(Photo Credit: Holden Armstrong, NASDVA)
COLUMBIA, SC (SCDVA) - The U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs has awarded the South Carolina Department of Veterans' Affairs (SCDVA) with the 2023 Abraham Lincoln Pillars of Excellence Award for the South Carolina Veteran Coalition's efforts to end Veteran Homelessness in our state. The award, given by the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs Secretary, Denis McDonough, was presented during the 2024 National Association of State Directors of Veterans' Affairs (NASDVA) midwinter conference in Arlington, Virginia. South Carolina was one of seven states awarded.
The Abraham Lincoln Pillars of Excellence Award is a recognition program developed by the VA Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA). The award allows VA and NASDVA to evaluate state and territory programs to establish best practices and provide a model for other states and territories to implement programs that benefit veterans and their families across the Nation. Award categories include:
- Customer experience with VA benefits and services,
- Eliminating veteran homelessness,
- Suicide awareness and prevention,
- Delivery of services to tribal governments,
- Serving Native American Veterans,
- Innovative state programs,
- Eliminating the claims and appeals backlog.
Growth in Veteran services
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SCDVA News Minute - U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough visited Greenville, South Carolina in February 2024 to recognize growth in integration of Veteran services in the Palmetto State.
“South Carolina is a recognized leader in its approaches to supporting Veterans," said SCDVA Secretary Todd McCaffrey. "From entry into service to transition or military retirement, the South Carolina Veteran Coalition is an innovative program that connects Veterans and service members directly to service partners in their communities. Over the past two years, the South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs has worked earnestly to integrate a range of support services provided by community partners who are dedicated to guiding Veterans and their families to pathways of success. The SC Veteran Coalition owes its gratitude to participating Veteran service organizations, County Veterans Affairs Offices, and other community leaders for their willingness to assist Veterans in fully leveraging the benefits they’ve earned. With this recognition we look forward to expanding the program to even more partners to support more South Carolina Veterans.”
"The recognition of this award is due to so many," said David Rozelle, SCDVA Director of Operations. "Every day, partners in our Coalition are dedicated to assisting Veterans and making the lives of our Veterans and families better. Those partners deserve this recognition because they are doing something amazing that no other state is doing. To make that possible, our department has worked hard to create a network that provides referrals that meet the needs of our Veterans and their families. Our goal is to allow those Veterans and their families to thrive. I am proud of everyone’s hard work and of the selfless service of so many who have made it possible for us to recognize the South Carolina Veterans Coalition."
About the Coalition
The South Carolina Veteran Coalition (powered by Combined Arms) is an initiative from the South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs started in April 2022 by former SCDVA Secretary, Will Grimsley. The program is a central online location for transitioning service members, Veterans, and their families to access organizations at the federal, state, non-profit, and for profit. Service categories that are available are:
- Health Services
- Homeless Assistance
- Mental Wellness
- Social Life
- Workshops
- Life Wellness
- Education
- Entrepreneurship
- Volunteer Engagements
- Career Services
- Legal Assistance
- Financial Assistance
- Veteran Benefits
- Fitness
The onboarding process for an organization to become members of the SC Veteran Coalition is through Regional Integration Officers (RIOs). These SCDVA staffers meet with the organization to see how the organization works. If the organization agrees to become part of the coalition, training is provided to the organization on how to use the system.
Organizations who agree to become members of the coalition are asked to do three things:
- Provide the services your organization advertises.
- Contact the Veteran within 72 hours. This reassures the client they are not forgotten.
- No wrong door policy. Use resources in the SCVC to connect clients to other agencies if other concerns are discovered.
Service members, Veterans, and their families can create a “client” profile to access the system and connect with any of the organizations available. Organizations wishing to become part of the coalition, or for Service members, Veterans and families to create a profile for access to services can CLICK HERE.