Maui County Veterans Council
Wailuku, Maui, HI.
 July 10, 2008

House Committee on Veterans Affairs
Attn: Ms. Orfa Torres

Dear Committee members:

On March 31, 2008 the Maui County Veterans Council presented Dr. Richard MacDonald, Voc Rehab Counselor, with the “President’s Award” for having significantly improved the quality of lives of more than 250 of our most severely psychiatrically and physically disabled Vietnam, Korean and World War II veterans.   Dr. MacDonald attributes these remarkable results to the close collaboration he has with our Maui CBOC treatment professionals and the unique and profound effectiveness of the Independent Living Program {ILP}.  In fact, the entire Maui CBOC healthcare staff, VA and veteran communities on Maui, Molokai and Lanai fully endorse and utilize the IL services provided by Dr. MacDonald.  This is because, in addition to Clinic provided therapy and medications, these IL, services have been so effectively providing veterans the means they needed to better utilize their time, skills and interests to help and share with other people.  In this way, the IL Program transforms these hard-to-reach veteran’s lives, formerly characterized by profound depression, isolation, and lack of purpose, into active, meaningful and socially connected lives.  These amazing results benefit the veterans, their families, communities, and the VA in terms of reduced treatment costs over time.

Given this use of the Independent Living Program {ILP} services to these special needs veterans has been utilized far more extensively in Maui County than elsewhere, they have undergone several Site Surveys by VACO Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment {VR&E} staff, including the last one two months ago.  Dr. MacDonald states that these surveys have resulted in better assurance that IL services are provided here within the scope, guidelines and intent of the Chapter 31 Program.  However, these actions have also resulted larger numbers of veterans awaiting these services.  Nevertheless, Dr. MacDonald is doing the best he can to expedite these services.

As noted, the Maui County Veterans Council is promoting this unique utilization of IL services for these special needs veterans because they have proven to be so critically effective and sustaining to them.  However, given IL, services are need-based, there should be no CAP on the number of veterans who receive them in a year.  We also wish to note that Dr. MacDonald, as the sole provider of Chapter 31 services here, provides our veterans with VR&E employment services as well as IL services.  Nonetheless, the demand for IL services here remains extraordinarily high because we have such a high percentage of older vets living here still suffering from PTSD who are applying and benefiting from these services.

Lastly, even though we acknowledge our nation’s highest priority is to serve OIF/OEF veterans, we cannot ascribe a lesser priority to serving our older veterans especially knowing how essential these ILP services are in concert with VHA assistance to unlocking the potential of these special needs veterans to live out the remainder of their lives with a restored sense of purpose, family, social and community connection.

Thank you all for what you do for Veterans.  God Bless the United States of America and its Veterans.

Respectfully submitted,

Rogelio G. Evangelista
President