Upgrading discharge characterizations
The discharge characterization for Veterans discharged below “Don’t Ask, Don’t Inform” (DADT) or earlier coverage ought to precisely mirror the character of their service. This isn’t all the time the case.
Service members who had been discharged below DADT usually obtained an Honorable or Common Below Honorable Situations discharge based mostly on their service information. Nonetheless, a service member discharged for a “Gay Act” that concerned a so-called “aggravating issue” might need been given an Different Than Honorable (OTH) discharge characterization. A lot of the elements on the checklist (akin to acts involving minors, prostitutes or coercion) constituted unacceptable habits and may have resulted in an OTH. However there have been two “aggravating elements” that didn’t inherently represent misconduct and that ought to not essentially have resulted in OTH discharges. These had been acts dedicated brazenly in public view (e.g., holding arms at a restaurant) and acts dedicated on base or on put up (e.g., a fast hug whereas being dropped off).
As well as, the Navy and Marine Corps gave these discharged for “marriage” or “tried marriage” an OTH, whereas within the Military and the Air Pressure, members discharged for similar conduct obtained Honorable or Common Below Honorable Situations discharges, based mostly on their service file.
Service members discharged below the pre-DADT coverage had been very prone to obtain discharges that had been lower than Honorable. Lower than Honorable discharge characterizations can have lifelong penalties, akin to limiting the Veteran’s entry to the GI Invoice or Veterans Administration healthcare. Former service members who obtained a lower than Honorable discharge characterization that’s not reflective of their service are eligible to use to have that discharge upgraded to reflect their service.
All branches of the navy think about Veteran to have a powerful case for a discharge improve if they’ll present their discharge was linked to sexual orientation, or psychological well being situations, together with posttraumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD); traumatic mind harm (TBI); or sexual assault or harassment throughout navy service.
LGBT Veteran Care Coordinator (VCC) Program
The LGBT Veteran Care Coordinator is a clinician who assists LGBT Veterans in navigating by the VA healthcare system, gives group assets, and facilitates LGBT Veteran applications. The LGBT VCC additionally serves as a degree of contact, supply of knowledge, advocate, and problem-solver for LGBT Veteran-related healthcare points at Truman VA and related CBOCs.
The Truman VA LGBT Veteran Care Coordinator is Beth Hager-Harrison-Prado, LCSW; she may be reached at 573-814-6000, ext. 53493; by e mail at m.e.hagerharrisonprado@va.gov; or by way of safe messaging in My HealtheVet (for Veterans).
Considerations and/or Complaints
Should you really feel you aren’t being supplied with compassionate care at Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, we encourage you to make your issues recognized to your healthcare supplier and/or the Affected person Advocate.
When you’ve got any questions or issues that aren’t a couple of particular Service Line, please contact the EEO Supervisor, at 573-814-6316, or Beth Hager-Harrison-Prado, LCSW, LGBT Veteran Care Coordinator/EEOC LGBT Program Supervisor, at 573-814-6000, ext. 53493.
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