Your VSO - September

On Thursday, August 29, 2024, at the Grass Valley Veterans Memorial Building the Nevada County Veterans Services Office in collaboration with the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Oakland Regional Office and the Veteran’s Health Administration’s Mather Medical Clinic,hosted a “Veterans Health & Wellness Fair”. This event provided an opportunity for veterans and family members to be educated on the benefits that they earned and the resources that are available to them.

The American Legion Auxiliary provided lunch to the veterans in a show of appreciation for their service.

Here are some of the participants present:

Nevada County Veterans Services
US Dept of Veterans Affairs
US Dept of Veterans Affairs | Audiology & Speech Pathology
CalVet
CAL Guard
Vietnam Veterans of America
Marine Corps Lea Marine Corps League ue
VFW
Victory Village Vet Center
Listos California
Wooden Boats 4 Veterans
Rec 4 Vets
Guitars 4 Vets
Food Bank of Nevada County
Know Overdose Nevada County
Comfort Keepers
SmarterBroadband
Kappel Mortgage Group
FREED
Citrus Heights Vet Center
Nevada County Library
Nevada county OES
California EDD

VSOLaurie StantonAugust 31, 2024vso

Your VSO - August

On Thursday, August 29, 2024, at the Grass Valley Veterans Memorial Building the Nevada County Veterans Services Office in collaboration with the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Oakland Regional Office and the Veteran’s Health Administration’s Mather Medical Clinic, will be hosting a “Veterans Health & Wellness Fair”. This event will be open from 11-4 and will provide an opportunity for veterans and family members to be educated on the benefits that they earned and the resources that are available to them.

The American Legion Auxiliary will be working hard to provide a lunch to the veterans in a show of appreciation for their service. In addition to veterans having access and information on how to access their VA benefits local nonprofit, county agencies, and other community-based organizations will be in attendance. Veterans will learn how to access mental health services through the Nevada County VSOs “Veterans Outreach & Wellness” program that connects veterans to individual therapy. Additionally, veterans will gain access to programs that help overcome the symptoms of PTSD through its Guitars 4 Vets program, partnership with Wooden Boats 4 Veterans, and another local non-profit Rec 4 Vets that keeps veterans active through wildlife gaming.

All veterans, family members, surviving spouses, and service providers and encouraged to attend to learn about the benefits that are available to veterans. Recent law changes have provided millions of veteran’s access to benefits that they were previously told that were not accessible to them.

VSOLaurie StantonAugust 2, 2024vso

Your VSO - July

VA Eases Access to Benefits for Under-Represented Veterans

On June 25, 2024, the VA posted a final rule amending its regulations regarding character of discharge determinations, which expanded access to VA care and benefits for some former service members who were discharged under other than honorable conditions or by special court-martial.

When former service members with other than honorable discharges and bad conduct discharges (adjudged at special court-martial) apply for VA benefits and services, the VA carefully review their records to determine if they can provide the veteran with the requested care and benefits. This process helps ensure that VA can provide services to deserving former service members – including certain individuals who faced discrimination, survived sexual assault or harassment, struggled with their mental or physical health, or faced other challenges while serving in the military.

VA’s new regulation will expand access to care and benefits for certain former service members by:

Eliminating the regulatory bar for “homosexual acts involving aggravating circumstances or other factors affecting the performance of duty” as a bar to benefits. While the VA had already taken steps to ensure full and fair access to benefits for former service members discharged based on homosexual conduct, gender identity, or HIV status, this move further solidifies VA’s commitment to reducing disparity for these groups in the adjudication process.
Creating a “compelling circumstances exception” for certain former service members: Meant for certain former service members discharged for “willful and persistent misconduct” or an “offense involving moral turpitude,” VA will now consider and determine if a compelling circumstances exception will permit VA to nonetheless provide care and services. Under this exception, VA will consider the former service member’s length and character of service, mental and cognitive impairment, physical health, combat-related hardship, whether the person was the survivor of sexual abuse/assault or discrimination, and more. This new exception creates a new path for VA to provide benefits and services to deserving former service members.
These changes open the door for previously denied service members to reapply: Because of these changes, former service members previously found ineligible for VA services may now be eligible for benefits and are encouraged to re-apply.

The Nevada County Veterans Services Office encourages former service members with other than honorable discharges and bad conduct discharges (adjudged at special court-martial) to come and visit our office for assistance with applying for VA care and benefits. Although the VA cannot change your discharge status, our office wants to assist these veterans with obtaining any health care or benefits that we can, and we will work with them every step of the way.

VSOLaurie StantonJune 29, 2024vso

Your VSO - June

Honoring Our Heroes: Support for Veterans Beyond Memorial Day

As we approach Memorial Day, we find ourselves amidst a moment of reflection, gratitude, and remembrance. For many, it’s a long weekend filled with barbecues and beach trips, but for those of us who have served, and for the families who have lost loved ones in service to our country, it holds a deeper significance—a solemn opportunity to honor the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. Read More…

VSOLaurie StantonMay 24, 2024vso, memorial day

Your VSO - May

On March 5, 2024, the VA announced that all veterans who were exposed to toxins while serving our country are eligible to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for VA benefits. Additionally, the VA has promised to use every tool at its disposal to ensure that as many of these veterans possible will make the decision to use VA as their healthcare.

This expansion of care means that all Veterans who served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Global War on Terror, or any other combat zone after 9/11 will be eligible to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for VA benefits. Additionally, Veterans who never deployed but were exposed to toxins or hazards while training or on active duty in the United States will also be eligible to enroll.

You might be asking why should I apply for VA health care? The answer is simple; the VA provides the best and most affordable health care for Veterans in America. Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care are proven to have better health outcomes than those who get their care elsewhere. And this year alone, VA has beaten non-VA hospitals in quality ratings and patient satisfaction ratings. Last, VA health care isn’t only the best option for Veterans – it’s often the most affordable – with copays as low as $0 for prescriptions, urgent care, outpatient care, and more for some Veterans at VA.

