SSVF Program Update December 9, 2016
Hi Team,
This is the latest SSVF Program Update. Please review the information in detail. Thanks so much!
-----Original Message-----
From: SSVF Program Office [mailto:mail@grantapplication.
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2016 10:09 PM
To: wiwatson@cssalaska.org
Subject: [EXTERNAL] SSVF Program Update December 9, 2016
Topics:
1. SSVF NOFA Published in the Federal Register
2. Important Reminder: FINAL FY16 HHS Account Transfer
3. Register Now: SSVF National Webinar on December 15, 2016 at 2PM EST
4. FY 2017 SSVF SOAR and Legal Survey: Due by December 21, 2016
5. HUD-VASH and SSVF Referral Packet (RRH Only)
6. Notice: New URL for Payment Management Services
SSVF NOFA Published in the Federal Register
A new SSVF NOFA has been published in the Federal Register. This NOFA provides funding opportunities for all existing grantees, including those grantees who were awarded 3-year grants that targeted high need communities in FY 2015. Additionally, 8 CoCs have been targeted in the current NOFA and applicants may apply for new funding to serve those areas.
This NOFA is expected to be highly competitive and applicants are urged to closely review the NOFA and the associated training available on the SSVF website https://www.va.gov/homeless/
The principal goal of this NOFA is to provide support to those applicants who demonstrate the greatest capacity to end homelessness through the adoption of evidence-based practices likely to lead to reductions in homelessness as defined by USICH's Federal Criteria and Benchmarks or, alternatively, Community Solutions Functional Zero. Awards are for services to begin October 1, 2017.
Applications are due no later than February 3, 2017 at 4pm EST. Please contact SSVF@va.gov if you have questions.
Important Reminder: FINAL FY16 HHS Account Transfer
Please be reminded that FINAL HHS Subaccount Transfers for FY16 grants will be processed on the 15th of December 2016. Grantees that require a final transfer of funds among the HHS subaccounts in order to complete the grant close must use the HHS Subaccount Template to prepare the transfer request. Submit this form to your Regional Coordinator for review and processing. Please do not submit to the SSVF general inbox. To avoid denials of the subaccount transfer requests, please access your HHS grant account within the Payment Management System and carefully review the authorized subaccount balances, as any Program Changes granted throughout the year may have resulted in changes to these authorized balances. If you have questions about how to complete the template or verify your authorized subaccount balances (prior to submitting your request) please contact your Regional Coordinator. The template is available at http://www.va.gov/homeless/
Register Now: SSVF National Webinar on December 15, 2016 at 2PM EST
Topic: SSVF FY 2017 Program Updates
This webinar will cover items related to grantee operations including a review of the FY16 SSVF Participant Survey results. Also, a new telephone option for the FY 17 survey will be described when participants cannot access the online survey. The new Critical Incident reporting process that is being converted to the SSVF online grants management system (GIFTS) will also be reviewed. Please register at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
FY 2017 SSVF SOAR and Legal Survey: Due by December 21, 2016
The new SOAR & Legal Survey aims to provide a more in-depth picture of how SSVF grantees are utilizing the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) model and legal services to connect Veterans and their families with Social Security disability benefits, when eligible. It builds on the individual SOAR and legal surveys released by the SSVF Program Office in prior fiscal years to document the progress of community collaborations in increasing access to mainstream benefits and can lead to further efforts in establishing technical assistance with specific communities based upon their stated needs.
Survey Goals:
• Obtain an update on SOAR model and legal service utilization among SSVF grantees;
• Document grantee success in increasing access to SSI/SSDI using SOAR;
• Document success resolving legal cases via direct SSVF provision of legal services;
• Assess future SOAR training needs;
• Determine barriers to SOAR and legal service implementation and technical assistance needs;
How to submit: Similar to the previous survey the SSVF Program Office can only accept one survey submission per grant award. Do not access the survey link unless you are designated to complete the survey and are ready to submit your answers. The survey link is contained in the Nov 2016 SOAR & Legal Survey Companion Guide, available on the SSVF Website at
http://www.va.gov/homeless/
Tools: The SSVF Program Office has prepared several materials to assist with this process: These tools are also available on the SSVF Website.
