Did you know that after veterans
have served in the military,
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have been honorably discharged,
and file claims for injuries
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sustained during
active duty, it may take years
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before they are
awarded the compensation
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to which they are
entitled. If you are a veteran
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or you know one, you won't
want to miss today's program...
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My name is Yvonne
Lewis and you're watching
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Urban Report...
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Hello and
welcome to Urban Report
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Many, many veterans
are homeless, unemployed,
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and living with
untreated disabilities
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due to the backlog of
more than 900 claims...
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it currently takes more
than a year for a veteran
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to receive a response from the
VA relative to their claim filed
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and usually... the response
is simply asking for additional
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information... My
guest today is Anna Towns,
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a United States Veterans
Administration accredited
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attorney.. that's a long title.
She's going to tell us more
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about this disservice...
Welcome to Urban Report Anna
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Thank you... it's such a
pleasure to be here... Yvonne...
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AT... that's what I call you,
AT... I have to tell our viewers
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that you and I go way, way back,
I met you, when I was an intern,
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you were already a
Social Worker and I was an
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intern... getting my
Master's in Social Work,
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and I met you at
my internship site...
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Yes... And we
became fast friends
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I found out that you
sang... AT has a lovely voice...
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Are you still singing AT?
Yes... of course, of course...
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...and then I was in
this group The Futuristics...
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and then... I left and I asked
them to bring you into the group
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then... you and I sang together
with them for a while...
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and then... I had to leave...
That was a wonderful experience!
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I know... I know... it's amazing
we go back a long time...
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We won't say how long ago...
but... it's been a long time...
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and now... you're an attorney...
doing this wonderful work...
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tell us about what you're doing.
Well, Yvonne, what I'm doing now
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is actually
representing veterans in their
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service-connected disabilities
and their requests for
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compensation for
their disabilities...
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and this is quite a challenging
area as you indicated
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in the opening...
there is such a backlog of
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VA cases that are
pending now, in fact, I think,
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the statistic is that as of this
month is more than a million...
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however, that does not even
account for all of the veterans
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who are suffering with
disabilities and are not even
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yet in the system...
My... more than a million?
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More than a million,
pending, VA claim cases...
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Yes... as of this month...
So AT, when the veterans
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come home... and they apply...
they have to wait for almost a
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year... even sometimes...
to find out that they need
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additional information
sent... is that true?
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Yes... when veterans come
home, particularly those with
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known disabilities... of
course PTSD is one of the
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main ones or many other
disabilities that they may have,
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that may have been determined
or diagnosed while they were
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in the military, thereafter, or
even a couple years after that
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when they come home
and learn that they are
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suffering from a disability...
then, they go to their regional
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office and make an application,
and that's when the wait begins.
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It could take a year...
usually, upon your initial
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application... the VA will
immediately inform the veteran
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that it will be within a
year that that they will receive
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a decision on their
case... and sometimes,
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it's longer than
that as you indicated...
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when they then receive
their documentation from the VA
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regarding that claim, after a
year, it generally is asking for
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additional information... My!...
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And then the veteran is
given a year to respond...
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and again... when
they submit the response,
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the VA is again... so
you can see that the whole
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process could be years
before the veteran actually
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receives a
decision on their claim.
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And so, in the meantime,
that veteran is without
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assistance... correct?
Yes! very definitely...
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many of them are homeless,
many of them, of course,
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turn to drugs and
of course you know,
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with the veterans...
there's a high rate of suicide..
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so... it's such a critical
area that, I think, has just not
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gotten the focus that it
needs, of course, you know,
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I am glad to say that the
President has really made this..
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one of his top priorities...
to make certain that veterans
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receive the services that
they need... but it seems that
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there is
something... in the system...
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that is keeping it from
running smoothly.. for veterans.
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That's what I was going to ask,
Why is.. we know the bureaucracy
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tends to take longer
and run less smoothly...
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but why is it taking so
long to be responsive to this
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segment of society?
Yes... well... it is quite a
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process for the VA to
make the determination as to
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whether the
disability is service-connected
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and then... after that's
decided they have to determine
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whether... the
seriousness of the disability
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and so.. there's a
rating system after that
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however, what has happened...
and they are acknowledging
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now that because of
having a paper system...
