General

The Washington Department of Veterans Affair’s is divided into three divisions: administrative services, State Veterans Homes and veteran services. The Director’s office and administrative services office is located in Olympia.

Administrative Services

The administrative services division of the Department of Veterans Affairs supports the Veterans Services Program, the Washington Veterans Home at Retsil, the Washington Soldiers Home and Colony at Orting, and the Spokane Veterans Home. The agency’s Central Office provides leadership, policy direction, and support for the delivery of statewide veterans’ services. The Central Office also provides a communication link with the Legislature, other stakeholders and the general public. The administrative areas that provide these services are information services, safety, budget, capital, quality assurance, training, legislative liaison, public affairs and human resources.

Veterans Homes

Three state veteran homes (the Washington Soldiers Home and Colony, the Washington Veterans Home, and the Spokane Veterans Home) provide long-term health care for honorably discharged veterans - and in some instances, their spouses - who are disabled and indigent, or likely to become indigent due to the cost of their health care. The Spokane Veterans Home opened October 1, 2001 with 100 skilled level nursing beds. The Soldiers Home, in Orting, was opened in 1891 and has a residential capacity of 183. The Colony, designed to serve eligible veterans and their families residing within the Orting school district, was added in 1905. The Colony capacity is 24 members. The Washington Veterans Home, in Retsil, was opened in 1910. Current residential capacity is 262. The Orting and Retsil homes provide three levels of care: domiciliary, assisted-living, and skilled nursing. The Homes provide health and psychosocial services using an interdisciplinary team approach. Colony members are also served through this approach. Nursing clinic, rehabilitative therapies, therapeutic activities, social services and administrative staff work together to provide an environment conducive to health, morale and self-determination. This approach encourages residents to function at their highest level of self-reliance and independence. In addition, Colony members receive a monthly allotment for food and an annual allotment for clothing. The Homes maximize the resources provided by the state and federal governments. Residents contribute toward their cost of care as their resources allow.

Veterans Services

The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) ranks among the nation's leaders in the satisfaction of veterans claims submitted to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In fiscal year 2004-2005, 11,508 claims for entitlements  were submitted through the WDVA Field Service Network. The Network includes WDVA staff, contracts with Nationally Accredited Veterans Service Organizations and Independent Contractors throughout the state of Washington.  As of September 2005, 134 Service Officers are submitting claims through their Veterans Service Organizations. The Field Service Network includes the following units: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) counseling provided by contractors statewide; Homeless Veterans Services including case management, transitional housing and employment support services; outreach to more than 260 nursing homes to ensure clientele receive the maximum federal entitlements (saving state general-fund dollars); Veterans Estate Management Program (VEMP) which provides fiduciary and guardianship services; Centralized Admission Team which markets, processes applications and conducts initial medical assessments for admission to the three Washington veterans homes; an in-state, 24-hour toll-free number for veterans information and referral; Incarcerated Veterans Services to clients who are part of the King County jail system; and an aggressive outreach program that assists veterans with claims processing and referral services to those living in isolated rural areas.