.org

Fliers will be sent to your email soon!

Ship your holiday donations, with your contact information plus an estimated
value to:

Soldiers' Angels - Christmas
4408 N Pan Am Expressway
San Antonio, TX 78218

Wingtip to Wingtip~

Lisa Luhrman
Blog Coordinator
Soldiers' Angels
www.soldiersangels.org

Louise Stanley
Soldiers' Angels Northern California Chapter
"May No Veteran Go Unloved or Be Forgotten..."
lstanley@directcon.net
www.soldiersangels.org
"It is vital to the future of our nation that we keep the faith and that we stand up with courage and conviction to defend our American way of life and our veterans who have made it possible."

Thursday, July 29, 2010

July 2010 Good News for Veterans...

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dcnow/
July 24, 2010 | 8:02 pm

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs is changing a rule that penalizes veterans using medical marijuana in the 14 states where the practice is legal, according to a departmental directive.

The change, which had been sought by some veteran groups, will prevent veterans who are prescribed and using medical marijuana in those states from losing government benefits.

The new rule does not permit VA physicians to prescribe medical marijuana, for its use to be allowed in VA facilities or for VA to pay for medical marijuana.

As an illegal drug under federal law, marijuana had presented veterans and physicians prescribing it for pain relief and other conditions with potential prosecution or loss of VA benefits.

The new rule clarifies the exceptions where veterans who use Veterans Health Administration, or VHA, services can use medical marijuana in the states that allow it.

"Although patients participating in state medical marijuana programs must not be denied VHA services, modifications may need to be made in their treatment plans," the VA said.

"Decisions to modify treatment plans in those situations are best made by individual providers in partnership with their patients," the directive said.

The Department of Veteran Affairs said medical conditions associated with the use of medical marijuana include glaucoma, chemotherapy-induced nausea, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and chronic pain.

The 14 states permitting use of medical marijuana are Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

The new rule expires in July 2015, the VA said.

-- Reuters

Photo: Tim Blakeley, manager of Sunset Junction medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles, shows marijuana plant buds in May. Credit: Getty Images.

____________
Federal Register /Vol. 75, No. 133 /Tuesday, July 13, 2010 /Rules and Regulations 39843
"DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 38 CFR Part 3 RIN 2900–AN32
Stressor Determinations for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its adjudication regulations governing service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by liberalizing in some cases the evidentiary standard for establishing the required in-service stressor. This amendment eliminates the requirement for corroborating that the claimed in-service stressor occurred if a stressor claimed by a veteran is related to the veteran’s fear of hostile military or terrorist activity and a VA psychiatrist or psychologist, or a psychiatrist or psychologist with whom VA has contracted, confirms that the claimed stressor is adequate to support a diagnosis of PTSD and that the veteran’s symptoms are related to the claimed stressor, provided that the claimed stressor is consistent with the places, types, and circumstances of the veteran’s service."...
To see more information, go to www.google.com and put in this title and date.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Honor Our Troops - Upcoming Packing - Wednesday, July 14th at 1pm in El Dorado Hills, Town Center

EDCAR's Honor Our Troops - Upcoming Packing - Wednesday, July 14th at 1pm in El Dorado Hills, Town Center

If anyone would like to join the fun in packing the soldier care packages, here is the address for our next care package packing: El Dorado Hills Town Center, The New Orleans Bldg. on the Target side, 4670 Town Center Blvd, on the 1st Floor vacant area.

Please feel free to call or email if you have any question. I look forward to seeing you all!

Sincerely,

Cyndi Romano

Mortgage Loan Consultant - I Love My Job!

California Department of Real Estate License Number 01033036

National Mortgage Originator's License Number 284063

25 Years Industry Experience

(916) 207-4194 Cellular

Community Resource Center in Placerville Opens This Week

Please check out our updated website and spread the good news that we are open for business this next week! We need your support for this much needed program, so don't be shy....call us and get involved wherever and however you can! Got questions? Call Rene!


