Washington County Veterans Office Helps Solve Paperwork Puzzle
Last updated Friday, November 28, 2008 7:50 PM CST in News
By Christopher Spencer
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE -- Navigating the bureaucratic sea of paper between veterans and their benefits can be difficult.
"It can be pretty intimidating," said Wayne Haines, who heads up Washington County's Veterans Service Office. His task is to unite soldiers and their families with the benefits earned while serving in the military.
Haines listens to those who come into his office, determining benefits for which they might qualify. It's a job that requires the accuracy and patience of a crossword puzzle and can reward a veteran or his family with money that eases their financial burden, he said.
"I had tons of paperwork and he filled it all out for me. It was overwhelming for me," said Kay Hanks of Fayetteville. Her husband, a Vietnam War veteran, died in September and Haines helped her receive benefits as a veteran's widow.
"He was very, very helpful. He was always just a phone call away."
Demand for services rose 50 percent since Haines came into the position four years ago, he said. During the third week of November, 37 people came into the county veterans office and 113 people telephoned.
The Washington County Quorum Court allowed Haines' part-time receptionist to become full-time in August because of the increased demand.
Marvin Marrs of Fayetteville heard about the county's Veteran Service Office from his doctor at the federal Veterans Administration Medical Center in 2005. Marrs said he was being treated for diabetes, a result of his exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The doctor told him that Haines could help him receive disability benefits.
Haines helped him, and, after about a year, Marrs qualified for a monthly payment. Marrs works full-time and the extra $230 a month he receives -- because he is considered 20 percent disabled -- helps, he said.
"The only thing I have to say (about Haines) is nothing but good. He treated me with respect. When you walk in there, he will call you 'sir' and he isn't smart alecky at all. He will work with you," Marrs said.
Each Arkansas county has a veterans office. Most counties share the cost of running those offices with the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs. The state agency is responsible for training and supervising staff at each of the county offices.
The troubled economy drives some of the increased demand, Haines said. Veterans who've never needed benefits before are feeling the financial crunch and hoping for federal help. Others who received a disability payments in the past want to be reassessed to see if their disability can be rated higher, meaning more monthly money.
Veterans of the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq often attend mandatory federal programs geared toward adjusting soldiers back to civilian life. They don't come in as often to the county veterans office, he said.
"Most of those guys don't want to talk right now," Haines said.
The Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs reported Benton and Washington counties had 32,363 veterans in 2007.
Washington County's 2008 budget allotted $59,479 to the office, up about $1,200 from 2007. That included $31,159 for Haines' position and $13,855 for the part-time job. The state also pays part of the cost of the two positions, he said.
Benton County budgeted $112,214 in 2008 to run its veterans services office. The county employs an officer, Richard Hoback, and a full-time staff assistant, said Richard McComas, Benton County's comptroller.
Haines recalled working with two Vietnam veterans about a year and a half ago who lived as hermits in caves near Harrison. The men were brought into Haines' office by a friend concerned about their well-being.
One of the men had trouble remaining in Haines' office during the interview, unaccustomed to living indoors. Ultimately, Haines and the friend were able to get the men into some mental health treatment at the nearby and newly named Veterans Health Care System of Ozarks.
The county office enjoys a good relationship with the federal health center and referrals are often made between the two entities, Haines said.
Helping those soldiers receive medical treatment so they could better adjust to returning from a war decades ago is part of the reward of working with veterans, he said.
Contact Information
County Veterans Services
• Benton County: (479) 936-8023
• Washington County: (479) 444-1767
Source: Staff Report
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