Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County

Medically retired with post-traumatic stress disorder, Jonathan Lubecky, a Marine Corps and Army veteran, said the anti-depressants and other prescribed medication that he took for his illness did little to ease his nightmares, flashbacks and thoughts of su***de.

Lubecky, a former sergeant who served in Iraq, said the only treatment that addressed his PTSD — a psychological disorder caused by trauma — was a four-month protocol of the hallucinogenic drug M**A, commonly known as ecstasy, that he took in a clinical trial for the drug.

Lawmakers, veterans urge FDA to approve ecstasy for treating PTSD in clinical settings With a decision expected next month on whether to allow M**A for clinical use in treating PTSD, several veterans at a news conference in Washington shared their experiences with psychedelic-assisted therapy while urging the FDA to approve the treatment.

Researchers recently sought to determine whether war, with its increased training demands and multiple deployments, contributes to the rise of chronic pain in female service members.

Unsurprisingly, given the stresses of combat and the physical impact of military service, the research found that it does.

But in an unexpected twist, combat operations also increase chronic pain in military wives -- a finding that scientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston described as "sizable."

In War, Female Troops Develop Chronic Pain at Higher Rates. So Do Military Wives, Study Finds. Research that sought to determine how a high-operations tempo affects female service members found an unexpected result for the spouses of active-duty troops.

When voters head to the polls to cast their ballots this November, at least one out of every 10 election workers they see will be a veteran or a family member of a veteran, said Ellen Gustafson, the co-founder of a nonprofit that recruits military-connected individuals to volunteer at polling places.

The nonprofit, We the Veterans, reached its goal this month of recruiting 100,000 people to serve as poll workers in their communities. As of Wednesday afternoon, 136,815 had signed up. In total, about 1 million temporary workers will be needed to staff polling locations across the country this November, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Veterans group hits goal of recruiting 100,000 election workers When voters head to the polls to cast ballots this November, at least one out of every 10 election workers will be a veteran or a veteran's family member.

Parents of young officers in training and incoming recruits who died in connection with military activities want Congress to approve death benefits that others in the armed forces already receive.

“It’s just been an absolute nightmare. There’s no aspect of our lives that are the same,” said Jessica Swan.

Swan’s daughter, Mackenzie Wilson, 19, a student at Oregon State University and an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet, died in a vehicle accident in June 2022, while at an Air Force base in Idaho for a development program.

Bill would expand military death benefits for families of ROTC cadets It would also expand Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance for those in the Delayed Entry Program.

The ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee urged Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough to address a policy that he said is making it difficult for veterans to receive care, according to a June 25 letter.

As ranking member, Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., led 19 other senators who asked McDonough to ensure veterans’ right to community care — a program the VA utilizes to connect veterans to health care through local providers. The senators claim that a panel, dubbed the Red Team, meant to assess the reasoning behind community care’s increased spending, made recommendations that are negatively impacting veterans in need of care.

Senators implore VA secretary keep community care access for veterans Twenty senators signed a letter to Secretary McDonough, urging him to adjust a policy initiative they said is making it hard for veterans to access care.

Veterans with combat-related injuries rallied near the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to urge lawmakers to finally act on a long-stalled proposal to allow all veterans full access to military retirement pay and Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits.

Despite wide bipartisan backing, the Major Richard Star Act has languished for years, increasingly frustrating the veterans who are losing thousands of dollars in benefits that could help them support themselves and their families.

Disabled Veterans to Congress: Move Out on Stalled Bill to Allow Payment of Both Retirement and Disability Benefits Despite wide bipartisan backing, the Major Richard Star Act has languished for years, increasingly frustrating the veterans who are losing thousands of dollars in benefits.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has ended a seven-year-old policy that required claims processors to work mandatory overtime, a move enabled by increased hiring and efficiency, according to the VA's top benefits executive.

Under Secretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs announced Tuesday that most staff will no longer be required to work up to four hours extra each week, although they still may volunteer to work up to 20 hours of overtime each week.

Those not affected by the new policy, which Jacobs said is effective immediately, include claims processors who handle claims for radiation exposure; s*xual assault; contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; pension claims; and any claims not related to disability ratings.

VA Dropping Mandatory Overtime for Most Claims Processors as Work Proceeds at Faster Clip VA Under Secretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs said that, with more employees and efficiencies, the department can move toward offering voluntary overtime for those who want it.