Don’t wait, if you were exposed to toxins while serving our country, please connect with your Nevada County Veterans Services Office for assistance applying for your VA healthcare.

Contact David West, Nevada County Veterans Service Officer, at (530) 265-1446 or david.west@nevadacountyca.gov. The Nevada County Veteran’s Services Office, located at 988 McCourtney Road in Grass Valley, is open from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

VSOLaurie StantonApril 26, 2024Nevada County Veteran’s Services OfficeVSO, 2024

Your VSO - March

Nevada County Veterans Services Officer David West Elected to Lead Statewide Organization

Nevada City – Nevada County Veterans Services Officer David West II has been elected president of the California Association of County Veterans Services Officers.

The association is an organization of professional veterans’ advocates that help get benefits and services for the state’s 1.3 million veterans. Today, 56 of California’s 58 counties have county veterans services officers who advocate for veterans as well as their survivors and dependents.

West, a former Marine sergeant who was homeless 2003-2004 and slept on friends’ couches or in cars, said one of his top priorities as president is to reduce the number of homeless veterans in the state. One-third of all homeless veterans live in California. “This is personal for me,” he said.

West’s other priorities are to reduce the number of veterans who are committing suicide (22 a day in the U.S.), to increase state funding for county veterans services officers, and to pass legislation protecting veterans from being charged for services that veterans services officers do for free.

West served in the United States Marines from 1996-2001. He was named Marine of the Year for the 3rd Force Service Support Group in 1999. He began advocating for veterans in 2007 while a student at Sierra College and helped develop a Veterans Resource Center at the Rocklin campus that became a model for other college campuses across the nation. He worked at the Oakland regional office of the Veterans Benefits Administration in Sacramento from 2008-2011.

After working for a time in the oil industry, he then became Nevada County’s veterans service officer in 2018.

West has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services (with honors) and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix. He and his wife Laura West, a family nurse practitioner, are raising two daughters.

VSOLaurie StantonFebruary 23, 2024Nevada County Veteran’s Services OfficeVSO, 2024

Your VSO - February

Last year, the Nevada County Veterans Services Office (NCVSO) solicited requests for proposals (RFP) from community health providers to partner with the NCVSO to provide free quality and confidential mental health services. Through an extensive and thorough process that included multiple county agencies and members from the veteran community, Sierra Family Therapy Center (SFTC) was chosen as the NCVSOs community partner.

With legislation on the March ballot that will dramatically impact how county behavioral health programs are funded, SFTC’s ability to diversify avenues for treatment was a highlight that was unduplicated. SFTC was chosen as our partner because of its of already working relationships with the Tri-West and CHAMPVA programs and its ability to bill Medicare, Medi-Cal, and other private insurance companies that allow for more veterans from our community to be seen. Additionally, these options allow for a veteran’s spouse and dependents to participate in treatment to better learn how to assist the veteran in times of stress.

Recently, SFTC became a member of the Veterans Health Administration Community Care Network. Wait times currently range around two to three months for an appointment at the VA’s Outpatient Clinic in Auburn. We are hoping to collaborate with VHA administrators to develop a process that allows for timely referrals for treatment from the NCVSO for treatment to Sierra Family Therapy Center. This partnership has started to attract attention from both the state and federal levels. The Veterans Outreach & Wellness Program (VOW) has become a model of what can be accomplished when combining state, federal, and local resources to provide mental health services in rural communities.

David West is the Nevada County Veterans Service Officer. Reach him at (530) 265-1446 or

david.west@co.nevada.ca.us. The Nevada County Veteran’s Services Office, 988 McCourtney Rd, Grass Valley, CA, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday

VSOLaurie StantonJanuary 22, 2024VSO, 2024

Your VSO - January

Many veterans view applying for public assistance as a handout and instead maintain focus on pursuing their claims for VA compensation or pension. However, what happens to a veteran who was not injured, does not have any conditions related to their service, and did not serve during a time of war? These veterans are still in need of assistance and at the Nevada County Veterans Services Office, we assist our veterans with applying for every benefit that is entitled to them. This means that veterans who are not eligible for VA benefits are still getting assistance with obtaining healthcare and overcoming food insecurity. Additionally, starting January 1, 2024, California will no longer be counting a veteran’s financial benefits from the VA as earned income when applying for Medi-Cal or CalFresh (food stamps) benefits. Previously, veterans who were receiving either VA compensation or pension payments had these benefits count as earned income and it often proved to be a barrier to overcoming food insecurity or accessing other healthcare programs that might be available through access to Medi-Cal benefits. With California no longer calculating a veteran’s financial benefits that have been earned as a result of his or her honorable service, more veterans will have every resource available to overcoming homelessness, food insecurity, and providing adequate care to our elderly veterans.

Contact David West, Nevada County Veterans Service Officer, at (530) 265-1446 or david.west@nevadacountyca.gov. The Nevada County Veteran’s Services Office, located at 988 McCourtney Road in Grass Valley, is open from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

VSOLaurie StantonJanuary 19, 2024VSO, 2024

Your VSO - David West

David West is the Nevada County Veterans Service Officer. Reach him at (530) 265-1446

To schedule an appointment with one of our accredited staff members at the Nevada County Veterans Services Office, call (530) 273-3396 or email David: david.west@co.nevada.ca.us.

The Nevada County Veteran’s Services Office, 988 McCourtney Rd, Grass Valley, CA, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday

Visit Nevada County Veterans Services to learn more about David, to connect with veteran’s services and read the latest Veterans News.

VSOLaurie StantonNovember 29, 2023VSO