DVNF. Just when you had all the Veterans outfits cataloged and tagged, out come a new one. What’s more, they are VA’s biggest fan. Check out this delicious news release where they positively gush over what a suuuuuuuuuuper job VA is doing for Vets now. Or is beginning to do. Or is gearing up to get ready to do. I quote:
“The Disabled Veterans National Foundation(DVNF), a non-profit organization that exists to help men and women who come home with emotional and physical wounds after serving our country, supports the Department of Veterans Affairs for its plan to significantly increase its staff of mental health workers.“
Huh? Well, let’s think about this. How many are opposed to the idea of increasing staff? Go ahead and weigh in with comments. I thought that was the province of all VSOs. I doubt anyone is adverse to the idea. How about this:
The VA announced April 19th that it would add 1,600 clinicians, including psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers and counselors, and about 300 support staff, in order to deal with a shortage that has become apparent as more veterans return home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The department’s current mental health staff is about 20,590.
There are 56 VAMCs next door to VAROs and some states have two or three. Dividing 1600 by 60 VAMCs says each one will get 26.6. Knowing VA, I expect each VAMC to get:
1 each- Psychiatrist(FNG) fresh from school.
1 each- Psychologist who is more insecure than those being treated
6 each- nurses to carry the water for the overwhelmed shrinks
12 each -social workers to keep track of all the new PTSD patients and try to figure out how to schedule the thousands of new appointments-all for about $47,000/yr.
6.6 each- counselors (part time only) for twice weekly evening Kumbaya sessions and the coffee Meet and Greet afterwards.
Vets should notice a remarkable difference in getting timely appointments after the endemic of suicides culls the herd. VA expects that will occur by 2015 to coincide with that new 125 day rule for getting an appointment just to see the new folks.
When they sound too good to be true, Goggle them! Not google. I mean put on the eye goggles and check them out.
asknod
Bethanie Spangenberg
kcraveiro
robinhoodesqvetsatty
Wesley McCauley
Veterans Claims Help 
What? No one is mentioning the “Vetcenter”
Well they even have mobile Vetcenters. Don’t forget to hire enough security for all of the mobile mental health workers now!
http://www.vetcenter.va.gov/
There are plenty of jobs for vets digging ditches and shoveling manure around here. I don’t believe they have to even pay minimum wage because they call it “Work Therapy”. What happens if a vet is too disabled to take advantage of this gift of Labor? “Whooops! Well Eric, looks like another dead chicken in the yard!”
This is the standard paternalistic approach to Vetdom. “We, the VA, know everything there is to know about Vets. Since we know it all, we’ll dispense assets as necessary predicated on need. Vets don’t know what they want or need so it’s a good thing we’re here for them. VA wants all Vets to receive the help they are entitled to but they must express a desire for it. We are not mind readers so we cannot extend outreach into the community without evidence of a verified need from Vets. By calling the 800-827-1000 number, Vets can access this valuable asset. Please bear with us if you encounter a two or three day delay in getting through to us. If you have immediate problems, problems between 1630 and 0800 hrs or on weekends, hang up, dial 911 and bug the local yokels. We are not geared up to deal with your problems after hours, so please be polite enough to plan your life crises accordingly.”