Legal Help for Veterans blog.
Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press
Open-air burning has long been a mainstay of waste disposal during times of war, but new factors, such as electronics and plastic bottles, challenge the safety of these fires. In a report released in September, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) credited the Department of Defense (DOD) with improving practices to mitigate the risks of exposure […]
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News and Press, PTSD
A new study has found soldiers who suffer a concussion or other forms of brain injury are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The findings provide concrete evidence for the long-suspected link between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and PTSD development. Researchers wanted to know whether service members become more susceptible to PTSD due […]
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News and Press
Homeless veterans in Michigan and other states across the country are getting additional help from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the form of more than $300 million in federal grants. Twelve nonprofit veteran organizations in Michigan are sharing around $8.1 million of the fiscal 2017 grants to help end homelessness among low-income veterans […]
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Mental Health, News and Press
Veteran suicide has captured the attention of social media users in a form of viral online activism that mirrors the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge of 2014. The goal of the 22 Pushup Challenge is to raise awareness about veteran suicide and programs that support the mental health of former service members and their families. The […]
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News and Press
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees pitched ideas for improving veterans health care services nationwide during the VA Innovation Demo Day in Washington, D.C., on August 15. They hoped their projects would win support and funding for widespread adoption across the VA system. A panel of department leaders, including VA Undersecretary for Health Dr. David […]
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Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) faces uncertainty as it assesses the best way in which to meet long-term needs for its electronic health record system (EHR). One option is developing a shared system of military health records with the Department of Defense (DOD) in order to allow faster access to veterans’ records. However, efforts […]
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News and Press
The number of homeless veterans in the United States has been reduced by 47 percent since 2010. Data indicates an overall decline of 17 percent in veteran homelessness in 2015 alone. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) annual estimate, there were under 40,000 homeless veterans on a given night in January. […]
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News and Press, PTSD
A Michigan veteran completed a cross-country walk in a mission to raise awareness for veteran suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Fruitport native Marty Wills trekked 1,000 miles to Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps base in North Carolina. He began the two-month journey in Muskegon on Memorial Day. Wills carried with him an American flag […]
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News and Press, PTSD
Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may find relief with a new and surprising form of therapy. A clinical psychologist at the University of Southern California Institute of Creative Technologies is using virtual reality to treat the condition. Dr. Albert “Skip” Rizzo spent over a decade designing 14 virtual reality worlds to help veterans […]
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Mental Health, News and Press
Around 20 veterans nationwide committed suicide each day in 2014, according to new statistics released by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in July. The information highlights the mental health crisis facing veterans today. The veteran suicide rate in the United States has commonly been quoted as an estimated 22 per day. Although the figure has been […]
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