Policies to Support Veterans’ Needs at the State and Local Level

Join the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute to discuss how state and local policies shape the experiences and opportunities available to Veterans.

In this webinar, RAND researchers will explain what they found when examining the needs of Veterans in different geographic regions and how state and local policies can impact those needs. A panel of experts will discuss the role of state and local policies in Veterans’ health care access, employment and financial programs, housing assistance, and education benefits. The webinar will also talk about innovative approaches that some communities are adopting to address the needs of their Veteran populations.

Please register by Wednesday, June 18. For further information, contact VeteransInstitute@rand.org.

Presenter: Rajeev Ramchand is a senior behavioral scientist and codirector of the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute. He studies the prevalence, prevention, and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders, with a primary focus on suicide and suicide prevention and caregiving. Ramchand has served and continues to serve on various national committees, including the Department of Defense Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee, Chair of the Department of Veterans Affairs National Research Advisory Council, the Face the Fight Scientific Advisory Committee, the Executive Committee of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee, and the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Committee for Mental Health Effects of Toxic Exposures Among Veterans. Ramchand has testified before Congress on his research five times. He holds a Ph.D. in psychiatric epidemiology.

Moderator: Carrie M. Farmer is co-director of the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute, director of the Health Care Quality Measurement and Improvement Program, and a senior policy researcher at RAND. Her areas of research include military and Veteran health policy and quality of health care. She has led multiple studies to assess the delivery of health care to Veterans and service members, including a study of behavioral health care in the Military Health System, a study of the use of measurement-based care in the treatment of behavioral health conditions in the Veterans Health Administration, and studies to assess the capacity of community providers to meet the health care needs of Veterans. Farmer was the study director for a large, comprehensive assessment of the Veterans Health Administration required by the Veterans, Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014. She was also the co-director for a study of innovative approaches for treating psychological health problems and traumatic brain injury in the Department of Defense and led the largest assessment to date of care received by service members following a mild traumatic brain injury. She received her Ph.D. in health policy from Harvard University and her B.A. in psychobiology from Wellesley College.

Panelists: Brandi Jancaitis brings extensive personal and professional experience to programs and services that support military and Veteran families. She currently serves as the director of the Virginia Veteran and Family Support (VVFS) Program at the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS). VVFS is a statewide initiative that provides peer and family support, along with connections to behavioral health and supportive services for Military Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF). In her current role with VVFS, Jancaitis also oversees the Suicide Prevention and Opioid Addiction Services (SOS) community and research grant program team. Additionally, Jancaitis leads regional and statewide suicide prevention efforts for military service members and Veterans, including the Richmond Mayor’s Suicide Prevention Challenge and the statewide Governor’s Suicide Prevention Challenge teams. Previously, Jancaitis served as the director of Housing Development for Veterans at VDVS and contributed to the statewide effort to achieve the functional end to Veteran homelessness in Virginia. At the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, she was the first military and Veterans affairs director and helped enhance treatment and supportive services within the public mental health system. Jancaitis is a graduate of Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth University, the spouse of an Army Veteran, and a mother of three. Tim Sheppard serves as the president of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA) and as the executive director of Wyoming’s Veterans Commission. A veteran himself, Sheppard served in the Army and the National Guard for more than 40 years, rising from private to colonel during his career. He holds a Master of Science degree in strategic studies and is extremely proud to hold the title of Distinguished Past Governor of the Rocky Mountain District of Kiwanis. In his role at the Veterans Commission, Sheppard spearheaded initiatives such as the Veterans Talking to Veterans program (VTTV) and the Veterans Feeding Veterans Program (VFV). In short, Sheppard loves people—especially veterans—and is dedicated to helping them understand their benefits and how to attain them. Andrew Tangen is the first vice president for the National Association of County Veteran Service Officers (NACVSO) and serves as the superintendent of the Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County, Illinois. In this role, he assists Veterans and their dependents in accessing their benefits. Tangen comes from a proud military lineage: both of his grandfathers as well as great-uncles served during WWII and the Korean War, while his father served in the Air Force during the Vietnam Era. Continuing this legacy, Tangen served in the U.S. Navy, where he deployed eight times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and the Global War on Terrorism. His deployments spanned South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Afghanistan. He attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander during his distinguished naval career. Tangen is a graduate of the Citadel, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and military affairs; Henley-Putnam University, where he obtained a Master of Science in national security studies; Rutgers University, where he received a master’s in business administration; and the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Law, where he pursued a Juris Doctor. Tangen is a licensed attorney in the State of Illinois.

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