Veteran’s Voice — Dealing with crises, scammers

You may not be reading this until after the Christmas holiday, however the holiday season in general can be a tough time for many veterans, their families and surviving family members. In addition, some have been impacted by the recent hurricanes and associated flooding. Please, let us take care of each other. I encourage everyone reading this to look out for your fellow veterans or veteran family member that might be having some trouble.

Here are some resources, from Veterans Affairs, for those who might be considering hurting themselves.

The Veterans Crisis Line is available by phone, text, or chat: Dial 988 then Press 1. (988 is the general crisis line, using Option 1 goes to a veteran specific councilor).

Text 838255. Chat online at: www.veteranscrisisline.net Support for deaf and hard of hearing: Call 1-800-799-4889.

Hurricane Ian Impacted Veterans Survey. The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs is looking for information on the impacts of Hurricane Ian on veterans. The information will be used to refer veterans to programs for home repairs and other unmet needs. While no mention of Hurricane Nicole yet, it is likely that that information will be collected too. Website: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/IanImpactedVeterans.

Be Wise, G.I., and don’t get scammed. Like any group with access to resources, military members and veterans can be targeted by scammers. I suspect older veterans, and their caregivers and family members who might not understand the role the VA and other associated organizations that play a role in many veterans lives, are probably victimized the most.

Through the office of the Florida Attorney General, the Military and Veterans Assistance Program (“MVAP”) exists to help educate military members and veterans on the types of scams that target their communities, what they can do to protect themselves. In addition, members of the MVAP team work directly with military service members and veterans who have been targeted, or their representatives, to help resolve their consumer protection related issues or find other outside assistance if necessary. Even if you don’t fall for some dodgy attempt to scam you, reporting scams and deceptive business practices you encounter can help protect others. Website: http://myfloridalegal.com/ MVAP

State Department of Veterans Affairs is hiring. As many will know, the State of Florida has its own agency for veterans, including several veterans homes. The department is hiring, and with the new state home recently opened at the old Lake Baldwin VA nursing home site, several positions are open in Orlando. More info at https://bit.ly/3PSRodj.