The Veterans Administration (VA) Western Colorado Health Care System held a Veteran Town Hall on October 14 at the American Legion Post 54 in Gunnison.
Veterans and their families learned about Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care enrollment, available services, suicide prevention resources, and facility updates.
Topics discussed included: Facility Updates: The latest developments and improvements within the VA Western Colorado Health Care System. Attendees discovered important strategies and resources for preventing Veteran suicides. Health care services overview: Understanding the broad range of healthcare services offered to veterans. VA Health Care Enrollment: How to take the opportunity to enroll in VA healthcare and ensure access to necessary health benefits.
Gunnison County Veteran Services Officer (VSO) Stephen Otero attended the meeting and told the Gunnison Times, "In the state of Colorado, Veteran Services Officers are a statutorily mandated position at the county level. Our role is to connect Veterans and their family members with any local, state, or federal benefits they may be entitled to based on their Veteran status."
During the meeting, Otero outlined a Veteran benefit: "Through the State of Colorado Veteran Assistance Grant Fund, I administer a grant fund available to Gunnison County Veterans, and it allows us to administer a $1,000 health and wellness grant. On average, the grants are about $700." Otero added this grant assists 30-35 local Veterans annually. This is just one of the many benefits available that he can assist Veterans with.
Regarding the meeting, Otero said, "We did fill the American Legion; I ended up with several follow-up appointments to assist Veterans directly. There were five or six Veterans I had not met previously. When I started as a VSO ten years ago, my goal was to meet every Veteran in the community, and that is not unreasonable. Our Veteran population is about 800-825, and I believe that through many community-based interactions I have met about half of the Veterans. My goal is to meet 100 percent.
Otero can be reached by calling 970-641-7919 or by email at sotero@gunnisoncounty.org
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