{"id":2177339,"date":"2024-02-15T15:59:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-15T20:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-wants-more-black-veterans-declared-mentally-disabled-in-the-name-of-equity\/"},"modified":"2024-02-15T16:04:22","modified_gmt":"2024-02-15T21:04:22","slug":"biden-admin-wants-more-black-veterans-declared-mentally-disabled-in-the-name-of-equity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-wants-more-black-veterans-declared-mentally-disabled-in-the-name-of-equity\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden Admin Pushes for More Black Veterans Labeled Mentally Disabled for &#8216;Equity"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiden-admin-wants-more-black-veterans-declared-mentally-disabled-in-the-name-of-equity%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2177339&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>A New Initiative to Promote Equity \u2064in Veterans&#8217; Mental Health\u2064 Benefits<\/h2>\n<p>A new \u2064and groundbreaking initiative in the \u2063Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is aiming to address disparities in mental health benefits\u200c for black veterans.\u200c Currently, black veterans receive disability\u2062 payments for \u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-updates-law-compensating-victims-for-emotional-injuries\/\" title=\"California law now provides compensation for emotional injuries suffered by victims.\">mental \u2063health \u2063conditions<\/a> at \u2062nearly twice the rate\u2064 of their white counterparts. However, the Biden administration&#8217;s Equity Assessment and Action Steps for Mental Health Compensation Benefits,\u2064 released on Wednesday, highlights the need for further \u200dprogress in achieving equity.<\/p>\n<p>The assessment reveals that a higher percentage of\u2064 black \u200bveterans\u200d receive disability\u2063 compensation benefits for mental health conditions compared to white veterans (21.7% vs. 12.7%). Additionally,\u2064 black veterans apply \u200cfor \u2062disability compensation at higher rates and receive\u200b slightly higher disability\u200d ratings from the VA. However, they have \u2064lower grant \u200crates for mental health \u2062conditions compared to white veterans (70.3% vs.\u200c 76.0%). \u2064In response to these \u2062findings, the VA is taking immediate and aggressive action to eliminate this gap and ensure\u2062 that black veterans\u200d receive the benefits they deserve.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Challenging Disparities and\u2064 Seeking Equity<\/h3>\n<p>The justification for\u200b this initiative may\u200b seem complex, but it aims to address a specific discrepancy. While there\u200d is a significant advantage for black veterans in terms \u200cof being granted government disability checks, the\u200c Biden administration identified a\u200c secondary \u2062metric in which \u2063blacks \u200dwere slightly behind: the\u200c percentage of applicants who \u200bare\u2064 deemed\u200b ineligible for disability. \u200bThe administration argues that this &#8220;grant rate&#8221; needs to be equal by race, even\u200d though it may further widen \u2062the gap in the percentage of each race \u200dreceiving benefits.<\/p>\n<p>This\u200c approach puts pressure on evaluators to either\u200d overlook potential fraud and\u2062 approve unjustified\u200b disability ratings for blacks or deny benefits to potentially suicidal whites.\u200d It also raises\u2064 concerns\u2062 about the \u2062politicization of objective medical evaluations.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Ironically, the\u200d six-point discrepancy in grant rates, which is used \u2062to justify more equity policies, is\u200d likely a result of an existing VA &#8220;equity&#8221; policy that encourages blacks to apply for disability. The \u200dVA acknowledges that persuading individuals \u2063to\u200b believe they are disabled may lead\u200c to borderline cases\u200c that are more prone to rejection, thus lowering the\u2064 grant rate\u200d for this group.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this contradiction, \u200bthe VA plans to continue\u2064 its efforts to engage black\u200d veterans and encourage them \u200bto apply for benefits\u2062 throughout 2024. However, this approach mathematically contradicts the\u2063 VA&#8217;s purported\u200d goal of\u200d achieving equity.<\/p>\n<p>The VA declined to \u200dprovide further information or data to The Daily Wire, but it\u2062 did acknowledge that there is no racial\u200c grant \u2064rate gap \u2062for veterans who filed within\u200c one year of discharge. However, a gap remains for veterans who filed more\u200c than a year after discharge.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Addressing Disparities in Grant Rates<\/h3>\n<p>About half\u200d of veterans seek disability within a year of leaving service, \u2063while the other half wait longer. The VA acknowledges a\u200c racial &#8220;gap&#8221; in the second\u200b category, with whites being about \u20632%\u200c ahead of blacks. \u2063However, there is no racial &#8220;gap&#8221; \u200cin the first category, where blacks\u200c are about 2% ahead of whites.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of attempting to reduce the disparity in which blacks \u2063are more likely than whites to receive disability if they apply \u200cwithin a year of\u200d leaving \u200cthe service, the VA \u200dplans to focus on encouraging black veterans to\u2064 file for\u200d disability\u200c compensation benefits within\u200d the first year of discharge.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Some\u2063 argue that the VA&#8217;s \u2063claim of racial bias \u2062in the assessment process is convoluted, as assessors base their decisions on the evidence presented. It \u200cis\u2064 worth \u2063noting that black individuals are overrepresented among\u2062 VA employees, comprising a quarter \u2063of \u200cthe \u200dVA&#8217;s workforce. Despite this, the Veterans\u2062 Benefits\u200c Administration (VBA) plans \u200bto hire more black employees by recruiting\u200c from Historically Black Colleges \u2062and Universities (HBCUs).