202896 VA planning, partnerships, and services addressing the healthcare needs of veterans released from state and federal prison

Tuesday, November 10, 2009: 9:15 AM

James F. McGuire, PhD , Office of Mental Health Services, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Los Angeles, CA
     
Using data collected in a national U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) prison reentry services program, this paper examines the 10 percent of State and federal inmates who are veterans of the U.S. military and their high rates of chronic and infectious diseases, serious psychiatric disorders, and social readjustment problems upon release. The presenter will review the development of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) prison reentry policy, reentry veteran eligibility for VA services, the range of VA benefits and services available to support veterans in their reentry challenges, non-VA governmental and community services needed by this population, the national network of VHA's Healthcare for Reentry Veterans (HCRV) Program Specialists, and interagency relationships that have been developed to address veteran reentry. VA's reentry healthcare service efforts have engaged over 7,000 reentry veterans from September, 2007 through December, 2008.

Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to: 1) describe how VA developed policy to serve reentry veterans 2) identify the health care needs of reentry veterans 3) list VA and non-VA services supporting veteran reentry process 4) identify VA reentry Specialists in his/her region of the U.S. to contact regarding veteran reentry

Keywords: Veterans' Health, Incarceration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I developed and now direct VA's national prison reentry program.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Public Health Implications of Prisoner Reentry: Research and Community Perspectives
See more of: Community Health Planning and Policy Development