Current Government Framework for Veteran Care Inadequate for Service-Related Needs of America's Veterans, Say CNAS Experts

While
most veterans successfully transition out of uniform and into civilian life,
some recent veterans face service-related challenges. Both government
agencies and local communities should do more to ensure that these veterans
receive the care and services they need to reintegrate into civilian life,
argue two CNAS experts in Well
After Service: Veteran Reintegration and American Communities,
released today by CNAS.

Authors
Nancy Berglass, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, and Dr. Margaret Harrell, Senior
Fellow and Director of the CNAS Joining Forces Initiative, write that
"There is no current infrastructure to facilitate partnerships between
federal agencies and the capable veteran-serving organizations in American
communities, leaving veterans vulnerable to significant pitfalls in the
military-to-civilian transition." The authors begin with a new definition
of veteran wellness that differs from the concepts of military or civilian
wellness, identify the best practices of community-based veteran reintegration
models and offer concrete recommendations for how the Department of Defense,
Department of Veterans Affairs and community-based organizations can work
together to close this gap and support a successful transition for America's
veterans. Download
Well After Service: Veteran Reintegration and American
Communities.

CNAS also
released today Investing in
the Best: How to Support the Nonprofits that Serve Veterans, Service Members
and Their Families by Nancy Berglass. "For those veterans and
their families who need support, a broad range of nonprofit organizations
stands ready to help. Yet, donors who wish to support the most effective
organizations that help meet the needs of veterans and the military community
face a staggering array of choices," Berglass states. To address this
concern, the author provides criteria for both public and private donors to
determine which organizations that serve veterans are worthy of investment. Download
Investing in the Best: How to Support the Nonprofits that
Serve Veterans, Service Members and Their Families.

CNAS is an
independent, nonpartisan partner with the White House for Joining Forces, a
comprehensive national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society to support
U.S. service members, veterans and their families.  These reports
represent part of the research conducted for CNAS' Joining Forces project
within the Center's Military, Veterans and Society Program and are released
today on the first anniversary of the White House's Joining Forces initiative.



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and PDF format.

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The
Center
for a New American Security (CNAS) is an independent
and nonpartisan research institution that develops strong, pragmatic and
principled national security and defense policies. CNAS leads efforts to help
inform and prepare the national security leaders of today and tomorrow.