OFFICE OF TRIBAL GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Mary Culley

Tribal Government Relations Specialist

Southern Plains and Southeastern Region

June 5, 2013

History Timeline on OTGR

• EO 13175 signed Nov 2000 and 2009• 2009 EO resulted in VA Solicitation for Tribal

Consultation• 5 Milestones occurred as a result:

– VA-IHS MOU 2010– Creation of OTGR– VA Tribal Consultation Policy 2011– VA-THP Reimbursement DTLL 2012– VA-IHS Reimbursement Agreement 2012

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Training Summit Objectives

• Specifically, OTGR goals are:

• Increase Veteran Access to healthcare and benefits

• Economic Sustainability

• Tribal Consultation

• OTGR holds 3 to 4 training summits annually

• The goal of these meetings is to increase access to VA healthcare and benefits through informative presentations and interactive discussions about VA’s efforts to reach military Veterans in Indian Country.• Western Region April 9-10, 2013, San Diego, CA

• Central Region, April 30-May 1, 2013, Rapid City, SD

• Eastern Region, May 7-8, 2013, Cherokee, NC

VA Organizational Chart

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W. Scott GouldDeputy Secretary

John R. Gingrich,

Chief of Staff

Dr. Thomas Sowers, Assistant Secretary

Office of Public & Intergovernmental Affairs

John M. Garcia, Deputy Assistant Secretary

Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

Stephanie E. Birdwell, DirectorOffice of Tribal Government Relations

Erika D. Moott

Executive Officer

Mary Culley

OTGR Specialist

Southern Plains/

Eastern Region

Peter Vicaire

OTGR Specialist

Central / Eastern Region

Terry Bentley

OTGR Specialist

Western Region

L.HoMana Pawiki

OTGR Specialist

Southwest Region

Eric K. Shinseki

Secretary

Government to Government Partnership

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American Indian/ Alaska Native Tribal

GovernmentsOffice of Tribal

Government Relations (OTGR)

Veterans Benefits Administration

(VBA)

National Cemetery Administration

(NCA)

Veterans Health Administration

(VHA)

Regional Listing

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• Peter Vicaire, OTGR Specialist, Minneapolis, MNMaine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming

• Mary Culley, OTGR Specialist, Oklahoma City, OKNorth Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas

• L. HoMana Pawiki, OTGR Specialist, Prescott, AZNew Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona

• Terry Bentley, OTGR Specialist, Roseburg, OR

Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California, Alaska

2013 Public Engagements• April 17, 2013, Oklahoma City Area Inter-Tribal Health Board 5th

Annual Public Health Conference, Tulsa, OK • April 26, 2013, VHA & VBA Enrollment session with Ponca

Nation and surrounding tribes• May 7-8, 2013, OTGR Eastern Region Training Summit,

Cherokee, NC• May 14-15, 2013, CMS Training Session, Dallas, TX• May 17, 2013, HUD-VASH Lawton Stand Down• State sponsored Veterans Representative Training tentatively set

for May 2013

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2013 Public Engagements

• June 5, 2013, SAIGE National Training Program• June 5, 2013, Sovereignty Symposium – Presenting on

VA’ Veteran & Diversion Court Programs• June 17-19, NIHB Public Health Summit, Hollywood,

Florida• June 27, 2013, Shawnee Tribal Stand Down (in

connection with State, federal agencies, local community organizations and Tribal Nations/Health facilities)

• Oct 13-18, 2013, NCAI Annual Convention & Marketplace, Tulsa Convention Center, Tulsa, OK

• November 2013, Sarasota Chalk Festival, Sarasota, FL

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VA-IHS ReimbursementWhere are we now?

• Aug 24, 2012, VA sent Dear Tribal Leader Letter encouraging Tribal Health Programs to move forward with establishing agreements with VA.

• As a result: 42 Tribal Health Programs have submitted Letters of Interest and received orientation.– 26 agreements in tribes in Alaska and Creek Nation entered into an agreement

with VA in 2012

• Since the IHS Agreement was signed Dec 5, 2012, 14 IHS facilities have received orientation– The first IHS site implementation plan was signed March 8, 2013 between Ft.

