Paralyzed Veterans of America

Public education and awareness: Paralyzed Veterans of America engages and educates both the public and key decision makers about the challenges facing Veterans with spinal cord injury and their families - and the important services we provide to these brave heroes which allow them and their families to lead full and productive lives. Whether it's a janitor whose dad served in vietnam, the doctor who's thinking about specializing in spinal cord injury medicine, or the student who has no Veterans in her family, our print and e-publications are designed to get them all to think about the challenges facing Paralyzed and disabled Veterans - and then make helping Veterans part of their life's mission. For example, through our clinical practice guidelines and companion consumer guides - on issues as diverse as the early acute management of adults with spinal cord injury to bladder management - we lead the way in providing "gold standard" professional education and self-help information to health care professionals and patients alike. Last year alone, our guidelines were used by thousands of doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers and therapists, potentially helping millions of people living with spinal cord injury/diseases (sci/d).

Legislation and advocacy: advocacy - Paralyzed Veterans of America's government relations program focuses on policy priorities that affect Veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders. Through our efforts, we improve the lives of Veterans with catastrophic disabilities and all people with disabilities. The legislative program staff focus on policy priorities under the purview of the department of Veterans affairs (va) and the house and senate Veterans' affairs committees. Legislative staff work on protecting access to va's specialized health care services; expanding access to va's long-term services and supports; and improving va benefits and health care services for Paralyzed Veterans and their survivors, including increased access to home modifications and assisted reproductive technologies. The national advocacy staff focus on efforts to improve the lives of our members as people with disabilities. Advocacy staff work on improving access to air travel for people with disabilities, including addressing damage to wheelchairs and injuries to wheelchair users, and promoting legislation that will improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Staff also participate in efforts to ensure people who use wheelchairs have access to autonomous vehicles and improve access to social security benefits. In addition, staff assist Veterans with filing disability-related complaints with federal agencies and work with chapters to increase compliance with the americans with disabilities act in their local communities. Architecture: pva's architecture team ensures state-of-the-art healing facilities for Veterans with a spinal cord injury or disease at the department of Veterans affairs (va) hospitals. Pva's staff of licensed architects work directly with the va and design teams across the country throughout each design and construction process. The architecture team also conducts technical assessments of the condition of existing va medical centers. In addition to health care facilities, pva's architecture team has brought about positive change and furthered accessible design in all public and private building types. Pva architects serve on committees which write accessibility standards and building codes, and work with cities and municipalities to improve access for all. They also help advance accessible design through teaching, public speaking, seminars and publications which deal with accessibility issues and approaches that eliminate barriers in the built environment. Each year, pva's architects work directly with over 100 homeowners, building owners, architects, and contractors requesting help on their design and construction projects in order to improve accessibility for themselves or others with disabilities. Also, through presenting in-person and virtual seminars, pva architects assist approximately 4,500 attendees per year with their accessible home renovation projects.pva's architects also provide technical assistance and review architectural plans, as requested by diffferent chapters of pva, to ensure the highest level of accessibility for public and private projects in their communities throughout the united states.

