Department of Veterans’ Affairs
At a Glance
DR. LINDA SPOONSTER SCHWARTZ Major, USAF (Ret.), Commissioner
Charles Williams, HMCM (SS), USN (Ret.), Chief of
Staff
Established - 1986
Statutory authority - CGS Chapter 506 Sec: 27-103-27-137
Central office - 287 West
Street,
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
Number of full-time employees - 282
Recurring operating expenses - $34,105,549
Federal Reimbursement
Recovered for State General Fund 2005-06 - $31,000,000
Mission
Connecticut has the distinction of
being the first State in the Nation to offer shelter and support for soldiers
of war, their widows and orphans. This tradition harkens back to1863 when
Mr. Benjamin Fitch, a wealthy Connecticut businessman, promised soldiers recruited
for Connecticut Regiments serving in the Civil War that he would care for them
should they be injured during their military service and care for the families
of soldiers killed in the war. This
promise led to the establishment of the Fitch Home for Veterans in Darien,
which was incorporated by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1864. With each succeeding period of war, new
generations of veterans presented unique needs and hardships, which required
the development of a comprehensive system of health care, social and
rehabilitative services. In order to
better serve these and future generations of veterans, the Connecticut General
Assembly created the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in 1987. The mission
of the Department is “serving those who served” by assessing the problems of
veterans as they emerge and developing resources which address these
needs. The Connecticut Department of
Veterans’ Affairs is charged by Statute with furnishing information, counsel
and assistance regarding provisions of federal, state and local laws affording
financial rights, privileges and benefits to Connecticut residents who are and
have been members of the Armed Forces of the United States.
Organization
The Commissioner
is appointed by the Governor and is responsible for the administration of the
Department. The Commissioner is
specifically tasked with assisting veterans, their spouses, eligible dependents
and family members in the preparation, presentation, proof and establishment of
such claims, privileges, rights and other benefits accruing to them under
federal, state and local laws, disseminating information and assisting eligible
individuals to access these services and programs which include but are not
limited to: educational, training, employment and reemployment programs; health
care and rehabilitation programs; housing services, home loans, and burial
benefits. The Commissioner of Veterans’
Affairs also oversees development of an agency-wide long range plan; the review
of all appeals and final decisions made by veterans regarding adverse decisions
affecting benefits to veterans participating in state programs; the enforcement
of all regulations and procedures enacted in accordance with the provisions of
General Statutes Chapters 54 and 506.
Within the Department there are four
distinct organizational offices:
Office of the Commissioner
The Office of the Commissioner is tasked with administrative authority
for the Department; outreach to veterans and community agencies; liaisons with
legislature, statutory and legislative authorities and veteran service
organizations; assessment of the efficiency of programs and evaluation and
development of new initiatives to better serve the 310,000 Connecticut’s
veterans and their families.
Office of Advocacy and Assistance
The Office
of Advocacy and Assistance (OA&A) is responsible for assisting veterans and
their families in accessing benefits and entitlements. Veterans Service Officers, accredited by the
US Department of Veterans’ Affairs, assist veterans and their families with
documentation and filing of claims for disability and/or compensation. Staff offices are located in each of the five
Congressional Districts (Bridgeport, Waterbury, West Haven, Newington and
Norwich). Additional coverage throughout
the state is provided on a rotating basis at 11 satellite office
locations. Veterans Service Officers
also conduct interviews in the nursing homes or hospitals throughout the state
to determine the number of veterans admitted and ascertain which benefits these
veterans are currently receiving and/or entitled to receive. These offices literally served hundreds of
veterans seeking assistance and make it more convenient for them to visit,
rather than traveling a long distance to the nearest District Office.
Since its inception, the
OA&A unit has brought more than $44.5M into the state in the form of new or
increased federal veterans’ benefits to Connecticut veterans and their
families. In fiscal year 05/06, the
Office of Advocacy and Assistance reviewed the eligibility status of an
additional 1,800 veterans and/or dependents of veterans in the state’s 333
nursing homes. These benefits have
provided a direct savings to the state where the clients are Medicaid
recipients and in other cases served to delay the time when clients may be
forced to rely on state funded services. Since OA&A was first staffed in
1988, ten editions of A Guide to Benefits for Connecticut Veterans
have been published and distributed.
