Department of Veterans Affairs: Strategic Plan

1
Department of Veterans Affairs Strategic Plan

• Bruce F. Nelson, Ph.D.
• Veterans Integrated Service Network, Upstate New
  York
• Behavioral Health Careline

2
VA Organizational Mission

• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was
  established on March 15, 1989, succeeding the
  Veterans Administration.
• It is responsible for providing federal
  benefits to veterans and their families.
• Headed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, VA
  is the second largest of the 15 Cabinet
  departments and operates nationwide programs for
  health care, financial assistance and burial
  benefits.

3
VA Programs Benefits

• Compensation and Pension
• Education and Training
• Medical Care
• Research
• Home Loan Assistance
• Insurance
• Vocational Services
• Cemetery and Burial Services

4
VA Budget

• VA's fiscal year 2007 spending is projected to
  be over 80 billion, including 34.9 billion for
  health care, 41.5 billion for benefits, and
  160.7 million for the national cemetery system.
  
• President Bush sought 87 billion in the fiscal
  year 2008 budget for VA, a 77 percent increase
  during his presidency.

5
VA Demographics

• Of the 24 million veterans currently alive,
  nearly three-quarters served during a war or an
  official period of conflict.
• About a quarter of the nation's population,
  approximately 74.5 million people, are
  potentially eligible for VA benefits and services
  because they are veterans, family members or
  survivors of veterans.

6
VA Demographics

• Of the 24 million veterans currently alive,
  7.5 are women.
• There are 37 million dependents (spouses and
  dependent children) of living veterans and
  survivors of deceased veterans.
• Together, they represent 20 of the U.S.
  population.

7
VA Demographics

• Older
• 49 over age 65
• Greatest growth in VISN 2 of any age growth
  (34) over 85
• Sicker
• Compared to Age-Matched Americans
• - 3 Additional Non-Mental Health Diagnoses
• - 1 Additional Mental Health Diagnosis

8
VA Demographics

• Poorer
• 70 with annual incomes lt 26,000
• 40 with annual incomes lt 16,000
• Changing Demographics
• 7.5 female overall
• - Females 22.5 of outpatients less than 50
  years of age

9
VA OEF/OIF Statistics

• 48 are Active Duty, 52 are Reserve/National
  Guard
• 88 are men, 12 are women
• 65 Army, 12 Air Force, 12 Navy, 12 Marine

10
VA OEF/OIF Statistics

• 24 were deployed multiple times
• 52, largest age group, is 20-29 years old
• 65 of those who filed disability claims
  received service-connected disability
  compensation award

11
Mental Health Strategic Plan

• Implements the Presidents New Freedom Commission
  Report on Mental Health
• 242 Recommendations
• Six Factors
• - Access and Capacity
• - Integrated Mental Health and Primary care
• - Recovery Transformation
• - Evidence-Based Practices
• - Returning Veterans
• - Suicide Prevention
• Mental Health Enhancement Funding was provided to
  facilitate full implementation of the MHSP

12
Targeted Needs

• Meeting the needs of Special Populations
• - Mental Health
• - Poly-trauma Rehabilitation
• - Spinal Cord Injury Disease
• Frail Elderly
• Returning Veterans

13
VHA Polytrauma System of Care

• 4 Comprehensive Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers
  (PRC), formerly VHA TBI Centers
• - Hunter Holmes McGuire, Richmond, VA
• - James A. Haley, Tampa, FL
• - Minneapolis VAMC, Minneapolis, MN
• - Palo Alto VAMC, Palo Alto, CA
• 21 Polytrauma Network Sites (PNS)
• Serves the life-long specialized rehabilitation
  needs of polytrauma patients through
• - Comprehensive inter-disciplinary rehabilitation
  services
• - Coordination of care and case Management
• - Polytrauma Telehealth Network
• - Education for providers and families

14
Mental Health Strategic Plan

• Additional implementation emphases with emerging
  importance
• Promote a Psychosocial Rehabilitation and
  Recovery focused care approach in existing as
  well as new programs
• Develop and implement Collaborative Models to
  Integrate Mental Health and Primary Care
• - Develop and implement evidence-based Mental
  Health practices

15
Mental Health Strategic Plan

• Initial implementation emphases Closing Gaps in
  MH and Substance Abuse Treatment
• - Homelessness
• - Substance abuse
• - PTSD
• - OEF/OIF veterans
• - Seriously Mentally Ill (Psychosocial-
  Rehabilitation programs Mental Health Intensive
  Case Management programs)
• - Compensated Work Therapy Supported Employment
• - MH in CBOCs
• - Telemental Health

16
Total Mental Health FTEE
17
Veterans Integrated Service Network 2 Specifics

• 115 FTEEs awarded since FY05 including
• expanding PTSD programs,
• MST,
• Substance Abuse,
• Integrated Primary Care,
• MHICM,
• PRRC,
• peer supports,
• Suicide Prevention Coordinator,
• Local Recovery Coordinator,
• HBPC psychologists and NHCU
• care coordination and telepsychiatry

18
VISN 2 Special Projects/resources

• Suicide Hotline
• Center of Excellence
• Center for Integrated Healthcare

19
VISN 2 Statistics Market Penetration FY07

• Station Total Users Total Vet
• Albany 32,281 135,576 24
• Bath 12,253 31,134 39
• Buffalo 40,410 114,547 35
• Can 17,606 66,755 26
• Syracuse 38,784 130,032 30
• ________________________________________
• VISN 141,334 478,044 30

20
Community-based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) in your
Area

• Auburn 315-255-7143
• Binghamton 607-772-9100
• Carthage 315-493-4188
• Cortland 607-662-1517
• Massena 315-769-4253
• Oswego 315-343-1246
• Rome 315-334-7171

21
Community-based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC)

• Primary Care services
• Behavioral Health services
• Smoking cessation
• Laboratory services
• Weight reduction programming
• Prescriptions

22
VISN 2 Statistics FY07 Market Penetration by
County

• County Total Users Total Vet
• Broome 3,368 15,986 21
• Cayuga 1,701 7,013 24
• Cortland 1,204 3,602 33
• Jefferson 3,146 11,541 27
• Lewis 648 2,478 26
• __________________________________________________
  ___

23
VISN 2 Statistics FY07 Market Penetration by
County

• County Total Users Total Vet ___
• Madison 1,258 5,588 23
• Oneida 4,785 20,448 23
• Onondaga 10,555 31,743 33
• Oswego 3,130 10,808 29
• __________________________________________________
  ___

24

• Questions