Legal Help for Veterans blog.
News and Press
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is planning to suspend the Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) acting chief Danny Pummill for 15 days without pay for permitting two employees to abuse the agency’s relocation process. Kimberly Graves and Diana Rubens manipulated the VBA’s hiring system for their own benefit. The inspector general’s September report claimed they […]
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News and Press
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been struggling with corruption and mismanagement, whether it is long patient wait times at VA facilities or the suspension of an official in the recent employee relocation scam. On April 6 a former VA supervisor was given a 15-month prison sentence for stealing funds from a VA hospital. […]
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Mental Health, News and Press, PTSD
Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often face challenges when trying to manage their symptoms. Traumatic memories keep replaying in their minds in a continuous loop, according to researchers. Traditional forms of treatment may not always prove effective for all veterans. A new study shows mindfulness training may serve as a promising way for […]
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News and Press
The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is struggling to regain the trust of its donors and veterans in the aftermath of a CBS News report criticizing the organization’s spending policies. The veterans charity group fired its CEO Steven Nardizzi and COO Al Giordano in early March. The action was taken in response to a CBS News […]
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News and Press
Jim Fausone Veteran Advocate With each tragic story of a suicide, the same question is asked: “why didn’t they talk to someone or seek out help?” As a society, we want to believe that there is always someone out there to talk to; always an outstretched hand just waiting for you to take hold. Well, […]
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PTSD
Counseling and medication may not always be effective treatments for every veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many have found the companionship of a service dog beneficial for managing symptoms. A new bill introduced in the House on March 16 aims to provide wounded warriors with service dogs. Under the Puppies Assisting Wounded Service […]
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PTSD, Veterans Law
Veterans currently face a long, uphill battle when trying to upgrade their less than honorable discharges. Many such discharges occur due to undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other conditions. The Fairness for Veterans Act introduced by Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman on March 3 might provide some much-needed relief. The bill seeks to ensure veterans […]
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Mental Health, News and Press
A panel of experts has urged the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay more attention to monitoring and treating veterans with Gulf War illnesses rather than searching for links between their health problems and environmental exposure-related causes. In a report released February 11, Institute of Medicine researchers said veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War […]
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Medical Issues / Disability
James Fausone Veteran Advocate Reports of the Minneapolis and Amarillo VA hospitals’ misdiagnosis of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) for veteran patients are disturbing and unacceptable. Over 300 veterans at the Minneapolis VAMC and 70 at the Amarillo VAMC were screened for TBI by an unqualified doctor or by a nurse practitioner. As a result, veterans […]
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Employment, Mental Health, News and Press
One of the biggest problems that veterans face today is homelessness. In an effort to reduce homelessness among the state’s veterans in 2016, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) approved two grants on January 29. The Michigan Veterans Foundation will receive a Housing Development Fund grant of $2 million. The funds will go toward […]
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