NYC Department of Veterans' Services (DVS)
February 2019 Newsletter
DVS' monthly newsletter will share information about DVS programs and initiatives, upcoming and recent events, and news affecting NYC veterans and their families. To recommend content or find more information, please connect with us at www.nyc.gov/vets, on social media @nycveterans, or via email at press@veterans.nyc.gov.
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February's VAB Meeting Postponed
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City of New York Veterans Advisory Board Meeting
Veterans Future Lab 87 35th Street Suite 2A
Tuesday, March 12 | 6pm – 8:00pm
The City of New York's Veterans Advisory Board (VAB) meeting originally scheduled for Tuesday, February 12th has been cancelled due to a winter weather advisory. Reschedule date is Tuesday, March 12. Time and location remain the same.
VAB meetings are open to all community members including service members, veterans of any service era or discharge status, spouses, partners, family members, and supporters. No RSVP required.
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Highlight: Spring '19 Student Veterans Welcome
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DVS updated its Veterans on Campus-NYC Welcome Packet for the Spring 2019 semester. Included in the packet is information on:
- Mentoring: Career & post-military service mentors
- GI Bill: Forever GI Bill, benefits, and eligibility
- Housing: Affordable housing and official documentation for BAH income
- CLEP Exams: Exam summary, incentives, VA reimbursement
- VetConnectNYC: Overview of the network
- IDNYC: Veterans designation and its benefits
- DVS: Overview of the agency, our programs & initiatives
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Highlight: DVS Launches Podcast
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DVS launched its brand new podcast in January. SITREP: The DVS Podcast is a bi-weekly show that aims to inform and inspire by telling the stories of New York City veterans, military families, and community supporters. Guest interviews feature candid conversations with DVS staff, constituents, and community partners about their trials & triumphs, motivations for service, and the things they'd like all New Yorkers to know.
Subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts . Stream or download directly from our website: nyc.gov/vets/podcast
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DVS Public Engagement in January
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SVA #NatCon2019
Director of Partnerships Cassandra Alvarez attended Student Veterans of America's annual conference where she met with veteran scholars and school administrators to share best practices for supporting student veterans.
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WeWork x Bunker Labs Graduation
DVS Deputy Commissioner Roth spoke at Bunker Labs Veterans in Residence graduation where the latest cohort of veteran entrepreneurs presented business ideas and received certificates for completing their residencies.
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Veterans Employment Pay For Success Panel
DVS Director of Partnerships Cassandra Alvarez spoke on a panel with fellow community partners about the City's first-ever social impact bond project offering employment opportunities to veterans with service-connected PTSD.
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Veterans on Campus NYC Spring Convening
DVS hosted the first Veterans on Campus convening of 2019. The team welcomed students and staff from New York City schools to discuss best practices and opportunities to collaborate in the new year.
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NYFA: Medal of Honor
DVS Commissioner Sutton participated in Q&A alongside Medal of Honor recipient Col. Jack Jacobs. The two spoke about their experiences and answered questions following the New York Film Academy's screening of the Netflix docu-series, Medal of Honor. Read all about it here.
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Featured Events & Resources
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SUNY Veterans & Military Services: Building Military Cultural Competence
SUNY Maritime College 6 Pennyfield Avenue Bronx, NY 10465
Thursday February 14 | 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
SUNY, SVA, & NYS Health Foundation have joined efforts to bring you this training which serves to promote military cultural competence in higher education.
Intended for professionals working in campus medical/health, counseling, career, or disability services Other professionals interested in learning more about working with military-affiliated students. For more details and RSVP, click HERE
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SAGEVets: End of Life Forum
SAGE Center Midtown 305 Seventh Ave 15th Floor New York, NY 10001
February 21 | 6:15pm - 7:45pm
SAGEVets hosts this veterans’ End-of-Life Forum where you'll learn about survivors & burial benefits and end of life planning. In order to receive pre-determination on VA benefits, participants should bring a DD-214.
To RSVP email astewart@sageusa.org or call 212.741.2247 (ext. 138)
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SPECIAL ELECTION: NYC Public Advocate
Your Local Polling Place
Tuesday February 26 | 6:00 am – 9:00 pm
New York City is holding a special election for its next Public Advocate. The post is one of three citywide elected officials and is the next in line of succession to the Mayor. The Public Advocate ensures City government is responsive to the needs of all New Yorkers.
There are over 16 candidates running so be sure to do your homework before heading to the polls. This special voter guide from the NYC Veterans Alliance is a good place to start to learn where 10 of the candidates stand on issues facing the military & veterans community.
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For a complete calendar of upcoming events, check out OurVeterans.NYC
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Judge Orders Pentagon To Stop Discriminating Against Naturalized Citizen Soldiers
NPR
A federal judge in Seattle has ordered the Defense Department to stop discriminating against naturalized citizens who volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army under a program to attract certain immigrants with specialized skills.
Death rates, bedsores, ER wait times: Where every VA hospital lags or leads other medical care
USA Today
A USA TODAY analysis of Veterans Affairs data provides the broadest picture of how each of 146 VA medical centers compares with non-VA care.
The Parking Lot Suicides
Washington Post
Veterans are taking their own lives on VA hospital campuses, a desperate form of protest against a system that they feel hasn’t helped them.
As a Woman Serving Alongside Green Berets, I Had No Problem Keeping Up. It Wasn’t Enough.
NYT: At War
Army veteran Jackie Munn illustrates a fundamental point about women serving at the frontlines in our military: the problem isn’t an inability to do the job, it’s others unwillingness to accept them as equal partners.
Embattled VA Health Care System May Merge With Pentagon’s
Bloomberg Government
The Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs may be considering merging parts of their two health care programs in a move that could alter how about 19 million military personnel, retirees, dependents and veterans receive care.
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DVS in Your Borough
Connect with DVS without ever leaving your borough! Hours and locations below:
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Brooklyn: Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 9 Bond Street, 5th floor: Mon & Wed 10-2pm
Bronx: Bronx County Building, 851 Grand Concourse, Room 209: Tue - Thu 10-2pm
Manhattan: Manhattan Borough President's Office, 431 W 125th Street: Mon & Fri 10-2pm
Queens: Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Blvd, Room 222: Tue - Thu 10-2pm
Staten Island: Staten Island Borough Hall, 10 Richmond Terrace, Rm G-15: Tue-Wed 10am-2pm
College of Staten Island, 2800 Victory Boulevard Campus Center, Rm 216:
Mon-Thu 10-2pm
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