Bellingham - Growing Veterans Research Study Wants You!

Growing Veterans has partnered with researchers at Seattle University to help us determine the levels of psychological and social well-being experienced by vets who are working with this veterans-to-farms program.

This study is the first to examine the effects of participating in farming activities on veterans' psychological and social well-being. It uses a smartphone app.

If you live in the North Puget Sound region of WA and would like to get involved, this is a great way to start! For more information, contact Thomas Renteria at 719.388.6361 or tr5renteria@gmail.com.

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Growing Veterans combines veteran reintegration with sustainable agriculture- creating a holistic solution to fighting the multitude of issues the veteran population faces and simultaneously empowering our fellow vets to strengthen the incredibly important sustainable agriculture movement. For veterans, GV create opportunities for personal and professional development. Supporting each other through the transition from military to civilian life, we offer social support and refer each other to local and national resources that help aid in the transition.
We work with the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs, the Bob Woodruff Foundation, the Farmer Veteran Coalition, and The Mission Continues in order to provide as many opportunities to our vets as possible. Opportunities include employment, professional volunteerism, internships, fellowships, and AmeriCorps positions.

For community members, Growing Veterans provides a means for veterans and the community to work alongside each other. By sowing seeds in the fields together, we also sow lasting friendships and help bridge the gap between the military veteran and civilian populations. A day on the farm with our vets removes previously held stereotypes and shows our community that veterans are assets and allies in the sustainable agriculture movement.

Do you facebook? "Like" their page for more news.

Mason County Veterans' Assistance Fund

Most Counties in Washington State have programs for supporting veterans. This week we look at Mason County.

Mason County's Veterans' Assistance Fund helps eligible indigent and suffering veterans or family members with certain expenses. The Veterans' Advisory Board oversees the Fund. 
Eligibility: 

• Honorably discharged veteran or eligible family member of a veteran who meets the definition of veteran as defined by law. 
• "Indigent and suffering": under the current poverty level as defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
• Resident of the Mason County for at least ninety (90) days. 
• Applicant must present proof of residency and income. 

How to Apply: 

• Telephone a Veterans' Service Officer to schedule an eligibility appointment and find out what documents to bring.
• Shelton: Memorial Hall, 210 West Franklin Street. Phone: 360-426-4546 Business hours are Monday - Wednesday 9 AM to 12 PM and 1 PM to 4 PM or by appointment.
• Belfair: North Mason County Resource, 140 NE SR 300. Phone: 360-552-2302. Business hours are Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; On Wednesdays, the office is open until 6:30 p.m. 

Funding: 

• Disbursed to indigent veterans and their families or the families of those deceased not to exceed $800 per applicant per calendar year, not to exceed two years, unless the indigent veteran qualifies for additional funds. 
• After one year of waiting, the veteran may reapply for further assistance with proof of eligibility. (Exceptions: burial and catastrophic expenses) 
• Assistance shall be granted only for the following: 
• Past Due Rent or Mortgage 
• Past Due Utilities; electric, water or Natural Gas 
• Needed Food Items 
• Needed Fire Wood or Propane. 

See Also:  Veterans' Case Management Contract for Mental Health and Chemical Dependency 
Mason County Sales and Use Tax for Mental Health and Substance Abuse services funds a contract with Mental Health Professionals, LLC. The Veterans' Case Manager is Leon Huggins-Richard who works with veterans and their family members/dependents who are experiencing difficulties. Leon works to assist the veteran with family stability, well-being, education/training, financial management, and employment/career management issues. This service is free to eligible clients. Please call (360) 451-0900 to set up an appointment with Leon.Are you in a different county? See the county-by-county map of veterans services.

Choice Program Eligibility Expansion - Mileage Calculation Changed

The Veterans Choice Program is a new, temporary benefit that allows Veterans to get health care in their communities rather than waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility. The law as passed by Congress said that Veterans were eligible if, among other things, they were more than 40 miles from a VA facility. This caused a problem: many veterans who had to drive more than 40 miles to a VA facility were not allowed to use the Choice Program because "as the crow flies" it was under 40.