This guide has been in great demand throughout the state. The last guide was revised in May of 2005.
Connecticut
Veterans’ Home at Rocky Hill-Healthcare Facility
The Healthcare Facility provides long-term
healthcare and rehabilitation services to veterans with chronic and disabling
medical conditions. The healthcare
facility is licensed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and
approved by the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs for 160 chronic disease beds.
The Healthcare Services Administrator, medical team, nursing department
and substance abuse program team provide comprehensive and quality services to
improve every aspect of care for each veteran served. In addition to medicine and nursing,
specialty areas include physical, occupational, speech, and recreational therapy,
laboratory, cardiopulmonary, dental, pharmacy and social work.
The
programs and services provided in the healthcare facility include: general
medical care, Alzheimer’s and related dementia care, hospice care, palliative
care, long-term care, short-term rehabilitation, respite care, and substance
abuse treatment program. The Department
of Veterans’ Affairs Healthcare Facility offers a progressive continuum of
healthcare, social and rehabilitative services dedicated to excellence. This program has adopted a rehabilitative
model of care based on a definition developed by the noted Connecticut nurse
theorist, Virginia A. Henderson: “To assist the individual, sick or well, in
the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery or
to a peaceful death that they would perform unaided if they had the strength,
the will or knowledge. And, to do so in
such a way as to help them gain independence as rapidly as possible.”
Professional services provided by staff are augmented by community specialists,
as well as, networking with federal VA and major area hospitals when
appropriate.
The Healthcare Services Facility also
offers a residential Veterans Recovery Program with a capacity to serve 80
veterans and is available to any veteran residing in any of the residential
facilities at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs that meet the eligibility
criteria. Veterans who are serious about
their recovery from drug and/or alcohol addictions receive a concentrated
program of treatment, work opportunities and community service. A Clinical Psychologist and Substance Abuse
Counselors staff this program. The
program is three (3) months of intensive substance abuse recovery programs
followed by nine (9) months of additional residential support. The Recovery
Program also offers the Three Quarter house which has the capacity for 11
veterans. To be considered for residence in the Three Quarter house, the
veteran must have successfully completed the full year of recovery and meet
other criteria. These veterans are expected to be gainfully employed or in
school, anticipating discharge in the community having completed the year in
the house, and hold active mentoring roles for veterans entering the VRC
program.
Residential
and Rehabilitative Services
The
Residential and Rehabilitative Services Program features the Veterans’
Improvement Program (VIP). A unique
feature of the Home is our residential program for low income and homeless
veterans. In addition to
fulfilling basic human needs such as clothing, food and shelter, veterans have
access to Social and Vocational Counselors and Case Managers, who specifically
tailor a program of educational and employment opportunities. This
residential program provides veterans with a continuum of rehabilitation
designed to ultimately, return them to independent living in the
community. Emphasis is directed toward
developing an individualized rehabilitative plan which addresses a veteran’s
goals. The components of the program
include room and board, substance abuse treatment, patient work program, an
interagency work experience program, vocational testing and counseling
services, social work services, transitional living program, an alternative
living program, and various educational programs. The average daily census for 2005/06 was 351
veterans.
Connecticut State Cemetery System
The Connecticut
State Cemetery System consists of three state cemeteries: Col. Raymond Gates
Cemetery located in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, State Veterans’ Cemetery located
in Middletown, and Spring Grove Cemetery located in Darien, which was closed
for internment in 1964. From July 1,
2005, to June 30, 2006, no burial allowances were paid. Installation costs for federal headstones for
3,700 veterans were $249,995. The state
Veterans’ Cemetery in Middletown was completed in the fall of 1985. From December 2, 1985, through June 30, 2006,
there have been 7,532 interments.
