Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.

Women Veterans Committee Agenda

Friday, October 6, 2006
                                                                             

 

Call to Order:      2:15PM

 

In Attendance:

Marsha Four, Chair                  Sandy Miller, Vice Chair

Dr. Tom Berger                        Billee Culin

Judy Ballentine              Sandie Wilson

Connie Christensen                   John Wallace

Sharon Hodge, VVA Staff Liaison

 

Guests:             Linda Piquet, Veterans Benefits Administration, Women Veteran Coordinators

Diane Nicholson                       Ken Holybee

Elaine Simmons                        Judith McCombs

                        Dolores Garcia             Rosemary Smith

Nancy Nix                                John Margowski                                  

Susan Edgerton, VVA Staff

 

Approval of April 2006 committee minutes.  Motion to approve by Sandie Wilson; second by Connie Christensen.  Passed without exception.

 

Introduction of meeting Attendees and Guests: 

 

Presentation:
Linda Piquet, Veterans Benefits Administration, Women Veteran Coordinators

§         Military Sexual Trauma (MST)

o       Hardest part of claim is proving it happened

o       Evidence is vital

o       Treatment is available regardless of service connection

o       Women Veteran Coordinators can assist with claims

o       No tracking sub-code for denial of MST PTSD claims

§         One (1) Women Veteran Coordinator in every VBA Regional Office

o       Collateral duty

o       Call local VARO for contact with Women Veteran Coordinator

§         VA Toll Free number 1-800-827-1000

 

FY 07 Budget Status: 

 

 

 

VVA Chair and Committee Reports 

o       VA Advisory Committee Recommendations

§         Site Visit North Chicago

§         Chair Appointment fulfilled

o       National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, attended annual conference and presided over and presented on seminar regarding homeless women veterans

o       National Alliance to End Homelessness, attended annual conference and presented as part of a panel on topic of homeless women veterans

o       Letter sent to Congressman Christopher Shay, Chair, Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, House Committee on Government Reform related to DoD Sexual Trauma policies and concerns

o       Working on “white paper” in conjunction with PTSD chair regarding concerns on the VA’s ability & capacity to provide combat PTSD care and treatment for women veterans

o       Participated on a panel in the Cannon Office Building, regarding homeless women called by members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee

o       New women veteran organization, United Female Veterans of America, has been formed.

 

Continued business:

o       Leadership Conference

§         Review of conference Surveys

o       Use of committee Web Page. Encourage submissions to Chair for inclusion

 

New business:

o       Suggestions for guest speaker at next meeting

§         DACOWITS

§         TAP organization

o       Government Affairs

§         One Page Business Plan submitted

§         Legislative Initiatives and priorities will be presented to Government Affairs committee for inclusion in the National Legislative Agenda.  Without objection from the committee, the following will be put forward.

·        Seek to ensure that the VA has both the ability and the capacity to provide gender specific in-patient and out-patient care and treatment for combat related PTSD, especially as it relates to women veterans and the anticipated increase in this population demographic in light of the role women play in today’s military and its current and future conflicts.

·        Seek legislation to re-authorize the submission of the biennial Report of the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Congress.

·        Seek legislation to provide contract care, for a period of time post-delivery (14 days or, in regulation, an amount equal to this timeline) to the infants born to women veterans who receive delivery benefits through the VA.

 

 

o       Convention Breakfast

§         Discussion on suggestions for speaker

§         Any suggestions for the Lynda Van Devanter Award should be forwarded to the chair.

o       Convention Resolutions should be reviewed and suggestions or recommendations emailed to Marsha prior to January meeting

 

Comments/Remarks:

Discussion about the merger of health care involving North Chicago VAMC and the Great Lakes Naval Hospital.  It is the first large scale sharing agreement of its kind in the country.  An item of interest will be the accommodation of the restricted versus non-restricted DoD reporting regulations and policies regarding rape and sexual assault.

 

Discussed accessibility to VA in-patient programs for treatment of PTSD related to Military Sexual Trauma. Suspected waiting lists seem to indicate that perhaps more programs of this nature are necessary to meet the existing need. Additionally, some have reported that in the past, admission was denied to existing VA PTSD in-patient programs because they were told they were “too sick”. 

 

Good of the Order:

Billee Culin will be the first women veteran and first Vietnam Veteran to speak at the Patriotic Commission of South Windsor Veterans Day Ceremony.  Congrats to Billee.