The organization forms partnership with VA and other private sector providers
Radcliff, KY - USA Cares, a nationally renowned charity dedicated to providing financial assistance to our military and their families, has begun a new assistance program aimed at helping veterans afford the costs of attending treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder/Traumatic Brain Injury.
According to USA Cares Executive Director, Bill Nelson, “This program is designed to bridge the financial gaps that occur when a veteran who is referred to residential treatment for PTSD/TBI finds he cannot afford to go. The problem of gaining access to treatment when it requires absence from employment is a significant issue considering the Rand Study estimates 300,000 PTSD sufferers from the Iraq/Afghanistan War—once they leave active duty status, Guard, Reserve, and recent veterans must choose between a paycheck (and paying the family bills) or treatment that often requires absence from work.”
The program will start in Texas and has the full cooperation of the Veteran’s Administration as well as private sector clinical providers such as University Behavioral Health and TIRR in Houston. Veterans who are screened for PTSD by a VA facility will be informed of the USA Cares program at the time of referral. This will enable them to contact USA Cares and apply for assistance. USA Cares expects to pay a portion of the normal household bills while the service member is away undergoing treatment. Assistance will be provided in the form of payments to providers such as landlords, utility companies, etc. As with all USA Cares assistance, only direct grants are provided—no loans.
Executive Director Nelson hopes that once the program is up and running in Texas that other states will want to establish similar programs. “It is certainly desirable that veterans not have to choose between paying the family’s bills and getting the essential treatment—we certainly hope that our program helps them choose treatment—ideally in the state in which they reside with their families” he said. We appreciate the cooperation of the Veterans Administration and the Texas Guard and other members of Partners Across Texas who support our veterans.
About USA Cares
USA Cares is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that helps post 9/11 military families bear the burdens of service with financial and advocacy support. Its mission: To assist combat injured and their families, to prevent home foreclosures and evictions and to help with basic needs during financial crisis. In five years, USA Cares has received more than 13,000 requests and distributed more than $5 million in grants. Military families anywhere in America can apply for assistance through the USA Cares web site, http://www.usacares.org/ or by calling 1-800-773-0387. For more information on USA Cares contact John Revell, jrevell@usacares.org or (270) 354-5251.
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