Good morning.

Welcome to today's New York City Council hearing from the Committee on Veteran Affairs.

At this time, I'd like to remind everyone to police on their electronic devices.

And no point is anyone to approach the dais.

If you would like to sign up for public testimony and have not done so already, feel free to sign a slip located outside in the hallway with the Sergeant Arms.

Chair, we're ready to begin.

Good morning.

I am Councilman Frank Morano.

I have the uh pleasure and honor of chairing the Veterans Committee of the New York City Council.

I want to thank everybody who's joining us here in person.

I want to thank everybody who's watching via Zoom.

I want to thank everybody that's watching on cable television when there's uh nothing else on.

Uh but I really want to thank uh everybody for tuning in, uh however they're tuning in for such an important topic.

And today, our oversight hearing is on programs and services for LGBTQ plus veterans.

Um, when I first took over this committee, I mentioned that to me, veterans issues were uh the one issue that should be and ideally would be totally nonpartisan.

Conservatives love talking about veterans' issues because it deals with patriotism, defending the country, all sorts of things that traditionally conservatives are all about.

A lot of progressives love focusing on veterans issues because it gives them an opportunity to talk about health care and housing and all sorts of things that progressives are uh all about on a regular basis.

And to me, the thing that I love most about this committee is we have members on both sides of the political spectrum, and we are all rowing in the same direction to deliver for New Yorkers and especially for the veterans that have served us.

Nowhere is that more noticeable than in terms of the issues that are uniquely facing LGBT plus veterans.

Uh as our committee has researched, and as we'll get into uh LGBT veterans have a higher instance of PTSD, LGBT veterans have higher incidence of being victimized by sexual assault, and a number of other things that even after the ending of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, continue to permeate throughout the veterans' community.

And this committee, which has some very dedicated council members on it, is not going to just sit by and accept that as the new status quo.

So what I'm hoping we can get at in today's hearing is a playbook.

Is a playbook for legislative action, a playbook for uh uh public awareness, and a way that we can fix what is a very real problem.

I do want to mention uh two things that are particularly important given the circumstances and given our history.

First, I want to give a big congratulations to retired Sergeant First Class Dominic Pepe from Woodhaven for his induction into the New York State Veterans Hall of Fame.

Uh not long ago, I did not even know there was a New York State Veterans Hall of Fame.

And uh to me, uh Dominic Pepe is exactly the type of person that this hearing is focused on today, and uh I'm glad to see that he's been recognized on a statewide basis.

I also want to take a moment to speak about the legacy of a Staten Islander who lives in my district, and there's a street named for him, six minutes from my office and 10 minutes from where I grew up, and that is James Jimmy Zappalordi, a gay Vietnam War veteran who was murdered because of his sexual orientation.

His murder was the first officially designated hate crime in the borough of Staten Island, and his plight inspired activism that led to the passage of the New York State Hate Crimes Act of the year 2000, which was signed by Governor Pataki, which allowed harsher penalties for crimes motivated by bias against race, religion, sexual orientation, et cetera.

And Zappalordi's murder did more than just cause grief.

His legacy united communities.

It sparked a level of activism that really hadn't been seen before.

Certainly in the Staten Island South Shore community, certainly in the LGBT community, and certainly in the military veteran community.

There was the Zapalordi Society, which was founded in 1992, and the Pride Center of Staten Island, which was founded in 2013, and all about providing lasting support and services to Staten Island's LGBTQ community.

Let me say a word or two and an observation or two about our LGBTQ plus veterans.

Between 1980 and 1993, over 19,000 LGBTQ plus service members were discharged.

Many with other than honorable statuses and under don't ask, don't tell, more than 13,000 were denied benefits, recognition, and dignity.

And you think about that.

These people are just in as much in need of health care, of housing, and to think that they were denied anything that should be rightly given to a veteran who has risked their lives in the service of our country.

It's abominable.

And these policies forced veterans to lose health care, education, and retirement benefits while at the same time enduring discrimination, harassment, and trauma in service to their country.

Even today, inequities persist with about a thousand transgender service members discharged after the 2025 ban on their service, 2025.

As a result of these policies, as well as wider discrimination and violence against LGBTQ plus individuals, LGBTQ plus veterans face higher rates of mental health challenges, suicide, PTSD, and chronic illness.

They're also significantly more likely to experience military sexual trauma and assault, further compounding a lot of these health issues.

At the same time, we have a real problem with data.

There are major gaps in the data.

Nearly 89% of VA records lack gender identity information, making LGBTQ plus veterans largely invisible in official counts.

National estimates suggest there are around 1 million LGBTQ plus veterans, while in New York State there may be around 70,000, most of them believed to be concentrated in New York City, although, as I indicated, because of the lack of data, we don't know exactly for sure.

Together, these realities underscore the importance of ensuring LGBTQ plus veterans are seen, recognized for their service to the country, supported, and connected to comprehensive affirming health care and services that they've earned.

In addition to our oversight topic today, we're going to be hearing uh two very important pieces of legislation.

We're going to be hearing intro number 914, which is sponsored by me, which is a great bill, as you might expect, which would require a study and recommendations on the feasibility and implementing a pilot program to provide uh reconsolidation of traumatic memories therapy for veterans.

Let me say a word on this bill.

Um, unlike any other bill that I've introduced, this didn't come from an idea that I had or that a constituent brought to me or that I researched.

Uh, this bill was introduced by the prior chair of the Veterans Committee, uh Bob Holden, and even though it had been passed by the Veterans Committee in the last city council, it never got to be voted on by the council as a whole.

So what I'm hoping to get at today is exactly what this particular type of therapy would do.

I know it's been controversial in some quarters, and what New York City could do to explore this as a viable therapy for dealing with PTSD.

If this bill needs to be amended to better reflect the realities of how New York City would handle this, I'm all about amending it.

Uh, even though this is my bill, this is not a bill that uh that I have necessarily a rooting interest seeing in its current form.

I am all about changing it uh or adapting it or expanding it based on uh the testimony we're gonna hear from the administration and hopefully the public.

The other legislation we're hearing today is uh another very important piece of legislation introduced by um which is uh intro number 928, sponsored by minority leader David Carr, which would amend the administrative code of the City of New York in relation to establishing an LGBTQ liaison within the Department of Veteran Services.

Um for those of you that are unfamiliar with Minority Leader Carr, he's the best council member this body has, and certainly the best Staten Island has.

Uh, I would love for the minority leader to speak on his bill.

Uh thank you, Chair.

I appreciate the the pan of praise.

Um, but I I have to start by thanking you and commending you for your leadership of this committee since the start of the term.

Um you've shown in these last six months an energy, enthusiasm, and determination to improve the lot of the New York City veteran community that I think is not only commendable, but it's necessary.

I think that we always have to have a focus on those who served, many of whom served in combat, many of whom served and came back after traumatic experiences or physically traumatic injuries.

Um these people were willing to give their lives for our nation, and the least we could do is support them now that they're home and their pursuit of jobs and their pursuit of housing and their pursuit of justice in some cases, uh, in pursuit of a of a life of happiness that they more than earned with their service.

So thank you, Chair, for all of your advocacy on behalf of this wonderful community.

Um I also want to thank Commissioner Mata for being here today.

We had a productive conversation last week about the Staten Island veteran community, and I think the New York City community at large, and I look forward to continuing to work with you and your team, and I appreciate you being here to give feedback on these pieces of legislation.

Uh this September will mark 15 years since Congress repealed the infamous don't ask, don't tell policy, which was supposed to allow LGBTQ Americans to serve in the military as long as they did not openly disclose their sexual orientation.

Intended as a so-called compromise, which was in order to end discrimination against gay and lesbian and bisexual individuals in the military.

Uh, in many ways it did quite the opposite.

Uh, forcing people who are willing to give their lives to serve their country, uh uh an opportunity to go back into the closet, sadly.

And by some estimates, between World War II and DADT's repeal in 2011, the military discharge as many as a hundred and fourteen thousand service members on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation.

And I think the lesson of that period before DADT, uh the period in which it was in place, and then of course the period since its repeal, I think the lesson of each of those uh those points in time is that everyone should be allowed to serve openly in our nation's military regardless of their sexual orientation or their gender identity.

If you are willing to put your life on the line for the United States of America, that is a commendable thing.

It shows the inherent bravery and character of who you are.

That's what speaks to the kind of person uh that those individuals are who want to serve in that way, and they should all be given the opportunity to do so freely and openly uh and genuinely is who they are.

Um the military continues in all cases to issue service members uh a characterization of service upon their discharge or discharge status.

Uh and most service members receive an honorable discharge status, which entitles each of them to their VA benefits.

Uh, but those who are discharged under DADT received a less than honorable discharge, such as a general discharge under honorable conditions, and other than honorable discharge, a bad conduct discharge, or even in some cases, a dishonorable discharge.

As a result, they cannot access some of the essential benefits awarded to those who have served our country, such as the GI Education Benefits, VA Health Benefits, burials in a VA National Cemetery, and money many more.

Uh when Congress repealed DADT in 2011, the military established a process for veterans discharged under the policy to remove justifications related to their sexual orientation from their paperwork and upgrade their discharge status to honorable.

Yet that process shamefully placed the burden on individual service members to correct their records after many of them had endured years of discrimination due to discharging dating back years and decades in some cases.

To complete this procedure, veterans must assemble a variety of old records.

In most cases, uh, the help of an attorney is required, and typically wait eighteen months or more for the board that decides these discharge status changes to upgrade those petitions uh with their respective military branch of service.

If they exhaust their administrative remedies, veterans must file an appeal in court uh for which they must seek the help of a lawyer, often at great cost.

It is unclear how many thousands of New York veterans are still impacted and still have not received the benefits they are due because they were discharged under Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Four years ago, this council unanimously passed legislation authored by former uh council member uh and LGBTQI caucus plus uh chair Danny Drom to help correct this historic injustice.

Local law four of 2022 extended city veteran benefits to those who are discharged because they were LGBTQ and require the near the city's Department of Veteran Services to offer discharge upgrade assistance to help obtain federal benefits.

The legislation I've introduced and being heard today, intro 928, will help fully realize the goals of local law four, establishing an LGBTQ liaison within the department of veteran services, specifically tasked with conducting outreach to LGBTQ veterans, coordinating the department's assistance with discharge characterization upgrades, and connecting these veterans with programs and services offered by DBS and other relevant agencies.

