TAPS Mission Statement TAPS is the national non-profit Veterans Service Organization providing - PowerPoint Presentation

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TAPS Mission Statement

TAPS is the national non-profit Veterans Service Organization providing

comfort, care and resources to all those grieving the loss of a loved one who died while serving in the Armed Forces.

MISSION STATEMENT

TAPS Mission

The mission of TAPS is to honor our men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to America, both in and in support of the military mission, by caring for

all those who they loved and left behind.

Meeting the Mission

CORE SERVICES

1

Peer-based

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

providing comfort and care for all who are grieving a

death from those who truly understand.

2

CASE WORK ASSISTANCE

, including pro bono legal assistance, emergency financial resources, information on state and federal survivor

benefits, connections to private support for survivors.

3

COMMUNITY BASED GRIEF SUPPORT

,

including connection to unlimited free clinical

grief counseling

; trauma resources; local area support

groups individually researched for each survivor.

4

NATIONAL MILITARY SURVIVOR HELPLINE

,

24/7/365 with comfort and care from peer professionals; case work follow up; and community based response

. Continuously operational since 1994.

TAPS History

1994

TAPS founded with the support of SECDEF and SECVA, benchmarking the best peer based support programs in America.

2001TAPS is the only private organization at the Pentagon Family Assistance Center with the Red Cross.

2008

TAPS reaches 25,000 survivors in its care.

2009

Chairman, JCS Mullen calls TAPS the

“

Gold Standard” in care for the surviving military family.

2010

TAPS and USMC sign MOA followed by USN and USAF (over 1,500 surviving family members referred since May 2010)

1997

TAPS is recognized as a Veterans Service Organization; the Chairman, JCS

Shalikashvili

directs the Services to connect all surviving families with TAPS.

2012

Chairman, JCS Dempsey says TAPS "represents the best of America”

Why It Works

TAPS is

survivors helping survivors heal

– we continue the healing journey for life.TAPS is connected to the leading grief and trauma resources and care across America AND connected to the military community.Families are talking to another mom, another brother, another widow who is now trained to help them survive the loss of their loved one. The healing continues as families help each other.

Gaps-Funeral and Burial/Cremation FundsCommon misconception for Survivors faced with burial and cremation expenses:

All Servicemember, Retiree, and Veteran funeral and burial/cremation costs are covered by the government or the Department of Veterans Affairs

Burial and Memorial Benefits

Summary

Servicemember’s

who die while on active duty, Veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable and members of Reserve Components may be eligible for the following Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits: burial in a VA national cemetery; government-furnished headstone or marker; Presidential Memorial Certificate; burial flag; and in some cases, Some Veterans may also be eligible for Burial Allowances. The Service members' surviving Spouse, dependent Children, biological and adoptive parents and under certain conditions, unmarried adult Children, may be eligible for burial in a national cemetery.

Burial and Memorial Benefits

Eligibility

Burial in a Veterans Affairs Cemetery and associated benefits are generally available to any

Servicemember who dies while on active duty. The eligible Servicemember's surviving Spouse (Widow or Widower), dependent Children, under certain conditions, unmarried adult Children, and biological or adoptive parents of a Service member may be eligible for burial. Burial in Arlington National Cemetery is available to Servicemember’s who die on Active Duty (except those on active duty for training only), and certain other Veterans who meet specific eligibility criteria.

Burial and Memorial Benefits Active Duty Servicemember

Preparation

and disposition of the remains, casket, and transportation to a place designated by the NOK.

Cremation and an urn.A U.S. Flag to drape the casket.Military honors.Burial in any national cemetery for the soldier and eligible family members.A regulation government headstone or marker. a. The military assumes responsibility and will prepare and casket the remains at no charge to the family. b. When the service arranges preparation and casket, and the remains are consigned to a funeral home with burial in: (1) a civilian cemetery the maximum reimbursable amount is $6,000; (2) in a government cemetery the maximum reimbursable amount is $3,600. c. If the remains are consigned directly for burial in a government cemetery the maximum reimbursable amount is $1,000. d. If the family arranges preparation and casket, and burial is: (1) in a civilian cemetery the maximum reimbursable amount is $8,800; (2) in a government cemetery the maximum reimbursable is $7,300.

Burial and Memorial Benefits Veteran and Retiree

VA Burial Allowances: 

The

burial regulations will permit VA to pay, at a flat rate, burial and plot or interment allowances thereby enabling VA to automate payment of burial benefits to most eligible surviving Spouses and more efficiently process other burial benefit claims. The burial allowance for a non-service-connected death is $300, and $2,000 for a death connected to military service.What the VA will pay:Service-Related Death: If the Veteran died on or after September 1, 2001, the maximum service-connected burial allowance is $2,000. If the Veteran died before September 11, 2001, the maximum service-connected burial allowance is $1,500. If the Veteran is buried in a VA national cemetery, VA may reimburse some or all of the costs of transporting the deceased Veteran's remains. Continued on next slide…

Burial and Memorial Benefits Non-service-Related Death

:

If the Veteran died on or after October 1, 2015, VA will pay a $300 burial allowance and $747 for a plot.

Non-service-connected death rates payable if the Veteran was hospitalized by VA at the time of his or her death.If the Veteran died on or after October 1, 2015, VA will pay a $747 burial allowance and $747 for a plot.If the death occurred while the Veteran was properly hospitalized by VA, or under VA contracted nursing home care, some or all of the costs for transporting the Veteran's remains may be reimbursed.

Funeral and Cremation Costs

The

average cost of a total funeral

today $11,000.National Funeral Directors Association 2015 Results Member Price Survey Results: Median cost basic viewing and in-ground burial: $8,508 Median cost basic viewing and cremation: $6,078  (www.nfda.org/news/statistics)*

TAPS and the Armed Forces

TAPS honors our fallen

Service Members by

ensuring that the loved ones they may leave behind are not forgotten.Together, we can help each other heal.

www.taps.org800-959-TAPS