Being a military spouse is a cost burden and a hindrance to my career opportunities. As a military spouse, the weight of student loan debt compounds the challenges I face in supporting my family and pursuing my own career aspirations. While I wholeheartedly support my partner's service to our country, I deserve support, too.

The Biden administration has canceled more than $165 billion in student loan debt for about 5 million Americans in recent years. It's a welcome policy position that creates equitable opportunities for diverse communities, helping to increase their financial security and promote generational wealth.

In keeping with this idea, let’s forgive the student loan debt held by members of the military and their spouses.

Military spouses are forced to rebuild every move. Student loan forgiveness would help us. Providing student loan forgiveness would be a tangible way to support military families and to recognize the unique challenges we face.

Four months after a crippling cyberattack on a company that manages prescription processing and community provider payments for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the VA continues to address the fallout, with officials saying Tuesday they are taking steps to clear a backlog of payments to pharmacies and medical providers.

A Feb. 21 ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group that serves as a clearinghouse for insurance payments and pharmacy prescriptions, disrupted operations at hospitals and clinics nationwide, including the Defense Department and VA.

Immediately following the breach, the VA disconnected its network from the company and reviewed its system for infiltration. Despite the swift action, however, the VA's community care and non-network providers were affected, generating a backlog of claims and invoices for services and prescriptions.

After Crippling Ransomware Attack, VA Is Still Dealing with Fallout, Trying to Pay Providers Some providers have had issues with payments, but the VA is working to ensure all claims are processed, officials said.

Efforts to improve care and research for service members suffering from brain injuries are included in both the Senate and House versions of the annual must-pass defense policy bill, raising the chances more support for those troops could be on the way.

The Pentagon would be required to set safety thresholds for blast exposure and a standard for waiving the thresholds; create training for service members on symptoms of blast exposure and brain injuries; and evaluate how modifying existing weapons could reduce injuries, under the version of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, approved by the House last week.

The text of the Senate NDAA has not yet been released, but a summary of the bill advanced last week by the Senate Armed Services Committee said it includes several provisions aimed at improving the Pentagon's approach to treating, caring for and researching injuries related to blast exposure.

Traumatic Brain Injury Prevention Efforts Included in Must-Pass Defense Bill A growing body of evidence is showing that troops are at risk of exposure to potentially dangerous blasts not just from enemy attacks but also from routine military activities such as repeatedly firing artillery.

Veterans Affairs Chief of Staff Kimberly Jackson on Friday announced she will step down from the leadership role next month, creating another vacancy at the top of the department.

Jackson has served in the role for only eight months, but had previously served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for force readiness at the Pentagon since the start of President Joe Biden’s presidency. The chief of staff role at VA serves as the top advisor to the secretary and deputy secretary.

VA chief of staff stepping down from leadership post next month Kimberly Jackson has served as the VA's top advisor since last fall, and will leave the post in mid-July.

A district court on Thursday denied the Pentagon’s request to dismiss a class action lawsuit by LGBTQ+ veterans challenging what advocates call “discriminatory paperwork” noting their discharge from the military over their actual or perceived s*xual orientation.

A group of veterans, dubbed Justice for LGBTQ+ Veterans, filed the lawsuit in August 2023, claiming they had been discriminated against by the Pentagon’s former “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy due to their discharge papers unnecessarily identifying their s*xual orientation as grounds for separation.

Pentagon’s request to dismiss lawsuit from LGBTQ+ veterans denied A federal judge will allow a lawsuit filed by LGBTQ+ veterans discharged due to their s*xual orientation to move forward.

A new rule takes effect July 1 that expands higher education benefits to more children of fallen service members, while also raising the age limit to receive the aid and exempting it from a separate law that cost prior recipients hundreds of dollars a year.

The Education Department is implementing the FAFSA Simplification Act, signed into law in 2021. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which students must fill out each year to receive the assistance. While some schools have their own internal deadlines, the Education Department's deadline for the FAFSA is June 30.

New Rule Gives Maximum Pell Grants to Children of Fallen Service Members A new rule takes effect July 1 that expands higher education benefits to more children of fallen service members, while also raising the age limit to receive the aid.

Next Thursday, July 18th, Prairie State Legal Services and Legacy Reentry Foundation will be hosting an expungement and driver's license reinstatement fair at Legacy's West Clayton Street location in Waukegan. This is an opportunity for individuals who have been justice impacted to speak to an attorney FOR FREE about clearing criminal records or getting a suspended or revoked driver's license back.

