About DVS
Organization
The Department of Veterans Services (DVS) is organized into six service delivery sections: benefits; veteran and family support; veterans education, transition, and employment; veterans care centers; veterans cemeteries; and the Virginia War Memorial. The Board of Veterans Services, the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Services Organizations, the Virginia War Memorial Foundation, and the Veterans Services Foundation work closely with DVS to support the effective delivery of services to Virginia’s veterans and their families. Download the agency brochure here: DVS Brochure
Benefits Services
Benefits Services assists veterans of the armed forces and their dependents in accessing federal and state veteran benefits. DVS operates 36 benefit services offices throughout the Commonwealth where veterans and their dependents receive free assistance in developing and filing claims for federal veteran benefits. To view the Benefits brochure, click here.
Veterans Education, Training and Employment
View Veterans Education Training, and Employment
The Veterans Education, Training, and Employment (VETE) directorate of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services ensures that every Veteran or eligible person has a full and fair opportunity to reach his or her fullest potential through access to the G.I. Bill approved post-secondary education, training/licensure/certification, entrepreneurial institutions, V3 certified employers and Virginia colleges and universities. Currently, more than 1,000 institutions with various programs are approved in Virginia.
Cemeteries
Virginia’s state veterans cemeteries provide burial and perpetual care services to veterans and eligible dependents. The Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Amelia is a 129-acre facility. The Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk is a 73-acre facility. The Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Dublin is an 80-acre facility. To learn more, call 855-4VA-VETS (855-482-8387).
Care Centers
The Davis & McDaniel Veterans Care Center (DMVCC), located adjacent to the Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center, provides state-of-the-art long-term health care for up to 224 veterans. There are 196 skilled nursing care beds, of which 60 are dedicated to the care of Alzheimer’s patients. There are also 28 beds serving assisted-living (domiciliary care) residents. The DMVCC provides on-site physical therapy, occupational and speech therapies, and podiatry care, as well as many other ancillary health care services. The care center also offers amenities such as a wheelchair accessible nature trail and deck, library, chapel, solariums, and barbershop.
The Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center (SBVCC), located on the campus of the Richmond Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), features 200 single-occupancy rooms. The care center has three skilled nursing care units and one 40-bed Alzheimer’s/dementia care unit. All beds are certified for both Medicare and Medicaid. The facility is also certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The facility provides physical, occupational, and speech therapy, as well as therapeutic recreation, social and spiritual activities, and other amenities such as an on-site pharmacy, a fully equipped barber and beauty shop, activity and game rooms, resident lounges in each nursing unit, courtyards, and an outdoor walking trail. Veterans may be admitted as long-term residents or on a short-term basis for rehabilitation as they transition from hospital care to home.
The Jones & Cabacoy Veterans Care Center (JCVCC) opened in November 2023. It has 128 beds, all in private rooms.
The Puller Veterans Care Center (PVCC) in Fauquier County is under construction.
View the Davis & McDaniel Veterans Care Center (Roanoke) brochure here.
View the Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center (Richmond) long term care brochure here.
View the Sitter & Barfoot Short Term Rehab brochure here.
Virginia War Memorial
The Virginia War Memorial is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s monument to honor the memory of Virginia’s men and women who demonstrated a willingness to serve and fight to defend our way of life from World War II to the present; and through its Education Center, serves as the Center of Excellence for the Commonwealth in education of Virginian’s experience of war from the birth of our nation to the present. In its educational mission, the Virginia War Memorial will project a variety of internal and outreach programs, artifacts, research materials, Virginians at War documentaries, exhibitions, seminars, and ceremonies will be used to instill a living memorial to all citizens and citizen-warriors of the nation’s commitment to freedom.
Virginia Veteran and Family Support Program
View Virginia Veteran and Family Support Program »
The Virginia Veteran and Family Support Program (VVFS) is designed to provide timely supplemental behavioral health, rehabilitation services, and support to Virginia’s veterans, members of the Virginia National Guard, Virginia residents in the Armed Forces Reserves, and their family members, who are coping with the effects of combat/operational stress and other combat-related injuries resulting from their service and sacrifice in the U.S. Armed Forces. The Program focuses on traumatic brain injuries and post traumatic stress disorders and operates in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Virginia Department of Rehabilitation Services. The Program is administered through regional directors working closely with existing local Community Services Boards. Download the Virginia Veteran and Family Support brochure here.
Citizen Boards
The Department of Veterans Services works closely with four citizen boards to deliver effective services to Virginia’s veterans.
Board of Veterans Services »
The Board is responsible for formulating policies, developing procedures, reviewing agency budget submissions, and making recommendations for the efficient and effective delivery of veterans’ services. It also studies topics affecting the welfare of Virginia’s veterans.
Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations
The Council consists of representatives of the majority of veterans service organizations in the Commonwealth. It advises DVS on matters of concern to veterans and their families. The Council is active in identifying veterans’ needs and advocating in support of veterans’ issues that may be remedied through appropriate legislation or by other means.
Veterans Services Foundation »
The Foundation Board of Trustees is responsible for oversight and administration of the Veterans Services Fund, distribution of funds to veterans services and programs, and seeking additional sources of revenue and other resources to support the viability of the Fund. Government resources alone cannot fully meet the needs of Virginia’s veterans, and the Commonwealth anticipates that Virginia citizens will want to help our veterans.
The Foundation is available to receive contributions to support veterans services. It is an independent state agency that supports the Virginia Department of Veterans Services. The Foundation is eligible to receive tax-deductible donations under Internal Revenue Service Section 170 (c) and Code of Virginia Section 2.2-2719. Contributions are placed in the Veterans Services Fund and cannot revert to the Commonwealth’s General Fund.
The Virginia War Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports the Virginia War Memorial in its efforts to preserve the stories of veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice, to honor all veterans and active-duty military, and to inspire love of country through education.