Mr. Chairman, Congressman Teague, my name is John Garcia. I’m the Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services and a past president of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans’ Affairs (NASDVA). I am honored to present my views and those of my fellow State Directors of Veterans’ Affairs from all fifty States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  With me today are my department’s Veterans’ Service Officer from the southern New Mexico Region: Mr. Dalton Boyd, from our Hobbs office, Mr. J.R. Turner and Ms. Virginia Bell from our Las Cruces offices, Mr. Reggie Price from Silver City, Mr. Tony Woodard from Alamogordo. Also joining me is Mr.  Armando Amador, who is a member of the State’s Veterans’ Advisory Panel.

State governments and State Departments of Veterans’ Services are vital partners with the federal VA in delivering services.  We are the second largest provider of services to veterans and our roles continue to grow. Collectively, States contribute more than $5 billion each year in support of our nation’s veterans and their families even in the face of constrained budgets.  Our duties include honoring and working with all veterans and the various veterans’ organizations both within our States and nationally.

I applaud the cultural change at federal VA in recognizing the importance partnerships between the VA and State Departments or Commissions of Veterans Affairs…and the concerned, compassionate leadership demonstrated by Secretary Shinseki and his senior leaders. On a daily basis, State Directors and their staffs are confronted with unique situations in caring for all veterans, which often needs to be addressed in a timely manner.  Delivery of meaningful services and support many times is best orchestrated at the local level.  Our offices, veterans’ services organizations and facilities along with federal VA facilities blanket the country.  

FUNDING FOR VA

The New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services appreciates the efforts of the Administration and Congress to improve overall funding for health care, homeless veterans programs, community clinics, and claims processing.  Increases in VA funding, as reflected in the FY2010 and FY2011 budgets, provides a 20% increase over FY2009.  The budgeting change for an advanced appropriation for FY2012 will provide for continuity of programming and services.

We are serving a new generation of veterans from eight years of war who must receive medical care, establishment of benefits and needed assistance transitioning to civilian life after their dedicated service.  This funding support by Congress will provide the wherewithal to address four major areas of emphasis: 

• First, the overall access to VA. In essence, VA should be the provider of choice for veterans;
• Second, reducing the backlog in claims processing;
• Third, the stated goal by Secretary Shinseki of eliminating homelessness among veterans. 
• And Fourth, the critical demand for mental health services, especially to deal with veterans diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). These services need continued funding and focus. 

• Likewise, there should be increased funding to veterans’ healthcare in rural areas and veteran-owned businesses through SBA.

OUTREACH AND TRANSITION

The New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services supports continued efforts to reach out to veterans.  I firmly believe all veterans, regardless of where they reside, should have equal access to federal and State benefits and services, and that federal and State governments must collaborate to achieve this goal nationally.  Many areas of the country are still short-changed due to veterans’ lack of information and awareness of their benefits.  This directly impacts their access to VA services.  The VA and State departments of Veterans’ Affairs must work together to reduce this inequity by reaching out to veterans regarding their earned benefits.  My department supports implementation of a grant program that would allow the VA to partner with the States to perform outreach at the local level. 

VETERANS’ HEALTHCARE BENEFITS AND SERVICES

I and all other State Directors of Veterans’ Affairs actively support increasing veterans’ access to VA Healthcare.  This involves being engaged with the VA Medical Centers on establishing and locating additional Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) (including Tribal Reservations)  with mental health services, expansion of Vet Centers, the creation of Veteran Wellness Centers, the deployment of mobile health clinics, and the use of tele-health services and innovative wellness treatment programs for veterans diagnosed with PTSD where appropriate.  We applaud the efforts by VA to address the particular issue of healthcare for women veterans and veterans residing in rural areas. Future healthcare funding to expand outreach and access will have to include tele-health, tele-home health and tele-medicine. Likewise, we support VA contracting-out some specialty care to private-sector facilities where access is difficult. 

VA Research and Development needs to focus on enhancing the long-term health and well-being of the veteran population particularly the new conditions such as Gulf War Syndrome, PTSD, and the effects of TBI.  Attention must still be given to the continued funding support of the large capital projects identified and recommended by CARES while maintaining VHA’s infrastructure of 153 hospitals, 951 CBOCs, and 232 Vet Centers.

