We continued the fight to improve the lives of all veterans and their families!
With the challenging backdrop of a global pandemic, IAVA relaunched our Rapid Response Referral Program as Quick Reaction Force (QRF) with the increased capacity to handle the needs of veterans in crisis.
In response to the critical need for tailored support in this time of crisis, IAVA accelerated the launch of our revamped high-tech, high-touch, comprehensive care management program, the Quick Reaction Force (QRF). We have designed this service to provide veterans and their families with assistance on all issues that touch their lives.
QRF builds off of IAVA’s flagship Rapid Response Referral Program (RRRP) which, in its seven years of activation, connected over 10,000 veterans to critical resources. The revamped QRF focuses on long-term engagement on an individual basis to ensure immediate support is provided and veterans access the benefits and resources they’ve earned for long-term success.
IAVA celebrated the enactment of the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act (S. 2661), which designates 9-8-8 as the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline.
The new law helps ensure that individuals and families, including veterans, experiencing mental health distress are able to easily access help and resources. It was signed into law on October 17, 2020.
IAVA did not allow veterans to “fall through the cracks”, even in a global pandemic! The COVID Education Bill, passed into law on March 21, 2020, allowed GI Bill students to still receive their full BAH benefit (Basic Allowance for Housing) while attending school remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Senate unanimously passed the Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act (H.R. 7105) on December 9, 2020. This large veteran legislation package includes numerous bipartisan bills to help veterans, including the Deborah Sampson Act, the cornerstone of IAVA’s #SheWhoBorneTheBattle campaign. With the President’s signature on January 5, 2021, the provisions of this landmark legislation became law, helping to close the healthcare gaps that women veterans are currently facing at the VA and ensuring all veterans receive the care they earned by their service.
IAVA worked closely with legislators and fought hard to pass the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019. This vital legislation includes much-needed updates related to transition assistance, mental health care, care for women veterans, and telehealth care. It was signed into law on October 17, 2020.
IAVA CEO, Jeremy Butler, testified in front of a joint session of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees on March 3. Jeremy discussed IAVA’s Big Six priorities, the results of our latest Annual Member Survey, and the importance of immediate action to ensure veterans’ needs are addressed. His testimony can be found here.
IAVA Launches 10th Annual Member Survey
In addition, IAVA launched its 10th Annual Membership Survey on March 4. If you weren’t able to make it to our launch reception, you can check it out here.
