April 2016 NCHV eNewsletter

NCHV eNewsletter
April 2016
Register Today: 2016 NCHV Annual Conference
June 1-3, 2016 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. 

Register today for the 2016 NCHV Annual Conference, "New Beginning: Building Blocks of a Post-Plan Era"! Join service providers, government agency representatives, nonprofit partners, VSOs, and other stakeholders from around the country on June 1-3, 2016 when the 2016 NCHV Annual Conference will take place at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C.
New for the NCHV Annual Conference in 2016:
  • Veteran Homelessness 101 for those new to the field
  • NCHV Board members leading discussion on key issues
  • Best practice discussion tables focused on specific issues, strategies, and challenges
  • Coordinated visits to your representatives in Congress
We'll also have the same great level of participation from top officials, special guests, and experts from the field. This year's event is especially important as we chart our nation's course to end veteran homelessness as we move beyond the Five-Year Plan.
Space is limited, register today!
Have you renewed your NCHV membership? Interested in becoming a member? NCHV members receive discounted rates for the Annual Conference. Click here to renew or become a member today! For more information about NCHV membership, email Anna Kaminski at akaminski@nchv.org. Your NCHV membership must be current to receive the discounted rate.
Do you want to share the value of your program with Congress, and help advance the goal of ending veteran homelessness? Do you have the desire, but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, NCHV is here to help! Email jstewart@nchv.org to get started!
Hill Watch: Members of Congress Join Together to Support Homeless Veteran Funding
Appropriations letters signed by 67 Representatives and 30 Senators in show of bipartisan support
March is always a busy month for the Appropriators of Congress – those members of the House of Representatives and of the Senate who sit on the Appropriations Committees. They receive endless streams of letters from their colleagues which support various types of programs and sources of funding. Among the issues being supported is the cause of ending veteran homelessness. We had a particularly good year this time around, with strong bipartisan support for letters in both the House and Senate.
In the House, a letter co-written by Representatives Greg Walden (R-OR), Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Ryan Costello (R-PA), and Brad Ashford (D-NE) garnered the support of 67 Members from both sides of the aisle. The letter encouraged the House Appropriators to robustly fund the Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (HVRP) for the upcoming fiscal year. NCHV joins them in encouraging Appropriators to fully fund the President’s Budget request for the HVRP program at $50 million, which would be an increase over the last several years budgets. To read the letter and see who else signed, click here.
In the Senate, a letter coauthored by Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) called for robust funding for the Grant and Per Diem (GPD), Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program, and the HUD-VASH program. This letter was also signed by an additional 28 Senators of both the Republican and Democratic parties, as well as a Senator affiliated as an Independent. NCHV joins them too in their support of these programs, and calls for the full funding requested in the President’s Budget- $300 million for SSVF, $247.5 million for GPD, and an increase of $47 million for the HUD-VASH program over last year’s request. To read the letter and see who else signed, click here.
NCHV thanks every one of the 97 Members of Congress who either authored or signed the two letters to Appropriators this year. As we progress through the appropriations process this year, we hope that the input from these Members will help make the President’s Budget request numbers a reality.
You can help with this process, too! Are you coming to the NCHV Annual Conference this year? The Public Policy Session at this year’s Annual Conference will be a chance to get attendees up to speed on what is happening on Capitol Hill, and to prepare them for meetings with Congress. Will you help yourself and fellow providers across the country to better serve homeless veterans, by walking the halls of Congress? Even if you have never spoken to your congressional offices before, NCHV will be able to prepare you for your first meeting. Are you already planning on taking these meetings? Let us know!

For more information, or to express your interest in setting a “Hill Meeting”, email our Director of Policy, Joshua Stewart, at jstewart@nchv.org.
Military Sexual Trauma Resources for Service Providers
From the National Center for PTSD
Are you asking your patients about sexual trauma? Did you know that sexual assault survivors report higher rates of physical issues? Sexual trauma can lead to PTSD and other problems for which you can provide help or referral. Here are some resources to assist you:
Webinar – Using SOAR to Access Social Security Disability Benefits
Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 2:00 pm EDT
The National Veterans Technical Assistance Center (NVTAC) is hosting the webinar “Using SOAR to Access Social Security Disability Benefits” on Thursday, April 21 at 2:00 pm EDT.
Social Security disability benefits are critical sources of income for veterans with disabling mental or physical health conditions, and lead to increased housing stability and improved healthcare outcomes. SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR), is a federal program sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to increase access to disability benefits among people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Since 2006, states report 27,226 approvals on initial SSI/SSDI applications, with an approval rate of 65 percent in an average of 81 days using the SOAR model. This presentation will describe best practices for utilizing SOAR with veterans who access HVRP services, with special emphasis on employment and housing stability.
Jen Elder from the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center at Policy Research Associates, Inc. will be leading the discussion.

TO REGISTER FOR “Using SOAR to Access Social Security Disability Benefits”

Go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2332425176120990212 and complete the registration form.

You will receive instructions for joining the training when you register. For additional questions, please contact Cindy Borden at cborden@nchv.org.
Special Report: How to Prevent and End Homelessness Among Older Adults
From Justice in Aging and the National Alliance to End Homelessness
A lack of affordable housing and higher costs for health care and other necessities are pushing greater numbers of older adults into homelessness. A Special Report by Justice in Aging, created in partnership with The National Alliance to End Homelessness, outlines the problem and recommends policy solutions to ensure that all older adults have a safe place to age in dignity, with affordable health care, and sufficient income to meet their basic needs.

To view the report, click here. 
Funding Opportunities
The Investors Bank Foundation is dedicated to helping organizations that support the arts, education, health and human services, youth initiatives, and more. Funding is available to organizations located in the areas served by Investors Bank, which includes most of New Jersey, New York City, and Long Island. Grant applications are considered on a quarterly basis. For more information, click here. 
The Sobrato Family Foundation is addressing root causes of the economic divide in the Silicon Valley through its education and career pathways grantmaking, and provides flexible support to hundreds of nonprofits that promote self-reliance and economic independence in Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Alameda Counties in California. Upcoming open application periods include: health or legal services – August 2016; housing or employment/financial sufficiency programs, nonprofit capacity building programs – February 2017. For more information, click here. 
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