Veterans and their friends spoke up, and loudly. In March 2015, VA changed the calculation from straight-line distance to the more reasonable actual driving distance. VA will use a commercially available product to figure out the driving distance.

The result of this change is that about twice as many veterans will now be able to use the program.

If you are a veteran and want to use the Veterans Choice Program, call 1-866-606-8198 to check your eligibility and to schedule an appointment. If you have previously called and were turned down even though your driving route is more than 40 miles, why not try calling again?

If you think 40 miles is the wrong amount of mileage, contact your political representative. Congress makes the rules that VA implements.

PTSD Coach App

The PTSD Coach App was designed for Servicemembers and Veterans who have, or may have, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
This App provides readily available tools to manage PTSD-related symptoms and stress and supports Servicemembers and Veterans with self-assessments, symptom-tracking capabilities, educational materials, and coping skills to address and monitor stress.
Available on the App Store
Get it on Google Play
Features: 

• Follow App-recommended suggestions based on their self-assessment scores; 
• Chart their scores over time and print or email the graph; and 
• Depending on their scores, the App will suggest ways for managing stress. The App offers healthy coping mechanisms, educational materials and links to resources.

If their self-assessment scores indicate they may have PTSD, and if they are VA patients, the App can be used to share the scores with your VA health care team. If the score is severe and you are not a VA patient, the App will provide options for seeking professional treatment. This App is not meant to replace in-person visits or other forms of communications with your VA care teams. In case of a health emergency, call 911 or your local VA medical center immediately.
More Information

The Veteran Vision Project

The Veteran Vision Project documents the diverse lives of veterans through semi-surreal portraits of themselves as they see themselves and as they choose to be seen.
Photographer Devin Mitchelle goes into their homes, and let them choose their props, costumes, poses, and who is featured with them in the photos.
If you are a military veteran and would like to be photographed, go to www.veteranvisionproject.com and click on "REGISTER"


If you pre-order the book through kickstarter, you can help make it include more veterans from more places.

County Programs

Most counties in Washington State have programs in support of veterans.

• King
• Kitsap
• Mason
• Pierce
• Snohomish
• Spokane
• Thurston
• Whatcom
• Yakima

Mason County's Veterans' Assistance Fund

Most Counties in Washington State have their a program for supporting veterans. This week we look at Whatcom County.

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Mason County's  Veterans' Assistance Fund helps eligible indigent and suffering veterans or family members with certain expenses, overseen by the Veterans' Advisory Board.
Eligibility:

• Honorably discharged veteran or eligible family member of a veteran who meets the definition of veteran as defined by law.
• The county defines "indigent and suffering" to mean the current poverty level as defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
• Applicants must be a resident of the Mason County for at least ninety (90) days.
• Applicant must present proof of residency and income.

How to Apply: 
Telephone a Veterans' Service Officer to schedule an eligibility appointment and find out what documents to bring to the appointment. There are two Veterans' Service Offices:

• In Shelton
  Memorial Hall
  210 West Franklin Street
  Phone: 360-426-4546
   Business hours are Monday - Wednesday 9 AM to 12 PM and 1 PM to 4 PM or by appointment.
• In Belfair
  North Mason County Resource
  140 NE SR 300.
  Phone: 360-552-2302.
  Business hours are Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; On Wednesdays, the office is open until 6:30 p.m.

For more information, see http://www.co.mason.wa.us/ac/veterans/index.php

VA Mobile Health Summary of Care App

The VA Mobile Health Summary of Care App allows Veterans and their Caregiver to view specific parts of your VA electronic health record on your mobile device(s).

This App, one of the Apps featured in the VA Mobile Health Family Caregiver Pilot, helps you and your Caregiver organize various aspects of your health care information and gain an overarching understanding of your needs and progress. With the Summary of Care App, you are able to receive and view your VA medical information – including lab results, medications, allergies, information on past and upcoming appointments, progress notes related to clinic visits, hospital discharge notes, radiology results, and more – in one place and from the convenience of your mobile device(s). You are able to customize your Summary of Care App to see self-entered data as well as records from your health care teams about current medical diagnoses. Provider-recorded information includes clinical notes from appointments and discharge details after hospitalization. You will also be able to view lab results and graph the data over time to monitor your progress.
In addition, you can use the Summary of Care App to store and view information, such as:

• Demographics (phone numbers, addresses, next of kin information) 
• Vitals (height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, temperature, respiration, pain) 
• Medications list (history, instructions, quantity remaining, status of refills) 
• Allergies 
• Past and future appointments 
• Lab results 
• Progress notes related to clinic visits 
• Hospital discharge notes 
• Surgery history.