It will also require the department to issue an annual report related to assistance for LGBT veterans, which will hopefully and finally give us some idea of how many veterans still suffer from the effects of the shameful legacy of DADT.

I think the chair was quite right.

We have a data problem uh with respect to our veteran community.

I know the commissioner knows this well, uh, and we need to do more to get ident veterans to self-identify, both within the LGBTQI plus cohort and beyond.

Um, because if we're going to start adequately serving the veteran community, particularly with the swath of benefits that we have to offer, we need to make sure that they are able and feel comfortable to come forward, and that means really engaging in a mission of finding them over the next several years.

Um so I appreciate the chair hearing this bill, and I look forward to hearing testimony from the administration.

Thank you, Minority Leader Carr.

Well said.

Uh I want to acknowledge uh my colleagues on the committee who are here today.

Uh I want to begin by uh mentioning uh council member Carmendal Rosa.

Um thank you very much for being here.

And I'll note that uh while we may come from different boroughs, different political parties, and probably different worldviews.

Uh, I can't think of somebody that um has been more effective as a council member.

And when I joined this body, she was one of the first people that I sought out to learn from about how to do this job well, and I don't mind telling you that several of the ideas that she gave me, not only as chair of this committee, but just as a council member in general have been uh very stellar, so on a personal note, thank you very much, council member.

I also uh want to acknowledge uh a man who is um really distinguishing himself as one of only two council members that stayed for every minute of the marathon finance committee hearing uh last week, and the only one that wasn't the chair, and uh so far this perfect attendance record of his remains intact, which is a neat trick when there are two committees going on at the same time.

I also had the privilege of uh visiting his district on Friday, and um the jury's still out of whose district has better bagels, his or mine.

Uh, but that is uh of uh the co-chair of the common sense caucus of Queen's uh Phil Wong.

Council Member Wong, thank you.

All right.

Now, uh before I conclude, I'd also like to thank the committee staff.

A lot of people said after Alejandro left the committee staff we were gonna go downhill.

We showed him, we're just getting started.

I want to uh thank our legislative counsel uh Hannah Cohn.

I want to thank our uh policy analyst, Machnua Butte.

I want to thank our financial analyst Margaret Barnsley.

I want to thank our uh community associate uh Sebastian Neme, data analyst Colby Porter, Mohammed Shadid, and legislative policy analyst Kyla Dash for their hard work in preparing for this hearing.

I'd also like to thank my staff for their work as we continue to serve our constituents and the city as a whole, particularly uh my chief of staff, Frank Rapacolo, and our legislative council, uh Pat Russo.

I look forward to today's hearing and to strengthening support for uh LGBT view, LGBTQ plus veterans throughout New York City.

Um, we have four very energetic, very dynamic uh representatives of DVS to offer their insight on both the legislation we're hearing today and the oversight topic that we're looking into.

So I'll like to turn it over to our committee council to administer the oath to witnesses from the administration.

Please raise your right hand.

Do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in your testimony before this committee and to respond honestly to council members' questions?

Thank you.

As a reminder to all our witnesses, please state your name prior to the testimony for the record.

Thank you, Commissioner.

You may begin.

Good morning, Chair Morano and members of the committee on veterans and councilmember Carr.

My name is Yesanya Mata, and I am the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Veteran Services.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today regarding support and services for LGBTQ veterans in New York City.

Chair Morano and members of the committee, thank you for your continued partners partnership and commitment to the veteran community.

We look forward to continuing to work alongside all of you to connect with and serve veterans across the five boroughs.

I would like to acknowledge an important nuance regarding today's hearing.

The language used throughout city administrative code and reporting requirements specifically references LGBTQ plus populations.

While we recognize and support the full diversity of New York City's communities, including intersex and asexual individuals, our testimony today aligns with the terminology currently established within the city's legislative framework.

As someone who continues to serve as a captain in the United States Army Reserve, I understand that military service is not a singular experience.

Our veterans come from every borough, neighborhood, and background.

They represent every race, ethnicity, religion, gender, identity, and sexual orientation.

Every program, service, and resource offered by the Department of Veterans Services is available to all veterans.

Today's hearing is not about creating a separate service.

It is about ensuring LGBTQ plus veterans know they are welcome, that they belong, and that DBS is here to support them.

Regarding introduction 914A, the department appreciates the intent of expanding access to effective mental health treatments for veterans.

We support the overall goals of the legislation and look forward to continuing discussions with the council regarding amendments necessary to ensure the proposal is operationally feasible and aligned with agency responsibilities.

Regarding introduction introduction 928, the department fully supports the legislation and its goal of strengthening engagement with LGBTQ plus veterans.

DVS has already designated two LGBTQ liaisons within the department, Dana Perrot, an Army veteran as sir as the LGBTQ liaison since 2024, and Michael Lopez, also an Army veteran, now serves as our LGBTQ plus claims and benefits liaison.

New York City is home to one of the largest LGBTQ plus veteran populations in the nation.

Nationally, an estimated 1.9 million LGBTQ plus adults and veterans serve, including approximately 37,000 transgender veterans.

LGBTQ veterans are also more likely to have served during the post-9-11 era than the veteran population overall.

Many LGBTQ plus veterans have faced unique challenges through their military services and transition to civilian life, including discrimination, housing instability, barriers to health care, and social isolation.

For some, these challenges were compounded by policies such as don't ask, don't tell, and restrictions on transgender military service.

Between 2000 and 2014, approximately a thousand three hundred transgender individuals were discharged from the military because of their gender identity.

While significant progress has been made, barriers remain.

Many are not immediately visible and can include shame, hesitation, or fear of seeking support.

Nationally, 36% of LGBTQ plus veterans report avoiding VA services due to perceived bias.

No veterans should ever feel that their identity diminished their service or affects their ability to access the benefits and support they have earned.

The city has taken important steps to better support LGBTQ communities, including through the mayor's office of LGBTQ IE affairs.

DBS is currently exploring the creation of a certificate of eligibility for LGBTQ plus veterans, which would help discharge LGBTQ plus veterans access certain certain city benefits and services available to veterans.

One area where DBS has been particularly proud to support LGBTQ plus veterans is through our discharge upgrade and legal services program, known as duals during fiscal year 2026.

We are grateful for our partnerships with the Veteran Advocacy Project and the New York legal assistance group, whose expertise has helped veterans pursue discharge upgrades and access earned benefits.

While many cases remain pending due to the complexity of the review process, these cases underscore the continued need for targeted outreach, legal support, and culturally competent services.

We also recognize the importance of community partnerships, organizations such as Sage Vets and the SOWAM Veteran Association provide trusted spaces, social connection, and culturally competent support for the LGBTQ veterans.

These partnerships are critical to reaching veterans who may not otherwise engage with traditional systems.

Thank you again for the opportunity to testify today.

We look forward to continuing our work with the council, community organizations, and LGBTQ plus veterans to ensure that every veteran in New York City feels welcome, supported, and empowered.

I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Happy birthday.

Um and um you should know that uh Miss Orlando, who is seated at the table beside you, she also happened to be at the Vietnam veteran event on Friday with Council Member Wong, and I and she was uh and is just a terrific spokesperson for your agency and uh is really rep really represents you well.

Um I have a number of questions uh say a word to the public and to my colleagues that are good enough to participate in today's hearing.

I have the unique distinction of being on eight city council committees.

So I have had the opportunity to watch every variety of chair holding hearings, and there are two things that I think both the public and the council members find somewhat challenging and and frustrating to be honest, which is the chair will spend 20, 30, 40 minutes asking questions of whoever's testifying before them, and all these other council members who all have busy schedules, they don't get to ask any questions.

And in many cases, the chair just doesn't want the person to ask the their question.

I mean, I'm speculating, but it the bottom line is it's frustrating.

The other thing that's frustrating is you get two three minutes to ask a question.

The administration will try to give a comprehensive lengthy answer, and your time's up.

No time for an appropriate follow-up question.

So I'll just say to my colleagues that are good enough to be here and participate in today's hearing.

I'm gonna ask a couple of questions, then turn it over to you guys, ask questions.

You've got five minutes, but if you need more than five minutes, take more than five minutes.

If there's an appropriate follow-up question, ask it.

Ask it.

We're we're not gonna kick anybody out and grab the hook after after five minutes.

Um, but trust me, I have plenty of questions on my own.

Let me begin, uh, Commissioner, with your testimony regarding the uh LGBTQ plus liaisons.

Um, how many veterans are you indicated that there's already two LGBTQ plus liaisons.

How many veterans have interacted with uh each liaison over the last 12 months?

Thank you for the question.

Uh DBS, we necessarily don't ask the gender identity question.

Uh DVS, when a veteran comes in, we ask for the type of service that services that they need.

As for DBS, we want to make sure that it does create a welcoming space uh for every individual to feel comfortable at DBS.

Oftentimes the individual um him or herself decides to disclose uh the uh the type of service that they need or the type of gender identity that that they would like to identify as.

However, at DVS we don't actually ask that question directly.

However, with the with the gender liaison that we do have in place and um is since 2024 um that that put specific liaison has provided support to um individuals by helping them connect with partners that that can go further on providing the services that they need.

But most recently we added a second um LGBTQ plus uh liaison, and the goal is to work closely with the the LGBTQ committee and the LGBTQ IA plus uh mayor's office to see how can we do better at DBS to provide support to the LGBTQ plus IA community and I'll let um Nicole further elaborate on that.

Our current LGBTQ plus liaison Donna, she has also attended different community events in the past as well.

So in addition to just being one-on-one on the client side of it, she's also participating in the community in different events that pop up um specifically relating to LGBTQ plus issues as well.

We can follow up with the listing, and how do we measure the effectiveness of those existing liaisons?

At the moment, that's what we're working at at DBS.

I am really looking forward to working with Councilmember Carr with the LGBTQ plus committee and the mayor's office, LG LGBTQ IA plus office, and also with various other uh nonprofits to to help us uh understand how can we measure that success.

Again, um the census or the VA don't have that data uh questionnaire or intake that can help us establish where like the the accurate number of LGBTQIA uh veterans and that for my end, that's appalling.

So for for DBS this year, what we're trying to do is to ensure that we can actually have a better intake process of not just understanding the what let's just say um the the veteran status, but also gender identity.

Also, what is your background?

Are you uh for example Latino, but but what type of Latino background?

Um what type of of in general we want to really understand where veterans um uh the where they are coming from and the need that they really uh that they're in need.

So when when I do when you to answer that question is that we're working better in our intake process.

