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The Virginia Department of Veterans
Services (DVS) rebranded the Virginia
Wounded Warrior Program (VWWP)
as Virginia Veteran and Family Support
(VVFS) on October 1, 2015. DVS ceased
using the VWWP brand on September 30.
The program name was changed to
emphasize the core services – peer and
family support and comprehensive care coordination – that VVFS
provides directly to veterans and their families. The benefit of the
new VVFS brand is that it communicates every aspect of what
the program represents to all touched by it – veterans, families,
employees, and community partners. Experience with the Virginia
Wounded Warrior Program demonstrated that service members, and
veterans coping with behavioral health concerns may not identify
themselves as “wounded” or “warriors,” and may thus not seek the
help they and their families need for recovery and resiliency. The new
name is positive and inclusive and will help ensure that those that
VVFS serves are comfortable seeking and accepting the help they
have earned through military service.
The statewide services provided under the rebranded program
will not change. VVFS will continue to serve Virginia veterans
coping with the impact of military service, deployments, Traumatic
Brain Injuries, and stress- or trauma-related conditions such as Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder resulting from military service.
This will be accomplished through peer and family support,
and comprehensive care coordination services. Working with its
established federal, state, and local government partners, and with the
non-profit community, VVFS will continue serving as a healthcare
and supportive services safety net with an integrated medical and
behavioral healthcare focus for all Virginia veterans, including
National Guard and Reserve Component service members, and their
families. VVFS will also continue to provide dedicated outreach
and care coordination to Virginia’s most vulnerable veterans,
including those involved in the criminal justice system and veterans
experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness.
Additionally, the name change will avoid brand confusion
betweenVWWP and the national nonprofit organization theWounded
Warrior Project, which has many objectives that are not the same as
VWWP.
Transition • Education • Employment • Benefits
• Veteran & Family Support • Care Centers
• Cemeteries • Virginia War Memorial
www.dvs.virginia.gov
(804) 786-0286
Connecting Veterans and
Their Families to Federal
and State Benefits, Support,
Quality Care, and Recognition
They Have Earned
By Brandi Jancaitis
Director, Virginia Veteran and Family Support
Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS)
Virginia Wounded Warrior Program Rebranded
as Virginia Veteran and Family Support
New Program Name Emphasizes
Services to all Veterans and Families