This App is not meant to replace communication and/or in-person appointments with your health care team. If you have non-emergency questions about the information in your Summary of Care, Secure Message your health care team or call your local VA Medical Center.
More Information

Apply Now for National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic

PRESS RELEASE:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is accepting applications from Veterans interested in participating in the 2015 National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic.
The 2015 National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic will be held Sept.13-18 at the VA San Diego Healthcare System in San Diego, California. The annual event is expected to attract Veterans from all over the country who have sustained a variety of injuries ranging from traumatic brain injury and polytrauma, to spinal cord injury or loss of limb.
“I encourage every Veteran who may be eligible to take advantage of this opportunity,” said VA Secretary Robert McDonald. “There is rehabilitative power in leading an active lifestyle and learning new skills and activities.” The National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic represents VA’s continued commitment to offer adaptive sports and recreation therapy as an integral part of a successful rehabilitation program.
The deadline to apply for the 2015 National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic is May 1.
For more information or for an application, visit www.summersportsclinic.va.gov

Thank You Pegasus Book Exchange!

Pegasus Book Exchange in West Seattle has donated several hundred books this year to the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System (and it's barely March!)
This is family-owned used bookstore in West Seattle specializing in paperback fiction, with large selections of mystery, science fiction/fantasy, horror, literature/classics, kids' books, young adult, and romance, plus spirituality, psychology, cookbooks, and tons of other things!
They are not doing it for the publicity, but if you're at the Alaska Junction, you might drop in and say "thanks!"

What Makes Your VA Doctor GREAT? Tell Us!

What makes your VA Doctor great?

There's a lot of great doctors giving wonderful service, and NOW is the time to speak up and give your doctor credit. Make your comment at https://www.facebook.com/vapugetsound or put something in the ballot boxes throughout the hospital. If you don't see one, ask at the Information Desk at the south entrance, or any volunteer in a green vest.

Get your comments in by March 16.  National Doctor's Day is March 30 and don't we all want to have our greatest doctor recognized?

Your doctor helps you - so now you can repay the favor!

March 27: Seattle - Vietnam Veteran Welcome Home Ceremony

Skyway VFW Post 9430 invites you to a Vietnam Veteran Welcome Home Ceremony on March 27th at 7421 S 126th St, Seattle, WA.
Vietnam Veterans will be introduced by name and branch of service, be presented a special Vietnam Veteran coin from VFW Post 9430, walk the red carpet isle of honor to be welcomed home by all in attendance with signs, handshakes, and hugs. There will also be a cake cutting ceremony. Guest speaker from Joint Base Lewis McChord Adopted unit.
For more information, please contact
Chad Hassebroek
vfwmember@yahoo.com
580-704-7995

Whatcom County Veterans Program

Most Counties in Washington State have their a program for supporting veterans. This week we look at Whatcom County.

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The Whatcom County Veterans Program offer temporary financial assistance when appropriate, and connection to other services. The Program is a point of entry to local, state and federal benefits and services.
Location and hours: 
Veterans Program Office
509 Girard Street, Lower Level
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 715-7453
Appointments are preferred, however walk in hours are available 9:00 am - Noon and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm - Monday through Friday.

Services:

• Temporary Financial Assistance 
• Housing Assistance 
• Burial Assistance 
• Health Services 
• Compensation & Pension 
• Social Service Programs 
• Legal Assistance 
• Employment Assistance 
• Transportation.

The Program also list a dozen additional  Community Resources  at its webpage.

Finally, programs like these need Veterans to serve on their Veterans Assistance Board: http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/boards/veterans_advisory_brd.jsp. Why not join the effort to help you fellow veterans?

