National Military Family Assn. - Government and You E-News

Published February 22, 2008

1. Online Course for Educators of Military Children Available:
The first online course addressing the needs of military students is
currently available for registration through the University of Hawaii
at Manoa Outreach College. This ten week, three credit course is a
product of the Military Child Initiative at Johns Hopkins University.
The original author, Dr. Lynne Michael Blum, who wrote "Building
Resilient Kids", will instruct the course at the University of Hawaii
under the course name, "Field Studies in Educational Foundations EDEF
469."

This course addresses the message that military
students face special challenges of mobility and parental deployment
and how educators are uniquely positioned to help students overcome
their challenges with resilience. Course participants will increase
their skills of school connectedness, parent partnerships, and social
and emotional learning. The "look and feel" of the course is engaging
with learning games, case studies, and practical strategies and ideas.
The course features exemplary programs across the U.S. and video clips
of students, parents, teachers, counselors and administrators. The
course also features video lectures from leading university experts.
The course is accompanied by an extensive bibliography and resource
list.

How do you register? Go to http://www.outreach.hawaii.edu/myuh/quick_guide.asp,
click on the Outreach College Web page, click on Credit Courses, click
on Spring 2008 Extension and follow the links to register. Need
assistance? Call UH Outreach College at 808-9567221 or email the
instructor, Dr. Lynne Michael Blum at michael-blum@msn.com.

2. Illinois Launches Warrior Assistance Program:
The Illinois Warrior Assistance Program is a first in the nation
program that will screen returning Illinois National Guard members for
a traumatic brain injury (TBI) while offering TBI screening to all
Illinois veterans, and a 24-hour toll-free psychological helpline for
veterans suffering from symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD).

The Illinois Warrior Assistance Program
provides confidential assistance for Illinois veterans as they
transition back to their everyday lives after serving our country. Its
goal is to help service members and their families deal with the
emotional and psychological challenges they may be facing. The program
has three major parts:

First, it offers a 24-hour, toll-free helpline at 1-866-554-IWAP
(4927), which is staffed by health professionals to assist veterans,
day or night, with the symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD).

Second, it provides Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
screening to all interested Illinois veterans over the phone via the
helpline or through the State of Illinois Department of Veterans'
Affairs (IDVA) Veteran Service Officers (VSOs).

Third, it makes TBI screenings mandatory for all returning members of the Illinois Army National Guard and Air National Guard.

If a veteran has a positive screening for PTSD or TBI
and is uninsured or underinsured, he or she could be eligible for
additional diagnostic review and treatment for PTSD or TBI through the
Program. The hotline and the network of providers will be operated
through Magellan Health Services, Inc.

The Illinois Warrior Assistance Program is jointly
coordinated by the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, the
Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Governor's Office and
the Illinois Department of Military Affairs.

Services covered by the Illinois Warrior Assistance
Program include: referral to appropriate service provider; care
coordination; counseling; psychotherapy; prescriptions for behavioral
health pharmaceuticals; intensive outpatient services; and referral to
an IDVA Veteran Service Officer (VSO) to help the veteran apply for all
applicable state and federal benefits.

To be eligible for these services, a veteran must meet the following criteria:

Be a resident of the State of Illinois;

Be no more than 64 years of age, unless uninsured;

Have served for at least 180 days of duty after initial training;

Is not an inmate of a public institution;

Is not a resident of a nursing facility;

Does not have healthcare coverage or does not have
coverage for diagnostic review and treatment for PTSD or TBI included
in their healthcare coverage; and

Is not eligible for USVA services or is eligible for USVA services but such services or coverage is inaccessible because the:
- Nearest site providing necessary services is more than 75 miles from the veteran's home;
- Veteran does not have transportation to a covered provider; or
- Veteran must wait more than three months for an appointment with a covered provider.

Illinois veterans who do not meet the eligibility requirements will be referred to an appropriate source of follow-up care.

If
you are a veteran or service member suffering from symptoms associated
with PTSD, or if you think someone you care about may be experiencing
post-deployment stress or other combat-related emotional issues, call
the Illinois Warrior Assistance Program confidential 24-hour toll-free
helpline, 1-866-554-IWAP (4927) for more information and help. You can also visit http://www.illinoiswarrior.com/ for more information about the program.

3. TBI Compensation by the VA Questioned by Senators:
On February 4, 2008, the Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs
Committee, Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) and fellow majority Committee
members submitted a letter to the Director of Regulations Management
for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) urging the VA to improve
regulations proposed for compensating veterans for Traumatic Brain
Injury (TBI). According to the letter, the new rules must provide for a
fair evaluation of the veteran's disabilities. Under the current
regulations, compensation for symptoms attributable to TBI, such as
headaches, dizziness, or insomnia is limited to 10 percent and no more.
The VA has acknowledged this is an outdated rule; however, it has
remained in effect pending release of the new rules. The letter
requested VA to withdraw the outdated rule immediately. The Senators
also objected to the fact the proposed rule does not consider severity
or frequency of TBI symptoms, only the number of symptoms.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2008 included the provision for a TBI Center of Excellence. This new
Center will provide a rich environment for research and the development
of evidence-based treatment for TBI. The Senators called for the VA to
include an ending date in any adopted regulation to ensure the VA
reviews the TBI criteria on a more frequent basis; therefore, allowing
the VA to incorporate these new findings. The entire letter can be
read: http://veterans.senate.gov/public/media/Letterfeb508.pdf.

