Help and Information for Military Families

LEGAL ASSISTANCE/RESOURCES:

FREE GUIDES AND HANDBOOKS

The 2008 VA Book on Benefits for Veterans and their Dependents http://www1.va.gov/opa/vadocs/fedben.pdf

Free Downloadable Suicide Prevention Book entitled:  Suicide, the Forever Decision: For Those Thinking About Suicide and For Those Who Know, Love and Counsel Them.

Online Traumatic Brain Injury Survival Guide

Handbook for Injured Service Members and Their Families - This handbook was created to help wounded warriors and their families navigate the bureaucracy to get the benefits they have earned.  It is 149 pages and can be downloaded for free.

(TSGLI) Traumatic Service members’ Group Life Insurance

Traumatic Service members Group Life Insurance (TSGLI) helps severely injured Soldiers through their time of need with a one-time payment. The amount varies depending on the injury, but it could be the difference that allows their family to be with them during recovery; helps them with unforeseen expenses; or gives them a financial head start on life after recovery.

For more information about TSGLI, contact the U.S. Army TSGLI service center at 1-800-237-1336, e-mail TSGLI@conus.army.mil or visit the TSGLI website at http://www.tsgli.army.mil/.

Wounded service members should be aware that CIP (Combat Injury Pay) ends when a member is awarded TSGLI. Those facing long periods of convalescence could be denying themselves almost $5,200 a year if they apply too early for TSGLI, Sackett said. TSGLI specialists will include this in their briefings.
Read full article:  http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=58898&archive=true

Support Organizations.  In light of the recent scandal revealing the  misuse of funds by organizations that take donations to help veterans, we put together a short list (with descriptions) of reputable organizations that help service members, veterans, and their families.  This list is not meant to be comprehensive.

New TRICARE website available

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

~Margaret Mead

TRICARE Prime and Prime Remote beneficiaries in the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska, can enroll online with the new beneficiary Web enrollment known as BWE. BWE allows TRICARE Prime and Prime Remote beneficiaries to enroll, disembroil, choose primary care managers, transfer regions, update personal information, add other health care information and request enrollment cards. BWE allows Standard beneficiaries to update personal information, add other health care information and enroll in Prime.

To learn more about TRICARE, visit: www.military.com/benefits/tricare.

New TRICARE Advocacy Program

The TRICARE Southern Region's new Warrior Navigation & Assistance Program (WNAP) for Wounded Warriors and their families provides guidance to active-duty, National Guard and reserve service members as they transition through the military health care system. Service members can call 1-888-4GO-WNAP for direct access to a multi-disciplinary team that will assist them or their family members. In addition, resources are available on the Humana-Military website including the "Information and Resources for Combat Veterans" brochure and tools for health care providers. This brochure addresses the unique needs of service members returning home from deployment.

DOD Transition Assistance Goes Online

TurboTAP is an easy to use, interactive Web portal that provides life-long support to separating military service members (Active Duty, Guard and Reserve) and their families. It is a single source starting point for accessing key resources available for service members transitioning out of the military at any point in their military career.

TurboTap has many features including a multi-media tutorial explaining how to use TurboTAP.

Read the TurboTAP fact sheet to learn more about this new online transition assistance tool.

Medical Discharge

Is your military family member going through a military medical board (being discharged from service for physical or mental reasons)?  We encourage you to go to http://militarymedicineissues.info/On-Line-Resources/public_awareness.htm.  Much of the process is explained in layman's terms and the most relevant regulations are highlighted for you.  If you need more help, don't hesitate to email us and we will see what we can do.

Army Launches Benefits Web Site

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Oct. 2, 2007) - The Soldiers' Benefit Services Web site is now the Army's official one-stop resource for all benefits information.

Located at http://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil the Web site contains the most current benefit information for active-duty and reserve- component Soldiers, retirees and Family members.

Active-duty Soldiers - to include Reservists and National Guard members serving on active duty - also have access to calculators that figure survivor, disability and retirement benefits. Users must have their Army Knowledge Online password to access current Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System data.

Grant to Central Texas Hospital Will Provide For Free Mental Health Care To Returning Soldiers

The Dallas Foundation has given a substantial grant to a Central Texas hospital to provide mental health care and TBI services to Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, who are suffering from these disorders. The Scott & White Hospital, which is a major medical center in the Killeen, Texas area received a grant for $750,000 to provide care for returning Soldiers. The grant will be used to help fund The Homefront Rehabilitation Program at Scott & White.

See full story here:  Grant to Central Texas Hospital

Dallas Foundation Newsroom

January 14, 2008 Update:

Phone numbers for programs established by the Dallas Foundation grant in Texas:

Bell County - Mental Health Center of Temple - 254-724-2585

Dallas Area - Mental Health of America - 214-871-2420

Phone number for program established by the San Antonio Foundation grant in Texas:

Austin - Samaritan Center - 512-451-7337 (families of soldiers are also seen at this center)

Care is confidential and at no cost to the soldiers.

Severely Injured Service Member and Spouse Scholarship Opportunities

Severely injured service members and their spouses have expressed an interest in participating in educational programs that will help prepare them for jobs and careers while they are convalescing, when they return home, and/or after discharge from the military. We would like to link these members and their spouses to schools that are willing and/or currently offering educational programs and scholarships that would help them do this.

You can search for scholarships by name, state, course, delivery mode, and eligibility: http://www.dantes.doded.mil/sfd/participantSearch.asp?param=school

NMFA Joanne Patton Holbrook Military Spouse Scholarship Program

The National Military Family Association’s Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarships are awarded to spouses of Uniformed Services members (active duty, National Guard and Reserve, retirees, and survivors) to obtain professional certification or to attend post secondary or graduate school. Scholarships range in amount from $500 to $1,000.00, and the number awarded each year varies depending on funding. Scholarship funds may be used for tuition, fees, and school room and board.

Information available at: http://www.nmfa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Spouse_Scholarship

Free Test Prep Software

Service members and their families can go to http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/ and request free SAT and ACT study and preparation materials worth up to $200.

By November 2007, veterans and their families will be able to request the materials as well at the education page on www.va.gov.

Going Back to School?

The National Military Families Association has some great information about finding funding and choosing a program:  http://www.nmfa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=home_military_spouse_education_resource_guide

State Unemployment Benefits for Active Duty Spouses

If you have to quit your job and move to another state when your spouse-service member moves to a new duty station (PCSs), you will be eligible for state unemployment benefits from the following states:

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington.

In the following states, you may be eligible (decisions are made on a case-by-case basis or a waiting period may apply):

Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

You are not eligible in these states:

Colorado, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia.

Donate Now

We are trying to raise money to support MSC and the services we provide.
Any help you could give would benefit the entire community.

 
   

 

We are a non-profit organization with 501(c)3 status, all donations are tax deductible.