This message was sent to ##Email##
|
|
|
|
Military Times
The combination of job losses, social isolation and mounting anxiety connected to the coronavirus pandemic could hit veterans especially hard in coming weeks and months, according to a new analysis by veterans advocates.
"COVID-19 could create a 'perfect storm' of developments that could threaten the mental health of many veterans," said Rajeev Ramchand, research fellow at the Bob Woodruff Foundation and author of the research paper.
READ MORE
CNN
The coronavirus pandemic is overwhelming, and one of the most excruciating parts for many people is the feeling of utter helplessness in the face of widespread suffering and hardship. Though staying inside and staying healthy are the most crucial ways to stave off this outbreak, CNN's Impact Your World has compiled a list of donation opportunities and tips to help those affected by the crisis.
READ MORE
| THIS WEEK'S POLL QUESTION |
Veterans' Pulse:
How has this pandemic affected it's impact on you or your personal contribution to society?
|
|
'Stress Levels' Results
In the March 31 issue of VAA Dispatch, we asked, "At what level are you experiencing higher emotional response to the COVID19 crisis?"
Here's how readers responded:
|
|
Task & Purpose
The Department of Veterans Affairs will not test non-veteran employees for COVID-19, including healthcare workers who are showing symptoms, an agency spokeswoman confirmed to Task & Purpose.
"Per federal law, VA cannot provide medical care to non-veterans," Christina Mandreucci, the VA press secretary, told Task & Purpose. "So if a non-veteran employee's screening indicates that they may have symptoms of COVID-19, they would be referred to their healthcare provider for testing."
READ MORE
TRICARE
As of March 31, all military treatment facilities and dental treatment facilities will postpone elective surgeries and procedures for 60 days, the Department of Defense announced today. The policy applies to all beneficiaries: active duty service members and their families, retirees, and Reserve and National Guard service members on active duty or a delayed effective date active-duty order.
READ MORE
Military Times
Since Veterans Affairs leaders reported the first death of a VA patient from coronavirus in mid-March, the number of positive cases — and fatalities — in the department's health system has risen dramatically. As of March 31, 1,347 patients in VA care have tested positive for the fast-spreading virus. That figure has tripled in the last six days. In addition, 47 patients have died from the illness, the majority of them in the last week. That represents a 42% increase from the 33 deaths announced earlier.
READ MORE
Military.com
The unemployment rate for all veterans rose to 4.1% in March, less than the national rate of 4.4% for the month, according to a report Thursday. However, the Labor Department cautioned that it reflects only the early effects of the novel coronavirus epidemic on the jobs market.
READ MORE
Stars and Stripes
The Army and Air Force Exchange Service is asking customers to pay with credit and debit cards, not cash, saying it will help protect people from the coronavirus.
Some stores might “"ransition to a cards-only environment" and others might not provide cash back and check-cashing transactions, the statement emailed to customers Wednesday said.
READ MORE
Military Times
Veterans Affairs officials have appealed a federal court ruling granting thousands of veterans an extra year of college tuition benefits, likely delaying final resolution on the issue for at least a few more months.
Department attorneys filed paperwork to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to consider the case of “BO vs Wilkie,” which centers around VA’s practice of making veterans relinquish their Montgomery GI Bill eligibility in order to receive Post-9/11 GI Bill payouts.
READ MORE
Todayville
No matter how strong you believe your mind is, or how open minded you feel you are, we all have limitations on what we can, and can not accept as true. The first step for increasing your capacity for uncomfortable information, is the self awareness that you do in fact have limits. Once you acknowledge this fact, you will be more aware of where your limits are, and when your mind is holding you back from seeing a situation clearly and fully.
The COVID19 situation is changing rapidly. The more certainty we have, the more we will be able to prepare ourselves both mentally, and physically for what's coming.
READ MORE
| VAA RESOURCES — JOB SEARCH, GRANTS, RESEARCH |
Get what you need with these resources available to veterans and family members.
|
|
|
|
 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063
|