Department of Veterans Affairs Strategic Challenge The Department of Veterans Affairs continually executes and refines innovative services to veterans as it strives to provide quality services in the 21st century to veterans and their families. The Department of Veterans Affairs hopes to base its services on the principles of being more person-centered in the care provided, providing measurable outcomes, and continuing to look to future services needed by veterans. This document will review the challenges, plans, and objectives that should be in place for the Department of Veterans Affairs to continue to meet its strategic challenges. The Department of Veterans Affairs hopes to be proactive in the services it provides, and we believe that by anticipating the current and future needs of veterans and their families, integrating community services, and utilizing ongoing staff training and developments, they will continue to increase and grow in services at a rapid pace. According to the Military Medicine article “Integrative services are important because they provide a framework with specific goals for providing high-quality services and benefits to service members and veterans. It also ensures that the process continues into the future,” (p.168). Some of the recent agencies that have been integrated have been the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense, these agencies have been combined solely to ensure that members on active duty are immediately connected to the Department of Veterans Affairs instead of falling through the gaps in the system. Another example would be contracts for the homeless with members of the local community. Department of Veterans Affairs, URL consulted on March 3, 2012. http://www.vacareers docs/HRA_Strategic_Plan. Pdf va.gov/ofcadmin/docs/HRA_Strategic_Plan.pdfDreher & Dougherty (2009), Inc. Invancevich, J. M. (2010). Human Resources, 11th Edition: McGraw-Hill Primis Custom Publishing.DoD and VA Agree on Joint Strategic Planning Initiative (2003 (7), S2-S2 http://search.proquest.com/docview/217065105? accountid=31556Lambert, M. T., & Fowler, D. R. (1997). Suicide risk factors among veterans: Risk management in the changing culture of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 24(3), 350 http://search.proquest.com/docview/205236605?