Rene Evans, Project Manager

Community Resource Center

1864 Broadway

Placerville, CA 95667

530.344.1864

www.edc-crc.vpweb.com

Retired Marine & Family Looking for House to Rent in Placerville/Pollock Pines Area

My name is Thomas Silliman. I am a VA rated disabled veteran living in Pollock Pines. I have a problem/situation and I thought you may know of some contacts for help.

In September, we will no longer be able to pay the rent for the house that we have been living in for almost a year. We have tried finding low income housing, but nothing is coming up through the traditional means (searching craigslist, Mt. Democrat classifieds, etc). This inability is due to I am a veteran on Vocational Rehabilitation so I make a very limited amount of money per month. My wife Jeana is unable to work due to having emergency open heart surgery on May 25th of this year, so she is still recovering from that. We have been living/splitting rent with my sister-in-law who is being retired out of the military in Sept, and moving back to the east coast.

I have no idea of where to go, and I hate to see my family homeless. I have a 17 year old step-son who is going to be a senior at El Dorado HS in the fall, a 23 year old step-daughter with a 1 year old son (Jeana and my grandson), and with what Jeana has gone through.

I am a former U.S. Marine, so asking for help/assistance is a very difficult thing for me to do, so I must apologize if some of this is garbled and seems a bit thrown together.

Any help/advice you can render would be greatly appreciated, and I anxiously await your response. We are looking for at least 3 bedrooms, but at present, the only amount that we could afford would be $700-$800 per month. I only make about $1000, so that would be stretching it considerably but we need a place to live. We are trying to stay in the Placerville/Pollock Pines area. We currently live in Pollock Pines.

Our contact information is:

Thomas and Jeana Silliman

3241 Sly Park Rd

Pollock Pines, CA 95726

Home Phone# (530) 344-7009

tassilliman@gmail.com

If there is anything else you need, please let me know. I am also willing to do some physical work to help offset the cost of rent if needed or allowed.

Semper Fidelis,

Thomas Silliman

Friday, July 9, 2010

Registration opens for female veterans forum...

Registration opens for female veterans forum

Registration opened today for a Veterans Affairs Department forum on meeting the needs of female veterans.

The forum, planned for July 28 at the Women’s Memorial in Arlington, Va., will showcase resources available for female vets.

“The VA forum will bring advocates for women veterans together to learn about VA services and to share valuable information with each other,” VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said in an announcement about the forum. “The forum will also give veterans’ advocates the tools they need to help build women veterans networks and communities throughout VA.”

The medical community has recognized that female veterans’ needs often differ from men’s. Female war veterans are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, possibly because the rates of military women who have been sexually assaulted are higher than the civilian and male populations.

Women also face different challenges when they come home to their families and slip back into roles as caretakers, even as they try to reintegrate. And in the past, VA clinics did not specialize in annual exams or child-care services for female veterans, making those clinics impractical for women.

But as more women join the ranks — there are 1.8 million female veterans now — VA has worked to make health care for them more accessible.

The forum will take place from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. with morning presentations and an afternoon information marketplace.

The forum is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and reservations may be made by e-mail at 00W@va.gov (zero zero W) until July 16 — or until seats fill up. For more information, call (202) 461-6193.

http://www.armytimes.com/mobile/index.php?storyUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.armytimes.com%2Fnews%2F2010%2F07%2Fmilitary_VA_womens_forum_070810w%2F%3Fsms_ss%3Dfacebook

Saturday, June 19, 2010

U.S. Army - Dishonorable Employer, Bullying at large

http://www.workplacebullying.org/2010/06/09/army-ptsd/

Army court martials soldier with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

From the WBI 2000 survey of hostile workplaces (Workplace Bullying Institute, online, non-scientific survey) 30% of women targets of bullying reported symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); 21% of men targets. Psychological injuries are common in bullying cases.