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there are warehouses...
that are full to the brim...
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with cases that have
not even been evaluated...
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the VA has committed
that they are going to address
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the backlog and that by
2015... a veteran will, in fact,
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receive information from
the VA within a matter of
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2 to 3 months... but
right now, it can be years...
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so that without
actually representation...
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it's kind of difficult
for a veteran to get through
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the system... to
get what they are so
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entitled to... My!
my! so tell us what you do
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for the veterans...
OK, OK, what I do...
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Number one as a VA
Certified Attorney...
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I am not authorized to
actually represent a veteran
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until the VA has made
an initial determination
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so, you see, where
that puts me on the chain...
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they have to get
through that long process,
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and then, contact an attorney
if the decision that they
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received from the VA
is not favorable, however,
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the focus of my work now
is actually to find, educate,
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advocate and get
veterans into the system...
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so most of my work is spent
addressing veterans' groups at
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churches and community
organizations and sponsoring
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workshops to educate veterans
because... although there is...
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I indicated... more
than a million veterans
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who have applied for services,
that are waiting for an answer,
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there are many more who
are on the street... homeless,
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perhaps in drug treatment
facilities or perhaps not even
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having the courage to apply
for that benefit, so there are
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many more, who are
not even in the system...
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and that is a focus of the work
that I am called to doing...
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to find, locate, educate,
advocate and get as many
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veterans as I can in the
system. Now, for those veterans,
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who I am
certified to represent...
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they are the veterans
who have received a letter...
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a decision letter from the
VA indicating that either that
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their claim has been denied...
or, it may be that their claim
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has been accepted but at a lower
rating than the veteran feels is
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appropriate for their disability
so, those, we are legally
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are required to represent...
communicate on their behalf
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with the VA.. take the necessary
steps to have that decision
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turned around and we've been
quite successful with a number
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of veterans in this process.
That's wonderful, now let me
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ask you... How do
they find out about you?
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How do they know...
once they have been denied
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how do they know
that they can come to you
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to actually... kind of...
work with them as an advocate?
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Yes, well in that
letter of decision from the VA
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they will inform them that they
can seek legal representation
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now that the initial
decision has been made...
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and many of them will go
to the local veterans service
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organizations, you
know, Vietnam Vets of America,
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Disabled Veterans of America,
but another choice is to seek
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legal representation
through private attorneys
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and that's when... we
are able to get involved...
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so they will find out about our
firm through word of mouth or
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I have a website or, you know,
usually, it's by word of mouth
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from the veterans that we
have been able to be successful
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in changing their
situation around...
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that makes a big difference
and it's very difficult
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to do this work without having
the training and the experience
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to do so.
Absolutely... tell us about
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some of the veterans
that you've helped...
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Well, a typical case
is a veteran who actually
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was from the
Korean War... so any...
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in order to receive benefits,
a veteran must have been active
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must have been... at
least... one-day active
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in a war time...
so, one of the veterans
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who was from the Korean War...
had been fighting his case
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since 1954... and he
was fighting this case
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in a way... that he was
not able to win, because the VA
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for disabilities... you
must have a diagnosed case,
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a diagnosis... in order
to receive the benefits,
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and he was complaining about
how they treated him in the VA,
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he was going to his Congress
persons... I mean, he has
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really literally been fighting
it every day... every year,
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we were able to help him to see
that he needed a diagnosis...
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which... in this
case... the diagnosis was PTSD,
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so I arranged for him to
be evaluated by a psychiatrist
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who determined that he
did have a diagnosis of PTSD,
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and the psychiatrist also
suggested... that based on the
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symptoms that we are seeing,
determined that the rating
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for this veteran was about 100%
so this veteran, pretty much,
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within a couple of months,
went from receiving a 10%
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for x-ray for asthma...
a 10% rating for asthma...
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we were able to put forth
to the VA the diagnosis of PTSD
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and he went from a $128
a month to $3,000 a month
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for the rest of his life.