<\/p>\n<p>The VBA also intends to mandate unconscious bias and implicit bias training for \u200ball \u2063employees. However, critics\u200b have dismissed \u200cimplicit bias training\u2062 as unreliable.<\/p>\n<p>This equity initiative aligns with President Biden&#8217;s Executive Orders on Advancing Racial Equity and Support\u200d for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. The VA has established\u200d a new Office of Equity \u200bAssurance to assess disparities and will utilize artificial intelligence to ensure equal representation by race.<\/p>\n<p>The VA remains \u200bcommitted to providing\u2062 consistent training and instruction\u2064 on inclusion,\u2063 diversity, equity, and access (I*DEA) to its workforce in order to \u2064champion uniformity \u200cin benefit programs and services.<\/p>\n<p>It is \u200dimportant to note that the military is currently facing a recruitment crisis, \u200dlargely due to \u2064a decline in white individuals enlisting.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What steps is\u200b the VA taking to eliminate biases and discrepancies in the evaluation process for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-approves-funding-for-a-study-on-using-psychedelic-therapy-for-veterans\/\" title=\"House funds study on psychedelic therapy for veterans.\">mental\u200d health conditions<\/a>?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  T\u2063 70.3% of black veterans\u2019 disability compensation applications for mental \u200bhealth conditions\u200b are approved, compared to 76.0% for white veterans. The VA \u200dacknowledges that there is \u200cstill work to be done in ensuring that black veterans receive the benefits they deserve. \u2062In response to these \u2064findings, the VA has implemented a \u2064new initiative aimed at \u200daddressing \u2062disparities in grant rates for mental health benefits.<\/p>\n<p>The first step in this \u2063initiative is\u200b to provide additional training and resources \u2062to VA evaluators to ensure that mental health conditions are properly assessed\u2062 and compensated for all veterans, regardless of their race. This will help to eliminate any potential biases or \u2062discrepancies in the evaluation process. The second step is to increase\u2064 outreach \u200cefforts targeted specifically\u200d at black veterans, to ensure that they are \u200caware\u2063 of \u2064the benefits available to them and feel encouraged to apply. This \u200dwill include community events, informational sessions, and partnerships with organizations that support black veterans.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the initiative will focus on providing better support and resources to help black veterans navigate the application process. This will include improved\u200d access to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/authors-assert-building-resilience-is-essential-for-todays-young-adults-in-new-book-stolen-youth\/\" title=\"Authors Assert Building Resilience Is Essential For Today\u2019s Young Adults In New Book \u2018Stolen Youth\u2019\">mental health care services<\/a>, assistance in gathering necessary \u200cdocumentation, and streamlined application procedures. \u200cBy\u200b addressing the unique challenges faced by black veterans, the VA aims to increase the likelihood of\u200c their applications being \u200dapproved and help close the gap in grant rates.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the VA is committed to ongoing research and analysis to identify\u200b any \u200dother factors that may contribute to \u200bthe grant rate \u200cdisparities and develop targeted solutions to address them. This will involve collaboration with experts in mental health, veterans&#8217; affairs, \u2063and\u2063 equity\u200c to\u200d ensure that \u200call perspectives are considered and that the most effective strategies are implemented.<\/p>\n<p>While\u200d this initiative is a step in the right \u200bdirection, it is important to acknowledge the complexities involved in \u200bpromoting equity in veterans&#8217; mental health benefits. Striking the\u200b right \u200cbalance \u2063between addressing disparities and avoiding potential pitfalls\u200d such\u2062 as politicization or unjustified approvals requires careful consideration and collaboration. As such, ongoing evaluation and adjustment of the initiative&#8217;s \u200dstrategies will be crucial to ensure its success and the equitable distribution of benefits.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the new initiative implemented by the VA to promote\u200d equity in veterans&#8217; mental health benefits is a promising step towards addressing the disparities that exist for black veterans. By providing additional training, increasing outreach efforts, and improving support \u200dand resources, the VA aims to ensure that black veterans receive the benefits \u2062they \u200bdeserve.\u200c Ongoing\u200d research and analysis will help identify any remaining factors contributing to grant rate disparities and develop targeted solutions. With these efforts,\u2063 the VA is moving towards a\u200b more equitable system for\u2063 all veterans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has introduced an equity initiative to recognize more black individuals as mentally disabled. Presently, black veterans receive mental health disability payments at a rate almost double that of whites. The Biden administration&#8217;s recent release of the Equity Assessment and Action Steps for Mental Health Compensation Benefits supports this initiative<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":2177340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1968506685-scaled-e1707687896439.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2177339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1968506685-scaled-e1707687896439.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2177339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/128"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2177339"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2177339\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2177340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2177339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2177339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2177339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}