NCHV eNewsletter
July 2016
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DOL-VETS Releases Guidance on AJC Services for HVRP-Enrolled Veterans
All grantees must enroll all participants in public workforce system
The Department of Labor Veterans' Employment and Training Service (DOL-VETS) has released Veterans Program Letter 03-16 to provide guidance and information on the requirement to have participants of the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP) enroll in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) title I workforce programs available through American Job Centers (AJC).
Beginning in Program Year (PY) 2016, VETS will require the grantees serving homeless veterans to enroll all participants in the public workforce system through the local AJC while these participants are receiving services through VETS' homeless veterans program grantees. Grantees can find the closest AJCs by clicking here. Note that each state may refer to an AJC with a unique brand or name.
Stay tuned to the NCHV TA Center page for more information and resources regarding this guidance. |
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Proposed Rule Change for SSVF Program
Comments due by Sept. 26, 2016
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced in today's Federal Register its proposal to amend its regulations that govern the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program. This rulemaking would clarify VA's procedures for continuing to fund SSVF Program services in communities that have lost SSVF grants due to the non-renewal or termination of services of an existing award to a grantee by awarding non-renewed or deobligated funds to other existing SSVF grantees in or near the affected community. This award of non-renewed or deobligated funds would prevent potential access issues associated with grant termination. This rulemaking would also reduce the number of satisfaction surveys grantees are required to provide to participants in order to reduce the burden on grantees and participants.
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Hill Watch: Congress Leaves D.C. for Recess
Little movement on veteran legislation
The Senate and the House have both had their last session for the month of July as they left for recess earlier in the month. They return to session on Sept. 6, which will leave 19 legislative days to accomplish the task of funding the federal government by the end of the fiscal year. The traditional August recess combined with the campaigning pressures of a presidential election year has left Congress with a severely truncated work schedule this year.
We reported in our last Hill Watch that the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act (MilCon/VA) had been up for final passage, needing only to clear the Senate on its way to the President's desk. After initially failing this last step in the Senate during the last week of June, the same bill was to be taken up and again attempted to be passed in the Senate this week. Last night that bill was again rejected.
Though the MilCon/VA bill is the most germane to our work, and the bill which is furthest along in the process, it was not the only one to fall prey to gridlock this week; the Defense Appropriation's bill was also caught up in the turmoil.
As a result, NCHV can now say with some confidence that we expect the fiscal year to close with a continuing resolution, which funds the federal government at the current level for another several weeks or months – until the Congress can agree on a funding package. This may very well take place after the elections in November.
NCHV will keep you updated as this process moves along. And remember, as we said in our last Hill Watch: "The core of the bill as far as veteran homelessness is concerned is solid." No matter how long it takes to pass the bill, when it becomes law, VA homeless programs will see a boost in funding.
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VA National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans Releases H-PACT Program Report
Report on pilot program aimed at new ways to address care needs of homeless veterans
The VA National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans has released a report on the Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team (H-PACT) model. H-PACT is a multi-disciplinary, population-based medical home model organized around the unique challenges homeless veterans face accessing and engaging in care. The H-PACT model addresses the multiple medical and social needs of these veterans in one setting by incorporating five core elements that distinguish it from traditional primary care models:
- Reducing barriers to receiving care
- Providing one-stop, wrap around services that are integrated and coordinated
- Engaging veterans in intensive case management that is coordinated with community agencies for continuous care;
- Providing high-quality, evidence-based and culturally sensitive care through on-going homeless care skill development for H-PACT staff;
- Being performance-based and accountable with real-time data and predictive analytic applications to assist teams in targeting those most in-need, provide on-going technical assistance and personalized feedback to the field and inform team performance.
The report provides valuable information on the history of the program, emerging peer-reviewed evidence supporting this approach, and insight into how H-PACTs have provided for several new projects and initiatives aimed at addressing the care needs of homeless and at-risk for homelessness veterans who face unique and often insurmountable challenges within our traditional care model.
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DOL-VETS Introduces New TAP Curriculum
Updated Transition Assistance Program resource available online
For more than 25 years, the DOL Employment Workshop portion of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) has prepared service members and their spouses for their transition to civilian employment. In April, the Department of Labor Veterans' Employment and Training Service (DOL-VETS) introduced a refocused curriculum that focuses on four core competencies:
- Developing and executing a job search plan
- Planning for success in a civilian work environment
- Creating resumes, cover letters, and other self-marketing materials
- Engaging in successful interviews and networking conversations
The full workshop is available online and will soon be featured as an e-book for servicemembers, veterans, and their families who want to access the training anytime, anywhere. |
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Funding Opportunities
The Francis Hollis Brain Foundation is a private family foundation that funds nonprofit organizations or projects that serve disadvantaged, undeserved, and/or vulnerable communities. The foundation limits its giving to programs within Kentucky, Georgia, and Maine. They focus on organizations that support communities in the areas of health, education, and human services. To be considered for the winter cycle, applicants must submit initial inquiries by Sep 1. For more information, click here.
Wells Fargo funds nonprofit organizations in order to create more resilient, sustainable communities. They give to organizations all over the U.S., excluding certain states. They support organizations that support communities in the areas of human services, arts and culture, community development, civic responsibility, education, environmental consciousness, and volunteerism. The application deadline is Aug. 31. For more information, click here.
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This eNewsletter is funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
For the latest news, resources and grant information, visit our website at www.nchv.org.
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
333 1/2 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20003
202-546-1969 or toll-free 1-800-VET-HELP
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