So that is the kind of case,
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that is the kind of work
that we know... is so important
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that veterans cannot...
really... it is very difficult
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for them to do that...
without legal representation
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where you have to know the law,
you have to be familiar with
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the VA process... which
is unique only to the VA
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and then you have to
be prepared or able to
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apply the law and the VA process
particular to every single
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veteran's case in
a different manner.
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That's tremendous AT...
I mean... to go from a $128
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to over $3,000 a month...
for the rest of his life...
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Yes, yes for
the.. rest of his life,
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you know, what is unfortunate
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is that it is... for
the rest of his life..
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and, of course, he is in
his 70s now but what happens
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also is that once the
VA determines that you are
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eligible.. then you will receive
a retroactive pay based to the
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date that you originally
applied well, unfortunately,
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although he had been working
on this case since 1954...
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he really only legally
applied after we assisted him
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in getting his case with a
diagnosis into the system...
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My! so he didn't even realize
the steps that were necessary
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to actually accomplish his goals
he needed that diagnosis...
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and he didn't have that until
... was that.. he got that after
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he started working with
you or... you helped him?
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After he started working
with us That's amazing...
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so... walk me through the
steps, ok, so I'm a veteran...
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I finally... I come back
with PTSD and I contact you...
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what happens then?
OK, OK, all right...
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the initial
phase... as I indicated...
00:13:15.56\00:13:17.29
that is work that we do
because that is my mission
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to find and educate...
what I would do with that
00:13:20.36\00:13:23.40
veteran... is number
one if they have not applied
00:13:23.43\00:13:26.47
for the claim... for a claim...
00:13:26.50\00:13:28.70
I would assist them in
getting the claim filed...
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so after he has filed his
claim, then we also assist him
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in ordering his records...
his complete records from the VA
00:13:38.78\00:13:43.28
which... that's available to
any veteran who requests that
00:13:43.32\00:13:47.82
of the VA... and
then... we take the step to...
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assist him into
filing... and then...
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we have to wait
for the VA to respond,
00:13:54.50\00:13:57.87
so he actually joins that number
of a million who are waiting...
00:13:57.90\00:14:01.60
however, after we
have worked with him
00:14:01.64\00:14:05.47
or after his case has been
filed for a number of months,
00:14:05.51\00:14:09.11
then we take other steps to
make sure that his case comes
00:14:09.14\00:14:12.61
to the top.. and one of those...
is actually seeking the support
00:14:12.65\00:14:16.05
of his Congressional Law
Office to ask them to enquire
00:14:16.08\00:14:20.02
about the status of his case,
so... various methods we have
00:14:20.06\00:14:24.46
to try to bring the veterans
case out from the million
00:14:24.49\00:14:29.40
to his getting a response
00:14:29.43\00:14:33.20
sooner than others,
00:14:33.23\00:14:34.90
but you can't do that
without representation...
00:14:34.94\00:14:38.21
Yes, so you are able to kind
of expedite the process a bit?
00:14:38.24\00:14:42.34
Yes... well through methods that
we are able to use... Yes...
00:14:42.38\00:14:46.48
and of course it's different
for each veteran's case...
00:14:46.51\00:14:48.88
So what are some of the
disabilities that have a
00:14:48.92\00:14:53.42
high ranking with the
VA... what are some of those
00:14:53.46\00:14:57.96
disabilities? All
right... well the VA has...
00:14:57.99\00:15:00.56
OK... there must be over
250 disabilities that they have
00:15:00.60\00:15:07.37
ratings for...
and each disability...
00:15:07.40\00:15:09.47
they would give you the symptoms
for the level... from zero
00:15:09.50\00:15:13.51
or from 10% to a
100%... they would give you the
00:15:13.54\00:15:17.35
corresponding symptoms
that a veteran would have...
00:15:17.38\00:15:22.08
I have a case of a
veteran who has Leukemia...
00:15:22.12\00:15:27.52
and he was on active
duty in the Gulf War...
00:15:27.56\00:15:32.76
and the VA had denied him
based on the fact that his
00:15:32.79\00:15:37.93
Leukemia was not
service-connected.
00:15:37.97\00:15:40.90
So there again... what we
had to do... is to identify a
00:15:40.94\00:15:46.37
physician or
actually... in this case...
