Nov 3, 2011 - The Veterans Affairs Department is expanding the number of benefits coordinators specifically assigned to help female veterans file claims, and is assigning more women to handle claims related to sexual trauma for both men and women, as part of new outreach efforts.The changes were announced Thursday by Allison Hickey, VA’s undersecretary for benefits and a retired Air Force brigadier general who remains in close contact with current and former military women.
Hickey said the changes should come as part of a transformation over the next 12 to 18 months that will see more claims being automated, freeing up people who used to handle paper to provide more personal help.
Both male and female victims of sexual assault and rape in the military requested more female claims processors, she said.
The population of female veterans — 1.8 million and growing — has been underserved in part because they don’t seek the help, Hickey said. She called them “vanishing veterans” who don’t know about or don’t seek out the help they need from VA and other resources.
“Women tend not to identify themselves as veterans,” Hickey said, so VA is “reaching out to tell them they have every right to stand up and be counted as veterans.” read more>>>
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