Improvements/Achievements 2005-06
The
Commissioner of Veterans’ Affairs implemented a comprehensive, wide-ranging
effort to upgrade safety and security problems, and to improve the general
condition of the Rocky Hill facility.
Accordingly, there have been numerous improvements to programs,
operations and equipment, and a renewed emphasis has been placed on enforcing
existing laws and regulations. With the
assistance of the Department of Information Technology, a new interactive
website was developed, www.ct.gov/ctva, which has become a center for all veteran
information in the state.
Ongoing
projects include: replacement of a three-way high voltage switch gear;
replacement of the elevator cylinder in the West Domicile; replacement and
repair of all fire doors on the complex; and air conditioning of residential
domicile areas.
The Office of Advocacy and Assistance (OA&A) provides advice,
assistance and formal representation to the state’s 310,000 veterans, as well
as the approximately 10,000 presently deployed Connecticut residents in
military service and their dependents, in obtaining comprehensive rights,
benefits and privileges to which they may be entitled under law. This year OA&A serviced 2,200 walk-in
veterans and/or dependents; answered over 3,500 telephone inquiries; acquired
1,400 new clients and filed 1,800 new claims.
Special outreach included 100 community visits, 65 benefit fairs,
seminars, and six briefings for CT Guard and Reserve Units returning from
Iraq. This resulted in over $3.2M in new
income and benefits to Connecticut veterans and their families.
The
Department worked extensively with the General Assembly on legislative
initiatives for veterans and provided briefings to the Legislature and the
Select Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on services and programs provided by the
Department and the federal budget implications for Connecticut veterans. The Department participated in the design,
production and distribution of the Veterans’ Wartime Service Medal. Legislation was passed tasking the Department
with creating and maintaining a Connecticut State Veterans’ Registry. To date, over 6,500 veterans have
enrolled. In concert with Executive
Order No. 5, the Commissioner assisted with the development and implementation
of the criteria for the CT Veterans’ Hall of Fame which was inaugurated in
November 2005.
The Department has enhanced its efforts to maximize revenues with new programs and initiatives including the healthcare facility’s participation in the Medicaid Recovery Program. This effort has contributed an additional $93,142,928.36 in new net state revenue in the last ten fiscal years ending June 2006. The agency’s total net revenues for FY 05/06 were approximately $31,100,000. These efforts have further enhanced the capability of the Department to provide high quality long-term care and rehabilitative services at a low cost to Connecticut taxpayers.
The
Department hosted the Women Veterans Annual Reunion on March 17, 2006 featured
200 women veterans with programs, educational presentations and services aimed
at outreach to Connecticut’s women veteran population.
An
invaluable contribution was made to the Department by volunteers from nearly
280 veterans and service organizations and more than 150 schools and
educational institutions. Literally thousands of volunteers contributed more
than 25,000 hours in on-site and off-grounds events with veterans in residence
from July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006.
Cash donations, totaling more than $440,245.59 funded designated
projects and regularly scheduled entertainment and activities.
2005
marked the return of Stand Down, which is a statewide outreach to homeless and
needy veterans, to the grounds of the Veterans’ Home in Rocky Hill. Over 45 agencies, 160 volunteers and 501
veterans attended. CT Cares Stand Down
2006 is in the planning phase for September 2006.
Reducing Waste
During the
2005/2006 Fiscal Year an aggressive program was instituted to identify excess
property and equipment and dispose of them in accordance with Department of
Administrative Services’ policy. The
Department implemented a plan for consolidation of inventory and control of
resources. Additionally, monitoring of
the budget resulted in identification of many cost-reducing activities such as,
use of generic drugs, reduction in the utilization of outside professional
services and staffing over time payments.
We instituted an Assisted Living project to support veterans with levels
of independence and conservation of professional staff time. All contracts were reviewed and amended to be
more consistent with actual needs of veterans at Rocky Hill.
The
Department works with the Federal Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), VA CT
Healthcare System, in Connecticut medical centers and the Office of Policy and
Management to ensure that the combined limited resources available to the
state’s veterans are utilized in the most efficient manner possible and to the
fullest potential benefit of Connecticut’s veterans.
