Legal Services Corporation Virtual Program Honor in Justice – Supporting America’s Veterans

John Levi, thanks very much for that kind introduction. Ron Flagg, thank you very much for allowing me to join you all this afternoon. Danielle Brooks, thanks for your service in the Army. And congratulations on LSC’s 50 years of service in expanding and improving access to justice for all Americans.

Last Monday our nation paused to reflect on the brave men and women who have raised their hands to support and defend the Constitution with their military service. During his remarks at Arlington National Cemetery, President Biden reminded us that our nation has many obligations—but only one truly sacred obligation. That is to prepare those we send into harm’s way, and to care for them and their families when they return home.

The thing is, the whole country makes that promise. But it’s our job at VA, with the help of partners like LSC, to keep that promise. At VA we pledge to put the Veteran at the center of everything we do. A Veteran’s overall well-being often means more than providing health care and benefits. That’s where our partners become so important to ensure Veterans are not just surviving, but thriving.

That’s where you all come in.

Many of the challenges Vets face are directly related to or a by-product of legal problems, leading to moments of crisis. Veteran homelessness is one of the most profound examples. So let me tell a quick story about how one of our Medical Legal Partnerships (MLP’s) are helping Vets in moments of crisis by incorporating legal services into VA care. A Veteran, I’ll call him Dan, in Bay Pines, Florida was notified by his landlord that he needed to pay a past-due balance, or he was going to be evicted within a week. Dan had not been previously notified of this and believed it was an error. Unfortunately, the landlord refused to give Dan any flexibility. So, Dan turned to his VA social worker for help, who introduced him to the Bay Area Legal Services MLP attorney. The attorney worked with the landlord to get an extension for rent payment, and ensured that they’d issue proper notices moving forward.

That’s one Vet who has a roof over his head today because of timely access to legal assistance. At those moments of maximum risk, when a Veteran is most vulnerable, legal aid can be a lifeline.

Now, last week we announced that Veteran homelessness reached a record low during the 2024 Point-in-Time Count—an 8% decrease from 2023 and a 56% reduction since 2010. That is real progress and demonstrates that we can, in fact, end Veteran homelessness once and for all. But we still have so much more work to do, because no Veteran should experience homelessness in the country they swore an oath to defend.

VA’s efforts to combat Veteran homelessness are built on the “Housing First” approach, which seeks to get a Veteran into housing, then provide them with the wraparound services they need to stay housed. Legal aid is one of those important services, and last year VA awarded $11.5 million in grants to 79 public and non-profit organizations. VA grant funding through this program supports over 70% of the MLPs. And a substantial number of these partnerships are operated by LSC grantees, successfully closing the gap between Veterans’ legal and healthcare needs.

In 2021, the last time I spoke at an LSC event, VA supported 29 MLPs. We now have 52 partnerships. Again, this is an improvement. But demand for affordable legal aid continues to rise, so we need to invest more into these critical partnerships.

I’ll close with one final story.

I was reminded of the importance of legal advocates during a trip earlier this year to the Cook County Jail, on the West Side of Chicago. The story begins, appropriately, with a Veteran. John Coddington joined the Air Force and deployed during the initial invasion into Iraq. When he came home, he decided to rejoin his community and started working at the local jail. Early on, John pushed the jail to start asking inmates whether they served in the military as part of the intake process. In 2013, with the innovative support of Sheriff Tom Dart, the jail opened a dedicated tier for Vets in custody. Vets in the unit receive specialized counseling from Cook County psychologists, assistance with substance use issues, attend Vet resource fairs, and other programs that recognizes their unique circumstance as Veterans. There is even a direct messaging system between the jail’s healthcare unit and the VA healthcare system, ensuring seamless medical record transfer. Vets are visited weekly by three of my VA teammates, Carmen Ramirez, Melissa Ornelas, and Nancy Lucena, who connect them with VA resources and establish early relationships with VA. The on-site legal clinic, Legal Aid Chicago, at Jesse Brown VAMC has been instrumental in helping Veterans reintegrate into their communities.

One of the many success stories from the Cook County Jail is a female combat Veteran, we’ll refer to her as Tina. Tina’s journey began with a domestic dispute involving an abusive partner, which led to her apartment being raided. She was charged with drug possession and unlawful possession of a weapon. She had untreated mental health issues stemming from her time in the military. And she had no income or social support in Chicago. “Hitting rock bottom put my life in perspective,” Tina said. “Cook County Jail is not a nice place to be.” While in custody, VA’s Veteran Justice Program Specialist identified Tina as being at-risk of homelessness, and referred her to Veterans Treatment Court. This allowed her to enter a residential treatment program and obtain permanent housing. Tina obtained a service-connected disability rating. And she even landed a job in the Environmental Management Service unit at Jesse Brown VAMC.

Veterans helping Veterans. Taking care of each other. No matter the circumstances.

There is nothing better.

Thank you for allowing me to share some thoughts with you today. But more importantly, thank you for your continued support and partnership, and for ensuring our justice-involved Vets are not left out on their own, unsupported. Access to legal aid is crucial to keeping our promise to Veterans. Together, we can help Vets get beyond their current struggles and foster hope for a future filled with new opportunities.

It’s an honor to work with you to serve Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors as well as they’ve served us.