Harrison VAMC, Montana and the Blackfeet (Billings) IHS Service Unit

• Totaling 83 Indian and Tribal Health Programs initiating collaboration and reimbursement discussions between their agencies (includes agreements with Alaska tribes and Creek Nation)

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What is the Process?

• Step 1:  Submit your letter of interest to the OTGR Tribal website: Tribal.agreements@va.gov

• Step 2:  The Department of Veterans Affairs Chief Business Office will pull your requests and respond back to you regarding your request

• Step 3:  The Chief Business Office will contact the appropriate VA Medical Center to initiate the process

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Examples of How Tribes are Working with local VAMCs

• OKC VAMC collaborating with Clinton Indian Clinic to provide physician direct consult capability

• Oklahoma, IHS and Tribal Health staff working with VA, State, and local agencies on Homeless Stand Down Programs

• Touring VA Medical Centers, then inviting VAMC staff to tour their health facilities

• Chinle and VA collaborated to build a VA clinic within the Chinle IHS Clinic

• VAMC providing a staff person once a week to assist and enroll veterans into VHA programs

• Tribes inviting Veterans Benefits administration to do enrollments in their community centers

• Oneida Nation Tribal Veteran Rep processed approximately $1 million worth of claims in one year for veterans in his tribe

• Cherokee Tribe, NC, and the Asheville VAMC, share salary costs for a position to service Indian veterans out of the Cherokee Indian Hospital

• There are approximately 4 National Tribal Cemeteries as a result of awarded grants: 1) Rosebud Sioux, 2) Oglala Sioux, 3) Kurek Tribe of California and 4) Pasqui Yaqui Tribe

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Statistics

Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard Service members by Age and Race

Age Group AIAN Percent All Other Races Percent 17 to 24 years 15,230 48.9 773,368 34.6

25 to 34 years 10,997 35.3 826,361 37.1

35 to 44 years 3,790 12.2 456,799 20.4

45 to 54 years 1,006 3.2 156,974 7.0

55 to 64 years 131 0.4 19,900 0.9

65 to 74 years 1 0.0 113 0.0

Unknown 0 0.0 19 0.0

Total 31,155 100.0 2,235,534 100.0

Source: Department of Defense, Active Duty Master Personnel File; Reserve Components Common Personnel Data System (RCCPDS), 2010.

Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics.

Statistics

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AI/AN Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard Service members by Sex and Race

Sex AIAN Percent All Other Races Percent Male 25,128 80.7 1,886,043 84.4 Female 6,027 19.3 349,487 15.6 Unknown 0 0.0 4 0.0 Total 31,155 100.0 2,235,534 100.0

Source: Department of Defense, Active Duty Master Personnel File; Reserve Components Common Personnel Data System (RCCPDS), 2010. Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics.

Statistics

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Veterans by Age and Race Age Group AIAN Percent All Other Races Percent 17 to 24 years 3,305 2.1 343,416 1.6 25 to 34 years 10,386 6.7 1,383,808 6.4 35 to 44 years 20,946 13.6* 2,188,407 10.1 45 to 54 years 35,234 22.8* 3,315,765 15.3 55 to 64 years 42,542 27.6* 5,297,053 24.5 65 to 74 years 24,838 16.1* 4,281,345 19.8 75 years and older 17,054 11.1* 4,811,086 22.3

Total 154,305 100.0 21,620,880 100

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample, 2010. Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

Statistics

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Use VA Do not use VA

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60

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AI/ANOther Races

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample, 2010. Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

How Can you Help Us Help You?

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• If you are a Veteran consider enrolling in the VA Healthcare System and local Veterans Benefits Administration Office

• Support coordination of outreach• Native American Direct Loan Programs – spread the

word• Veteran Database – support tribes in identifying their

Veteran population • Knowledge of Homeless Veteran Population• Know your Veterans and seek to learn about their needs

Contact InformationSouthern Plains & Eastern Regions

Department of Veteran Affairs

Office of Tribal Government Relations

921 N.E. 13th Street

Oklahoma City, OK 73104

Mary.Culley@va.gov   

                       Phone (405) 456-3876

 www.va.gov/tribalgovernment

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