On July 16, Americans will be able to call or text a new phone number - 988 - if they are experiencing a mental health crisis and/or are at risk of suicide. The three-digit number will replace the 10-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is currently 800-273-8255. The switch to 988 is due to the passage of the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, which former president Trump signed into law in October 2020.
The VA is encouraging veterans to apply for a discharge upgrade
Veterans with an other than honorable discharge have a way to obtain VA benefits they are eligible for. Applying for a discharge upgrade can make you
eligible for VA disability benefits. Mike Frueh, Veterans Benefits Administration deputy undersecretary for benefits, said veterans can apply for a formal upgrade to their Department of Defense character of discharge on their DD-214. "In all cases, we want veterans to come and let us adjudicate whether they are eligible or not," Frueh said. "When we do adjudicate, in the past 10 years, our average rate is 72 percent where we say yes, you are eligible for VA services."
Back and neck injuries are common in the military because of the extremely physical nature of the work service members do. The VA rates back and neck
injuries and diseases by how much the spine is affected and the severity of movement loss. Veterans can also receive disability benefits by providing evidence their back or neck injury caused another condition.
VA reaching out to veterans and builders in effort to award more adapted housing grants
Federal officials want to fix more disabled veterans' homes, but they first need more construction experts and more projects to work on. The VA handed out more than 2,300 Specially Adapted Housing grants last year, a record number for the program. The
SAH program awards grants to veterans and service members with severe service-connected disabilities, to allow them to make home adjustments so they can live more independently.
Did you live or work at Camp Lejeune before 1987 and have a health condition? You may soon be allowed to take legal action and seek a financial settlement from the government. The bill is expected to pass Congress by early next week, and then it will head to President Biden's desk for a final
signature into law.