00:15:46.41\00:15:48.54
it was his own physician...
to ask him if he could state
00:15:48.58\00:15:52.05
that the Leukemia that
he now is suffering from...
00:15:52.08\00:15:56.69
is as likely as not to
have been service-connected.
00:15:56.72\00:16:01.29
That is the magic language
that the VA doesn't necessarily
00:16:01.32\00:16:06.83
share this with veterans
but as long as a physician can
00:16:06.86\00:16:12.33
determine that the
diagnosis is as likely as not
00:16:12.37\00:16:16.47
to have been connected...
with their military service
00:16:16.50\00:16:18.71
and because... this particular
veteran... in the Gulf War was
00:16:18.74\00:16:21.78
exposed to so many
fumes when he was over there,
00:16:21.81\00:16:24.21
then... his doctor did give that
determination and the VA turned
00:16:24.25\00:16:29.58
the situation around
and determined that he
00:16:29.62\00:16:31.79
was eligible for compensation...
Ah... that is great...
00:16:31.82\00:16:37.79
what a blessing this is...
this work must be for you...
00:16:37.83\00:16:42.30
how has this work
impacted your life?
00:16:42.33\00:16:44.80
Well, you know my background,
you know, I grew up in a home
00:16:44.83\00:16:52.27
where my father was a
Minister and my mother...
00:16:52.31\00:16:55.34
and they always taught us
that we had a responsibility
00:16:55.38\00:16:58.41
to determine... why we are here
and what we are called to do...
00:16:58.45\00:17:02.58
and so that all of my
career... I have basically had
00:17:02.62\00:17:05.99
the blessing of doing
ministry along with my work...
00:17:06.02\00:17:09.39
so, I consider anything
that I am doing as being
00:17:09.42\00:17:12.69
mission work that I
am called to doing...
00:17:12.73\00:17:15.46
When I determined... I
was called by several groups
00:17:15.50\00:17:19.43
to just do a
presentation on VA benefits...
00:17:19.47\00:17:22.44
these groups have
happened to be groups of men...
00:17:22.47\00:17:25.51
although we know that female
veterans face the same problems,
00:17:25.54\00:17:29.01
so, in
researching and determining...
00:17:29.04\00:17:31.78
what the steps veterans needed
to do to receive their benefits
00:17:31.81\00:17:35.68
I just realized that it
was an overwhelming process
00:17:35.72\00:17:38.95
and it was very difficult
for the average veteran
00:17:38.99\00:17:42.19
to know that process...
so in the process of kind of
00:17:42.22\00:17:46.03
preparing for that and then
working with a number of the
00:17:46.06\00:17:49.83
veterans that came out of that,
I just received a call that
00:17:49.86\00:17:53.50
this is such an
area of disparity...
00:17:53.54\00:17:55.87
that this is what I
am now called to doing...
00:17:55.90\00:17:59.74
You know, AT,
God is so amazing...
00:17:59.77\00:18:02.48
Yes... He is...
Because, you know,
00:18:02.51\00:18:05.18
OK... here you are...
you've been able to...
00:18:05.21\00:18:09.28
this journey that you've been on
has prepared you for this work,
00:18:09.32\00:18:14.59
Yes... it
has... Yes... it has...
00:18:14.62\00:18:16.49
Your social work
background, your law background,
00:18:16.52\00:18:20.56
culminating in this
advocacy for the veterans...
00:18:20.60\00:18:23.87
that is so tremendous...
Do you feel as though
00:18:23.90\00:18:27.14
you're walking now in
your destiny that this is what
00:18:27.17\00:18:31.34
God has put you on
the planet to do...
00:18:31.37\00:18:33.38
Without a question...
this is where God has placed me
00:18:33.41\00:18:36.88
and I am doing my best to make
good of what He has given me...
00:18:36.91\00:18:42.18
and as you indicated... my
experience as a Social Worker
00:18:42.22\00:18:45.42
my experience working
with families and children,
00:18:45.45\00:18:48.46
my experience working in
Foster Care and Adoptions,
00:18:48.49\00:18:51.46
my experience
working at HUD and Housing,
00:18:51.49\00:18:54.46
all of these have come
together and is much needed
00:18:54.50\00:18:57.67
as I impact the
lives of veterans...