If DBS already has two designated liaisons, what operational changes would intro 928 minority leader cars bill uh actually create?

What would be different?

Well, first of all, I want to thank um council member carr for that intro because it really pushes an agency even further to provide that support to LGBTQ uh plus uh veterans.

Even though we had one liaison, now we have two.

And having the second liaison um uh at first when it came to DBS, we will focus primarily on the upgrade discharge, which um Nicole, my colleague will elaborate further, but now with the second liaison, we will go even further on upgrading our intake process.

Um again, the the VA or the um the census itself doesn't ask that question about LGBTQ plus.

So the goal is through this second liaison to work in conjunction with Councilmember Carr and the LGBTQ plus committee and the LGBT LGBTQ plus I um uh LGBTQ IA plus uh mayor's office to ensure that we can together develop an intake process where where individuals feel comfortable of of disclosing that information.

Also operationally what would change is the reporting requirements on this because currently the only we report on local law for which is in regards to discharge upgrades, but we know and we respect that this community reaches out to us separate of just discharge upgrades.

So by being able to take what our liaisons are doing and translate it into data and into reporting that gives us a better picture of what the needs of the community are in addition to discharge upgrades, we're really looking forward to implementing that piece of it.

Do you are you able to tell us uh how many outreach events specifically targeted LGBTQ veterans and were conducted by these liaisons either last year or the last fiscal year?

So I'm going to pass this question to Nicole.

Um, so as more recently, I am a taking a closer look at the type of events that we have been doing across all five boroughs.

Um what's different this time around is that we are being very intentional as to if we go to specific borough, what type of service are we um, who are we teaming up with, why are we teaming up with them, and the type of services um that the individual, the veteran will will get if they decide to go to this specific um nonprofit.

So I just want to discuss what we're doing internally right now internally.

I am updating our partners that we have.

Even our partners have to go through an intake process.

Soon we'll soon we'll need to go through an intake process again.

If we're gonna be partnering up with individuals, I want to make sure that uh with nonprofits, we want to make sure that veterans themselves do get the support that they need when they do go to um these these great partners that that we have.

In the last fiscal year, we had three events that were specifically targeted for LGBTQ plus veterans, but then every month there is a veterans mental health coalition meeting that includes topics on LGBTQ plus support.

Councilmember Wang.

Yes, I think please see you didn't expect me to go to you so quickly.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um thank you, Chair.

Um I'm concerned about your data collection regarding LGBTQ veterans populations.

Uh yes, you have been doing outreach, but um have you encountered veterans that that may be reluctant to identify themselves as LGBT do LGBTQ plus due to past discrimination or if you want to come with the boat seeking service?

Uh, how do you handle cases like that or absolutely?

Um, I I veterans themselves have a hard time to self-identify to begin with, and that that is why as the SDBS we do want to um do a campaign collectively again with with the support of various other nonprofits, but even further, right, when it comes to LGBTQ uh plus uh veterans, that is another layer of of work that we have to do a campaign awareness against this requires to have individuals are directly impacted to help us lease lead this campaign.

Um but we understand that when it does come to data, that DBS doesn't have that specific data in hand, and we do hope that with um this second liaison that we can again create this intake process that can that we can work collaboratively with various other nonprofits to do this.

What we do have is the data of the duals upgrade um uh discharge inform um that supports the uh veterans that um that were uh discharged due to their gender identity, and uh I'll let um Nicole elaborate on that.

I wanna back I'm reading your statement.

Uh, you're saying that you're gonna explore the creation of a certificate of eligibility of LGBTQ veterans.

So how what is your approach?

If you have problems identifying them, then how do you how do you find these LGBTQ veterans and give them the certificate of eligibilities?

Yeah, so to speak a little bit more on the certificate.

So what we've been noticing is that on the state level and a city level, there are veterans who are discharged due to their status as LGBTQ, whether that was under don't ask, don't tell, the trans van or anything else.

And for us, what we're seeing is that there's a lot of fear in applying for benefits due to the fear that you have to show your GD214 that says you were discharged under don't ask don't tell or whatever it may be.

So for us, what we're acting as is that safe space for them to come to us and say, I've served my country, um, show us their paperwork in the trusted space with our uh LGBT plus liaison, who will then be able to verify their service, create a certificate that then can be given to different city agencies to verify that service so that they don't actually have to provide their GD 214 that says what they were discharged for while they may be in the process of upgrading or whatever that may be, but still verifies their military service.

So for us, we don't want someone's fear of having to show their discharge be a barrier to getting a benefit.

So that's why we want to be those that will provide that certificate that won't say anything on it, it will just verify their service.

Okay, um, veterans like visit health clinics, how like the ones in Flushing Avenue uh have you is there any outreach have you done with them to identify these veterans that that require like health services?

Can you talk about that?

I'm going shortly going to pass this uh question to Donna and Noah, but uh DBS part of the claims team when someone does come to DBS.

Oftentimes veterans uh go through the claims process first as they are in need whether different types of benefits, um and when they do disclose that they need any sort of health care support, we do connect them to the VA, but also we do connect them to um NYC Health and Hospitals, Pride Pride Health Centers, and Northwell as they provide LGBTQI plus fertility services.

Again, this is if the individual no individual does disclose is um uh that they need LGBTQ plus um services.

Um, however, I'm gonna now pass it on to Donna that can't uh to to Noah that can further elaborate on the claims uh portion when it comes to the health care component.

Thanks, Commissioner.

Um, I'm Noah Bray, I'm the executive director of the support services for DBS.

Um, yeah, so I think that conversation that you mentioned, the difficulty just getting them to disclose the veteran status, it do it does go further to disclose anything, even like a name and an address.

So I think it's a testament to the claims agents is just to create that rapport and uh make that veteran comfortable just having a conversation and with that comes everything else, like any kind of like medical conditions or anything that's has to do with that claim that we're gonna file.

So uh that's where we get that information.

Once we could develop that relationship, it allows us to connect them to whatever benefits or whatever partnerships that we have, and that's where that magic happens.

So that's that's where we go overcome that hurdle.

Please feel free to continue.

Yeah, just to follow up like we have uh Queen's vet center um right at the border of my district that uh I see veterans go there all the time requesting uh medical services.

So uh I am just wondering that the inter uh the outreach that you have done, say with them or other vet centers that you may be able to identify or help them identify uh LGBT veterans.

That's that's that's an issue that that's always in my mind when every time I drive past them, like uh is DVS outreaching to to these veterans because uh they go there a lot.

Right, we we do find that partnership with that vet center as well as all the other vet centers, the VAs, um, those are part of our regular circuit that we try to send our claims agents to.

Um so we do have usually a liaison for each one of those uh entities, so but it does happen organically.

We we leave nobody out for partnership opportunities, so whether it's a vet center or a nonprofit, um, we try to send our claims agents out as part of the outreach.

Um, and we we've had some pretty good success so far.

And I just wanted to add to that one one of the unique uh aspects at DVS is that um when it comes to claims and housing, one of the major needs for for veterans, um it is led by veterans themselves.

Uh Noah is is um Coast Card vet veteran and Dana Small is also an army vet.

So it also provides that extra uh cultural competency per se to be able to provide that support to um veterans.

All right, so do you need assistance in reaching out to like nonprofits that work with LGBT um individuals and then work with them to identify veterans?

Is that something you you you are currently doing or you might need help in connecting to these nonprofits?

Yes, absolutely.

We welcome any support.

I I myself, as uh my background as an organizer myself, I that is one of the major components that we are issuing at DBS, uh providing training to the staff as well, and it's just not training about services, but training um when it comes to how do you organize with the LGBTQ plus community, but in general, uh it when it comes to LGBTQ plus uh support, it keeps evolving as time goes.

So that is one of the major components that we are making sure that the staff knows how to work with the LGBTQ plus community, but also how do we uh revamp our partnerships that we have?

As I said before, um I am revamping the list that we have uh that would entail an intake for each of our partners to see what type of services that they provide, but um as always we want to make sure that we have LGBTQ plus veterans on the table so they could help us um organize and be able to reach out to individuals in different boroughs, and we'll love to work with your office as well.

Um I'll I'm I have maybe round two questions, but please.

Thank you, thank you, Chair.

All right, um uh just going back to your testimony for for a moment, and then uh I have a couple of other things following up on Councilmember Wong's questions.

Um you stated that 38 LGBTQ plus veterans sought assistance through the discharge upgate upgrade program in fiscal year 26.

Of those 38 veterans, how many cases remain pending?

Thank you for the question, Chair.

So yes, in fiscal year 26, we have had 38 LGBTQ plus veterans work with our partners, whether that be at VAP or NILAG for discharge upgrades.

Currently, what we are seeing is that there are about 20 that are still pending.

Um that for us can mean a range of things, whether information is still being gathered, whether it's further along in the process, um, but that is something we can follow up more on the intricacies with.

Do we know at this point how many resulted in successful discharge upgrades?

Yes.

So in the US fiscal, I think in the last two fiscal years, we have seen eight discharge upgrades.

How many veterans maybe the answer is the same, uh, regained VA benefits as a result of that?

That would be a little bit different just because there's the difference between a discharge upgrade being totally changed versus the VA characterization of upgrade, which means that you're still then entitled to VA benefits even if your discharge hasn't fully been updated.

For for my edification, how long does the average discharge upgrade case take?

It could take from one to three years.

And there's a little bit of a delay, whether that be in the actual courts themselves, in information gathering, sometimes in clients falling off and then getting re-engaged, but about one to three years.

What do you think the biggest barriers are to obtaining upgrades?

I think that it's a has to do with the information gathering, where there's records all over the place in some cases, some agencies are less reluctant to give out this information that is needed.

If someone has been stationed at different areas across the country, it's coordinating with those.

We even see this on the for a disability claim issues with getting those health records.

So it's about getting everything in the same pri place as well as recognizing there's a lot of trauma and mental health support that is needed when dealing with these cases.

How many potentially eligible veterans do you believe might remain unaware of the program?

Yeah.

The program itself, so I at DVS we do want to do a campaign awareness of the services one that we provide, but also what the duals program is.

Oftentimes, um if you are if if you are a veteran or or have served in the military, you understand the the I would like to say the language, right?

Like, however, oftentimes when it comes to family members of those that serve, they don't realize that this is the type of service that exists even for for their veteran themselves.

So at DVS we do have to do a better campaign awareness to showcase one the services that we provide but also when it comes to the duals program and but oh even at that the duals program itself um there's only it it does take time as Nicole mentioned it takes one to three years to do this type of of support and and we would like support from this cons to highlight the work that that DVS is doing that highlight the work when it comes to the duals program.

