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Critter Corner: Virginia Department of Veterans  Services Releases New Online Resource to Support Veterans and Military Families

November 13, 2024 by

Angel the catDear Angel,

I am a veteran who resides in Northern Virginia. I know there are lots of resources available in our state, but I’m not sure how to find them all. Is there one place that I can look online to find all of the information that I need, including medical services, benefits, peer support, and more? I’d also appreciate links for Maryland, DC, and national resources to help friends and family I know.

Thanks for your help!

Vetta Rinn

—-

Dear Vetta,

Earlier this week, on Veterans’ Day, the Virginia Department of Veterans’ Services launched the Virginia Veterans Network (VVN), a new comprehensive online resource designed to support the state’s veterans, transitioning service members and their families.

The VVN platform features hundreds of organizations and services, all on a single portal, providing veterans with access to disability benefits, job opportunities, medical and legal services, education and training, and peer support. The platform is designed to make it easier for veterans and their families to schedule appointments with the Department of Veterans Services, access free federal, state, and local benefits, and find support at every stage of life. The online resource includes access to information in all of the VDVS Six Service Departments including:

  • Compensation, Pensions, and Appeals
  • Veteran and Family Support
  • Veterans Education, Transition, and Employment
  • Veterans Care Centers
  • Veterans Cemeteries
  • Virginia War memorial

The platform also provides access to vetted state and national resource providers.

Chuck Zingler, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS), noted that the platform was developed in response to veterans’ requests for a simplified way to access diverse resources. “The goal for VVN is to make life easier for our veterans, military service members, and their families,” Zingler said. “Veterans asked for a simple solution for finding a variety of resources in the Commonwealth and beyond, and we made it happen. VVN offers real solutions in real time, connecting the right people to the right resources at the right time.” Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Craig Crenshaw, agreed, calling the online portal “another example of how Virginia is committed to providing an excellent quality of life for veterans and their families.”

Similar Platforms in Maryland and Washington, DC

Maryland has a similar site called 211 Maryland. The site features the many benefits for which veterans, service members, and their families in Maryland may be eligible. It helps to clarify the process of identifying, understanding, and accessing support. As part of the effort, veterans, service members, and their families can also call 211 to speak to an Information and Referral Specialist from the Department of Veterans Affairs. On the phone or the website, you can explore resources for challenges related to your career, education, grief, loss, depression, isolation, finances, relationships, disability, life transitions, and more. Helpful resources about benefits, health, employment, and veterans’ cemeteries are also available on the Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families Home Page.

In Washington, DC, the Mayor’s Office of Veterans’ Affairs offers the following resources:

and more.

The site describes how the office provides veteran benefits, assistance, information, outreach, effective advocacy, claims processing assistance and service provider coordination to veterans and their families. The office also develops, coordinates, and attends veteran commemorative events that recognize the military service and sacrifice of DC veterans.

Other Important Resources

Other important resources offered nationwide include:

 

Veterans Aid and Attendance Is a Benefit Many Don’t Know About

Aid & Attendance has been around for many years, but many Veterans don’t know about it. If you are a Veteran or spouse of a Veteran and you need assistance with activities of daily living such as cooking, toileting, dressing and more, the Aid & Attendance benefit could help you pay for in-home care if you qualify. To learn more about Aid & Attendance, click here and be sure to make an appointment at the Farr Law Firm.

The Farr Law Firm Works with Veterans Enrolled in the Wounded Warrior Project

At the Farr Law Firm, we are very honored to be able to provide estate planning and Elder Law legal services to veterans enrolled in the Wounded Warrior Project Independence Program, which helps eligible veterans who have a spinal cord injury, a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, or a neurodegenerative disorder such as MS or ALS. The Wounded Warrior Project also offers a multitude of other services that Veterans (even nondisabled Veterans) may benefit from. Contact the Wounded Warrior Project Resource Center at 888-997-2586, and one of their coordinators will be available to assist you and begin to assess the programs within WWP that might be helpful for you.

Let Us Help You Get All the Benefits to Which You’re Entitled

Here at the Farr Law Firm, we help veterans and their spouses evaluate whether they qualify or may in the future qualify for Veterans benefits, so be sure to contact us to set up an appointment.

Hope this helps!

Angel

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