Welcome to the January edition of the newsletter for CRTS™ certificants!
Benefits Veterans May Overlook
The Department of Veterans Affairs is known for providing health services to those who have served in the military, but it offers a variety of other benefits that get much less attention and use.
About 23 million people have served in uniform in the United States, but just 9 million are interacting with VA services, so getting information to the larger community was the aim of a website revamp.
Volunteers Can Make a Big Difference for Veterans
David Edwards recalls how volunteering with veterans changed his late father’s life at a challenging time.
His dad — James Edwards, who died in 2009 — seemed happy enough during the first year following his retirement, the son recalls. His father played golf in the summer and did woodworking in the winter. But soon, it became clear that something was missing from his dad’s life.
Trump Aims to Stem Vet Suicides With Outreach, Community Grants
President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday aimed at stemming a persistently high number of veteran suicides, urging expanded outreach by awarding grants to community programs.
The order creates a Cabinet-level task force that will seek to develop a national road map for suicide prevention, bringing in state and local organizations to raise awareness among the high-risk group. It directs the task force led by Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie to complete a plan in 12 months.