I think in addition to that as well is that there's also people who file for discharge upgrades separate of just in a reason being whether it's don't ask don't tell or whatever that may be what we do anticipate for though is an increase as more people are being affected by the trans ban and we're seeing that being more prevalent.

So that's something we're actively tracking with our partners at VAP and NILAG to ensure we're doing more targeted messaging for those affected by that ban as well.

One thing that caught area was the certificate of eligibility because it was new at least to me what exactly would this certificate do?

Yeah.

So this certificate would be able to there's about four different city benefits that are executed on a city level that someone needs to provide their DD214 for so they may still be able to receive the benefit even though they are just honorably discharged but there's a lot of shame in presenting that when you do have you know you're a dishonorable discharge for under don't ask don't tell so what we're doing on the city level is for those benefits where that DD 214 needs to be presented instead of them having to present that D 214 they would present present the certificate that would be given out by our agency where information about service would be verified from our agency so that they don't need to provide that to the different city agencies.

Do you know which four benefits that that would unlock yeah so that would unlock different um residency well points for civil service exams through DCAS there's NICER's pension buyback there's Department of Finance for tax benefits and I believe there's two different types for Department of Finance.

The uh do we think this would require legislation or is that something that the agency could do on their own so this is something that's actually in our charter to be able to do so this is something that we are now acting out from the charter this is also something that is required by the state to do and they execute it as a letter so we'll be executing it as a certificate along with the letter.

How would eligibility be determined?

Yeah so the individual cases would go to our LGBTQ plus claims liaison who would take account of all the different service paperwork who will even be able to verify the DD 214 um who has experience dealing with cases like these as well as being military culturally competent and then they will be executing the certificate.

And is this being developed specifically for LGBTQ plus veterans or for LGBTQ plus New Yorkers generally this is specifically for LGBTQ plus veterans.

Do you guys have a a timeline that you envision for implementation?

Yeah so this is something that we're in active conversations with the mayor's office of LGBTQ plus IA affairs as well as we have now identified the benefits and are connecting with the agencies who will be receiving these certificates by mid next year to be able to actually execute probably before but we want to ensure that we're having the correct conversation so that there's no barriers in using this.

Local law four for people that may not know requires DVS to assist LGBTQ plus veterans seeking discharge characterization upgrades.

Um specifically, how has DVS implemented this law?

Thank you for the question.

So we maintain very strong partnerships with VAP and with NILAG to ensure that the veterans that we're referring over that may come to our office are getting correct connected appropriately in a timely fashion are getting access to that support, as well as for us making sure that we're continuing to promote the services to your point for people that don't may not know that that is an option, as well as we're looking to explore in the future how we can do more outreach and engagement directly with the contractors to ensure that people are aware of the services.

Local in terms of some of the trends that we've seen with local law for of 2022, after comparing data from all available reports on local law four, we see that between fiscal year 2022 and 2025, among male, female, and non-binary veterans, veterans identifying as male contacted DVS most frequently for discharge upgrade assistance.

Is there a reason male veterans contacted DVS at a higher uh uh at a higher rate rather than um the rest of the population?

Again, it goes back to self-identification.

I the first hearing that you did, which we're so so grateful was on woman veterans.

Well, and I'm grateful as a woman veteran yourself for your participation in that.

Um, when it comes to that we have along with Ms.

Malls, obviously.

I do want to also highlight that Miss Malls was also inducted in the Hall of Fame.

Oh, yes.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

But I think it's like, for example, the perfect example here, right?

Um, we need to make sure that we can bring that awareness um that there's women veterans that serve that we have different types of backgrounds, and I think it goes back to the LGBTQ plus component.

We need to do a better campaign awareness of that there's LGBTQ plus veterans that are currently serving and that they do a magnificent job.

So again, it goes back to the campaign awareness and it and women are serving at a higher rate uh as well, and we need to highlight those ones too.

The report also show that veterans from the Navy contacted DVS for discharge upgrade assistance at a higher rate than any other branch of the military.

Is there a reason for this trend?

While we don't know exactly the reason why why that may be, we do think that it does have to do with outreach and with the groups that are being targeted in a lot of this outreach, and that that is our hypothesis right now, but we're looking forward to seeing how different tactics would affect that number.

I noticed you guys wore Navy White in tribute to the high participation rates of naval veterans.

I wore Coast Guard blue in recognition of NOAA's service and Miss Orlando's service with the auxiliary coast guard.

Um fiscal year 25, uh the number of veterans seeking discharge upgrades drastically increased among all genders and military branches.

What changed?

Are you seeing a similar trend this year?

Currently for fiscal year 26, we did not see a similar trend.

Um what we do see is that there's still that increasing need compared to fiscal year 22, where we only had two people.

So for us, we think that what contributed to that spike was different outreach efforts, awareness of the services, stronger partnerships that we're having with our legal service providers, and as we are continuing to build that capacity as well, we anticipate that for that to increase.

Um we also believe that in this landscape that we're in with the trans ban being introduced in January of 2025, there's a lot of stigma stigma and a lot of discourse going on in the community where people may be more than not likely to actually identify and to actually come out for those benefits and support.

So we do think the federal landscape has some effect on that as well.

And that's why we wanted to highlight the important need of, and I think goes back to what you mentioned about how many people know about the duals uh discharge program that is in place at the moment because that will also give um that that support system that they need, but also feel welcome and feel that hey, there's support here for us.

So that is something that we do want to do better and highlight that um that program that we have in place.

I noticed you alluded to the the trans ban earlier.

Have you observed a difference in the number of veterans who were discharged pre and post the repeal of don't ask don't tell seeking discharge characterization upgrades this is something that we've have been seeing anecdotally so we are still working on what those exact numbers look like but we have had veterans come to us because of the trans ban and we're working on seeing what support we can provide in some cases it may necessarily not just be the discharge upgrade and other issues that have came up but this is something that we are actively tracking as we think on the don't ex don't tell side we're monitoring the lifelong effects of that even from when someone gets their discharge upgrade but we're anticipating and preparing for more of those that will be engaging with us because of the trans ban.

Councilmember Wong, thank you, Chair.

All right um I I want to go back because I'm a little confused over here.

So you have between 2000 and 2014 uh approximately 1300 transgender transgender individuals are discharged from the military because of their gender identity so that's because of direct result of don't ask don't tell right or or this is uh this is because of s something else and my I think my question is uh you have to go back to them and saying that you are eligible for benefits.

Is that right?

And how are you going to relay that message?

Because it seemed to me that that they got discharged because of their gender identity and now you want to go back and say oh we want you to come forward because of your gender identity you're allowed these benefits uh it seems to be uh um a message that they did they don't even want to well though they don't understand please talk about it.

Yeah so in regards to um transgender individuals who were discharged for that prior to don't ask don't tell that is something that we are seeing is happening even more now with there's directly a trans fan so currently right now if you have a diagnosis of gender dysphoria you are unable to serve in the military and you will be discharged.

So for us what we're trying to see is that there are certain city benefits even if you may not be eligible for federal benefits and I'll pass over to Noah to speak a little bit more but that you are here in New York City able to be eligible for the benefits that you have served and we can provide that documentation to show that.

Thank you for that yes it's a it's a it's another layer that we have to deal with to find those veterans like you said now we have to go back and and let them know like you are eligible for more benefits than you think and um you know for the veteran community it's tough just to find them to say hey you're eligible for just the general the most general benefits but it is just a little step further it's a little bit harder to find them those that were discharged unnecessarily and say please come back to the you know back into the fold we want to help you we want to help you get your discharge changed or get you eligible for benefits so it goes back to that outreach component.

So just starting that conversation about just benefits in general and then we from there then we get to the ideally those discharge upgrade cases.

Thank you.

Um I have a follow-up um oh you you have you have uh okay yeah uh for surviving spouses of LGBTQ veterans uh are they eligible for benefits and and how are you gonna outreach this particular population please talk about it.

Sure thank you for that question.

Um we do have two uh claims benefits that we are creating like a subject matter expert in that realm in the surviving spouse realm so that would fall under their purview so it's a similar thing where we send them out into the communities or with the nonprofit organizations that tend to have a higher population of potential surviving spouses and then from the beginnings of those conversations it's very similar in that once we have that general benefit conversation it will lead again that's the that's the magic and it speaks to the claims agents' abilities to have to be able to connect with those veterans or the surviving spouses to to get them to those benefits.

But do they are they eligible for the same benefits as other stuff surviving spouses or is that totally yes yes, but every new ones everything's individualistic, depending on sometimes as as much as like age of the veteran or when they died, things like that, but typically yes.

And if I could just jump in right now, our agency is currently not aware of any surviv surviving spouses that were denied benefits.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um you do need to provide marriage type relationships to prove that you're a sub-surviving spouse.

Because a lot of these relationships they may not even be paperwork that may back this up.

Yep.

That's correct.

And that's what goes back into the factors of like on the individual case because there's so many things that are involved with like the length of time they live together or the age of let's say if you're looking for education benefits for the children um a lot of it's it's very case specific.

Okay.

Um okay, thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Um I want to go back to data collection because I think it's clear based on what everybody said that the data collection gap is the biggest blind spot for how to best serve the LGBTQ plus veteran community.

How many veterans served by DVS self-identify as LGBTQ?

So that is not something that we include in our intake for that self-identification question.

That's what we're exploring on updating, but currently we do not take that information.

Does D VS have a target for increasing engagement with LGBTQ plus veterans?

Absolutely.

Uh I as Nicole mentioned, that is something that DBS in the past has not um collected again.

Is to what we the type of environment DVS wants to create or is creating is to ensure that veterans feel welcome in our at DBS and that they get the support um that they need again.

The veterans come from different for different types of services.

However, um as the new commissioner, I understand the importance of data, the importance of understanding the veteran holistically, other than just a veteran, or only just to keep in uh only just put them put the veteran in one box of just thinking of them as military.

We understand that they come from different backgrounds.

Even for example, we belong to different boroughs, and if even I I prefer getting my services or um as a Stein Islander, I also am a bit different than people that are in Brooklyn and Queens or Bronx, right?

It's just based on the location that you live in.

So at DBS, I do want to do a an intake process or intake documentation where we not only understand that they're veterans, but that we know, like for example, what what um um what would what's their type of gender identity, also their background uh it's it's learning about that veteran holistically.

