September 2016 NCHV Newsletter

NCHV eNewsletter
September 2016
ITT Closure Guidance from Student Veterans of America
Resources for impacted veterans 

The recent closure of ITT Educational Services affects over 6,000 veterans enrolled in the company's classes and programs. With many students utilizing GI Bill benefits to cover housing costs while completing their studies, this event has put veterans at risk of homelessness.

Student Veterans of America has created a webpage with guidance for those student veterans impacted by the closure. The page is available here, and includes steps to take, important contacts, and assistance available to navigate the process.
In response to these events, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) has also made their Unmet Needs Program available to veterans impacted by the closure.
Hill Watch: Congress Funds Government Through Dec. 9
Veteran programs funded for the entire year
Late last night the House passed H.R. 5325, the legislative vehicle for the funding bill, which had passed the Senate earlier that day. The bill provides flat funding for the federal government through the election season and until December 9, 2016 in order to give Congress more time to pass full-year funding bills. Without the passage of H.R. 5325 the government was in danger of shutting down on Thursday, Sept. 30, due to the expiration of spending authorities at the end of the federal fiscal year. This short term spending bill known as a continuing resolution (“CR”) prevents this danger.
H.R. 5325 also contained funding provisions that were not a part of the continuing resolution; this portion of the bill was the text of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriation bill (MilCon/VA), which funds the operations of the VA for the entire 2017 Fiscal Year. The MilCon/VA bill had previously passed both houses of Congress in slightly different forms, and NCHV has discussed it in past editions of Hill Watch.
The MilCon/VA portion of the bill contained the full presidential request top-line budget numbers for the Medical Services account, which covers VA homeless programs including GPD, SSVF, and the case management portion of the HUD-VASH program. Congress has, since June, agreed upon numbers for these programs: $257 million for GPD, $320 million for SSVF, and $496 million for case management of HUD-VASH vouchers. All of these numbers are higher than last year, and the SSVF and GPD numbers are higher than the President’s Budget requested (by $10 million and $20 million respectively).
When the President signs the CR, as he is expected to do before tomorrow, the bill will become law. With it, the budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs will be set until Sept. 30, 2017. If you would like to call and thank your Congressman for including these higher numbers for veteran homelessness programs, but don’t know how, you can refer to NCHV’s advocacy webinar, accessible here. While you are thanking them, you can also urge them to pass the remaining appropriations bills, with robust funding for HVRP and for new HUD-VASH vouchers!
In the coming months, NCHV will be back to report on the passage of the rest of the federal spending bills. Stay tuned for more.
CSH Presents Housing Data Project Webinars
Unveiling reports on various subpopulations in webinar series
The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) Housing Data Project (HDP) collects and analyzes data to demonstrate the number of vulnerable people needing supportive housing in the following categories: mental health; addiction; veteran; family; youth; aging; justice; intellectual and developmental disability; individual homeless; and total need.

CSH will be sharing these reports in a series of three webinars:

• Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016, 1pm ET – Systems in Crisis: Public Health and Public Safety
• Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016, 12pm ET – From Institution Care to Community Integration
• Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016, 3pm ET - Youth & Families: Where We Need to Be

To register for any of these webinars click on the appropriate title. For more information on CSH, click here. 
Hacksaw Ridge: Upcoming Movie Seeks to Raise PTSD Awareness
WW2 film to open in theaters Nov. 4, 2016
NCHV and other national veteran service organizations based in Washington, D.C. were recently invited to attend a screening of the upcoming World War 2 movie, Hacksaw Ridge. The film tells the story of Desmond Doss, the first conscientious objector to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.
With the movie's release, its producers hope to raise awareness of PTSD and the resources available to veterans in their communities. They are building a webpage with resources to coincide with the release of the film.

For more information on Hacksaw Ridge and how to get involved, visit http://www.hacksawridgeresources.com/.
September is Suicide Prevention Month, Resources from Veterans Crisis Line
Be There campaign information and materials available online
We can all play a role in preventing suicide and it doesn’t require a grand gesture or complicated task. During Suicide Prevention Month this September, help the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Defense (DoD) spread the word that preventing suicide starts with this simple act: Be There.
Helping someone feel included and supported can make a big difference during a challenging time. Small actions — calling up an old friend, checking in on a neighbor, or inviting a colleague on a walk — are all thoughtful ways to show someone you care.
Visit VeteransCrisisLine.net/BeThere to learn more.
If you notice warning signs in yourself or a veteran loved one, call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text 838255 to get confidential support 24/7/365.
Funding Opportunities
The Ida Alice Ryan Charitable Trust supports charitable institutions in the Atlanta metro region. The Trust focuses its giving in the following areas: arts, culture, and humanities, education, health, human services, and public/society benefit. The Trust accepts applications throughout the year to be considered on Feb. 1 and Aug. 1. For more information, click here.

The Rumsfeld Foundation supports organizations that provide essential services and support for active duty troops, returning veterans, the wounded and military families. The Foundation partners with organizations in five key areas of support: employment and transition, assistance for wounded veterans, outdoor rehabilitative activities, Special Operations community, and military families. For more information on the grant process, contact the Foundation at contact@rumsfeldfoundation.org.
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