The New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services fully agrees and supports the efforts by VA and DoD in developing the seamless integration of electronic health records and recommends further integration of electronic health records between the VA and SDVA.  DoD should develop a formal program that would provide State veterans’ affairs departments with the names of returning service members in order for States to connect veterans to all federal and State benefits and services.  We support initiatives to ensure that all of our wounded warriors who suffer from TBI and PTSD have access to the most advanced and current treatment options available regardless of their military status.  There should be expanded screening for PTSD among all combat veterans.  We share the concern about the mental health of service personnel, especially the number of suicides and long-term effects of PTSD.   We appreciate the proactive steps such as the suicide hotline and the role by all agencies in addressing the underlying causes for suicide.  We also fully support the concept of Veterans’ Wellness Centers and its use of alternative treatments as another choice for treating veterans diagnosed with PTSD.

The New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services suggests an in-depth examination of long-term care, mental health services, and Wellness Treatment to include gap analysis clearly identifying where services are lacking.  Any study should include consultation with SDVA.  State Veterans’ Homes (SVH) are a critical component of long-term healthcare for veterans and a model of cost-efficient partnership between federal and State governments.  State Veterans’ Homes bear over half of the national long-term healthcare workload for our infirm and aging veteran population.  The federal government should continue to fulfill its important commitment to the States and ultimately to the individual veterans in need of this care.  We recommend that the VA pay States a more equitable per diem rate representing 50 percent of the States’ average costs, as allowed by law.

The New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services strongly recommends that the VA review the regulations and ensure that their implementation of Public Law 109-461 (Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006) does not threaten the future of State Veterans Homes and their continued ability to meet the needs of our veterans.  Sufficient funding of at least $100M for the SVH Construction Grant and Per Diem Program is essential to keep the existing backlog of projects from growing to further unacceptable levels.  VA should develop a strategic plan for long-term care services that maximizes the role of State veterans’ homes in providing care for our nation’s veterans.  The success of VA’s efforts to meet the current and future long-term care needs of veterans is contingent upon resolving the current mismatch between demand and available funding.  The SVH program is the most cost effective nursing care alternative.   

And my department supports full reimbursement for care in State Veterans Homes for veterans who have a 70% or more service-connected disability or who require nursing home care because of a service-connected disability.  There are two very important issues to implement this reimbursement:  first, there needs to be a clear definition and understanding for the calculation of the “full cost of care”, and second, the Congressional legislation needs to allow States to bill Medicare and Medicaid.

COMPENSATION AND PENSION BENEFITS

The New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services recommends a greater role for State departments of veterans’ affairs in the overall effort to manage and administer claims processing, regardless of whether the State uses State Employees, nationally chartered Veterans Service Organizations (VSO) and/or County Veterans Service Officers.  Collectively, we have the capacity and capability to assist the Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA).   Additionally, a collaborative effort should take place on the establishment of standards for training, testing, accrediting, and recertifying Veterans’ Service Officers to include continuing education and performance standards. We can support VA in their “duty to assist” without diminishing our role as the veterans’ advocate. 

HOMELESSNESS AMONG VETERANS

The New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services applauds the initiative by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Shinseki for establishing a goal to end homelessness among veterans within five years and encourage the VA to partner with SDVA.  Programs should address the barriers to homeless veterans e.g., medical issues (mental and physical), legal issues, limited job skills, and work history.  We appreciate the increased funding for specialized homeless programs such as Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem, Health Care for Homeless Veterans, Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans, and Compensated Work Therapy, and the New Mexico Veterans Integration Center.  It is vital to continue VA’s partnership with community organizations to provide transitional housing and the VA/HUD partnership with public housing authorities to provide permanent housing for veterans and their families.   There should be official coordination between the VA Program Office for homeless veterans and State Veterans’ Affairs Departments for grant applications and awards to organizations within their respective State for homeless veterans.  This would assist in fiscal accountability and local oversight of the services provided.

And my department also supports efforts to diminish the national disgrace of homelessness among veterans.  We applaud the permanent authority for the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program and the proposed authorization to increase annual spending to $130M.  SDVAs would prefer per diem funds for homeless veterans pass through the State to non-profit organizations, ensuring greater coordination.

CONCLUSION

Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the committees, I respect the important work that you are doing to improve support to veterans who answered the call to serve our great country.  As a representative of all State Directors of Veterans’ Affairs department, I remain dedicated to doing our part, and urge you to be mindful of the increasing financial challenge that States face, just as you address the fiscal challenges at the federal level.  I would like to emphasize again, that the New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services is a partner with VA in the delivery of services and care to our nation’s patriots. 

This concludes my statement and I stand ready to respond to your questions.