BILLINGS — According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 47,000 Montanans are enrolled veterans in the Montana VA healthcare system. But how many of those 47,000 veterans have easy access to that healthcare?
Dylan Jefferson is a U.S. Army veteran living in Billings. He is also a Crow tribal member who recently accepted a job with the VA doing tribal outreach.
Jefferson told MTN News that his job with the VA is important—and while those living on a reservation have access to healthcare—it oftentimes can be difficult to reach.
“It’s even more scarce on the reservation. The Native veterans, we have access to healthcare, but when it comes to the veterans, that’s where I come in,” Jefferson said. “I reach out to the veterans who can’t make it to these far cities. I show them in the office right there with a screen, and we talk to a doctor who’s in Denver, we get them their needs, whatever they need. If they’re having issues with any claims, mental health, any physical stuff.”
Jefferson’s wife, Julia, said Crow veterans used to be honored for their sacrifice of going to war, but over time, that respect has faded away.
The veterans on reservations were once viewed as the leaders of their house and had the honor of eating first during mealtimes and leading prayers, according to Julia. But now she believes these veterans, like her husband, are seemingly forgotten about.
Julia also said that all of the trash on the Crow reservation is burned, and Dylan added the smoke travels directly over the veteran housing. Dylan is a toxic burn pit victim from his time serving in Iraq and explained this burning of trash is incredibly harmful to those who are exposed.
According to the VA, Montana has one of the highest veterans per capita rates in the country. Dylan Jefferson added Montana is also home to many Native veterans.
The national veteran suicide prevention 2022 annual report from the VA explained the suicide rate in 2020 among American Indians or Alaska Native veterans was 29.8 per 100,000 individuals.
Through his job at the VA, Jefferson can help veterans get connected with the healthcare providers they need. But more funding is necessary to help bring down the high rate of veteran suicide.
“I took this job because Montana is number one in veteran suicide. It’s actually number one in veteran Native suicide too. There’s tribal outreach for all the reservations in all of Montana and even in Wyoming. It’s a need,” Jefferson said. “When the money runs out, it turns into like a, ‘I can’t get to you,’ but if there’s more money, there can be more of me running around.”
Jefferson is also a member of Warrior Wishes Montana, which works to bring the number of veteran suicides down. The nonprofit was founded by another U.S. Army veteran, Miguel Gonzalez, in 2015.
Gonzalez said he has been working closely with Senator Tester to navigate ways to bring down Montana’s high rate of veteran suicides.
“I was actually sitting with Senator Tester and we actually got word that a female had committed suicide. That was the 60th one, and that was Nov. 11, so we still had over a month and a half to go,” Gonzalez said. “We need to do something to help slow that down, if not stop it. It’s got to stop.”
According to Gonzalez, the nonprofit works to get the word out that help and resources are available, even if they don’t seem accessible.
“The way we do that is get the word out to those rural areas that there is help available, but they have to take initiative too, and try to look up some of those things. Bills that have been passed recently will help them out tremendously,” Gonzalez said. “I know for a fact we have veterans who live two, three, four hours away to the closest facility. Every now and then you might come across somebody who did make that trip and then find out that their appointment was canceled for whatever reason, just didn’t get the notification. So we need to take this…
Read More: Montana veteran nonprofit says more funding and access to healthcare are crucial