Devine says a goal is to increase the number of veteran service officers
Changes and improvements are coming for the thousands of veterans who live in Nevada, according to the new director of the Nevada Department of Veterans Services. Mary Devine, who was appointed director of the NDVS in March, spoke to Nevada Army National Guard retirees at their Nov. 18 meeting.
The retired colonel has commanded several high-profile units during her military career. She served as the U.S. property and fiscal officer for Nevada in Carson City where she oversaw almost $1 billion in federal assets and as brigade commander of the 991st Aviation Troop Command in 2017. She was the state’s first brigade commander. Devine also commanded the 422nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion at Stead.
The last eight months have been a whirlwind experience for Devine since retired Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry recommended her for the NDVS position. After reviewing Devine’s background, he called to offer his congratulations.
“I just changed from one job to another,” Devine said. “It’s been a wild ride for the last seven months.”
Devine said she and her staff want to help veterans by connecting them to the correct contacts and the appropriate departments or agencies. She said 218 employees work for the NDVS and another 200 are contract employees at the Sparks facility.
“We are getting ready to reorganize,” she said. “I think there is a gaping hole in our work.”
Several areas Devine said she wants to improve are the agency’s outreach and ways to expand services. According to Devine, she is asking the Interim Finance Committee to move “some money around.”
Devine said the veteran population represents about 10% of Nevada’s population or 218,000 veterans, which she calls a huge number. Because so many veterans are in the workforce, she said her office is working with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development to obtain funding for business startups.
During her previous leadership positions in the Nevada Guard, Devine said the military assisted veterans with many issues identified during roundtable discussions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. She said discussions ranged from veteran suicide and unemployment to the need for affordable housing.
“We’re going to be community-focused and bring in concerned citizens to talk about these situations,” she said.
Devine said an issue facing veterans in Clark County is the need for 5,000 affordable homes. Likewise, she said the Guard helps veterans with transitional housing in the Carson City area by working with Friends In Service Helping.
The number of veterans service officers is not meeting the need, Devine said. She wonders how NDVS can support veterans’ causes and provide and procure financial assistance. She said the 22 veterans service officers in Nevada are responsible for 216,000 veterans — about 14,000 veterans per service officer. One of her goals is to hire additional officers to manage the increasing caseload. Devine noted the Department of Veterans Affairs has hired thousands of service officers because of the passage of the PACT Act.
According to the VA, “the PACT Act is a law that expands VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances.”
Along with the need for more veterans service officers in the state, Devine said another issue focuses on how veterans can receive financial support for their medical claims.
“The only way for veterans to get compensation is for them to apply for it,” Devine said.
Devine said the VA is looking at several sites to build a new medical center to replace the current structure on Kirman Avenue. One site is in the North Valleys area north of Reno and another is in the northwest corner of the University of Nevada campus bordering McCarran Boulevard. She said the university favors the VA medical facility because it would be near the medical school and on multiple bus lines.
Devine said the state veterans homes in Sparks and Boulder City see a need for 600 additional managed care beds.
One of the ideas Devine floated is focusing on adult day care because home caregivers such as a family member have jobs.
“Sometimes veterans want to be around other veterans,” Devine said. “Veterans need extra care, activities, meals nine to 12 hours a day.”
Within the next several weeks, she said the NDVS Reno office is moving from its current location on South McCarran Boulevard to 9400 Gateway Drive next to the South Reno Athletic Club. The expected move should occur in early December.