Anyone who is interested in participating can call 224-321-5615 to go through our application for services. We will be at 420 W Clayton Street in Waukegan from 11 AM to 2 PM, with appointment times at 11AM, 12PM, and 1PM. We will also be taking walk-ins between 11AM and 12PM on a first come, first serve basis. If there are too many walk-in clients to get everybody to an attorney before 2 PM, we will give the later walk-ins an appointment to speak with an attorney over the phone in the near future.

A government watchdog will probe the Pentagon's efforts to identify, treat and prevent traumatic brain injuries caused by blast exposure.

The Government Accountability Office has accepted a request from two dozen lawmakers in both parties and chambers of Congress to conduct a review in response to their concerns that the Pentagon is not taking the issue seriously enough, according to a copy of a letter the GAO sent to the lawmakers that was obtained by Military.com.

Pentagon's Efforts on Traumatic Brain Injuries to Get Government Watchdog Review A government watchdog will probe the Pentagon's efforts to identify, treat and prevent traumatic brain injuries caused by blast exposure.

The Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce will host their 8th annual Veterans Back-to-Work Boot Camp. People can apply to attend the boot camp by scanning the QR code in the flyer, or head over to dpchamber.com.

Frustrated by the slow pace of more than 1,800 lawsuits filed against the government over harm from decades of contaminated drinking water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, a bipartisan group in Congress is pushing legislation to try to speed things along.

A bill from Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., with 11 co-sponsors as of Thursday, would broaden the terms of a 2022 law that gave victims of the tainted water the right to sue for damages and would allow plaintiffs to request jury trials despite a February decision by four federal judges in North Carolina that they would hear the cases themselves.

And a bill sponsored by Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., that passed the Senate by unanimous consent on June 4 would offer free services to veterans and attorneys who need “guidance and advice on any disability awards, payments, or benefits” in the Camp Lejeune litigation.

Bills Seek to Speed Up Lawsuits over Camp Lejeune Contamination A bill from Rep. Greg Murphy would broaden the terms of a 2022 law that gave victims of the tainted water the right to sue for damages and would allow plaintiffs to request jury trials.

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that troops who were convicted under an old military policy criminalizing consensual gay s*x would receive full pardons — a move that could restore their discharges from military service to an honorable status and pave the way for benefits.

Potentially thousands of veterans are affected, but many questions remain about the policy that the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs must work through.

Here’s how troops convicted under a gay s*x ban can apply for pardons The Pentagon launched a webpage detailing how troops convicted under an old military policy criminalizing consensual gay s*x can apply for pardons.

A wide-ranging veterans policy bill that seeks to bolster home caregiver programs, provide more support for homeless veterans and fix the beleaguered electronic health records program appears to be falling victim to election-year politics, veterans service organizations are warning.

Veterans groups and congressional staff were hopeful that the legislation would pass early this summer after the Republicans on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee announced an agreement on the bill last month.

Path Forward on Sweeping Veterans Bill Uncertain Amid Political Fighting A wide-ranging veterans policy bill that seeks to bolster home caregiver programs, provide more support for homeless veterans and fix the beleaguered electronic health records program appears to be falling victim to election-year politics.

For my generation of veterans that came of age in the aftermath of the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and subsequently fought in the longest wars in American history, there is a signature injury that has impacted nearly three in ten of us: post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

PTSD is not just a medical diagnosis but a poignant symbol of a collective, enduring struggle. While we’ve seen resources and treatments provided for PTSD increase as well as a broader acceptance for those impacted by this injury, we’ve also seen these men and women viewed as though they’re broken.

The post-9/11 generation’s path to post-traumatic growth Opinion: Veterans who embody the ethos of post-traumatic growth push back against the narrative of the “broken” vet. I urge you to join them.

With an aging veteran population, the Department of Veterans Affairs is giving older veterans more tools to live independently in their homes.

The VA is looking at how smart home technologies and wearables like smartwatches could flag when aging and disabled veterans are having a medical emergency.

Joseph Ronzio, VA’s deputy chief health technology officer, said the department is also taking steps to ensure veterans have a stay in who gets this data, and how it may be used.

VA looking at ‘smart home’ tech to keep aging, disabled vets living independently A smartwatch saved the life of VA’s chief health technology officer. The department expects this device data can also save the lives of other disabled vets.

Marine Corps veteran Jeremy Williams was humiliated last summer when his front six teeth fell out of his mouth in the middle of a business meeting.