00:18:57.70\00:19:00.67
who have been
deprived of housing...
00:19:00.70\00:19:02.67
been deprived of their
rightful served compensation.
00:19:02.70\00:19:07.31
That's tremendous, AT,
and you seem so fulfilled...
00:19:07.34\00:19:11.91
you know, I tell our viewers
on Urban Report all the time
00:19:11.95\00:19:15.22
that God has a
plan for each of us...
00:19:15.25\00:19:18.49
that we have a divine destiny...
and there's no fulfillment
00:19:18.52\00:19:22.89
like walking in
that destiny... Yes...
00:19:22.92\00:19:25.93
But you first have
to know, what it is...
00:19:25.96\00:19:28.86
and God will reveal it...
and all of your experiences...
00:19:28.90\00:19:32.73
lead you on to that
path of your destiny...
00:19:32.77\00:19:36.64
and I am just so thankful
for what you are doing...
00:19:36.67\00:19:40.88
What would you
tell a veteran today...
00:19:40.91\00:19:44.88
coming home from Afghanistan...
what would you tell a veteran...
00:19:44.91\00:19:51.69
as to how... you know,
somebody that's disabled...
00:19:51.72\00:19:54.72
the veteran is disabled...
give us... just a capsule...
00:19:54.76\00:19:59.59
a brief capsule... of
what you would tell that
00:19:59.63\00:20:02.73
veteran... on how to
proceed... where to start...
00:20:02.76\00:20:05.50
OK... all right... the
good thing is that the VA
00:20:05.53\00:20:08.20
is now having the process
of educating the veterans...
00:20:08.24\00:20:12.24
prior to their
discharge... which is good...
00:20:12.27\00:20:15.64
they are starting
at a better place...
00:20:15.68\00:20:16.95
although I've got to tell you
that only about 20% of veterans
00:20:16.98\00:20:20.62
really have the
knowledge that they need
00:20:20.65\00:20:24.79
in order to pursue their
claims but, what I tell veterans
00:20:24.82\00:20:28.72
is that the first step...
Number one... is to really
00:20:28.76\00:20:32.13
determine whether you sincerely
feel that you have a disability
00:20:32.16\00:20:35.50
that was connected
with your service...
00:20:35.53\00:20:37.13
we know how difficult it
is for veterans to reintegrate
00:20:37.17\00:20:40.74
into the community...
so that there are many
00:20:40.77\00:20:42.60
disabilities that they
may not have identified...
00:20:42.64\00:20:46.17
may be experiencing
but have not identified...
00:20:46.21\00:20:49.68
so my first step is to
recommend them to go to the VA
00:20:49.71\00:20:53.98
to have a complete Physical
to determine if there are
00:20:54.02\00:20:58.29
any disabilities that
may be connected with the VA.
00:20:58.32\00:21:02.09
That is the first step.
Once they determine that there
00:21:02.12\00:21:05.79
is a disability... that
there is something that's
00:21:05.83\00:21:08.83
not right or the doctor,
perhaps, gave them a diagnosis
00:21:08.86\00:21:11.73
then they need to fill
out... complete the claim...
00:21:11.77\00:21:14.60
and the claim... they
can get assistance for
00:21:14.64\00:21:18.91
completing the claim...
either through my office
00:21:18.94\00:21:21.64
but I usually refer them
to the local veterans service
00:21:21.68\00:21:25.55
organizations or the
local VA regional office...
00:21:25.58\00:21:28.98
they have people there
who will assist them with the
00:21:29.02\00:21:32.39
initial claim...
although, as I said, we don't
00:21:32.42\00:21:35.09
turn any veterans
away... so whatever they need,
00:21:35.12\00:21:37.76
we're here to give them that...
after they have completed
00:21:37.79\00:21:41.30
the claim... then, of
course, there is the wait...
00:21:41.33\00:21:44.07
and we make sure... one
of the major things that
00:21:44.10\00:21:46.77
will prevent a veteran
from getting a timely response
00:21:46.80\00:21:50.67
is... that the application
is not filled out completely...