The VA's "Schedule for Rating Disabilities; Evaluation
of Residuals of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)" regulation can be found
at: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E7-25522.pdf. To view comments already submitted go to: http://www.regulations.gov/search/index.jsp and search: RIN 2900-AM75 Schedule for Rating Disabilities; Evaluation of Residuals of Traumatic Brain Injury.

4. DeCA Patron Council Rides Again:
After a nearly three year break, the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA)
has reconstituted the Patron Council and held its annual meeting last
week. DeCA Patron Council members represent active duty, Guard, Reserve
and retired service members and their families. The Council meets
annually to share views and recommendations. Members also work
throughout the year to provide commissary information to their
constituents. Council membership is comprised of people nominated as
official representatives of their respective Service or association and
selected by DeCA's director.

Acting Director and CEO, Rick Page, provided council
members with a comprehensive DeCA brief and shared plans for new
commissaries opening in FY 2008 and 2009. Randy Chandler, Sales
Director, shared an update on future trends and exciting new changes to
DeCA's product mix. Members were also introduced to the new "Green
Grocery Bag". These reusable cloth bags are currently available in
limited distribution at commissaries world wide. They have been so
popular DeCA's supplier has had difficulty meeting the demand. In
addition, DeCA is "Going Green" in a variety of other areas such as
recycling and promoting compact fluorescent light bulbs. The DeCA
Dietician, Major Karen Fauber, presented outreach programs designed to
encourage good nutrition and healthy choices. DeCA is also very focused
on outreach to traditionally underserved beneficiaries, those who do
not live near a commissary. Through commissary "road shows" DeCA is
working with the Guard and Reserve chiefs to identify locations for 100
sale events in 2008. Other programs like the "Virtual Commissary" also
extend the benefit beyond the installation.

Mr. Page began his brief with this quote from Vince
Lombardi, "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we
can catch excellence." As stated by Mr. Page, DeCA is not interested in
being "just good". Military patrons deserve excellence and DeCA strives
to provide it every day. If it's been awhile why not visit your local
commissary and rediscover this wonderful benefit. Complete details
about all of the exciting programs DeCA offers are available at their
website, http://www.commissaries.com/.
NMFA is proud to serve on the Patron Council. We welcome your feedback
and ideas regarding the Commissary benefit. Please contact Jessica
Perdew, Deputy Director of Government Relations at jessica.perdew@nmfa.org to share your views.

5. DoD Reserve Family Readiness Awards:
Thomas F. Hall, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs,
hosted the 2007 Department of Defense Reserve Family Readiness Awards
last week. First established in 2000, these awards recognize National
Guard and reserve units with the best family readiness programs.
Representatives from each of the seven reserve components were on hand
to receive a commemorative plaque from Secretary Hall. Each unit also
received a cash award from the Military Officers Association of America
(MOAA) to further their family support programs.

This year's winners were:

Air Force Reserve - 944th Mission Support Flight, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona;

Air National Guard - 144th Fighter Wing, Fresno, California;

Army National Guard - 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin;

Army Reserve - 108th Training Command, Charlotte, North Carolina;

Coast Guard Reserve - Port Security Unit 308, Gulfport, Mississippi;

Marine Corps Reserve - 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Chicago, Illinois; and

Navy Reserve - Naval Air Systems Command (NASC-6066), Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.

NMFA was pleased to attend and wishes to thank all the
volunteers and Family Readiness Coordinators for helping to strengthen
our reserve component families. (Source: DoD Office of the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs: http://www.defenselink.mil/advisories/advisory.aspx?advisoryid=2950)

6. NMFA Participates in APA Roundtable:
NMFA, along with the Iraq-Afghanistan Veterans Association, the
National Rural Health Association, the Department of Veterans Affairs,
Mental Health America and congressional staff, participated in a
roundtable discussion on the needs of military personnel, veterans, and
their families at the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) 5th
Annual Advocacy Day Program.

APA's theme for this year's program was "Improving
Access to Mental Health Systems of Care for America's Veterans, their
Families, and Other Underserved Groups." Panel participants and 100 APA
members discussed issues such as TRICARE, access to VA mental health
services for families, and mental health services for active duty
service members and veterans.

For more information on APA's efforts on behalf of veterans and their families go to Healthy Minds. Healthy Lives. at http://healthyminds.org/miaw2007.cfm.

7. Military Child Education Coalition Contests:
The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) is currently sponsoring
two separate contests. The first is to encourage the submission of
children's artwork, poems, short stories, and films. Selected
submissions will be featured in art exhibits at the MCEC 2008 Annual
Conference. Film entries will be considered for the "Reel Military"
Youth Film and Video Festival which is also scheduled to air during the
conference. Deadline for submissions are due no late than March 3.

The second contest sponsored by MCEC is for a
scholarship to attend Space Camp. The eight-day program, which is
designed to give young men and women firsthand experience in what it
takes to be an astronaut, is offered each year in Huntsville, Alabama.
The scholarship covers full tuition, round trip transportation to Space
Camp from the student's home base, meals, lodging, and program
materials.

Each student applicant must:

Be a child of an active duty military parent or activated Guard or Reservist;

Be enrolled in grades 6 through 9;

Submit hand-written essay which includes why he or
she should be selected, evidence of patriotism, future goals, community
service, and "after camp" intentions;