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PACT Act – provider training and resources
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WarriorNOW -
support for Veterans
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Precertification reminder
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The PACT Act expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to toxic exposures from burn pits and other activities related to their military service. Veterans are encouraged to get screened for toxic exposures they may have experienced during military service.
VA encourages you to learn more about military-related toxic exposures and offers numerous training opportunities to help you talk to your Veteran patients about things like how to address Veteran exposure concerns, service-related conditions related to toxic exposure, airborne hazards, and more.
Additional resources:
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If you have a patient struggling with mental health issues, PTSD or addiction, tell them about WarriorNOW.
WarriorNOW offers several programs including peer support services, training and education, family support, and “buddy check.” You can learn more here.
For free training related to Veteran suicide prevention, we recommend you, your staff and colleagues view Dr. Miguel LaPuz’s video message about opportunities provided by VA’s Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.
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As a community provider, you are required to notify VA when scheduling services from an approved VA referral that requires precertification.
This is because Federal law requires VA to bill third party payers for non-service connected/special authority care, including community care. Precertification is a required part of this process.
Some Veterans are required to pay copayments for their VA care. Your precertification notification to VA can offset their copayment responsibility, reducing their out-of-pocket expenses, while also providing critical funds for VA equipment, programs and services.
VA has made the precertification process as simple and accessible as possible. We offer a course on VHA TRAIN with more details: Provider Precertification Overview for VA Community Providers and VHA Staff - VHA TRAIN - an affiliate of the TRAIN Learning Network powered by the Public Health Foundation.
You can also find precertification information on the HealthShare Referral Manager (HSRM) community provider portal by clicking on the offline referral link. Review the updated VA offline referral page to determine if the referral requested includes bill codes that require review for VA precertification.
Resources
More information on precertification for community providers is available here.
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E D U C A T I O N & T R A I N I N G
This course provides updated lethal means training and resources for VHA facility Suicide Prevention Coordinators and other MH/SP clinicians.
Accreditations offered: APA, ACCME, ACCME-NP, ANCC, APA, NBCC, ASWB, NYSED SW
Location: VHA TRAIN
ID#: 1075258
Time: One (1) hour
Opioid Safety Initiative
This course discusses evidence-based management of Veterans with chronic pain to improve patient outcomes and decrease incidences of complications related to opioid prescribing.
Location: VHA TRAIN
ID#: 1086479
Time: One (1) hour
Caring for Women Veterans in the Community
This course will cover issues such as military sexual trauma, musculoskeletal pain, and post-deployment readjustment that can impact women Veterans differently compared to non-Veterans. Participants will receive one (1) credit hour.
Location: VHA TRAIN
ID#: 1096557
Time: One (1) hour
Accreditations: JA IPCE, AAPA, ACCME, ANCC, ACCME-NP, ASWB, ACPE, NYSED SW
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual (LGB) Veteran Health
This training provides a general understanding of critical concepts and terminology and VHA policy regarding care for LGB Veterans. You will also learn about LGB Veteran health disparities, how to address them across the lifespan and how to create an affirming clinical environment. The audience includes physicians, clinical staff, psychologists, social workers, nurses and administrative staff.
Location: VHA TRAIN
ID#: 1111443
Time: 0.25 hour
Accreditations: None
LGB: Minority Stress and Health
This brief, on-demand training is part of a series of programs on health care for Veterans with lesbian, gay, bisexual and related identities. This session focuses on minority stress and health. The audience for this training includes physicians, clinical staff, psychologists, social workers, nurses and administrative staff.
Location: VHA TRAIN
ID#: 1111123
Time: 0.25 hour
Accreditations: None
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W E B I N A R S & L E C T U R E S
July’s lecture, “Remotely Delivering a Complementary Self-Directed Intervention for Veterans and their Partners to Improve Veteran Pain, PTSD, and Relationship Outcomes,” is presented by Jolie Haun, PhD EdS LMT, health science officer with Health Services Research and Development (HSRD), Office of Research and Development, VA Central Office.
Dr. Haun will describe the protocol and outcomes from a multi-site randomized control trial. The trial tested a remotely delivered, self-directed complementary and integrative health intervention for Veterans and their partners to improve pain, PTSD, and relationship outcomes.
Location option:
Date & time: Wednesday, July 12, Noon – 1 p.m. ET
Accreditations: Those who participate in the live lecture can earn one (1) hour of free continuing education credit. CE/CMEs available: ACCME, ACCME-NP, ANCC, APA, ASWB, NBCC, NYSED.
To receive information about future lectures and sign up for the mailing list: MobileMentalHealth@va.gov
The Tech into Care CE Lecture Series features a different speaker and technology-related topic each month. These live webinars are open to all health care staff, researchers and anyone interested in the use of technology (e.g., mobile apps, online interventions, and telehealth) to support treatment for Veterans with PTSD and related concerns (e.g., anger, substance use, and insomnia).
Trainings available through Optum and TriWest
Numerous live and on-demand webinars and trainings are offered by Optum and TriWest to fit your schedule. Check them out!
Questions? If you require assistance, please contact the VHA TRAIN Help Desk by email at vhatrain@va.gov.
How to obtain your credit completion certificate:
Once you complete a credited training, you can obtain your credential certificate(s) in four easy steps:
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Log in to VHA Train - https://vha.train.org/vha/login
- Go to “Your Learning”
- Go to “Your Certificates”
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Download your certificate
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V E T E R A N S P O T L I G H T |
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 Amanda Burns - Army Veteran, flutist, occupational therapist
Amanda Burns was a flute player in the Army band for nearly 10 years, providing music to others while deployed to Iraq. While there, one of her duties was to oversee trash disposal in the burn pits. Her exposure to the burn pits caused permanent injury to her lungs. After returning from deployment, Burns could no longer play the flute professionally and decided it was time to leave the Army. She found her second career calling as an occupational therapist (OT) and says, “There’s no better place to be an OT than VA because we get to provide our Veterans with the resources and equipment we recommend to them, unlike the private sector. Once I started working here, it truly felt like this is where I’m supposed to be.”
Learn more about Amanda’s story.
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 Toni Williams – Marine Corps Veteran, assists homeless Veterans
As a Marine Corps administrative noncommissioned officer, Toni Williams was called “mama bear” for the care and support she gave to Marines experiencing sexual assault or on the verge of suicide. Afterwards, Williams continued to serve by providing meals to the homeless through the Salvation Army and resources to Veterans and their families through the Washington, D.C. Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs. “It was one of the best decisions I made to stand side-by-side with those Marines,” Williams recalled about her service years.
Learn more about Toni’s story.
We honor their service.
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I N O T H E R N E W S
Of the 16.5 million Veterans in the U.S., 50% are 65 or older. Hero’s Bridge, a non-profit organization was founded to serve those Veterans. Molly Brooks, CEO and founder, said “Not one more Vet will live out their golden years in lonely hardship.” The organization’s mission is to bridge our Veterans to a better quality of life through age-specific and innovative programs. Hero’s Bridge fulfills this mission through four core programs. Visit here to learn more. |
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COMMUNITY PROVIDERS: Thank you for all you do to support our Veterans.
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