IOWAccess Concept Report

1. IOWAccess Concept Report Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs

2. Proposed Project • Provide for the complete redesign of the IDVA website • Update the site to reflect current technology • Add interactivity for forms • Provide a secure link for counties to access department information and fill out forms • Establish read only documents • Include vital information for mental health, PTSD, counseling, and treatment • Create a new page for families seeking help

3. www.iowava.org • Current site is antiquated and difficult to navigate • Links to veterans programs require user to scroll through the page and are difficult to find • Program links are not individually cited and difficult to find • Links such as “Commission” and “Counties” require downloading Word documents that can be manipulated by the user. Also, downloading documents in a rural area can take a significant amount of time

4. www.iowava.org

6. Outdated Look • The IDVA homepage is not visually appealing • The homepage does not fill the screen and has considerable wasted space • The homepage has too much text and requires scrolling to access more importa • nt information • Need a link for “About the Department” and make the homepage a portal to other pages • The contrast with the Iowa Veterans Cemetery is significant

8. Other States • When contrasted with other states, IDVA’s is lacking • Style • Information • Interoperability • Examples of other states • Illinois • Kansas • Minnesota

12. Forms • IDVA has applications for many programs • These forms are currently on the website but require printing and mailing them in • Establishing an interactive form system will expedite the application process • Counties have expressed a desire to have a secure link to submit forms and access information • This would be similar to the nursing home reporting system, currently available through our website

14. Veteran Outreach • As part of 2007 legislation, IDVA was charge by the General Assembly to establish an outreach effort to veterans • This will be an effort to link local, state, and federal recourses to ensure veterans have easy and immediate access to vital information related to counseling and treatment programs • Hopefully, reducing the incidence of drug abuse, chemical dependency, and suicide among our heroes • A portion of this outreach would be to include this information on our website that is available around the clock • Currently, there are no health or counseling related links on the website, nor information on PTSD, traumatic brain injury, or other combat related conditions

15. Family Support • Additional outreach is needed to provide information to family members who are supporting their veteran • Often, a veteran is unwilling to seek help as a soldier and families are the first point of contact for providing help to an afflicted veteran • Links and information are essential to guide families to appropriate counseling, clinical, or hospital settings • Again, these links are currently not available and need to be added

16. Request • IDVA is requesting initial funding of up to $15,000 to perform a scope analysis study for our site redesign

17. Who Will This New Site Serve • Our main priority… The Veteran and Their Family • The counties providing direct services to veterans • The public interested in what the State of Iowa is providing to veterans • The department, by expediting the application process and promoting veteran services

18. Thank You A redesigned website will enhance the department’s ability to provide essential services to veterans