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HOMELESS SPECIFIC PROGRAMS
VA's Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program (HCHV)
operates at 135 sites, where extensive outreach, physical and psychiatric
health exams, treatment, referrals, and ongoing case management are provided
to homeless veterans with mental health problems, including substance abuse.
As appropriate, the HCHV program places homeless veterans needing long-term
treatment into one of its 200 contract community-based facilities. During
the last reporting year, this program assessed more than 40,000 veterans,
with 4,300 receiving residential treatment in community-based treatment
facilities. The average length of stay in community-based residential care
is about 70 days. More sites with contract residential services will be
added this year.
VA's Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV)
Program provides medical care and rehabilitation in a residential setting on
VA medical center grounds to eligible ambulatory veterans disabled by
medical or psychiatric disorders, injury or age and who do not need
hospitalization or nursing home care. There are 1,791 operational beds
available through the program at 35 VA medical centers in 26 states. The
program provided residential treatment to nearly 5,500 homeless veterans in
FY 1999. The domiciliaries conduct outreach and referral; admission
screening and assessment; medical and psychiatric evaluation; treatment,
vocational counseling and rehabilitation; and post-discharge community
support.
Special Outreach and Benefits Assistance
is provided through funding from VA's Veterans Health Administration to
support 12 veterans' benefits counselors from the Veterans Benefits
Administration (VBA) as members of VA's Homeless Chronically Mentally III
Veterans Programs and DCHV programs.
Veterans Benefits Assistance
is provided at Regional Offices by designated staffs who serve as
coordinators and points of contact for homeless veterans. The Homeless
Eligibility Clarification Act enables eligible veterans without a fixed
address to receive VA benefits checks at VA regional offices. VA also has
procedures to expedite the processing times for homeless veterans; benefits
claims. Last year over 21,000 veterans received services from VA staff
members.
Acquired Property Sales for Homeless Providers Program
makes available properties VA obtains through foreclosures on VA insured
mortgages for sale to homeless provider organizations at a discount of 20 to
50 percent. To date, 173 properties have been sold to non-profit
organizations to provide housing for the homeless.
Readjustment Counseling Service's Vet Centers
have homeless coordinators who provide outreach, psychological counseling,
supportive social services and referrals to other VA and community programs.
Some 140,000 veterans make more than 800,000 visits to VA's 206 Vet Centers
each year. As many as 10% of Vet Center clients are homeless during winter
months.
Drop-In Centers
provide homeless veterans who sleep in shelters or on the streets at night
with safe, daytime environments. Eleven centers offer therapeutic activities
and programs to improve daily living skills, meals, and a place to shower
and wash clothes. At these VA-run centers, veterans also participate in
other VA programs that provide more extensive assistance including a variety
of therapeutic and rehabilitative activities. Linkage with long-term
assistance is also available.
Compensated Work-Therapy (CWT) and Compensated
Work-Therapy/Transitional Residence Programs
have had dramatic increases in activity during the past few years. Through
its CWT/TR programs, VA offers structured work opportunities and supervised
therapeutic housing for at-risk and homeless veterans with physical,
psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. VA contracts with private
industry and the public sector for work to be done by these veterans, who
learn new job skills, re-learn successful work habits and regain a sense of
self-esteem and self-worth. The veterans are paid for their work and, in
turn, make a monthly payment toward maintenance and upkeep of the residence.
VA operates 51 community-based group homes with a more than
425 beds in transitional residences. Nine program sites with 14 houses
exclusively serve homeless veterans. The average length of stay is
approximately six months. Currently there are more than 100 individual CWT
operations connected to VA medical centers nationwide. More than 15,000
veterans participated in the programs in FY 1999, an increase of more than
5,000 since 1996. CWT programs developed contracts with companies and
agencies of government valued at a national total of $43.8 million. At
discharge, 44 % of the veterans were placed in competitive employment and 7%
were placed in training programs.
VA's National Cemetery Administration and Veterans Health
Administration
have formed partnerships at 20 national cemeteries, where more than 120
formerly homeless veterans from the CWT program have received therapeutic
work opportunities while providing VA cemeteries with a supplemental work
force. Increased competitive therapeutic work opportunities are occurring
each year.
Joint Social Security Administration (SSA)/VA Pilot Project
provides benefits and services to homeless mentally ill veterans at three
sites. HCHV and DCHV staff coordinate outreach and benefits certification
with SSA staff to locate and assist homeless veterans in obtaining SSA
benefits.
Comprehensive Homeless Centers
place a variety of VA's homeless programs in a community into a single
organizational framework to promote integration within VA and coordination
with non-VA homeless programs. VA currently has eight comprehensive homeless
centers connected to medical centers in Anchorage, Brooklyn, Cleveland,
Dallas, Little Rock, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and West Los Angeles.