However, if we are going to do an intake and provide that question, I do want to ensure that it comes from advocates themselves and that we have them at the table and that they tell us how the question should be should be in the intake.

So it's going to take um uh I I do want to ensure that we can have the LGBTQ plus uh veterans at the table so they could help us understand how can the LGBTQ plus veteran community can better self-identify.

This might be self-evident based on what both of you just said, but what data does DVS wish that it had right now, but currently doesn't collect?

Is it the self-identification question or is it is it something else?

Yeah, I think if we're speaking also more generally, I think the demographic data would be super helpful because we know that there's so many services along the city that can be helpful that's not may not be veteran specific, but can be used by a veteran.

I think also just speaking more in general for me, something that has been a data point that would be super helpful, and this is totally separate than this is the unemployment rate for veterans in New York City.

That has been a data point that is impossible for anyone to find.

BLS does not even hold that data, it's only on a state level.

That would be key for a lot of connections to these different services.

And um, I know that we are currently working with other agencies when it comes to local law 37 to ensure that the questionnaire about veterans is inputted in their application process because then with that it will help us understand where veterans are going to get the services that they need, but also what types of services they're requesting the most.

Um and Nicole can elaborate the efforts and um the the wins that we are having on ensuring that agencies can join us on that.

So specifically for local Authority seven and thank you chair for collaborating with us on this we have made some recommendations in terms of the language to better reflect what our report would need to capture.

So we're just finalizing with our friends over at City Hall and then we'll be sending back over just for further conversations as well as we're currently working with the um larger agencies to ensure that this is something that will be doable and making sure that they are able to provide this data in a timely manner as well as we're working to execute those MOUs so that we are able to have a better way to ensure we're getting this data and that it's coming in a timely fashion.

One of the things I struggle with as a council member as chair of this committee is somebody that plays a leading role in some other entities within the city council is wondering what the best way to reach people is and whether my outreach efforts are successful.

Sometimes it's easy to see if you see nine thousand people commenting on a social media post it's reaching somebody but there's all sorts of people that aren't on social media.

How does D VS know whether outreach efforts are succeeding whatever the outreach efforts are, whether they're related to LGBTQ plus veterans or some other veteran cohort.

We are seeing uh a D VS for example from last year to this year, specifically from um from February and on that there has been an increase on data in the sense of who we are outreaching, how we have referred individuals um however what we are trying to do is upgrade our systems when it does come to for example a if we are referring individuals at at D VS we are upgrading that system what does it mean once that individual is rever uh referred uh what was the outcome uh with that specific individual in a sense we also want to have like a case management system in place to be able to support the veteran in the long term not just a one try.

Um I'll let Nicole elaborate further on that too.

I think to your point it's easy to see more in the numbers right if people are subscribing to the newsletter or we're getting views on social media.

I think for us what that has been translating to is more people being engaged with us.

So in our series of roundtable we're seeing more engagement directly from advocates in our VAB meetings we're seeing the highest number of participants than we've seen.

So I think for us it's leveraging and really playing around with social media and with our newsletter because that it has been translating to more people showing up.

And and also with the partnerships that that we are doing again they're very intentional the partnerships in the events that we are doing at DVS for example we're doing an an event we need to understand why we're doing that event what um how many people we have outreached at that event how many people attended that event how many people did the intake process for example I I'm developing that intake uh form that I want to but again I want to work with various other veteran groups so they could help us uh finalize that intake form um but also is like once they're referred again like we're following we're making sure that there's um that there's a follow through with that referral um but what we are seeing is that a lot of the partnerships have already existed at DBS is that we just needed to revamp those those partnerships.

Uh speaking of partnerships, I know you alluded to a few of them including the Veteran Advocacy project and the Stonewall Veterans Association which partnerships generate the highest number of referrals.

In terms for LGBT LGBTQ plus veterans specifically or partnerships in general well I mean I'll take both.

Yeah I think for LGBTQ plus veterans in general um Sage has been a primarily referral source for us um as they participate in our mental health roundtables in our veteran mental health coalition meetings as well as at different outreach events that we have in the community.

So I would say Sage is our primary, and then um for partnerships in general, working very closely with our federal partners, make a lot of referrals over to the VA, but as well as to our partners um at different city agencies, whether that be the Office to end gender-based violence or Department of Finance for anything taxation related.

So right now what we're working on is like Commissioner said being more intentional about where we are sending people over more specifically locally, so targeting some of those smaller groups.

Obviously, I know at least a few of us are from Staten Island.

Are there boroughs where partnership networks are stronger than others?

Obviously, the you alluded to the cultural differences of being a veteran and seeking assistance or seeking programs in a place like Staten Island versus Brooklyn or Queens.

Well, we are we do know Staten Island is uh veteran-friendly borough and does provide um a welcoming atmosphere to many veterans.

Um what we are seeing is that every borough is unique and does provide they the services are there.

There's so many services available one to veterans but also many nonprofits that perhaps feel that because they're not veteran designated that they should not support veterans per se um or may not have the culture competency.

So again, um every borough does provide that support and services to to that can provide that support and services to veterans.

However, I I I do want to bring it back to DBS that we do need to do a better job on reaching out to those uh nonprofits that perhaps have never been involved with veterans but can um and further highlight uh the services that are available to veterans in each borough.

So that's going to be an ongoing effort.

But um again, when it comes to being a welcoming uh borough for veterans, I do know that the Staten Island is one of them.

Um but we our goal is to uh do um do better um provide better services to veterans by showing them what and what if they go to for example Brooklyn or Queens, like what kind of service there is available for them there.

And in general, every borough.

Sure.

Um I have a few questions.

Uh please do you want to add something?

Yeah, if I just can add to that, I think we've also been super intentional about our staff because we know at the end of the day it's those who are in the boroughs where can be able to forge those relationships.

When I started as an intern six years ago, I was the only one in the office from Staten Island.

So we're really excited to see that that has been growing as well as we have many different staff members from now showing every single borough.

So that's something that we've been really um empowering too to our staff members to be able to represent their borough and really have those connections locally.

We're taking over the city.

And I'm going to have Dana and Noah elaborate also what they're doing in each borough and their staff in each borough is doing.

One and chair, um Donna Small is the associate commissioner for the Department of Veteran Services.

So the housing team and Hall of Famer.

Um the housing team go out to all boroughs.

Um, their boroughs, Queens and the Bronx are very strong.

Um both borough presidents are very strong on a veteran uh housing aspect and veteran issues across the board.

Um, I wanted to point that out, but it's a lot of Manhattan is getting there.

Um it's getting there as far as like the support that's needed.

Um Council Member Youssef Salam, I've worked with him to help self-identify veterans in his uh district, which I live in.

So I'm in very close partnership with him and his staff to help identify veterans in the Manhattan area as well.

Noah.

Thank you for that.

Uh Hall of Fame status, please.

Noah.

What's that?

Hall of Fame status uh aspiring.

Gotcha.

All right.

Um, I have to say the Valone Initiative has been great for us too when you talk about referrals uh and just partnerships in general because they are, as you know, everywhere in all the boroughs and all the nooks and crannies with us.

So they've been a fantastic partner uh for us.

Also, the library community has been amazing um and very uh like open arms with programs and things like that and and partnership opportunities.

But really, yeah, Vallone, the VFW, the American Legion, um, they've been amazing for us as far as the claims side goes.

I have a couple of questions related to mental health and health care in general, including the bill that I'm uh that we're hearing today that I've introduced.

Uh Commissioner, your testimony referenced discrimination, social isolation, military sexual trauma, and mental health challenges.

Are there trauma treatment needs that are unique to LGBTQ veterans that aren't being adequately addressed by existing programs?

Yes.

So we believe that there are different challenges that are unique to this community that are not being addressed by the services available by the VA, especially given some of the policies that have came out.

Um we're in close conversations specifically with the Staten Island Pride Center about the different therapies that are available that are non-traditional in the sense that this may not be something that the VA is actively promoting, that they're able to leverage even, you know, even though it's not veteran-specific, they're able to utilize it.

So those those are conversations that we have started in regards to different treatments that may be available that maybe the VA isn't providing.

Have you encountered veterans who might benefit from additional evidence-based therapies such as reconsolidation of traumatic memories?

We believe that there are veterans that can benefit from this.

However, in regards to this bill, since we are not a health care provider, we believe that the pilot study would be non-feasible for us as a city agency, but we are supportive of any benefits that can help our veteran community.

Is there an agency that might better be suited?

We believe that collaboration with health and hospitals could be key for this.

When DVS makes referrals for veterans with PTSD, does the agency differentiate between PTSD treatment focused on combat-related trauma and trauma-related to military training or anything else?

It really depends on the severity of the case because it's it depends on where someone is in that crisis, because at the end of the day, we want to just get them that support.

But then when we're thinking about if someone needs that sustained supporters looking for more long-term solutions, that is something that programs are evaluated based on what the eligibility criteria would be to make the best determination of what would be able to help the veteran.

And we'll pass over to Noah.

Sure.

So as it relates to claims, um, that would come out of the conversation depending on if they disclose like a PTSD situation, um, claims goes a certain way, but then it also opens up the conversation about which partner we would connect them to that maybe specializes in whatever that they went through, uh, whether that's the VA or a vet center, or just one of our mental health partners.

So it's again it's very individualistic, but we the conversation from the claims agent helps connect them to the specific uh partner.

Since you guys alluded to health and hospitals a minute ago, does DBS coordinate with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene or Health and Hospitals to connect LGBTQ plus veterans with healthcare services?

And and assuming the answer to that is yes, what is that collaboration actually look like?

Yeah, so we are working very closely with both Health and Hospitals and Department of Health on this issue, as there are Pride Health Centers in each of the boroughs except Staten Island, where we are connecting our veteran community over to in a more local in a local way.

Are there particular health disparities among LGBTQ plus veterans that DVS believes require additional attention?

In addition to what the data shows us about there being an increase in chronic illness that is faced by LGBTQ plus veterans and in our conversations with the Pride Center as well.

We see that there's definitely that need for HIV and STD testing that may not be as readily accessible by some of the larger organizations.

So we believe that the programs that focus on this is something that we are working to build out more of those partnerships for.

So there's direct connection.

Given the high rates of military sexual trauma that I alluded to earlier, that's been reported among LGBTQ plus veterans.

What efforts has DVS undertaken to ensure survivors are connected to trauma-informed services?

Oh, sure.

That goes back again to just having those conversations, so especially with their with our claims agents, making sure they get the training that they need to kind of identify certain uh say like a trigger word which may you know lead them down a different conversation.

