Veterans' Resources

Retirement Shared Service Office
Human Resources Operations Office (HROO) (106A6)
Workforce Management and Consulting (106A)
Veterans Health Administration
US Department of Veterans Affairs
Phone: 866-330-7366 |Email: VHARSSO@VA.GOV

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HOPE Florida

Hope Florida, an initiative spearheaded by First Lady Casey DeSantis, uses Hope Navigators to guide Florida veterans on an individualized path to prosperity and economic self-sufficiency by focusing on community collaboration, nonprofits, and government entities.

These experts work hand-in-hand with veterans to identify their unique barriers to success and engage all sectors of the community to break down traditional silos, maximizing support and uncovering opportunities.

Click the PDF file below to read more!

HOPE FL Flyer.pdf (954.01 KB)

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Veteran Homelessness

If you are a Veteran who is experiencing homelessness or at risk for homelessness, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838). Visit the VA Homeless Programs website to learn about housing initiatives and other programs for Veterans exiting homelessness.

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Military Exposures & Your Health

To learn more on the VA's Exposure Ed app, Complex Exposure Threats Center (CETC), and / or the War-Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) click the link below.

https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/publications/military-exposures/meyh-11/index.asp

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Frivolous Claims

Frivolous claims create backlog in the claims and appeals process. Frivolous claims, in nature, are not statutory or factual. It isn’t uncommon for our service officers to receive frivolous claims from individuals and groups that can’t be supported by law, evidence, or facts.

Thank you to our service officers that continue to do a good job in representing the veterans in District Three despite receiving faulty, frivolous claims and appeals.

If you’re interested in reading more, please read 38 CFR 14.633: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/14.633

BOTTOM LINE: To avoid conflict and assist veterans, the best pathway is to submit a FULLY DEVELOPED CLAIM and provide all pertinent information up front.

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Are you using all of your VA benefits? Learn more about the VA's complete benefits package for Veterans.

Veterans Benefits at 30% Disability: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozZ1O0eAmOU

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The Caregiving Through the Holidays Guide is the Caregiver Support Program’s (CSP) December 2023 Resource of the Month. Read below to learn more.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Caregiver Support Program (CSP) presents the Caregiving Through the Holidays Guide to help caregivers care for themselves this holiday season. The guide offers tools tolimit stress during the holidays and may be suitable for caregivers who:

Want budgeting tips.
Desire guidance on how to practice self-care and make time for themselves.
Would like to learn more about the resources available to caregivers and Veterans.

Learn more about the Caregiving Through the Holidays Guide by reading this one-pager and visiting CSP’s website.

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Veterans are the targets of many types of fraud including mail, telephone, and online fraud. The VA takes fraud allegations and the security of Veterans' information seriously. We need to do our part to protect our veterans and our community by providing them with helpful resources.

In the recent video by the VA Secretary, he shared information on the VSAFE initiative. It's full of useful information to share with our veterans and hopefully protect them from being taken advantage of by scammers.

CLICK HERE: https://www.va.gov/initiatives/protecting-veterans-from-fraud/

While we continue to raise awareness about "claim sharks" scamming veterans as unaccredited representatives, the VA Secretary spoke out in a YouTube video.

CLICK HERE: https://youtu.be/SyQhYZgvUzA?si=KVQy-nxkuJahB69T

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The VA now covers the cost of Parkinson’s care for the family members of Veterans who served at Camp Lejeune. Click below to learn more:

https://news.va.gov/press-room/parkinsons-family-of-veterans-served-camp-lejeune/

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My HealtheVet is VA’s private and secure online patient portal for Veterans, active duty service

members, and their dependents and caregivers. Its online resources and tools offer you greater control over your health and wellness.

Below are five reasons to sign up for a My HealtheVet Premium account.

Access More of Your Health Records: As a Premium user, you can view key portions of your VA electronic health records, use the VA Blue Button feature to access your VA Health Summary, and view VA Medical Images and Reports.
Send Secure Messages to Your VA Care Team: With My HealtheVet Secure Messaging, you can send secure messages to your VA care team members and other VA staff. You can ask non-urgent health-related questions, update them on your condition, request referrals, medication renewals, and check on appointments.
Manage Your VA Appointments: You can view and cancel upcoming appointments, request new appointments, join video appointments, and look up appointments from the past two years using your My HealtheVet Premium account.
View Your Military Service Information: You can use the VA Blue Button feature to view your U.S. Department of Defense Military Service Information. This includes service and deployment dates, military occupational specialty codes, and pay and retirement information.
Protect Your Account With More Security: My HealtheVet Premium accounts feature updated security protection.

If you are still hesitant to sign up for My HealtheVet, consider an additional reason: the ability to communicate about your non-emergent health care and needs without having to call. This saves Veterans a lot of time and frustration.