Fortunately, most people experience intense anxiety, panic attacks, and depressive symptoms rather than the extreme case of traumatization when an individual’s coping responses are completely overwhelmed. PTSD is extreme stress. PTSD is characterized by hypervigilance (an edginess, heightened arousal, agitation, obsessivness, and anger), intrusive thoughts (nightmares, flashbacks, unpredictable interruptions of normal thoughts and feelings), and avoidance (a desire to not visit the same people, places and feelings associated with the traumatizing incidents). PTSD is falsely seen only as a war injury. People are traumatized by the horrors of war (killing and death, witnessed and perpetrated), but also by natural disasters and tragedies the disrupt routine lives.

People who join the military are especially at risk. All trauma and stress risks are magnified with unremitting, prolonged exposure to horrific conditions. It is noteworthy that Britain and Canada treats their military veterans more humanely than the U.S. To minimize the ravages of PTSD, tours of duty are shorter than one year and there is a limit to the amount of uninterrupted time that soldiers and sailors can spend in a war zone. American military leaders have been less caring. Though they sometimes publicly remark that the troops are worn out, “stop-loss” is used to deny the rightful end of contracted military time for soldiers eager to return to non-military society. Stop-loss is an exploitation of the government’s power to make its own rules as employer, not subject to any civilian laws. Stop-loss guarantees an over-exposure to horror that no human should have to bear. It is instrumental in creating the estimated 30-45% prevalence of PTSD among Iraq/Afghanistan veteran. When they can’t escape to healing respite back home, the likelihood of injury skyrockets.

Psychiatrist Dr. Kernan Manion treated traumatized Marine vets and warned his superiors of violence potential on bases and in neighboring towns. “If not more Fort Hoods, Camp Liberties, soldier fratricide, spousal homicide, we’ll see it individually in suicides, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, family dysfunction, in formerly fine young men coming back and saying, as I’ve heard so many times, ‘I’m not cut out for society. I can’t stand people. I can’t tolerate commotion. I need to live in the woods,’” Manion explained to reporter Dahr Jamail. “That’s what we’re going to have. Broken, not contributing, not functional members of society. It infuriates me – what they are doing to these guys, because it’s so ineptly run by a system that values rank and power more than anything else – so we’re stuck throwing money into a fragmented system of inept clinics and the crisis goes on.”

In 2007, Joshua Kors reported on the Army mental health corps’ refusal to own the responsibility for injuring veterans with PTSD (and even some with physical traumatic brain injuries). Instead of making the correct PTSD diagnosis for those vets so they could receive VA health benefits for long-term medication and treatment, some Army psychologists were deliberately labeling the injured as having personality disorders. A personality disorder is a permanent mental health problem, not an injury, and must have begun in childhood. Also the deceitful misdiagnosis prevented vets from VA benefit eligibility. Thus, the Department of Defense, as employer, put its employees in harms way, many are injured as a result, then the employer dodges liability by blaming the employee.

Substitute DoD with the name of your employer. You get hired to perform work and are assigned a supervisor or gang of co-workers who decide that it is more important to bully you than to allow you to do work. You seek relief. The employer denies its responsibility for the work conditions that have begun to harm you psychologically. If you do not escape and the exposure continues, the stress takes its toll on your health. When threats to your safety are severe, you risk PTSD. You find a therapist who correctly identifies your toxic workplace — the mistreating people in it as well as the way work is assigned with no regard for your safety or professional development — as the cause of the severe stress. You beg for relief but are not believed. Soon you lose the job you once loved for no reason other than the fact that some jackass arbitrarily hated you, most likely because your competence posed a threat.

Now from the military comes another tale of terror. Reporter Dahr Jamail posted his essay at the Truthout website. He writes about Eric Jasinski, a 23 year old who enlisted in 2005. Jasinski’s Iraq tour ended in Dec., 2007. He was troubled and drinking heavily. A military counselor sent him to a civilian doc. He was diagnosed with PTSD by the civilian. He was given medications and waiting for his military contract to end in Feb., 2009.

However, the Army stop-lossed Jasinski and he was given a month’s notice that he would return to Iraq. The military pharmacy issued a 90-day supply of medication. Another military counselor asked if he was suicidal. Jasinski said no. The hurried counselor said “well, you’re good to go then.” Jasinski knew that he could not serve again without treating his PTSD, so he went AWOL until Dec., 2009 when he turned himself in at Fort Hood, Texas. Jasinski asked for a medical discharge.