00:21:50.71\00:21:56.44
so a completed claim...
makes for a more speedy result
00:21:56.48\00:22:03.15
so, we try to
oversee that process...
00:22:03.18\00:22:05.32
to make sure... give
them assistance, if necessary,
00:22:05.35\00:22:07.46
in filling out the initial claim
and just let them know that
00:22:07.49\00:22:10.79
when they receive a
response from the VA
00:22:10.83\00:22:13.56
that they need to contact
our office immediately because
00:22:13.60\00:22:16.87
it is at that point that we
would be able to assist them.
00:22:16.90\00:22:20.14
Now, let me just ask
you this, AT, where...
00:22:20.17\00:22:23.77
you are in the
D.C. area but are you...
00:22:23.81\00:22:28.64
because you are a VA
accredited attorney...
00:22:28.68\00:22:33.42
may you work with everybody...
all around the country...
00:22:33.45\00:22:38.09
or does it have to be
localized to your area?
00:22:38.12\00:22:41.86
No... because... VA
Law is Federal Law...
00:22:41.89\00:22:45.53
then... I can represent
veterans all over the country...
00:22:45.56\00:22:49.40
I have a number of veterans
who are outside of the Maryland,
00:22:49.43\00:22:53.27
D.C. area... and that
is not a problem at all...
00:22:53.30\00:22:56.50
to represent veterans
and most of the work is
00:22:56.54\00:22:59.67
you know, they will send
me copies of their reports or
00:22:59.71\00:23:02.78
send me copies of letters
that they have received...
00:23:02.81\00:23:05.85
from the VA and I
usually communicate with them
00:23:05.88\00:23:08.75
by phone or
e-mail... That's tremendous...
00:23:08.78\00:23:11.92
Yes... so that is not a problem
any VA certified attorney
00:23:11.95\00:23:15.52
can represent any
veteran over the country...
00:23:15.56\00:23:17.89
And what is your website
address? What is your website?
00:23:17.93\00:23:22.30
Yes... my website
is www. annatowns. com
00:23:22.33\00:23:31.17
annatowns. com
that is my website
00:23:31.21\00:23:37.55
and on my website, by the
way, I do have a link for an
00:23:37.58\00:23:43.39
application for a disability
compensation and pension
00:23:43.42\00:23:49.16
and I also have a phone number
that they can call and speak
00:23:49.19\00:23:54.36
with one of the
attorneys in the Firm...
00:23:54.40\00:23:56.80
That's wonderful...
Give us your phone number
00:23:56.83\00:23:59.33
as well please...
OK... that phone number is
00:23:59.37\00:24:01.80
202-681-7730 Give
it one more time...
00:24:01.84\00:24:10.61
OK... that's 202-681-7730
00:24:10.65\00:24:19.19
and they will be able to talk
with one of the attorneys here.
00:24:19.22\00:24:22.99
That's great... so they
have to make sure that they
00:24:23.02\00:24:28.03
fill out the
application completely...
00:24:28.06\00:24:31.10
that means...
don't leave blank spaces
00:24:31.13\00:24:33.97
on the application...
that's a very common problem...
00:24:34.00\00:24:36.94
Yes, yes, and then...
because it might take a year
00:24:36.97\00:24:39.84
to get back to them
to tell them that the
00:24:39.87\00:24:41.98
application was
incomplete... correct?
00:24:42.01\00:24:44.01
That is typically what happens,
that is typically what happens,
00:24:44.05\00:24:47.05
and the veteran, of course,
is disappointed that, you know,
00:24:47.08\00:24:50.02
they are thinking that
in a year in that letter...
00:24:50.05\00:24:52.12
there's going to be a check...
and when the VA tells them
00:24:52.15\00:24:55.16
that they need additional
information or that there
00:24:55.19\00:24:57.29
is a denial or they are not
satisfied with the response,
00:24:57.33\00:25:00.76
usually the veteran
will just stop the process,
00:25:00.80\00:25:04.57
but that, in fact, is the
time that they are in a position
00:25:04.60\00:25:08.74
or they are authorized
to contact our office or any
00:25:08.77\00:25:13.51
attorney and
receive representation.
