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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Joe Bello, Veterans Advocate
1:46:50
·
6 min
Joe Bello, a veterans advocate, provides critical testimony on the NYC Department of Veterans Services (DVS) budget and operations. He expresses concerns about the agency's stagnant budget, lack of transparency, and ineffective communication with the veteran community. Bello highlights issues with various DVS programs and initiatives, questioning their actual impact and effectiveness.
- Criticizes DVS for still calling itself a "young agency" after nearly a decade of existence
- Raises concerns about the VetConnect platform, Mission VetCheck program, and the implementation of Local Laws 37 and 38
- Urges the committee to redirect funding to increase the council's veterans initiative instead of supporting the veteran resource centers
Joe Bello
1:46:50
I begin, I just wanted to say I'm one of those veterans who protested for this agency over a decade ago.
1:46:59
And and let's real quick about that.
1:47:02
The commissioner stated in his test of testimony that there's still a young agency, but next year will be a decade.
1:47:09
And, in November or December 1, he'll be the commissioner for five years.
1:47:16
So, at what point do we start to say we're we're still young or are we we should have grown.
1:47:24
So, think that I just wanted to make that point before I started.
1:47:27
Chairman Holden, members of the Veterans Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify at today's preliminary budget hearing.
1:47:33
Last year, finance chair Justin Brennan stated the budget was more than simply a financial plan and a list of expenditures.
1:47:41
It is our city's statement of values.
1:47:43
It shows the rest of the world what the greatest city on the planet cares about cares about.
1:47:48
Yet as we review the fiscal year twenty six preliminary budget, it's clear that DVS remains stagnant, its head count basically unchanged, and its budget roughly 494,000 less than the fiscal year twenty five adopted budget.
1:48:02
The administration's continued lack of investment is unacceptable and our community deserves deserves better.
1:48:09
However, with this potentially being the final budget under this administration, a funding increase seems highly unlikely, and I think we need to be honest about that.
1:48:19
Therefore, my primary concern are the strain on DVS staff and the agency's continued lack of communication and transparency.
1:48:29
As I've shared with elected officials across the five boroughs, they often seem to know more about what's happening at the agency and what's coming than the community does.
1:48:38
The lack of transparency is especially troubling regarding veteran resources.
1:48:43
Over a year ago, the council passed a mental health roadmap for veterans.
1:48:47
Local law 38 required DVS in coordination with the Office of Community Mental Health and other designated agencies to to conduct outreach on veteran mental health resources via social media, radio, print, and digital platforms.
1:49:00
We have yet to see that action besides a few Instagram posts.
1:49:04
Additionally, local law 37 required DVS to compile survey data from city agencies and report to the speaker.
1:49:12
This report was due on December 15 and I'm a little confused at how this report that was by the agencies needed to be done through VetConnect.
1:49:24
Speaking of VetConnect, VetConnect is intended to connect veterans with services to a network of providers including the VA, government agencies, and nonprofit partners.
1:49:33
Yet questions remain about the platform's effectiveness and the transparency of the d the data DVS collects.
1:49:40
Neither a neither a nearly a year ago, Unite Us was removed as the platform provider without any public explanation, and a negotiated acquisition contract was awarded to a Texas based non profit called Combined Arms.
1:49:56
However, DVS failed in its due diligence to ensure that Combined Arms had an appropriate platform to operate VetConnect, forcing the agency to currently rely on a makeshift solution akin to Google Docs, which undermines the program's intended report.
1:50:11
As a result, combined arms, as we've heard, is now developing that platform, while no local law two fifteen reports have been posted on DVS's site for either July 2024 or January 2025.
1:50:25
Mission VetCheck.
1:50:26
Last week during mental health week, the administration issued a press release stating that between November 2023 and June 2024, DVS contacted 10,000 veterans through mission vet check mission vet check.
1:50:40
However, given the agency's limited staff and resources, as well as the scale of outreach within that time frame, it was highly unlikely that DVS made those calls.
1:50:50
It was far more plausible that NY Cares and its volunteers conducted that outreach.
1:50:55
Notably, the press release highlights more than 400 referrals, but doesn't specify, and it was not specified in the testimony either, to what those veterans were referred to, the impact of those referrals, or what services were provided.
1:51:09
While mission vet check connects veterans to resources, this lack of transparency is concerning, and I am concerned that DVS may use these numbers to inflate its reporting, particularly through the MMR.
1:51:20
To be clear, Mission VetCheck is a referral program, not a mental health service.
1:51:25
And while 10,000 veterans may have been contacted, the actual effectiveness of these referrals remain unclear.
1:51:31
I'm getting to the end.
1:51:35
While I have always supported increased funding for veteran services, I cannot, in good conscious support or endorse another year of funding for we in the community are referred to as the Paul Valone Initiative, I e the veteran resource centers.
1:51:48
Paul was a good friend for many years, and I believe he would be disappointed at how this funding has been managed.
1:51:54
Moreover, the council's veterans initiative only saw a $30,000 increase for fiscal year twenty five.
1:52:00
The allocation is roughly 2,800,000.0 in discretionary funding across five initiatives continues to be insufficient.
1:52:07
I would urge this committee and the council's BNT to redirect the majority of the monies for next for if for if it's up there for fiscal year twenty six to significantly increase the council's veterans initiative.
1:52:18
Finally, for several years now, I've listened to DVS tout its accomplishments, but once again it's disheartening to see little tangible results.
1:52:28
The agency continues to lack communication, transparency, context, and measurable outcomes across its programs, Whether it's the resource guides, disability claims including the number of successful claims that they've done since 2020, the Dwyer program, the VSL building violations, covered Vet NYC, the dual program, transitioning servicemen, and even the post nine eleven fall of service memorial.
1:52:55
Three years into this administration, the veterans community remains an afterthought reduced to handshakes, optics, and half hearted measures.