So depending on what they what they're speaking about and that report that they build, um it's we we've built a bench as an agency with a lot of different health mental health partners, and with each, I don't want to say flavor, but each one has a specialization that can deal with a certain um uh I would say, like an incident um in a different way.

So through those conversations, it really allows us to kind of put that veteran, connect that veteran to that very specific mental health partner.

I also do want to highlight that we work very closely with the VA MST coordinators, so there's a coordinator in each VA facility, as well as we work very closely with the mayor's office to end gender based violence, and we just want to highlight that that that is not a service that is just available to women veterans but to all veterans.

I was a bit surprised in my preparation for this hearing when uh the committee pointed out to me that post-don't ask don't tell LGBTQ plus veterans are dealing with similarly high rates of uh PTSD uh social isolation and that whole basket of maladies as their pre-don't ask don't tell predecessors, and as we dug deeper into this, uh apparently part of the reason was there are some cultural issues that linger in the military and maybe even in the veteran community.

What is DVS doing to reduce stigma about seeking care for survivors of military sexual trauma, including victims of military sexual trauma who are LGBTQ plus and victims who are men at DBS, what we are doing differently is creating awareness of what veterans go through.

Um veterans go through many have gone through many hardships to very different and at DBS.

If you look at our social medias, you are seeing us opening up conversations that normally would not be happening, and when it comes to the LGBTQ, what we want to do is create that awareness of the service is one that we provide, but also to let the LGBTQ plus veterans know that DBS is a walk uh is a welcoming agency for them to be able to reach out to, but also um for that they know that they're going to be getting um the the support that they need, but most importantly, is just humanizing uh the the veteran.

Oftentimes like people feel that veterans don't need help because I you know in their mindset they think that they're strong and and veterans are strong, we're we're strong, but we're also human, right?

So our goal is to really humanize um uh veterans themselves and also to to again let them know that it's okay to seek help.

It's okay to say that you are not okay.

That that is what we are doing at DVS um uh highlight the um the the I mean to create that awareness, but also uh do it throughout various other agencies as well to create that partnership, um, because I think oftentimes other agencies may feel uh that because they're not veteran designated per se, that they're not supporting veterans when in reality I again that's why we ask for that question to be added because they are also supporting in their own way veterans um in various other services.

And I think also in addition to that, and Commissioner alluded to it as well, but working with the non-traditional partners in a way that you know it's putting the services out there, it's letting them know that there's a space, but not also not being overly like this is something that you have to sign up for, this is something that you should be doing.

I know my favorite groups at events are the vet dogs and the service animals because I think that that's a way where you know our it brings everyone together, and I think if we can just make sure that they know that we're here, and it may not be now that they're reaching out for services, but the fact that they can down the line, that's what's important.

A couple of questions before we wrap up related to your coordination with other agencies.

Which city agencies does DVS most frequently coordinate with regarding services for LGBTQ plus veterans and what form does that coordination generally take?

Yeah.

I think that is a specifically for LG LGBTQ plus veterans.

We definitely see more connection with the mayor's office to end gender based violence when we're thinking about those cases for military sexual trauma, and that usually comes from a warm handoff from our staff members right over to the office.

I think more in general, what we're seeing is that LGBTQ plus veterans, in addition to just discharge upgrades and some benefits there, they're still reaching out to access housing services or claim support or just other services that veterans are reaching out for.

So that's increased coordination with DHS, with DSS, and I know that Donna could probably speak a little bit more to those referrals.

Yes.

Um I work closely with the mayor's office to end gender-based violence.

I have a direct uh line of communication.

So if any veteran is coming in and they express any type of um assault or once they feel I always tell my team to create a safe space, um, hear what the veteran is not saying, um, so that they can understand what they're really going through, and once they hear like certain keywords and they express, you know, privately things that have happened, you know, we kind of elaborate and let them know like we're also veterans.

I'm a veteran.

Um, a lot of times my staff come and get me um if they have certain situations they need, you know, for the help with, and I just let them know, like, hey, I'm a veteran as well.

I've experienced different things in the military, just like you, I'm no different.

Um, just because I'm on this side of the table, doesn't mean that I can't allow I can't I don't understand what you're going through.

So it's just about giving a person a safe space.

Once they get that safe space, I let them know that I want to help as much as I can.

I want to be able to get you to help that you need.

So I'm able to call, you know, the the one to food staff over at the Mayor's office to end in the base violence to get them to help and security that they need.

And to further elaborate on the partnerships or relationships that we have with other agencies, um, at DBS, we understand that there's an increasing um aging population of veterans, and also when it comes to disabilities as well.

So what we are doing is creating those uh strong partnerships with the department um of aging and and disability, just so happens the commissioner for disability as well as from Staten Island.

So we are working very closely uh with both commissioners to um ensure that both that we can support veterans um holistically.

Taking over the city, that's it.

Uh and we may soon have a flag if uh the hearing in the next room goes well.

Um are there any federal or state policy changes that DVS is monitoring uh that could affect your LGBTQ plus veterans?

I guess with the exception of the certificate of eligibility, which we've already covered.

Yeah, so the trans ban remains something that we're continuing to monitor as different guidelines coming out for different times of discharge and what um qualifications may allow someone to stay in temporarily.

So that is something that we're actively monitoring.

We're also active actively monitoring the abortion ban in VA hospital.

So that's something else that we're tracking, and then more in general, um less less specific on LGBTQ plus issues, is in the Take Care of America's Veterans Act.

There's some proposed legislation that would cut sleep apnea and tinnitus benefits over a period of 10 years.

That is something that we are actively tracking as well, which there's many veterans in the community who would be affected by that.

Let me uh I'll end with this.

I mean, part of the reason that we chose to this specific topic is because it's Pride Month, and I'd love to come back a year from now and see how we've done.

Uh, the committee, me as a council member, the council as a body, you guys as an agency.

Of all the chain challenges that are facing LGBTQ plus veterans in New York City today.

Which one, in your opinion, is the most urgent and what specific action should the city council take to address it?

I think for us, discharge upgrades and access to those services are the most primary focus.

I think also the providers that provide these services are definitely there's the question about funding and sustained funding.

So that is something that we review as more urgent as we understand that this issue can only primarily be dealt with by lawyers, and that is something that we are really tracking to ensure that if we do see that influx, which we hope of more people reaching out for their benefits, there's that support that will meet them.

And what we hope to do is to have, again, better systems in place to ensure that veterans, one, not only self-identify, but also LGBTQ plus veterans can self-identify.

I really look forward to uh having further conversations with Councilmember Carr.

Um, we came up with various ideas.

Uh, we would like also one part of the ideas to hold um meetings with LGBTQ plus veterans so we can work together on if the census itself doesn't ask the LGBTQ plus um questionnaire, then how can we do it collectively uh for LGBTQ uh plus veterans, but um so they can get the support that they need.

So we are again we are exploring what uh data collection might may look like for LGBTQ veterans, but in general general for all veterans to ensure that holistically they're fully supported.

So I do hope as well one year from now DVS does have uh better data systems in place, so we can um again I could just come in here and say this is how many LGBTQ plus veterans we served in um this, how many veterans um uh LGBTQ veterans are in New York City.

So I do hope a year from now we are in a better place.

Councilmember Wong?

Um, just uh final question.

Um, how often do you meet with the uh federal veteran services officers and say in Houston Street?

And what on the on the federal level I I see them at almost every outreach event that we go to.

They're very good, their outreach component is great.

Um, so I liaise with them on an almost daily basis.

Um House and Street, I visit at least every two weeks um to talk to my partners.

Okay, thank you.

Of course, well, thank thank you all four of you, not only for your testimony today, but for your energy and advocacy on behalf of New York's veterans and uh as someone that gets to work pretty closely with uh with all of you and your agency.

Uh, thank you for your partnership and for your nonpartisan approach to helping New York City's veteran community.

Appreciate it very much.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember.

All right.

Now we are going to open the hearing for public testimony, and I'll remind members of the public that this is a formal government proceeding and that decorum shall be observed at all times as such.

Members of the public shall remain silent at all times.

And the witness table is reserved for people who wish to testify.

No video recording or photography is allowed from the witness table.

Further, members of the public may not present audio or video recordings as testimony, but may submit transcripts of such recordings to the sergeant at arms for inclusion in the hearing record.

If you wish to speak at today's hearing and you haven't already done so, please fill out an appearance card, look like this with the sergeant at arms and wait to be recognized.

When recognized, you will have three minutes to speak on today's hearing topic, programs and services for LGBTQ plus veterans.

We'll hear all in-person testimony first and then turn to testimony on Zoom.

If you have a written statement or additional written testimony you wish to submit for the record.

Please provide a copy of that testimony to the Sergeant at Arms, and I can assure you that not only does the committee staff read all that testimony and review it as we shape future hearing topics and future legislative topics, but I read it all.

So feel free to submit it as you like.

Alright, I will now call the first panel.

Very, very pleased uh to welcome yet another Staten Islanders.

We're taking over.

Brian Ellicott Cook, he's with Sage.

Want to welcome uh Amelia Cobbs with the New York Health Foundation and a fan favorite, Coco Colhane of the Veteran Advocacy Project.

Please come on down.

Thanks.

Alright, Brian, please begin when you're ready.

Probably the only council member who's ever said my last name correctly.

Good morning, Chair Moreno, members of the committee on veterans.

My name is Brian Ellicott Cook, and I serve as the director of government relations at SAGE, the nation's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ as older adults.

I am also a proud member of a Marine and FDNY family, and my connection to this work is deeply personal.

Previously led Sage Vets, our program serving LGBTQS veterans, and it remains one of the highlights and most meaningful parts of my career.

Sage strongly supports intro 1914 914.

Uh previously by Chair Holden.

It needs some work and amendments, and I'm happy to talk to you about that more, but I want to save my testimony for the subject at hand.

And we very much support intro 928 from Councilmember Carr to establish an LGT Pilis liaison in the Department of Veteran Services, both critical steps towards visibility and equitable support.

At SAGE, we serve LGBTQ plus veterans age 50 and older across New York City.

Over the past year alone, we have hosted 118 programs with more than 4,000 attendees, demonstrating not just participation, but consistent engagement for veterans seeking connection and support.

But the real impact is in the lies behind these numbers, and I'm going to read a couple testimonies of those veterans.

One veteran, JL, a 57-year-old Navy veteran, came to us experiencing trauma and discrimination during his service.