March 12: Mount Vernon VA Town Hall!

The Student Center
Has Free Parking!

All Veterans are welcome to attend and ask questions of VA Puget Sound staff at the Town Hall Meeting!
This Means You!
When/Where:
Thursday, March 12, 2015
18:00 to 20:00
Gary Knutzen Cardinal Student Center
Cardinal Multi-purpose Room Skagit Valley College
2405 E. College Way
Mount Vernon, WA
Map It!

March 17: Yakima - VA Town Hall Meeting

Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center invites you to a Town Hall for Veterans, family members and the public to provide feedback on VA operations and recommendations for VA programs.
Come Tuesday, March 17, 2015 from 1 pm to 2:30 pm to VFW Post 379, 118 S 5th Ave, Yakima, WA 98902.
The event's motto is "It's your VA - Tell Us What You Think".

An Easy Way To Help Veterans Take Care Of Themselves

Imagine you're a veteran who's lost the use of an arm. How would you cook for yourself?

The Occupational Therapy Program at the Seattle VA Hospital teaches about 10 veterans a week how to prepare meals with their new capabilities, using regular food from local stores.
It's a practical way to help veterans help themselves, but it has a problem: the ingredients aren't funded.
You can help!
Only $5 covers the raw ingredients for an average lesson. You can give that now at the Food 4 Veteran Therapy Cooking campaign (hosted onthe internet by GoFundMe.)
Contribute as much or as little as you like. Together, we will raise $500 to cover the next 10 weeks of classes, and then evaluate our success.
All of the money from your donation (minus about 8% that "gofundme" takes for its web hosting and credit card processing fee) will go to buy grocer gift cards donated to the OT Program for this purpose; Veterans And Friends of Puget Sound does not peel off anything for overhead.
Join us! You will be feeding one of our veterans, but more importantly, you will help him or her learn to take care of themselves!
Learn more and take action at http://www.gofundme.com/nmp2lg

March 7: Rainier Beach - Growing Veterans at Seattle Tilth’s Urban Farm

"Through service we can honor
those who have fallen
 and regain our sense
of purpose back home"

You can join Growing Veterans at Seattle Tilth’s Rainier Beach Urban Farm for a day of environmental restoration at the intersection of urban agriculture.
This Saturday (March 7, 2015) 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, volunteers will work on channel stabilization, removing invasive vegetation, and preserving the valuable ecosystem services that wetlands provide. Wear waterproof footwear and dress for the weather.
Register at http://growingveterans.org/event/seattle-tilth-outpost-1st-saturdays/

Download Your Own VA Medical Records - Free!

Have you ever need to remember what year you had surgery or the name of that hard-to-pronounce prescription you’re taking?  Or maybe you'd like an easier way to keep track of your appointments or how stable your blood sugar levels have been lately.
The new My HealtheVet’s Blue Button  lets you see, print, download and store information from your personal health record (PHR) - everything in one place for you to see when you want.
Your downloadable PHR can show you:

• Information for emergency contacts, health care teams and insurance providers 
• Over-the-counter medications, allergies, military health history, medical events and lab tests
• Daily records in your diet and physical activity (exercise) journals 
• Recorded Vitals & Readings (blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, heart rate, body temperature, weight, pain level, etc.) 
• Military service information from your VA and/or DoD records 
• Prescription history.

With the Blue Button, you can:

• Download your Personal Health Record to share with your family and personal doctor, if you wish.  
• Get it as your choice of a simple text file or a fancier PDF
• Pick a date range, if you don't want the whole thing
• Limit the categories of information you wish to include. 
• Monitor your vital signs and use the journals to track your diet and physical activity. 
• If you get care from VA, you can set your preferences so that some VA and/or DoD records feed into your VA Blue Button copy of your PHR, such as your military service information.

This is all voluntary, but it costs you nothing if you choose to sign up. Why not sign up today?

Veterans Choice Program - Take the Eligibility Quiz!

Here's more about the new Veterans Choice Program

• You can take the Eligibility Quiz at http://va.gov/opa/choiceact/
• You can call the VA Choice Hotline at 866-606-8198
• You can check out the VA Puget Sound Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/vapugetsound