00:25:13.54\00:25:15.88
Now, we also, we have
an e-mail address for you
00:25:15.91\00:25:20.82
and it's all right if our
viewers e-mail you as well?
00:25:20.85\00:25:24.29
Oh yes, oh yes...
well, let me just say that
00:25:24.32\00:25:27.39
on the website... there
is a form for VA Evaluation
00:25:27.42\00:25:32.03
that is a VA Evaluation
Form, and we will assess
00:25:32.06\00:25:36.56
any veteran's claim and let
them know... steps that need to
00:25:36.60\00:25:41.07
be taken in order
to, you know, move their
00:25:41.10\00:25:44.01
move their claim along...
so they can give us information
00:25:44.04\00:25:47.98
on that claim form
and submit it to us...
00:25:48.01\00:25:50.08
or, you are right, they
can certainly e-mail us at
00:25:50.11\00:25:53.55
law@annatowns.
com law@annatowns. com
00:25:53.58\00:26:00.59
great... thank you... So
what is the cost for this
00:26:00.62\00:26:04.96
service... AT...
What is the general cost
00:26:04.99\00:26:08.00
for this? Well,
actually... there is no
00:26:08.03\00:26:11.07
cost to the veteran
to receive our services,
00:26:11.10\00:26:15.07
if we are able to turn
their situation around,
00:26:15.10\00:26:19.64
then the VA
will pay the attorney
00:26:19.67\00:26:22.78
20% of the veteran's "back
money"... in other words...
00:26:22.81\00:26:25.88
if the veteran has
applied for a claim...
00:26:25.91\00:26:28.48
that starts the process for him,
if, after he receives a denial,
00:26:28.52\00:26:33.79
for instance... and
they come to our law firm...
00:26:33.82\00:26:36.59
and we are able to
turn that around...
00:26:36.62\00:26:38.46
then the VA will typically,
and this is common for all
00:26:38.49\00:26:42.30
lawyers... that
the VA authorizes the
00:26:42.33\00:26:47.47
attorney to receive 20% of
the veteran's back money...
00:26:47.50\00:26:51.67
but there is no
charge... to the veteran...
00:26:51.71\00:26:55.08
That is tremendous! I
am sure that our viewers
00:26:55.11\00:26:58.45
that are veterans or
friends or family of veterans
00:26:58.48\00:27:02.02
that are hearing
what you're saying...
00:27:02.05\00:27:04.52
are just going to be astounded
that they don't even have to
00:27:04.55\00:27:07.49
pay for this service...
We're here... we're here...
00:27:07.52\00:27:11.13
and we're here to help
them and we don't anyone to feel
00:27:11.16\00:27:14.66
that they cannot
retain... typically the veterans
00:27:14.73\00:27:18.00
or most people feel that in
order to retain the services
00:27:18.03\00:27:20.50
of an attorney...
that you've got to pay...
00:27:20.54\00:27:22.97
well, for us, it's different...
we will reach out...
00:27:23.00\00:27:25.81
we will help them
in any way possible...
00:27:25.84\00:27:27.71
money will not be a factor...
and we will not be paid
00:27:27.74\00:27:31.15
unless the veteran's
situation is turned around
00:27:31.18\00:27:34.28
and then... the VA will
then pay us 20% of the veteran's
00:27:34.32\00:27:37.79
back money...
That's tremendous...
00:27:37.82\00:27:40.06
AT our time is up...
I can't believe it...
00:27:40.09\00:27:42.52
Thank you so much
for being with us...
00:27:42.56\00:27:44.93
May God bless you in
your work. Thank you Yvonne,
00:27:44.96\00:27:48.10
it was a pleasure
to be here today...
00:27:48.13\00:27:49.93
Thank you... Well, once again,
00:27:49.96\00:27:51.97
our time has
slipped away from us...
00:27:52.00\00:27:53.87
thank you so much for
tuning in, join us next time...
00:27:53.90\00:27:56.77
you know... it just
wouldn't be the same...
00:27:56.81\00:27:59.27
without you...
00:27:59.31\00:28:01.11