LGBTQ+ Details | VA Columbia Missouri Wellness Care

Upgrading discharge characterizations

The discharge characterization for Veterans discharged underneath “Don’t Inquire, Really don’t Tell” (DADT) or preceding policy should precisely replicate the character of their assistance. This is not constantly the scenario.

Provider users who had been discharged beneath DADT generally acquired an Honorable or Normal Less than Honorable Conditions discharge dependent on their company information. Nevertheless, a company member discharged for a “Homosexual Act” that involved a so-referred to as “aggravating factor” may have been offered an Other Than Honorable (OTH) discharge characterization. Most of the things on the list (these kinds of as functions involving minors, prostitutes or coercion) constituted unacceptable habits and should really have resulted in an OTH. But there have been two “aggravating factors” that did not inherently represent misconduct and that should really not essentially have resulted in OTH discharges. These have been acts committed brazenly in community perspective (e.g., keeping arms at a restaurant) and acts fully commited on foundation or on submit (e.g., a quick hug though getting dropped off).

In addition, the Navy and Maritime Corps gave people discharged for “marriage” or “attempted marriage” an OTH, whilst in the Military and the Air Force, users discharged for exact carry out gained Honorable or Common Beneath Honorable Conditions discharges, centered on their services document.

Services users discharged under the pre-DADT coverage had been very likely to receive discharges that were being fewer than Honorable. Fewer than Honorable discharge characterizations can have lifelong penalties, this sort of as restricting the Veteran’s obtain to the GI Monthly bill or Veterans Administration healthcare. Previous service members who obtained a much less than Honorable discharge characterization that is not reflective of their company are eligible to use to have that discharge upgraded to mirror their services.

All branches of the armed forces look at Veteran to have a sturdy scenario for a discharge upgrade if they can clearly show their discharge was linked to sexual orientation, or mental overall health situations, together with posttraumatic anxiety disorder (PTSD) traumatic mind injuries (TBI) or sexual assault or harassment throughout armed forces service.

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LGBT Veteran Care Coordinator (VCC) Plan

The LGBT Veteran Treatment Coordinator is a clinician who helps LGBT Veterans in navigating by means of the VA healthcare process, supplies group sources, and facilitates LGBT Veteran courses. The LGBT VCC also serves as a point of contact, resource of info, advocate, and trouble-solver for LGBT Veteran-relevant healthcare difficulties at Truman VA and linked CBOCs.

The Truman VA LGBT Veteran Treatment Coordinator is Beth Hager-Harrison-Prado, LCSW she can be attained at 573-814-6000, ext. 53493 by e-mail at [email protected] or by using protected messaging in My HealtheVet (for Veterans).

 Concerns and/or Issues

If you experience you are not remaining presented with compassionate treatment at Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Medical center, we encourage you to make your worries regarded to your healthcare company and/or the Individual Advocate.

If you have any concerns or issues that are not about a precise Services Line, you should contact the EEO Supervisor, at 573-814-6316, or Beth Hager-Harrison-Prado, LCSW, LGBT Veteran Treatment Coordinator/EEOC LGBT System Manager, at 573-814-6000, ext. 53493.

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