Instead, he had a March 31, 2010 court martial. He was sentenced to 30 days in the county jail, not a mental health facility as requested. The Army never did respond to his requests for help. He served 25 days and was released on April 24. Then, unilaterally without discussion or negotiation, the Army notified Jasinski that he would receive an “other-than-honorable” discharge that translates to permanent denial of VA benefits for the wounded soldier.

To better put in perspective the humiliation the Army heaped on this PTSD victim, read Jasinski’s personal statement written while in the Bell County jail.

“When I am taken out of jail back to Fort Hood for any appointments I am led around in handcuffs and ankle shackles in front of crowds of soldiers… which is overwhelming on my mind. My guilt from treating prisoners in Iraq sub-human and I did things to them and watched my unit do cruel actions against prisoners, so being humiliated like that forces me to fall into the dark spiral of guilt. I now know what it feels like to have no rights and have people stare and judge based on your shackles and I feel even more like a monster cause I used to do this to Iraqi people. Even worse is the fact that this boils down to the military failing to treat my PTSD but I am being punished for it… I feel as if I am being a threat to others or myself and still the Army mental health professional blow me off just like in 2009 when I felt like I had no choice but to go AWOL, since I received a 5 minute mental evaluation and was stop-lossed despite my PTSD, and was told that they could do nothing for me. The insufficient mental evaluation from a doctor I had never seen before, combined with the insufficient actions by the doctor on 9 April show the Army is not trying to make progress.”

Feel familiar? Neither did you do anything to warrant the banishment from your livelihood. Employers can do anything they want. PTSD victims are not whining delicate “teacups” like attorney Scott Greenfield suggests.

Gary Namie, PhD

What you can do:
Read the Dahr Jamail article

Learn about Chuck Luther’s group the Soldier’s Advocacy Group (SAG) of Disposable Warriors

Help the Iraq Veterans Against the War work for the proper and necessary treatment injured soldiers

Thank Eric Jasinski’s civilian attorney, James Branum

Read Joshua Kors groundbreaking report on abusive Army psychologists and psychiatrists

Tell Scott Greenfield his “teacups” smear is a cheap shot by a bullying attorney

http://www.truth-out.org/ptsd-soldier-punished-army60048

http://www.joshuakors.com/part3.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joshua-kors/facebook-members-rally-ar_b_594539.html

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110053505698279&ref=ts

http://stoppersonalitydisorder.com/U.S. Army - Dishonorable Employer

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Sacramento Veterans Service Office SAVED!!!

HEY GUYS WE DID IT,

THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISIORS RE-INSTATED ALL 4 VET REPS AND 1 CLERICAL. THANKS TO ALL YOU VETS THAT CAME ON TUESDAY AND SHOWED THEM YOUR SUPPORT

AND WE THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pass the word The Sacramento Veterans Service Office is HERE TO STAY!!!!! Congratulations to JAN, JOSH, BRUCE, DEL AND RICHARD!!

6/17/10

Close to forty veterans showed up with their caps on to persuade the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors last Tuesday to keep the VSO office intact.

A staffer said that seeing a boatful of veterans in the chamber was quite impressive. It has been a long time since that has happened in a Sacramento public hearing. We are proud and thankful to everyone that showed up.

We also share our gratitude with the Project Team:

Don Harper: Lead

Bud Lee

Col Jim Krump

Gary Ross

Barbara Ross

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Ensuring Sacramento area Veterans’ Access to Earned Benefits

Ad–hoc Veterans Coalition on

Sacramento County’s FY 2010-2011 Budget

Ensuring Veterans’ Access to Earned Benefits

We are a nation fighting two major wars with other possible trouble spots around the world. The frequently repetitive deployments of our armed forces are causing extreme stress on our military. The asymmetric warfare in which we are often engaged creates a much higher proportion of “invisible wounds” – post-traumatic stress syndrome and traumatic brain injury. We are fortunate that combat medicine has improved which has reduced the combat death rate compared to our prior wars. However, this battlefield success has also resulted in more survivors who are often plagued with permanent disabilities, both physical and mental. The often-imperceptible nature of these wounds frequently results in a veteran not being aware that he or she needs help for themselves and their families.