Strategic Planning
The
Connecticut Department of Veterans’ Affairs is committed to continuing cost
effective initiatives that will expand the extent and variety of quality
services delivered to all Connecticut veterans.
During fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, planning continued for major
Life Safety renovations to our domiciles and the construction of a 125-bed
nursing facility. The Department of
Public Works (DPW) assisted our agency with the proper process to carry out
those two projects. The services of
Moser, Pilon, Nelson Architects of Wethersfield were engaged for the design of
the new facility. Thirty-five percent
plans were submitted in accordance with federal requirements by July 15,
2005. The federal VA will provide the
agency with a total of $20,299,500 which is two-thirds of the cost of this
project. These projects are currently
underway.
Federally
Funded Construction Projects
New Adult Heath Care Facility
This project is a new 87,000 square foot
building with 125 beds. There will be 25
single rooms and 50 two-person rooms.
Ground was broken for this facility on July 13, 2006 with a completion
date of January 4, 2008. Cost of this
facility will be $33,823,838. The
federal VA will contribute $21,985,495 and the state will be contributing
$11,838,343. PDS Engineering & Construction,
Inc of Bloomfield, CT is the primary General Contractor.
Life Safety General Renovations, replacement of the
Water Loop System
This project is a new water loop system
around the existing campus that will tie in all buildings housing veterans. Ground was broken for this project on July
10, 2006 with a completion date of July 9, 2007. Cost of this project will be $4,600,000. The federal VA will contribute $2,990,000 and
the state will be contributing $1,610,000.
Mather Corporation of Bloomfield, CT is the primary General Contractor.
State Funded Construction Projects
Infrastructure Improvements, Elevator Repair
This project is to overhaul an existing
elevator in building 2, I-wing, to allow easy access for patients traveling
from the Health Care Facility to the Residential Facility. Approximate cost for this project is
$264,000. Money for this project will
come out of Capital Improvement Funds and has not yet been bonded.
Fire Safety Code Improvements to East and West
Domicile Buildings Doors
This project is to replace over 260 fire
doors and frames in the existing Domicile living facility. Approximate cost for this project is
$471,170. This project has been bonded
and the start date is August 1, 2006 with 120 days to finish. Mazzarella Builders, Inc, of Kensington, CT
is the primary General Contractor.
Upgrade of existing Electrical Distribution System
This project is to replace the switching
gear in the Residential Facility and upgrade the distribution of electrical
power in the power plant. Approximate
cost for this project is $225,000. This
project needs to be bonded and a contract awarded.
Agency Administrated Projects
There are numerous other agency
administrated projects on going on the campus from upgrading the lighting,
lowering the ceilings, replacing the floor tiles, replacing windows, upgrading
the heating, and painting in the Residential Facility.
Future Projects
Construction of a new 25 foot by 48 foot
Greenhouse to be located at the facility.
This will be purchased with donated money for that purpose.
Construction of a new therapeutic and
aquatic pool to be collocated with the new Health Care Facility. The therapeutic and aquatic pool will be
donated and the agency will provide the money to construct the building to
support the pools. At this time DPW is
working on a feasibility study for this project.
Continue to upgrade the buildings on the
grounds according to the agency’s Master Plan.
This will include such items as roofs, gutters, windows, etc.
The
Department continuously reviews all programs.
Specific items of review include goals achievement, staffing
requirements, equipment needs and resource utilization. The Commissioner has tasked each manager to
prioritize existing programs, assess specific needs and resources and insure
the most economical utilization of available resources. Managers will also monitor their own budget
allocations on a monthly basis and make adjustments to conform to the
Department’s budgetary allocations.
Information Reported as Required by
State Statute
Veterans
requesting care from the Department must be residents of the State of
Connecticut at the time of application.
A veteran must have been discharged with other than a dishonorable
discharge and be a current resident of the State of Connecticut. Application for admission may be requested in
advance. Fact sheets detailing admission
requirements are available along with a general information booklet, or consult
our website at www.ct.gov/ctva.