Stand Downs
are 1-3 day safe havens for homeless veterans that provide a variety of
services and a positive means for VA and community-based homeless providers
to reach more homeless veterans. Stand downs give homeless veterans a
temporary place of safety and security where they can obtain food, shelter,
clothing and a range of community and VA assistance. In many locations VA
provides health screenings, referral and access to long-term treatments,
benefits counseling, ID cards and linkage with other programs to meet their
immediate needs. VA participated in 179 stand downs run by local coalitions
in various cities in calendar year 2000. Surveys show that more than 34,000
veterans and family attended these events held in 47 states and the District
of Columbia. More than 20,000 volunteers contributed to this effort.
VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program
The Grant and Per Diem program is offered annually (as funding permits) by
the VA to fund community-based agencies providing transitional housing or
service centers for homeless veterans. Under the Capital Grant Component VA
may fund up to 65% of the project for the construction, acquisition, or
renovation of facilities or to purchase van(s) to provide outreach and
services to homeless veterans. Per Diem is available to grantees to help
off-set operational expenses. Non-Grant programs may apply for Per Diem
under a separate announcement, when published in the Federal Register,
announcing the funding for "Per Diem Only."
Total VA funding for grants has exceeded $53 million. When
these projects are completed, approximately 5,000 new community-based beds
will be available for homeless veterans. Nearly 2,500 homeless veterans are
being cared for through these programs today and supported by VA per diem
payments to service providers.
Mainstream VA Programs Assisting Homeless Veterans
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VA administers a number
of compensation and pension programs: disability compensation, dependency
and indemnity compensation, death compensation, death pension and
disability pension. Vocational rehabilitation and counseling assist
veterans with service-connected disabilities to achieve independence in
daily living and, to his extent possible, become employable and maintain
employment.
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In the Fiduciary
Program, the benefits of veterans determined to be incapable of managing
their funds are managed by a guardian.
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Inpatient psychiatric
and substance abuse services are provided in some 8,400 mental health
beds. Outpatient services are offered in mental health clinics,
day-treatment centers, hospital day programs, and
alcohol-and-drug-dependence treatment programs. VA also supports contract
care in community-based facilities for veterans with substance-abuse
disorders.
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Community Residential
Care in private homes is provided to eligible veterans unable to live
independently.
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Veterans receive social
work services for discharge planning from VA inpatient care and are
assisted with health maintenance planning.
Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program
Sixty-six new sites have been created which will increase outreach and
expand treatment services to veterans who are homeless.
Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Program
Created to assist homeless veterans improve mental health and obtain
employment and stable housing, nine new CWT sites will provide a means for
living independently and productively while minimizing reliance on
institutional care.
Homeless Women Veterans Program
Eleven VA facilities will implement a specialized program that will focus on
outreach, case management and community residential care for homeless women
veterans and homeless women veterans with children.
Therapeutic Employment Placement and Support (TEPS)
Ten VA sites will implement a specialized program focusing on immediate
permanent employment for homeless veterans who are dually diagnosed with
mental illness and substance abuse disorders.
Critical Time Intervention (CTI) Staff Training.
VA has funded 8 facilities to implement an intense but time limited case
management program for hospitalized homeless veterans.
Oral Health (Dental) Care for Homeless Veterans.
VA has provided funding to 10 VA facilities to implement an oral health care
(dental) program for homeless veterans engaged in rehabilitation. Services
will be provided through contracts with community based dental care
programs.
Outreach to Seriously Mentally III Homeless Veterans.
VA will support outreach to some of our nation's hardest to reach homeless
veterans at five sites.
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For more information please contact VA's Homeless Veterans Programs Office
at 202-273-5764 or e-mail VA at
homelessvets@mail.va.gov
AmeriCorps
As part of the national VA effort to help homeless veterans, helping
homeless veterans may benefit selected students. Working with VA staff,
eligible VA beneficiary-students may receive funds to help defray school and
living expenses. If you are a veterans or a VA eligible beneficiary,
attending school and receiving VA education assistance, you may be entitled
to participate in this work-for-pay program authorized through the VA
Work-Study in this work-for-pay program authorized through the VA
Work-Study-Allowance Program and the AmeriCorps Education Awards.
Loan Guarantee Program for Homeless Veterans Multifamily
HousingThis
new initiative authorizes VA to guarantee no more than 15 loans with an
aggregate value of $100 million within 5 years for construction, renovation
of existing property, and refinancing of existing loans, facility furnishing
or working capital. No more than 5 loans may be guaranteed under this
program prior to November 11, 2001. The amount financed is a maximum of 90%
of project costs. Legislation allows the Secretary to issue a loan guarantee
for large-scale self-sustaining multifamily loans. Eligible transitional
project are those that: 1) Provide supportive services including job
counseling; 2) Require veteran to seek and maintain employment; 3) Require
veteran to pay reasonable rent; 4) Require sobriety as a condition of
occupancy; and 5) Serves other veterans in need of housing on a space
available basis.