According to the American Legion, 25% of these discharged veterans will have a hidden disability (for example, post-traumatic stress syndrome and traumatic brain injury) and 15% will have a clear disability – meaning 4 out of 10 wounded warriors will have earned benefits due them. (1)

For a combat veteran to admit he or she needs help, it takes a great amount of courage for them to take the first step toward asking for assistance. They do not want to appear as needing “welfare” but they are not aware that they have likely earned substantial benefits to help them return and thrive in their civilian lives.

The first contact a discharged veteran has with the government is a critical event. Similar to the “golden hour” in medical triage, there is often only one good shot at getting a veteran reoriented to civilian life. Failure to address discharged veterans’ needs during a very fragile time can produce negative, unintended consequences. We have all seen this happen before. We cannot let it happen again!

SACRAMENTO COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE FY 09-10

Current Workload with Four Veterans Service Officers

Active Cases Pending - The current caseload average for each of the County’s four veterans service officers is 180 – 230 cases pending action from agencies responsible for housing, education and training, health care, employment, and other programs. (See Exhibit A for a listing of benefit programs and services to which veterans have earned access and which veterans service officers must be knowledgeable. Training of veterans service officers is extensive and frequent due to the evolving and complicated nature of benefits.)

Walk-in Applicants - Last year, 1250 veterans walked in to the CVSO with an expectation of slightly more than 100 a month to continue occurring for the foreseeable future. Increases in walk-in traffic are likely due to the larger number of military personnel to be mustered out because of the expected reduction in combat operations overseas.

Interviews: 4,245 in-office interviews conducted (average = 19 per workday)

Benefit Claims:1,638 disability and death benefit claims filed on behalf of veterans, dependents, and survivors

Removal from County General Assistance Program: $257,160 obtained for veterans which supplanted that amount which was being previously drawn from funding for County General Assistance

College Fee Waiver Program: 903 College Fee Waiver Program applications for dependents of disabled and deceased veterans, equaling a monetary value of $2,442,375.

SACRAMENTO COUNTY VETERAN POPULATION’S ECONOMIC IMPACT

Currently, well over 100,000 veterans, including members of our reserve forces, reside in Sacramento County. When their family size is factored in to the population, somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000 and possibly more Sacramento County residents are dependent on a veteran’s earned benefits; for example, federally supported service-connected disabilities, education, job training, housing, and other programs that are needed on a timely basis. These programs, largely funded by federal dollars, have been estimated by the CA Department of Veterans Affairs to have a multiplier effect in the local economy of $6 - $7 spent for every dollar of federal support.

The Ad-hoc Veterans Coalition on Sacramento County’s FY 2010-2011 Budget appreciates the recommendation of restoration of two of the four veterans service officer positions proposed for elimination.

However, no one should be led to believe that the previously described workload, which is expected to increase due to the growth in numbers of discharged veterans, can be absorbed and handled by the two remaining positions. Some veterans and their families will have their access to earned benefits compromised as a result of reduced resources.

The insufficient access to trained veterans service officers will be on Sacramento County’s budget docket for the foreseeable future unless other avenues of resourcing are developed for the positions necessary to handle this burgeoning workload.

The Sacramento County Veterans Coalition is willing to work with the County Executive to evaluate longer-term alternative approaches to develop the resources to assure that benefits earned by veterans for themselves, their families and survivors can be obtained on a timely basis.

In the meantime, the Coalition believes one more position; that is, a contingent of three professional staff, would substantially improve the timeliness of veterans’ assistance with claim processing for earned benefits as well as coordination with other agencies for health care, housing, education, and employment.



[1] “Networking Vital for Troops in Transition,” The American Legion Dispatch, March 19, 2010, p. 5