There are currently two types of MyHealtheVet accounts: Basic and Premium. If you are already signed up for MyHealtheVet, check the icon that appears next to your name on the MyHealtheVet website. If you have a if you have a “P” icon next to your name , you already have a Premium account. If you have a “B” icon, you can sign up for a Premium account by following the steps below:

From the My HealtheVet login page, log in to your Advanced account using a sign-in partner (DS Logon Premium or ID.me).

Select Upgrade Now.
Check the box verifying that you are the owner of the My HealtheVet account and select Continue.
Check the box accepting the My HealtheVet Terms and Conditions and select Continue.

If you do not have a MyhealtheVet account, register here or scan the QR code located above.

For technical assistance, call the My HealtheVet Help Desk toll-free at 877-327-0022 or 800-877-8339 (TTY) Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Central time.

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For 24/7 counsel, call the National Veteran Crisis Hotline at 988, Press 1. You may also call the Florida Veterans Support Line at 1-844-MyFLVet (1-844-693-5838) or dial 211.

For additional crisis/hotlines, please click this URL: https://floridavets.org/resources/

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Respite Care Information:

Learn more about respite care in a new resource for caregivers. Take a look at this useful document here.

Useful Resources:

The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs (FDVA) has rolled out a new Veteran ID Card for veterans who are 100% permanent and totally disabled and reside in Florida. The ID not only provides basic veteran information, but also provides critical phone numbers for veterans in crisis, and contact information to file a claim or receive benefits assistance. Veterans can go to their nearest FDVA service office supported by a supervisor, to receive assistance with obtaining the ID card.

Learn more about new Veteran ID Cards through FDVA here.

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Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care

A Homemaker or Home Health Aide is a trained person who can come to a Veteran's home and help them take care of themselves and their daily activities. Homemakers and Home Health Aides are not nurses, but they are supervised by a registered nurse who will help assess the Veteran's daily living needs.

Learn more about home health aide care here.

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Veteran-Directed Care

Veteran-Directed Care gives Veterans of all ages the opportunity to receive the Home and Community Services they need in a consumer-directed way.

Veteran-Directed Care is for Veterans who need assistance with activities of daily living (e.g., bathing and getting dressed) or instrumental activities of daily living (e.g., fixing meals); are isolated, or their caregiver is experiencing burden.

Learn more about Veteran-Directed Care here.

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Accessing Veterans’ records from the National Archives or National Personnel Records Center

The National Archives in St. Louis, MO, is the official repository of millions of records for all military personnel—from all service branches—who served during the late 19th and 20th century.

A request for a military personnel record, archival or non-archival, should include:

The Veteran’s complete name used in service
Service number
Branch of service
Date and place of birth
Dates of service

Learn more about veterans' records requests here.

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Emergency Suicide Care For Veterans

Veterans in suicidal crisis can go to any health care facility, at VA or in the community, for emergency health care – including ambulance transportation and related prescriptions – inpatient or crisis residential care for up to 30 days and crisis-related outpatient care for up to 90 days at no out-of-pocket cost.

Learn more about emergency suicide care for veterans here.

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VA Elder Options

Elderly Veterans may be eligible for a wide-variety of benefits available to all U.S. military Veterans. VA benefits include disability compensation, pension, education and training, health care, home loans, insurance, Veteran Readiness and Employment, and burial.

Contact 1-800-262-2243 with questions pertaining to VA Elder Options.

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VA Prescription Refills

Watch this short video to learn more about the new, fast way to refill your VA prescriptions with VA's mobile app.

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Top 10 Veteran Resources in 2022

What were the Top 10 resources in VA's weekly Vet Resources newsletter in 2022? Leading the list were free lifetime U.S. National Park passes for Veterans and Gold Star families, Veteran discounts on hundreds of services and a record pay increase of 8.7% for Veterans receiving VA compensation benefits.

View full list here.

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VISN 8 Clinical Contact Center

Veterans who receive care in the network can call 1-877-741-3400 around the clock to get their health questions or concerns answered from the comfort and convenience of their home, or wherever they may be.

For more information, visitvisn8.va.gov.

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VA Urgent Care Program

The VA offers urgent care services to eligible Veterans at VA medical facilities or at in‑network urgent care clinics.

Use VA’s urgent care benefit to treat minor injuries and illnesses that are not life-threatening, such as colds, strep throat, sprained muscles, and skin and ear infections.

For more information, visit va.gov.

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Free Legal Advice & Counsel For Veterans

The Governor’s Initiative on Lawyers Assisting Warriors (GI LAW) draws from the talent of Florida’s leading law firms to provide pro bono services for military members. There are discussions to expand this service to veterans in the future.

For more information, visit www.enterpriseflorida.com.

