Veterans

There are many services available for Veterans and their families in the Warm Springs area and Central Oregon.  The services available are:

Warm Springs Behavioral Health Center, 1115 Wasco Street, Warm Springs. Phone: (541) 553-3205
The Behavioral Health Center, previously known as the Community Counseling Center provides mental health services for veterans.
Indian Health Services

Indian Health Services – Veteran Representative, 1270 Kot Num Road, Warm Springs. Phone: (541) 553-1196, extension 2120
The Indian Health Services has a Veteran Representative (V.R.) whose position is an information directory hub and has access to different solutions for different situations, referring veterans out to areas such as Bend, Portland or wherever needed. Services provided are offered directly to them and help veterans find medical services, disability services, mental health services and funding for homes for veterans. I.H.S. has a mutual understanding of agreement with VA and pays any medications for veterans’ prescriptions. The V.R. coordinates a Veterans Summit that is held one week before Veterans Day, in the beginning of November. There have been as many as 22 vendors from all around the Northwest who come and set up tables to provide services and information directly to veterans.

VFW Auxiliary/4217 Elliot Palmer Post, 1191 Hollywood Blvd, Warm Springs. Phone: (541) 553-3025
The Warm Springs VFW Women’s Auxiliary was founded in 1952. The Auxiliary is now co-ed and is called VFW Auxiliary and is the 4217 Elliot Palmer Post.  Meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month at 5:30 pm in the Warm Springs Community Center Social Hall unless otherwise noted. To become a member, your family member must have been in combat on foreign soil and you will need to fill out and submit an application for the members to vote on acceptance. You may get the application at a meeting or you can go online and print an application. VFW Auxiliary is a national organization and the Elliot Palmer Post goes by their standard and rules. Annually, officers for the President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary are elected during the month of April. This organization is in the process of rebuilding its membership and supports veterans and their families in whatever way they can. In the past the charter members had patriotic wing dresses, shawls and vests. The Elliot Palmer Post is now in the process of fundraising to buy material and emblems/embroidery to make the vests, shawls and wing dresses to wear for the ceremonies they provide to the families at their request.

Eugene Greene Sr. American Legion Auxiliary – Unit 48 is named in honor of our brave warrior, Eugene Greene, Sr.  The contact information is:  (541) 460-8212, P.O. Box 478, Warm Springs, OR, 97761. The website for more information is www.wsala48.org. A combat veteran, Mr. Greene earned the Silver Star, the third-highest military combat decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Armed Forces. Eugene Greene, Sr. ALA – Unit 48 formalized in September 2015, while small and new, ALA – Unit 48 strives to build up a proud and patriotic community. You can become a member as long as you have a family member in the military services or has served in the military, even if they have not served in battle. This unit has monthly meetings every third Tuesday at 6pm, and the location varies. You can email for location: info@wsala48.org.

Warm Springs Warriors Society has tribal, non-profit status. Membership is open to any tribal member veterans. The society is a less formal organization than the VFW or American Legion. The goal is to help veterans with concerns about benefits, promote goodwill among veterans and their families, and participate in local and national activities, parades, memorials, gravestone settings, presentation of colors, among other activities. Membership is free to veterans. Monthly Warrior Society meetings are held every second Wednesday at 6:00 pm at the Veterans Hall, 1191 Hollywood Blvd., Warm Springs Oregon.

The Warm Springs Housing Authority (WSHA) contact information is:  (541) 553-3250. P.O. Box 1167, 1238 Veterans Way, Warm Springs Oregon. WSHA offers a Tribal HUD Veterans Affairs-Supportive Housing (VASH) grant and is intended to help 20 veterans who are chronically homeless. Veterans come in to WSHA and notify them they need housing, are at risk at being homeless. The Tribal HUD VASH pays about 30% of rent for the year with a voucher covering the areas of Warm Springs, Madras, Redmond and Bend for now. To start the process with the WSHA, you would need to get in contact with the Resident Opportunity and Self Sufficiency Coordinator and the Resident Occupancy Manager.

Veteran’s Affairs, based out of the Bend office has a Supervisory Social Worker for the Warm Springs Tribal HUD VASH program. The Supervisory Social Worker can be reached at (541) 550-5461. This social worker works for Veterans Affairs and the VA homeless programs. The program offers transitional or temporary emergency housing for chronically homeless veterans who are currently homeless and need of case management services to assist with securing stable housing. The Supervisory Social Worker case manages the Tribal vouchers for WSHA which entails identifying goals with the veterans, the barriers to the goals and creating a case management plan to maintain housing. The worker then helps find services with other agencies in the community to help address those barriers. If the Supervisory Social Worker comes across a veteran who does not meet their eligibility requirements for the HUD VASH program, he refers them to other community partners.

Central Oregon Veterans Outreach (COVO) contact information is:  (541) 383-2793, 61510 S Hwy 97 STE 100, Bend, OR 97702, email covo@covo-us.org and the website is www.covo-us.org. COVO is an advocate for Veterans of all generations in Central Oregon, a particular focus has been on getting homeless, or at-risk Veterans, off the streets, finding them jobs, assisting them with their VA pensions/compensation and removing barriers that put them in the position of being homeless. COVO also handles the Supportive Services for Veterans and Families (SSVF) program. Services include:  Case Management, Eviction Prevention Assistance, Deposit, Rental and Utility Assistance, Connection to Veteran Services, Connection to Social Security Benefits, Referrals and assistance with finding services,  and safe and confidential place to talk about your personal situation and get guidance.

Bend VA homeless programs at (541) 550-5468.

Veteran’s Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255

National number for homeless veterans: 877-424-3838.

Oregon National Guard Youth Challenge Program.  (541) 317-9623, 23861 Dodds Road, 97701.  www.oycp.com. If you are looking to share your experience and help guide our youth, there are young community members who need a veteran to be a mentor that are in the OYCP.