Almost a year later, he’s infuriated that he still can’t get his Veterans Affairs health insurance to correct the problem.

“It sucks,” the 42-year-old said. “I don’t smile as much anymore, because I’ve got no teeth to show. I don’t know what it’s like to bite into a steak or a burger without having to cut it into little pieces. Right now, I have to cut my food up like I did for my kids when they were three and four.”

A dental debacle: Why veterans struggle to navigate VA’s oral care A complex system is pushing more vets to search for private-sector solutions to health issues, all while hoping the VA will eventually pick up the bill.

The Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora still cannot identify the residue that has forced the hospital to postpone or move hundreds of surgeries since April.

Initial testing of the substance came back as inconclusive, said Janelle Beswick, a regional spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Another lab found that a sample from a sterilizer filter was plastic and not biological material.

More than 500 surgeries halted since April as Aurora VA hospital still can’t ID mysterious residue The Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora still cannot identify the residue that has forced the hospital to postpone or move hundreds of surgeries.

This story discusses su***de. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of su***de, please contact the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

The positive impact of service dogs on the mental health of U.S. military veterans has been widely recognized.

Now, the first clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) looked into exactly how pairing service dogs with PTSD-diagnosed veterans improves symptoms.

Veterans with PTSD get 'significant' benefits from service dogs, first NIH-funded study finds The first NIH-funded clinical trial on service dogs and their impact on PTSD in military veterans found strong results. The lead study author and a Marine veteran discussed it.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!!

After both sides agreed last week that it’s time to choose specific plaintiffs to proceed with the first lawsuits connected to historically contaminated water aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, the court has approved that joint motion.

The five lawsuits that will be heading for trial first will soon be chosen.

The proposal is meant to streamline the process by identifying those alleging kidney cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, or Parkinson’s Disease as the first batch of cases to go to court.

The court ruling means that plaintiffs’ lawyers need to pick the three cases from the list they want to go to trial by June 16.

First Camp Lejeune toxic water lawsuits will soon be scheduled The five lawsuits that will be heading for trial first will soon be chosen.

Veterans Affairs officials will add male breast cancer, urethral cancer and cancer of the paraurethral glands to the list of illnesses presumed connected to military service in conflicts since 1990, speeding up disability benefits for individuals suffering from the conditions.

The move is the latest in a series of cancers and respiratory conditions added to the department’s list of presumptive illnesses in recent years as part of the PACT Act, sweeping veterans legislation passed two summers ago which has impacted millions of veterans nationwide.

VA to add male breast cancer, two other conditions to presumptive list The addition of three new cancers to the list of conditions presumed to be caused by military service will speed up disability benefits for some vets.

A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended against the use of midomafetamine (M**A) in conjunction with therapy, which has gained momentum in the veteran community. The committee voted 10-1 against the overall benefits of M**A in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on Tuesday.

The committee called into question the efficacy of the research presented to the FDA and claimed it was flawed and could have skewed the results. Several raised concerns over missing follow-up data on patient outcomes and a lack of diversity in the trial group.

FDA Advisory Committee voted against M**A therapy, what's next? An advisory committee to the FDA voted down M**A-assisted therapy on Tuesday, in what many see as a setback for a possible PTSD treatment.

It was a Friday morning and George McCune had roused himself to make the 2.4-mile trip from his Northridge home to the Veterans Affairs campus in North Hills.

The 77-year-old was greeted there that March day by the usual crew training for the Golden Age Games: There was Roger, 82, who had piled up medals in javelin, discus and shot put. Bob, who had just gotten his cochlear implant. Becky, 71, bent on defeating her "nemesis" — a guy just six days her junior — in pingpong.

Older Men Die by Su***de at Steep Rates. Here's How the VA Is Trying to Change That The director of the VA's su***de prevention program said the agency has worked to weave risk assessment into its pain, sleep and oncology clinics, mindful that older patients may be at higher risk after getting troubling news about their health.

Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), who chairs the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, slammed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) during a Tuesday hearing for the rollout of its online Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System.

The VA launched its online claims system in 2019 to help reimburse veterans for travel costs to VA hospitals. However, six years later, only about 30 percent of those claims are being processed, and a 2023 Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general (IG) report found that the system failed on all four key performance metrics.

VA’s online claims system comes under fire in House subcommittee Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), who chairs the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, slammed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) during a Tuesday hearing for the rollo…