A message from the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services
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Maine Veterans’ Dental Network Receives
$100,000 Grant
The Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services (MBVS) is pleased to announce that due to the generosity and unwavering support of Northeast Delta Dental, the Maine Veterans’ Dental Network’s (MVDN) 2021 budget of $35,000 has been increased to $100,000 in 2022, and will resume scheduling appointments
in the New Year.
“Access to oral health care has been a long-standing problem for veterans in our state,” noted MBVS Director David Richmond. “The Bureau thoroughly analyzed the issue and Northeast Delta Dental took an interest in our program after reviewing our 2020 needs assessment, Oral Health Access for Maine’s Veterans. They have provided tremendous mentorship throughout the development of our program, as well as financial sponsorship of the dental clinics over the past year. This program wouldn’t be possible without their generosity and
we are so grateful to be affiliated with a veteran-centric organization like theirs.”
Working with community partners (non-profit dental clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers), MBVS created a state-wide referral system and serves as the point of contact for the program. Any veteran who is a Maine resident, is not 100% service-connected to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), doesn’t have dental insurance, cannot afford to pay for dental care out of pocket, and has a DD-214 showing an Honorable or General Under Honorable conditions discharge meets the criteria to access the grant funded program.
Participating clinics and FQHCs include:
Community Dental (Biddeford, Farmington, Lewiston, Monson, Portland, and Rumford); Lincoln County Dental (Wiscasset); Kennebec Valley Family Dentistry (Augusta); Waterville Community Dental (Waterville); UNE Dental Clinic, the UMA Dental Clinic; Eastport Health Care (Calais, Eastport, and Machias), and Fish River Rural Health (Madawaska, Fort Kent, and Eagle Lake).
Starting in 2022, veterans who would like to receive services should contact Sarah Sherman, MBVS Director of Strategic Partnerships and program Point of Contact. She will conduct a brief program screening, and if the veteran qualifies for the program, all they need to do is fill out the Bureau's State of Maine Request form and provide a copy of their DD-214 (discharge papers), and Sherman will connect them to the closest participating dental clinic.
If the veteran doesn’t have a copy of their
DD-214, MBVS can help them acquire one. For more information or to access the Maine Veterans’ Dental Network, please contact Sherman at 207-430-5816 or email sarah.sherman@maine.gov.
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MBVS Co-Hosts Maine's First Virtual-Veterans Experience
Action Center
The Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services (MBVS) co-hosted Maine’s first VA Virtual-Veterans Experience Action Center
(V-VEAC) with the VA, 211 Maine, VBA, VHA, VFW, the National Cemetery Association, the White House Hotline, Vet2Vet, and other veterans' organizations on December 7, 8, and 9.
These veteran specific events are hosted nationwide by the VA in coordination with state and community organizations to quickly connect veterans and their families to needed resources. During the three-day event, 266 veterans received personal, one-on-one services to as many providers as they requested when they initially set up their appointment.
"The event was a wonderful example of how much can be done when partner agencies work together for a common cause," noted MBVS Director David Richmond." The VA's Team met with the Bureau to provide an after action report and relayed that, “The Maine V-VEAC was groundbreaking in several areas,” and provided the following statistics from the event:
Maine had an 18% call in registration rating
(the highest ever recorded since the start of the
V-VEACs nationwide in July 2020).
Veterans from nine different decades received
assistance (1940-present).
5.3% of the event’s participants were Wabanaki Veterans.
53% of requests were for healthcare enrollment, thus creating a potential 352k increase for the state’s VA Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation budget.
One homeless veteran was assisted and housed
during the event.
17% of the event’s participants were female veterans.
Maine had 100% contact with veterans in all 16 counties.
Maine's V-VEAC received an outstanding 97.6% veterans'
felt respected and valued rating and a 97% I would recommend this event to other veterans rating from Maine's participants.
Event participants also provided the following
feedback when polled by the VA:
"Julie (VSO) was fantastic! This was great!"
"I lucked out being able to talk to my Veteran Engagement
Team member who thought outside of the box to help me
solve my problem."
"Extremely helpful polite, and had all the information about me and what I was asking about. I got answers immediately and then received information I didn't even ask for about benefits I didn't even know I was eligible for. This is the best VA event I've attended in 30 years."
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