Through our program, he found both practical support, like helping navigating discharge upgrades and creative writing group, where he was safely able to process his experiences.

He shared that for the first time he has had a space where he could fully express himself both as a veteran and an LGBTQ person.

Another person, known as Mr.

I, is a 78-year-old Army veteran living with Parkinson's.

Came to us facing harassment in his housing.

We supported him in securing safe housing, sustainable stabilizing his situation.

Through our nutrition and wellness program, he was able to better manage his health, and he is consistently telling us how important it is to be in a space where he feels respected and affirmed.

And Mr.

L, an 84-year-old veteran, came to us during a period of profound grief after losing his partner.

Through our weekly support groups and community outings, he has found connection again, describing the experience as grounding restorative during one of the most difficult times of his life.

These stories are show what's possible when LGBQ plus veterans are met with consistency, dignity, and culturally responsive care.

We are proud, proud of what Sage Vets has built, but more importantly, we are proud of the veterans we continue to show up for and support one another and rebuild the community.

Um there's a lot more data in my longer testimony, but I appreciate your time.

Thank you, Brian.

Well done.

If I can call you Amelia, I hope you don't mind the first name.

Good morning.

My name is Amelia Cobbs, Policy and Research Associate at the New York Health Foundation.

Committed to improving the health of all New Yorkers, including our city's roughly 120,000 veterans.

Thank you, Chair Person Chair President Morano and members of the committee for the opportunity to testify today.

Over the years, we have had the opportunity to partner closely with city agencies and stakeholders to ensure New York's veterans receive high quality, culturally competent care and support, including LGBTQ veterans.

Our research has found that data collection across veteran populations is often incomplete and inconsistent, including for queer veterans and veterans with multiple identities.

Veterans of this community experience worse mental health outcomes, partially due to chronic exposure to discrimination, so social exclusion, and barriers to care.

These barriers lead to increased suicide risk.

And the national suicide rate among queer veterans is more than twice that of the overall veteran population.

New York City has been a leader in care for the queer community.

The city's DBS has developed multiple programs supporting queer veterans, including an LGBT veteran liaison and VetConnect NYC, which connects veterans to needed resources.

Nationally, the VAA has become a national leader in the health care and cultural competency for queer veterans over the past decade.

However, recent federal policy changes have created an unsafe environment for veterans in the queer committee community.

Reports indicate that supports and therapies for queer veterans within some VA facilities have been reduced.

And just two weeks ago on June 12th, the VAR ordered all facilities to end gender identity-based initiatives and remove LGBTQ plus designations from medical coordinator networks.

And as you know, the military family clinic at NYU Lingone will be closing this September.

This program provides free mental health care, and its closure will impact queer veterans' access to care.

We have specific recommendations listed in our testimony, but broadly, we urge the city to close critical data gaps, expand veteran identification and screening in non-VA settings, strengthen outreach and engagement, and strengthen peer support programming.

And we're happy to discuss more about how to support queer veterans in New York City.

In addition, we have forthcoming reports on suicides and deaths of despair in New York City, which we are happy to pray to share prior to publication.

Thank you for your time.

I'd love to take a look at those reports prior to publication.

Just quick question and I appreciate all the work that went into your testimony, and I'm certainly eager to use the New York Health Foundation as a partner and a resource going forward.

You focused on a lot of the things that we spoke about today, the gap and data, other things of that nature.

Is there anything that you think that we haven't touched upon today that would better help the LGBT community get access to health care and healthcare-related services that they're not currently getting?

Anything we're missing as a committee or based on the folks that have testified so far.

I would say that I think we've really touched on so many important uh topics for queer veterans.

I think it's just the idea that the city continues to be a safe environment and that queer veterans remain a priority population.

And if there are any more uh specific uh ideas, I would love to get back to you with conversations with my colleagues.

Please, thank you very much.

I'm Coco Colhane, uh Director of Veteran Advocacy Project.

We provide free legal services to veterans with mental health conditions.

Um just to touch on the bill, we are in support and are very happy to hear that there are already so many programs for LGBTQIA plus veterans at DBS.

Uh, one thing I just wanted to note is that um there's a state Restoration of Honor Act, and it excludes veterans who have punitive discharges, and that we see.

Sorry, we see older vets who are charged under sodomy statute or who were persecuted for their sexual orientation, but under you know the guise of misconduct.

And so some of them do have these bad chronic discharges, and New York State says no that's proper, and I think that's re-injuring.

At the city level, we include those individuals, and I think that's terrific and encouraged and support anything else that DBS is doing.

Um, also just wanted to note that right now, transgender individuals.

There's a court injunction, so they're not being discharged.

Um, they're not allowed to enlist, but um, it's up in the air while we'll happen.

Um, and then we just wanted to note uh the population that we primarily work with has a suicide rate that's three times that of other veterans.

Um, and from what I've been told, three of the largest programs, one of them being NYU, are closed or closing.

Uh, and so the mental health care needs are just uh astounding and alarm bells I think should be going off.

Um, but it's against that backdrop that VAP strongly opposes intro 914 um for any number of reasons, which I'll just go through a few, um, of the very small amount of research that's been done, uh almost all of it has been conducted by its inventor, its creator, Dr.

Burke.

Um there was an analysis done of the four studies, and it said that uh their documentation uh suggested bias, they didn't assess symptoms beyond two weeks, there were insufficient uh data to draw any conclusions.

Uh the one study that was not led by Dr.

Bork uh compares veterans who received RTM to veterans on a wait list with no treatment, so uh not exactly uh control group.

Um and DOD and VA have both uh cited to a lack of evidence.

Um last summer there was a piece in the Atlantic magazine about this uh when the journalist asked Dr.

Bork why so many academics uh say that point to his studies being of such poor quality, um, he didn't dispute it, he said in order to attract the interest support and funding from prestigious universities and laboratories and researchers.

So I think instead they've attracted some some people at City Council um from just going back over the years, my understanding is that this referrals were being made and training was facilitated pre-pandemic uh under the leadership of Brigadier General uh Sutton, and um, you know, in a 2023 hearing, she came with Dr.

Bork, a client and Ed Shulman, and they had can I just they had over an hour to present really sell RTM um to the council, and one of the things that was said that there was a 90 cent 90% success rate, um, but if you look again at any of the peer-reviewed, any of the academic reviews and critiques of this, um, you know, it's one, I'll just quote, um, RTM patients were only people who receive were compared to people receiving no treatment at all, any form of treatment would be better than nothing.

That's unsurprising in this context, even 90% improvement doesn't mean much.

Uh, then at a 2024 hearing, former chair Holden, you know, characterized that training was being done and RTM was sort of sweeping the nation, um, and that there were doctors in every community, that this was an accepted thing and it was great.

If you go and look on their website, there are 297 providers in the United States, and only seven of them are doctors.

That's just going on their own um data.

And you know, I think that it's important for us to look at who is pushing these things.

Who, you know, in 2022, the American Legion of New York gave a hundred thousand dollar grant to study uh RTM, and it was given to a nonprofit, which I don't have right in front of me, but uh the nonprofit turns out is run by Dr.

Bork.

So you're having someone whose trademark therapy uh is, you know, is a for-profit entity within I mean it's confusing structure.

There's a nonprofit and a for-profit.

Um and then last year, uh, my understanding, if you look at Schedule C, $50,000 was given to Operation Warrior Shield to do a study, to provide treatment and do a study.

So where are the results?

Why why don't we look at that before you know moving forward with anything else?

And I'll leave it there.

Um I really appreciate your testimony.

And um I I think you might have missed my remarks at the beginning of the of the hearing, is even though I'm introducing this bill, I don't necessarily have a dog in the fight.

I'm really just reintroducing a bill that the prior chair uh put in.

And I, you know, I have no interest in pushing forward with uh forcing a treatment to be uh better better recognized in New York City if it's not effective.

That being said, the bill itself, it is a pilot program and a study that leads to a pilot program.

What's wrong with that, right?

Why wouldn't that just give us more data?

And if it turns out to be, and I'm not saying it is, but if it turns out to be uh uh something concocted by a charlatan looking to make money, then we know okay, it stops there and potentially helps other cities or other state or federal agencies in as they consider RTM in the future.

What's wrong with a pilot program and a study that leads to a pilot program?

Yeah, um, I would just say one, we're already doing it, right?

I mean, there's something undergoing right now with city council money.

Um, but number two, um, when we have programs that have you know evidence-backed scientific data of their efficacy that are shutting their doors, and there's such huge need.

Why would we then go fund something that no academic institution seems willing to fund?

And I am not, you know, I I've talked about RTM a few times in testimony, and I'm not a doctor, I'm not a mental health care provider, so this is just based on the you know logic of research we've looked at, and just you know, being concerned about our clients' needs.

Got it.

And not a not an attack, just a deep concern given the various ties and the lack of data.

Are there other treatments that aren't currently being prioritized in New York City that would be more effective than RTM?

And what do you think those might be?

So, again, I don't want to, I'm not quite right.

But um, I mean, usual CBT, I know prolonged exposure is controversial, but um there are various methods and different programs prioritize one over the other, and so we just refer out and let veterans choose what they you know and speak with their providers about what's gonna work best for them.

All right, Dr.

Colhane, thank you very much.

Joking for the record.

Thank you very, very much.

Uh, let me welcome up to the witness table uh both Joe Bellow of New York Metro Vets and Timothy Pena of the Veterans Justice Project.

And as they make their way up here, thank you, all three of you.

As they make their way up here, I'll just note, and I'm sure this will upset a lot of people, that uh I am really appreciative of not only Mr.

Bellow and Mr.

Pena coming to just about every veterans committee hearing and preparing to offer testimony, but being so vocal in advocating for the veterans community, including when that vote vocalism might be critical of things that the committee is doing.

And I would much rather be criticized by folks that have the best interests of veterans at heart and are putting in so much time, effort, and work in trying to improve the plight of veterans than get praise from people that don't do anything.

Uh with that, Mr.

Bello, take it away.

Okay, thank you.

Um Chair Morano, members of the veterans community, thank you for the opportunity to testify at today's oversight hearing on support and programs.

Um let me begin by saying I do not intend to offer testimony regarding the specific needs, experiences, or challenges facing LGDBQ veterans.

I am not the most qualified person to speak on those issues, and I would actually defer to members of the community and organizations with expertise in the area, such as Brian Elliott Cook.

I will focus my testimony on intros 914 and 928 and explain my concern with both bills.

