Since Secretary Shinseki issued the call to transform VA into a high-performing organization for the 21st century, the Department has made great strides in the services it delivers to our nation's Veterans and their families.
By joining VA, you can be part of an organization that has achieved significant milestones on behalf of America's Veterans. A few highlights include:
- The Post-9/11 GI Bill: Educating the Next Generation of Veterans
As of July 2010, VA has issued over $3.9 billion in tuition, housing and stipends for 292,000 student Veterans or eligible family members pursuing higher education.
- VA Embarks on Historic 5-Year Plan: Ending Veteran Homelessness
VA's intense campaign to end Veteran homelessness in five years has secured broad support at federal, state and local levels in both the public and private sectors. As of March 2010, the number of Veterans who were homeless on a typical night dropped 18 percent (from 131,000 in 2008 to 107,000 in 2009).
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Mental Health for Veterans: Meeting Critical Needs
VA relaxed the requirement for proof of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) claims. VA also increased its mental health programs budget by $288 million and hired more than 1,000 additional mental health professionals to provide improved screenings and treatment. For Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), a new disability rating system was fielded to greatly improve how claims are evaluated.
- Leveraging Innovation and Technology: "Breaking the Back of the Back" of Disability Claims
VA launched an aggressive campaign to attack the claims backlog problem on multiple fronts, and has set an ambitious objective: By 2015, with a 98 percent accuracy decision rate in place, a Veteran will not wait more than 125 days for a decision on a claim.
- VA Advocates for Small Businesses and Veteran Employment: Hiring Veterans
The Secretaries of VA and Labor are co-chairing the first Intergovernmental Council on Veterans Employment, working with the Office of Personnel Management to reform federal hiring practices to expand Veteran employment opportunities. In 2009, VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment assisted over 8,000 disabled Veterans in obtaining and maintaining suitable jobs.