1.) Companion Guide (pdf)
• This guide provides an in-depth description of each question, the question format, and response options and should be used as grantees are preparing their responses.
2.) Blank Survey Question Document (Word document)
• This document includes each question and the responses. It is expected that grantees use this as a worksheet to prepare their answers prior to accessing the Survey Monkey link. This way, grantees will have a copy of what they submitted and it should streamline the process for entering data into the survey, since the survey software does not allow users to save drafts of the survey or to save a copy of the final submission.
Survey Deadline: All survey responses must be submitted no later than December 21, 2016
HUD-VASH and SSVF Referral Packet (RRH Only)
The HUD-VASH and SSVF Referral Packet (RRH Only) was presented during the SSVF National Webinar October 20, 2016. The Program Office appreciates the work SSVF grantees and their HUD-VASH partners have done to have discussions about how the toolkit will be used in their communities. This is a joint initiative between the SSVF and HUD-VASH National Program Offices. The packet is required effective December 1, 2016.
Please note that the referral packet has now been updated to include a supplemental HMIS data section to assist with collecting the required HMIS data elements for SSVF grantees. The revised packet can be found at: https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/
Notice: New URL for Payment Management Services
Starting on December 3, 2016, the URL to access the Payment Management Services' homepage and the Payment Management System will be https://pms.psc.gov. The previous URL www.dpm.psc.gov will still be active and redirect you to the new URL. Please save the new URL to your favorites. As part of the update, the webpage will have a new and improved layout. The goal with this updated webpage is to provide a website that is interactive and easy to navigate. The functionality and access to the Payment Management System will remain the same. Click the below URL for a preview of the new page https://www.dpm.psc.gov/news_
Thank you,
SSVF Program Office
NOTE: If you are receiving this email in error, please disregard. We request your patience as the SSVF Program Office continues to address system issues with the grants management database.
This is the latest SSVF Program Update. Please review the information in detail. Thanks so much!
-----Original Message-----
From: SSVF Program Office [mailto:mail@grantapplication.
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2016 10:09 PM
To: wiwatson@cssalaska.org
Subject: [EXTERNAL] SSVF Program Update December 9, 2016
Topics:
1. SSVF NOFA Published in the Federal Register
2. Important Reminder: FINAL FY16 HHS Account Transfer
3. Register Now: SSVF National Webinar on December 15, 2016 at 2PM EST
4. FY 2017 SSVF SOAR and Legal Survey: Due by December 21, 2016
5. HUD-VASH and SSVF Referral Packet (RRH Only)
6. Notice: New URL for Payment Management Services
SSVF NOFA Published in the Federal Register
A new SSVF NOFA has been published in the Federal Register. This NOFA provides funding opportunities for all existing grantees, including those grantees who were awarded 3-year grants that targeted high need communities in FY 2015. Additionally, 8 CoCs have been targeted in the current NOFA and applicants may apply for new funding to serve those areas.
This NOFA is expected to be highly competitive and applicants are urged to closely review the NOFA and the associated training available on the SSVF website https://www.va.gov/homeless/
The principal goal of this NOFA is to provide support to those applicants who demonstrate the greatest capacity to end homelessness through the adoption of evidence-based practices likely to lead to reductions in homelessness as defined by USICH's Federal Criteria and Benchmarks or, alternatively, Community Solutions Functional Zero. Awards are for services to begin October 1, 2017.
Applications are due no later than February 3, 2017 at 4pm EST. Please contact SSVF@va.gov if you have questions.