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State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP)

Florida Housing administers the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program (SHIP), which provides funds to local governments as an incentive to create partnerships that produce and preserve affordable homeownership and multifamily housing. The program was designed to serve very low, low and moderate income families.

For more information, visit floridahousing.org.

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State Veterans' Homes

The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs operates eight skilled nursing facilities and one assisted living facility. All facilities are licensed by the Agency for Health Care Administration and inspected annually by AHCA and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The homes are supervised round the clock by registered and licensed nurses. Under the IRS tax code, monetary donations to specific state veterans’ homes are tax deductible.

For more information, visit floridavets.org.

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PACT Act Scam Information

Scammers are taking advantage of new opportunities to commit fraud. There’s been an increase in PACT Act-related phishing (email), vishing (phone), and social media scams targeting Veterans to access their PACT Act benefits or submit claims on their behalf.

Veterans should be cautious of anyone who guarantees a lucrative financial benefit or service. To report suspected fraudulent activity, please contact at vaoighotline@va.gov or call 1-800-488-8244.

Learn how you can protect yourself against new scams by clicking on the PDF below.

PACTActScamInfo.pdf (322.46 KB)

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DFAS Military Service Earnings/Buy Back Estimator

To help you make a decision on whether or not you would like to buy back your military service time, use the new Military Service Earnings/Buy Back Estimator tool. This tool will project your estimated earnings and the estimated cost of buying back your military service time.

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Emergency Treatment Reporting for Veterans

During a medical or mental health emergency, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) encourages Veterans to seek immediate medical attention without delay. Veterans do not need to check with VA before calling for an ambulance or going to an emergency department. In most instances, eligible Veterans are able to receive VA-authorized emergency care at an in-network facility if VA is notified of the emergent event within 72 hours of the start of the care.

You can learn more about reporting emergency treatments to the VA by clicking the PDF below.

ReportingCareFactSheet.pdf (57.05 KB)

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Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services

This benefit provides medically necessary improvements and structural alterations to Veterans/Servicemembers’ primary residence. Click the link above to learn more about eligibility, benefit amounts, the application process, and more.

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VA Sunshine Healthcare Network

The VISN 8 Clinical Contact Center is a service of the VA Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8) - providing 24/7, virtual care and support to Veterans enrolled for VA Health Care in Florida, South Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Veterans who receive care in the network can call 1-877-741-3400 around the clock to get their health questions or concerns answered from the comfort and convenience of their home, or wherever they may be.

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Check The Status Of Your NPRC Records Request

If you are a veteran and have your NPRC Records Request Number, you can check the status of your records request by clicking the link above.

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VA Debt Management

Get answers to common questions about managing debt related to VA disability compensation, non-service-connected pension, and education benefits. Learn why you may owe us money and how to check your balance, and find out how to repay your debt now or request help with payments.

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VA Benefit & Compensation Rates

The amount of basic benefit paid ranges, depending on how disabled you are. VA makes a determination about the severity of your disability based on the evidence you submit as part of your claim, or that VA obtains from your military records.

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VA Medical Center in Gainesville

The Gainesville Fisher House Foundation and the Veterans Services Committee of the Rotary Club of Gainesville work to provide safe, comfortable and affordable housing for families of Veterans being treated at the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center (Gainesville, Florida).

352-548-6492
(Mon - Fri, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET)

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National Call Center for Homeless Veterans
Promotes recovery-oriented care for Veterans who are homeless or at risk for homelessness

1-877-424-3838
(Mon - Fri, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. ET)

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Quit Vet
Offers tobacco cessation counseling in English and Spanish

1-855-784-8838
(Mon - Fri, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. ET)

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Veterans Crisis Line
Provides a free, confidential way for anyone in crisis to connect with caring, qualified responder

988 and press 1
or Text 38255
or Chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.
(24/7)

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War Vet Call Center
Provides a place for combat Veterans and their families can call to talk about their military experience or any other issue they are facing in their readjustment to civilian life

1-877-927-8387
(24/7)

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Women Veterans Call Center
Provides women Veterans, their families, and caregivers information about VA services and resources

1-855-829-6636
(Mon - Fri, 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. ET)
(Sat, 8 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. ET)

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Real Warriors
Promotes a culture of support for psychological health by encouraging the military community to reach out for help whether coping with the daily stresses of military life, or concerns like depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

1-866-966-1020
(24/7)

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Caregiver Support
Offers training, educational resources, and multiple tools to help caregivers in their role of promoting the health of Veterans.

1-855-260-3274
(Mon - Fri, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. ET)

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Coaching Into Care
Provides education, support, and empowerment to family members and friends who are seeking care or services for a Veteran.

1-888-823-7458
(Mon - Fri, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. ET)

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United Way 211 Services

211 services.pdf (444.54 KB)