Va blind rehabilitation services (brs) | veterans affairs

Blind Rehabilitation Service provides care coordination, assessments and therapeutic instruction to help Veterans and active duty Service members reclaim the confidence and skills needed to

lead an independent, fulfilling life after vision loss. Blind Rehabilitation Service (BRS) at James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital includes several clinics. To learn more about each clinic use

the links below.  VISUAL IMPAIRMENT SERVICES TEAM (VIST) COORDINATOR VISUAL IMPAIRMENT SERVICES TEAM (VIST) COORDINATOR The VIST Coordinator is often the entry point into the BRS Continuum

of Care for visually impaired Veterans and serves as a lifetime care manager for Veterans who are enrolled in BRS.  The VIST Coordinator helps organize a program of services for eligible

Veterans and their families. Such services focus on improving the Veteran’s quality of life and may include inpatient, outpatient, or community referrals for:  * Vision-enhancing devices and

technologies and training in how to use them.  * Training in new visual skills to help with everyday tasks such as reading, writing, cooking, medication management, locating and reading

signs. * Sensory training that helps make use of other senses, like hearing or touch. * Orientation & Mobility training that helps improve safety and confidence navigating the world with

vision loss.  * Strategies for restoring communication through writing or use of assistive technology.  * Counseling and support groups to help with adjustment to vision loss.  * Family

training to educate the Veteran’s support system on how to assist during the adjustment process.  The VIST Coordinator evaluates Veterans for these services and more during the initial

appointment for enrollment in the VIST program. After enrollment, follow up will be provided annually, or at a frequency recommended by the VIST Coordinator.  WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR SERVICES? 

To enroll in the VIST program, a Veteran must be: * Eligible for VA health benefits (or active duty service members) AND  * Diagnosed as legally blind (as diagnosed by an Optometrist or

Ophthalmologist)  Additionally, some Veterans with vision loss may qualify based on functional deficits and other disabilities, as determined by the VIST.  WHAT IS “LEGAL BLINDNESS”?  Legal

Blindness is a measurement based on acuity (clarity of vision) and/or visual field (lateral and vertical). The maximum lateral field of view is almost 180 degrees and the maximum vertical is

about 135 degrees. To qualify as Legally Blind, a person must have at least one of the following:  * A visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in the best eye using the best corrective lenses.  *

A visual field of 20 degrees or less. Legal blindness exists on a spectrum and serves as an indication that a Veteran may benefit from additional support from Blind Rehabilitation Services.

Most Veterans enrolled in the VIST program have some amount of remaining vision.  INPATIENT BLIND REHABILITATION CENTERS If deemed an appropriate part of the VIST treatment plan, a Veteran

may be referred to one of the VA’s inpatient Blind Rehabilitation Centers (BRCs).  A BRC provides inpatient, intensive interdisciplinary rehabilitation programs to Veterans with visual

impairment within a VA medical facility support system. BRC residential settings maximize the opportunity for peer-to-peer interactions, which help Veterans strive to achieve their best

level of independence and envision a positive future.  Veterans receive a comprehensive individualized treatment plan based on their expressed goals and unique needs. Therapeutic instruction

is provided on a one-on-one basis or group setting. Length of BRC program will vary depending on the Veteran’s treatment plan.  Family members, included as members of the treatment team,

are provided with education and training that allows them to understand visual impairment and provide support for goal achievement.  LOCATIONS  American Lake, WA  Augusta, GA  Biloxi, MS 

Birmingham, AL  Cleveland, OH  Hines, IL  Long Beach, CA  Palo Alto, CA  San Juan, PR  Tucson, AZ  Waco, TX  West Haven, CT  West Palm Beach, FL QUESTIONS  For more information on Blind

Rehabilitation Services or to find out if you qualify for the VIST program, please contact the VIST Coordinators at James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital.  Heather Couch, COMS, VIST Coordinator

William Wilson, M.A., VIST Coordinator