Veterans benefit services:va benefits - each year, our national service officers (nsos) help thousands of Veterans and family members obtain the benefits they have earned through their military service or the service of their loved one. In many cases, our nsos are one of the first people at a veteran'Veterans's bedside after injury, and their first line of contact to getting assistance with health care and benefits' needs.in fy 23, Paralyzed Veterans of America's Veterans benefits staff secured $232,874,346 in new annual and retroactive benefits for our clients, including $9,488,086 in payments for automobile grants, $43,835,521 in automobile adaptive equipment payments, $38,532,523 in payments for specially adapted housing (sah) grants and $5,933,332 in annual clothing allowance payments.in fy 23, we filed 24,015 new issues/claims and secured 1,033 "significant retroactive awards" (over $100,000). We conducted 5,877 hospital and office interviews and had over 149,780 client contacts during the year. Veterans career program [formerly pave] - Paralyzed Veterans of America's Veterans career program provides career assistance and vocational rehabilitation support to transitioning service members, Veterans, military spouses and caregivers across the country. In fy23, Veterans career program staff placed 228 individuals in meaningful career opportunities and carried an active caseload of nearly 500 clients. The program operates through seven locations nationwide: atlanta, minneapolis, boston, richmond, san antonio, san diego, and Washington, d.c. Since the inception of the program, we have helped more than 5,000 Veterans, military spouses and caregivers find meaningful employment. Through the Veterans career program, clients receive high-touch engagement as they look for meaningful volunteer opportunities, education and employment. Veterans career program staff work with any member of the military community who needs our help, but we specialize in assisting those Veterans with barriers to employment due to catastrophic injury or illness. In fy23, pva continued to offer the Veterans career live virtual engagement program. Veterans career live bridges the gap between career resources and Veterans with disabilities who are not willing or able to attend traditional hiring events. Through a series of informal virtual sessions, Veterans with disabilities, their family members, and their caregivers are able to learn from career experts and network with employers and industry experts. In fy23 pva hosted 82 Veterans career live sessions for 8,284 members of the Veterans community. Paralyzed Veterans of America (pva) medical services - the pva medical services team works to ensure that Veterans with spinal cord injury and disease (including multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) have access to the department of Veterans affairs (va) resources and receive the best medical care possible through the vha sci/d system of care. The health care experts that make up pva's medical services team bring a wide variety of clinical experience and subject matter expertise in spinal cord injury and disease. The team closely collaborates with pva's national veteran service officers who are located at each vha sci unit and vamc hospital leadership at every Veterans administration sci/d center and long-term care center to support best practices in care, advocate for the healthcare needs of pva members, and facilitate change when needed to ensure quality and timely delivery of care. The pva medical services team conducts annual site surveys at all 25 sci/d centers and 6 long term care centers across the united states to assess the quality and timeliness of care. After each visit, findings and recommendations, along with identified best practices at the center are compiled into a site survey report and submitted to the secretary of the department of Veterans affairs for review and consideration. Our dedicated clinical staff continually works to educate the community and individuals with sci/d by contributing articles, covering treatment updates, health promotion and disease prevention to our organization's monthly publication, paraplegia news (pn) magazine and the members at large newsletter. Each member of the medical services team represents pva by collaborating on panels and committees of related organizations to advance and improve the access, delivery and quality of healthcare for Veterans with sci/d. Pva's medical service team members also participate in various webinars and national events concerning sci/d and the delivery of care through the department of Veterans affairs. The medical services staff serves as a resource for pva's national service officers, members and national office staff for guidance to affect change for individual members or the va healthcare system in its entirety. The team also assists pva's appellate operations in filing appeals for service connection and benefits for Veterans. Chapter and community outreach - Paralyzed Veterans of America thinks nationally and acts locally through our 33 chapters dotted across the nation. Whether it's helping newly injured Veterans get the help they need or advocating for barrier free sporting facilities, our chapters are trusted members of their communities who work tirelessly to "pay it forward and to get the word out about our services to millions every year.

Research and education: Paralyzed Veterans of America supports research and educational programs, and other initiatives that unite people and activities toward a single mission: improved quality of life for individuals living with spinal cord injuries and disorders (sci/d), and diseases like multiple sclerosis (ms) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (als). In 2023, working with expert researchers and clinicians from across the u.s. and canada, pva continues to develop new clinical practice guidelines (cpg) on management of secondary health conditions after sci/d. These are in addition to our present cadre of cpgs, companion consumer guides and our selfcare manual "yes, you can!" These are disseminated nationally and worldwide to educate clinicians in order to improve care and treatment of Veterans and others living with sci/d. In 2023 we continue to develop new resources for our Veterans and their families. Pva research and education staff manage the pva research foundation, dedicated to funding research to find a cure for spinal cord injury. In fy23 the foundation awarded over $1m in new spinal cord injury research grants in the areas of basic science, clinical practice, design and development and fellowships. Added to our other ongoing grants, we managed $2.3 million grants in 2023. In 2023 the pva education foundation funded nearly $100,000 in grants to meet this mission. The projects funded vary broadly in topic and scope, but each will have an impact in moving information to education for those who participate, and ultimately help improve the quality of life for Veterans and others living with sci, as well as their families and caregivers. We managed $500,000 in grants in 2023.in 2023 we worked to serve the unique needs of women Veterans with sci/d. These programs included monthly webinars, sports and other activities including a women Veterans empowerment retreat held in san antonio, tx, featuring self-advocacy and resilience training and collecting information from women Veterans about their needs.

Sports and recreation: Paralyzed Veterans of America (pva) offers a diverse range of adaptive sports and recreation opportunities to Paralyzed Veterans and other individuals with disabilities. Our programs include paracycling, bass fishing, billiards, bowling, rugby, shooting sports, the annual national Veterans wheelchair games, and more. Through pva's adaptive sports and recreation programs, Veterans can showcase their abilities, participate alongside "able-bodied" participants, and connect with others who face similar challenges. Pva's sports and recreation programs actively challenge stereotypes, promote awareness, and cultivate inclusivity, contributing to building a more welcoming society for all people living with disabilities.