Veterans Industries
In VA's Compensated Work Therapy/Transitional Residence (CWT/TD) Program,
disadvantaged, at-risk, and homeless veterans live in CWT/TR community-based
supervised group homes while working for pay in VA's compensated Work
Therapy Program (also known as Veterans Industries). Veterans in the CWT/TR
program work about 33 hours per week, with approximate earnings of $732 per
month, and pay average of $186 per month, toward maintenance and up-keep of
the residence. The average length of stay is about 174 days. VA contracts
with private industry and the public sector for work done by these veterans,
who lean new job skills, relearn successful work habits, and regain a sense
of self-esteem and self-worth.
CHALENG
The Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education, and
Networking Groups (CHALENG) for veterans is a nationwide initiative in which
VA medical center and regional office directors work with other federal,
state, and local agencies and non-profit organizations to assess the needs
of homeless veterans, develop action plans to meet identified needs, and
develop directories that contain local community resources to be used by
homeless veterans.
More than 10,000 representatives from non-VA organizations
have participated in Project CHALENG initiatives, which include holding
conferences at VA medical centers to raise awareness of the needs of
homeless veterans, creating new partnerships in the flight against
homelessness, and developing new strategies for future action.
HUD-VASH
This joint Supported Housing Program with the Department of Housing and
Urban Development provides permanent housing and ongoing treatment services
to the harder-to-serve homeless mentally ill veterans and those suffering
from substance abuse disorders. HUD's Section 8 Voucher Program has
designated 1,780 vouchers worth $44.5 million for homeless chronically
mentally ill veterans. VA staff at 35 sites provide outreach, clinical care
and ongoing case management services. Rigorous evaluation of this program
indicates that this approach significantly reduces days of homelessness for
veterans plagued by serious mental illness and substance abuse disorders.
Supported Housing
Like the HUD-VASH program identified above, staff in VA's Supported Housing
Program provides ongoing case management services to homeless veterans.
Emphasis is placed on helping veterans find permanent housing and providing
clinical support needed to keep veterans in permanent housing. Staff in
these programs operate without benefit of the specially dedicated Section 8
housing vouchers available in the HUD-VASH program but are often successful
in locating transitional or permanent housing through local means,
especially by collaborating with Veterans Service Organizations.
SSA-VA Outreach
In this pilot project with the Social Security Administration, HCMI and
Homeless Domiciliary staff coordinate outreach and benefits certification
with SSA staff to increase the number of veterans receiving SSA benefits and
otherwise assist in their rehabilitation. In this demonstration project,
both applications and benefits awards increased significantly and the time
to process applications has decreased dramatically.
Comprehensive Homeless Centers
VA's Comprehensive Homeless Centers (CHC's) place the full range of VA
homeless efforts in a single medical center's attachment area and coordinate
administration a centralized framework. With extensive collaboration among
non-VA service providers, VA's CHC's in Anchorage, AK; Brooklyn, NY;
Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Little Rock, AR; Pittsburgh, PA; San Francisco,
CA; and West Los Angles, CA, provide a comprehensive continuum of care that
reaches out to homeless veterans and helps them escape homelessness.
VBA-VHA Special Outreach and Benefits Assistance
VHA has provided specialized funding to support twelve Veterans Benefits
Counselors as members of HCMI and Homeless Domiciliary Programs as
authorized by Public Law 102-590. These specially funded staff provide
dedicated outreach, benefits counselor referral, and additional assistance
to eligible veterans applying for VA benefits. This specially funded
initiative complements VBA's ongoing efforts to target homeless veterans for
special attention. To reach more homeless veterans, designated homeless
veterans coordinators at VBA's 58 regional offices annually make over 4,700
visits to homeless facilities and over 9,000 contacts with non-VA agencies
working with the homeless and provide over 24,000 homeless veterans with
benefits counseling and referrals to other VA programs. These special
outreach efforts are assumed as part of the ongoing duties and
responsibilities. VBA has also instituted new procedures to reduce the
processing times for homeless veterans' benefits claims.
VBA's Acquired Property Sales for Homeless Providers
This program makes all the properties VA obtain through foreclosures on VA
insured mortgages available for sale to homeless provider organizations at a
discount of 20 to 50 percent, depending on time of the market.
VA Excess Property for Homeless Veterans Initiative
This initiative provides for the distribution of federal excess personal
property, such as hats, parkas, footwear, socks, sleeping bags, and other
items to homeless veterans and homeless veteran programs. A compensated Work
Therapy Program employing formerly homeless veterans has been established at
the Medical Center in Lyons, NJ to receive, warehouse, and ship these goods
to VA homeless programs across the country.
Program Monitoring and Evaluation
VA has built program monitoring and evaluations into all of its homeless
veterans' treatment initiatives and it serves as an integral component of
each program. Designed, implemented, and maintained by the Northeast Program
Evaluation Center (NEPEC) at VAMC West Haven, CT, these evaluation efforts
provide important information about the veterans served and the therapeutic
value and cost effectiveness of the specialized programs. Information from
these evaluations also helps program mangers determine new directions to
pursue in order to expand and improve services to homeless veterans.
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