Starting with intro 914, my concern is not whether RTM or RT, you know, whether RTM is a good treatment or a bad treatment.

I think Coco kind of expressed that.

My concern is why the city, and specifically the Department of Veteran Services, is being asked to evaluate a specific medical modality.

DVS is not a health care agency, a research institution, or a medical regulator.

Its mission is to connect veterans with benefit services and support.

Evaluating medical treatments falls outside of that mission.

RTM has its issues, but there are also many other emerging therapies.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is currently conducting and supporting research into a variety of treatments for PTSD and other serious mental health conditions, including MDMA assisted therapy for PTSD and alcohol use disorder.

If the city conducts a feasibility study on RTM today, what is the rationale for not studying other emergent therapies tomorrow?

Where do we draw the line?

That is why I believe this bill opens the Pandora's box.

Once the city begins evaluating individual treatment modalities, it will inevitably face requests to evaluate others as well.

Former Commissioner Hendon raised similar concerns during the hearings that Coco and I were at last year regarding the prior version of this legislation.

He noted both the financial and operational challenges involved and stated that the Department of Health's longstanding position is that the city does not validate specific health care modalities.

I believe that remains the correct approach.

The city should focus on connecting veterans to available care, not determining which therapies deserve special recognition.

With regards to intro 928, as former council member Paul Vallone often said, we the city cannot legislate everything.

DVS has a responsibility to serve all veterans.

If there are gaps in outreach and access to services for LBGTQ veterans at DVS, as was said today, those gaps should be identified and addressed.

However, I'm not convinced that creating a statutory liaison position is the answer.

For years, advocates, including myself, have requested a dedicated veterans advisory board liaison within DVS.

Yet that legislation and proposal never moved forward.

Why is the liaison for one specific segment of the veterans' community now being placed in the administrative code?

This proposal also raises broader questions.

If we create legislative legislatively mandated liaisons for LBGTQ veterans, will future councils be asked to create liaisons for women veterans, African American veterans, Hispanic veterans, Asian American veterans, disabled veterans, or other groups within the veteran community.

So my question listening to that testimony will was what else does Donna do before besides being the liaison at DVS?

What's our primary job?

The bill also leaves important practical questions unanswered.

Would this require a new hire or would these responsibilities be assigned to an existing employee?

As I was saying, what exactly would this liaison do that DVS is not already expected to do?

How would success be measured?

Veterans come to DVS first and foremost as veterans.

The department should focus on increasing the intake, better intake, and remain on ensuring that all veterans have equal access to benefits, services, and support without creating additional bureaucratic structures or precedents that may prove difficult to sustain in the future.

Finally, I would encourage this committee to look beyond proposals carried over from the prior council and focus on broader policy initiatives that would improve how DVS serves veterans and their families throughout New York City.

Thank you.

First, Mr.

Bellow, thank you for your testimony.

I'll note that we are looking at other things too, including inspired by a lot of the work that you do and have done in your newsletter and a lot of your observations.

A quick question on intro 928.

So you noted that DVS, and this was covered when I spoke with the commissioner, already has two LGBTQ liaisons and questioned whether that function should be codified.

If a future administration eliminated those positions tomorrow, what mechanism would exist to ensure that LGBTQ plus veterans continue to have a designated point of contact and advocate within the agency?

Well, I think this goes back to the first question.

So they have two LBGTQ liaisons.

My understanding from what I heard, one is outreach, one is claims.

So my question would be: where is that on DVS's website?

First and foremost, I think, yeah, I mean, maybe it's there, I don't know, but I think that this goes back to what I said in my testimony.

If we're doing if if a veteran comes to DVS as a veteran and it's within the intake and within the conversation that is identified as LBGQ, do they not have somebody that's that's they have there that's an additional that may that would person.

I mean, if that's an additional duty, that's fine, but I just think that if we're gonna codify something into a another position, then that opens it up to like, you know, I'm a disabled veteran.

Sure.

Where's my liaison?

You know, I just think that they, again, the way I see it and the way it's said to me through my conversations with veterans.

Anybody who goes to DVS comes in as a veteran or a family member.

Uh noted.

Thank you very much.

It is on the website, by the way.

What I could tell.

Uh Mr.

Peña, thank you.

Cook take it away.

Good morning, Chairman Moreno, members of the committee.

My name is Timothy Pena.

I'm a disabled United States veteran, founder of Veterans Justice Project.

I speak today as a veteran who experienced homelessness, as a person living with HIV, and as someone concerned about the growing barriers preventing vulnerable K LGBTQ plus veterans from seeking help.

I in part left the military as a 20-year-old because I was being sexually molested.

I often hear questions about why so many veterans fail to self-identify or refuse services.

My experience tells me the answer is simple.

We're afraid.

When I arrived in New York, I spent five months at a Borden Avenue Veterans Residence.

During that time, I interacted with more than a dozen case workers across the VA, HUDVASH, HASA, DHS, and the Department of Veterans Services and other agencies.

Yet, despite all those resources, I frequently felt alone, confused, and fearful.

As a veteran living with HIV Mo, every conversation involving housing meant disclosing sensitive medical information.

Veterans seeking HASA support housing vouchers are afforded very little privacy in a congregate setting such as Borden Avenue.

Everyone knows everyone else's business.

Rumors spread quickly, and veterans are left wondering whether the next person who learns something about them will use it against them.

I consider myself heterosexual, yet merely being HIV-positive creates opportunities for people to make assumptions and then act upon those prejudices.

Stigma still exists.

Those fears are not theoretical, theoretical.

Just two months ago, another veteran told me that the only reason I have an apartment is because I have AIDS.

Dehumanizing, and absolutely not true, but that's the world that I'm stuck in.

It is re-erased years of struggle and suggest that that housing was somehow handed to me because of an illness.

Fear of disclosure also affects health care.

Veterans may avoid seeking treatment through the VA or asking questions about available programs because they fear someone in the shelter will find out.

Many veterans are either not properly informed about services or are simply too afraid to ask questions because they perceive staff as apathetic or doubt whether they will be protected.

Continue.

During my five months at Borden Avenue, I lost 24 pounds.

I witnessed assaults, overdoses, veterans sleeping outside because they feared for their safety.

I saw visible injuries on residents and environment in an environment that I believed was harmful to recovery and mental health.

Subsequent records have shown approximately 1,365 emergency calls to Borden Avenue between August 24, August 2024, and December 2025.

And that's 16 months, it's involving assaults, emotionally distorted persons, injuries, unconscious individuals and suspected overdoses.

These are not the conditions that vulnerable veterans should be forced to endure while they are also trying to deal with things like I have.

At the same time, reductions in LGBTQ plus relative related programs and protections within the Department of Veterans Affairs send a troubling message to veterans already reluctant to come forward.

Symbolism matters.

If veterans do not believe they will be treated with dignity, they still simply stop asking for help.

I have felt attacked by this committee when a council member once told me to go back to Phoenix.

I have watched the Veterans Advisory Board repeatedly minimize the concerns of homeless veterans.

I have experienced what I believe to be open disdain from Department of Veterans Services after raising concerns about the safety and welfare of the veterans back in 2022 when I first arrived.

This still continues today.

Yet I remain optimistic because I know New York City itself is better than that.

I feel safe in my neighborhood and throughout the city.

What concerns me are not New Yorkers.

It is whether the institutions charged with protecting LGBTQ veterans are truly listening to those most at risk.

I don't believe they are.

If we are serious about reducing veteran homelessness, preventing suicide, then we must recognize that privacy, dignity, trust, and accountability are every bit important as housing.

No veterans should have to choose between seeking treatment and protecting themselves from these stigmas.

No veteran should have to fear violence because of a medical condition or because of their orientation.

And no veterans should have to suffer in silence because they no longer trust the institutions created to serve them.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Pain.

Yeah.

I'll note that I've never told you to go back to Phoenix.

And I am glad you're a New Yorker, and I value your perspective in these hearings very much.

Thank you for being here.

Um thank you to everybody who came here to share their thoughts and experiences today.

If there's anyone in the room who wishes to speak but hasn't yet had the opportunity to do so, just raise your hand and fill out an appearance card with the sergeant at arms at the back of the room.

And that we actually have nobody on Zoom right at the moment, right?

So if there's anyone else present in the room who has not had the opportunity to do so but wishes to, just raise your hand and let us know.

Seeing no hands, I'd like to note again that members of the public can submit written testimony to testimony at council.nyc.gov within 72 hours of this hearing.

And I'll just note uh to all the veterans advocates watching, either in person or online or on television, that um, you know, we had five members of the public come testify today, including uh three people that are at every hearing that we do, and I'm grateful for their participation.

This really is such an important issue, and uh I'd love to hear from either folks in the LGBT community or in the veteran community about what I as chair of this committee can do to have a broader outreach effort and get more people participating, because I guarantee you there are more than five New Yorkers who could have offered substantive feedback based on the administration's testimony today and substantive legislative suggestions, not only for the legislation that we're hearing today, but for future legislation concerning LGBTQ veterans.

So to everybody watching, and I know a lot of people do watch these hearings, email me, Morano at council.nyc.gov, and tell me what you think I could be doing to I would love to have this hearing go on for five hours and fight with the chair of the next committee, because we're not done yet hearing everybody's solutions.

If we're hearing again and again from the same three or four veteran advocates, it's really difficult to move the ball forward for all of New York's veterans' community.

And I've talked about before that unfortunately, while we have a couple of people that are military spouses serving in the city council, and a couple of people that are children of veterans serving in the city council, there is not a single member of the current New York City Council that is a military veteran themselves.

And I only mention that because there's a huge perspective that is not being heard.

And the only way we can fill that gap and fill that void in lacking a veteran perspective is if this witness table is filled with uh people like Mr.

Pena and Mr.

Bellow and Miss Cohen, and make sure that we're hearing what the needs of the veterans community are.

So I would ask everybody in the veterans community, please help us spread the word about these hearings.

We have a lot of very important hearings coming up that I hope is going to do very substantive work on mental health related issues, on small business related issues, specifically affecting veterans, and we want to hear from you.

Sincerely, there's not me reading a pro forma speech.

They've stopped scripting stuff for me because I go off script so much.

So let us know what we can do to reach out to your communities better.

So to conclude, I'm grateful to everyone that attended today's hearing.

Very, very grateful as well for the work of the committee staff and grateful, but not at all surprised that uh Council Member Wang has stayed for every minute of this hearing.

And with that, this hearing is now adjourned.