Important Reminder: FINAL FY16 HHS Account Transfer
Please be reminded that FINAL HHS Subaccount Transfers for FY16 grants will be processed on the 15th of December 2016. Grantees that require a final transfer of funds among the HHS subaccounts in order to complete the grant close must use the HHS Subaccount Template to prepare the transfer request. Submit this form to your Regional Coordinator for review and processing. Please do not submit to the SSVF general inbox. To avoid denials of the subaccount transfer requests, please access your HHS grant account within the Payment Management System and carefully review the authorized subaccount balances, as any Program Changes granted throughout the year may have resulted in changes to these authorized balances. If you have questions about how to complete the template or verify your authorized subaccount balances (prior to submitting your request) please contact your Regional Coordinator. The template is available at http://www.va.gov/homeless/
Register Now: SSVF National Webinar on December 15, 2016 at 2PM EST
Topic: SSVF FY 2017 Program Updates
This webinar will cover items related to grantee operations including a review of the FY16 SSVF Participant Survey results. Also, a new telephone option for the FY 17 survey will be described when participants cannot access the online survey. The new Critical Incident reporting process that is being converted to the SSVF online grants management system (GIFTS) will also be reviewed. Please register at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
FY 2017 SSVF SOAR and Legal Survey: Due by December 21, 2016
The new SOAR & Legal Survey aims to provide a more in-depth picture of how SSVF grantees are utilizing the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) model and legal services to connect Veterans and their families with Social Security disability benefits, when eligible. It builds on the individual SOAR and legal surveys released by the SSVF Program Office in prior fiscal years to document the progress of community collaborations in increasing access to mainstream benefits and can lead to further efforts in establishing technical assistance with specific communities based upon their stated needs.
Survey Goals:
• Obtain an update on SOAR model and legal service utilization among SSVF grantees;
• Document grantee success in increasing access to SSI/SSDI using SOAR;
• Document success resolving legal cases via direct SSVF provision of legal services;
• Assess future SOAR training needs;
• Determine barriers to SOAR and legal service implementation and technical assistance needs;
How to submit: Similar to the previous survey the SSVF Program Office can only accept one survey submission per grant award. Do not access the survey link unless you are designated to complete the survey and are ready to submit your answers. The survey link is contained in the Nov 2016 SOAR & Legal Survey Companion Guide, available on the SSVF Website at
http://www.va.gov/homeless/
Tools: The SSVF Program Office has prepared several materials to assist with this process: These tools are also available on the SSVF Website.
1.) Companion Guide (pdf)
• This guide provides an in-depth description of each question, the question format, and response options and should be used as grantees are preparing their responses.
2.) Blank Survey Question Document (Word document)
• This document includes each question and the responses. It is expected that grantees use this as a worksheet to prepare their answers prior to accessing the Survey Monkey link. This way, grantees will have a copy of what they submitted and it should streamline the process for entering data into the survey, since the survey software does not allow users to save drafts of the survey or to save a copy of the final submission.
Survey Deadline: All survey responses must be submitted no later than December 21, 2016
HUD-VASH and SSVF Referral Packet (RRH Only)
The HUD-VASH and SSVF Referral Packet (RRH Only) was presented during the SSVF National Webinar October 20, 2016. The Program Office appreciates the work SSVF grantees and their HUD-VASH partners have done to have discussions about how the toolkit will be used in their communities. This is a joint initiative between the SSVF and HUD-VASH National Program Offices. The packet is required effective December 1, 2016.
Please note that the referral packet has now been updated to include a supplemental HMIS data section to assist with collecting the required HMIS data elements for SSVF grantees. The revised packet can be found at: https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/
Notice: New URL for Payment Management Services
Starting on December 3, 2016, the URL to access the Payment Management Services' homepage and the Payment Management System will be https://pms.psc.gov. The previous URL www.dpm.psc.gov will still be active and redirect you to the new URL. Please save the new URL to your favorites. As part of the update, the webpage will have a new and improved layout. The goal with this updated webpage is to provide a website that is interactive and easy to navigate. The functionality and access to the Payment Management System will remain the same. Click the below URL for a preview of the new page https://www.dpm.psc.gov/news_
Thank you,
SSVF Program Office
NOTE: If you are receiving this email in error, please disregard. We request your patience as the SSVF Program Office continues to address system issues with the grants management database.