SSVF Program Update Friday April 28, 2017
Topics:
1. Reminder: Community Planning Survey due Wednesday May 3rd
2. Register for the SSVF Educational Series: Landlord Partnerships and Creative Housing Coordination on May 3, 2017 at 2:30PM EDT
3. Register for the SSVF National Webinar May 11, 2017 at 2:00 PM EDT
4. Additional Guidance on SSVF Eligibility of Homeless Persons that Received a Bad Conduct Discharge (BCD)
5. Integrating Employment Opportunities with Rapid Re-housing Interventions
Reminder: Community Planning Survey due Wednesday, May 3rd
This is a reminder that the Community Planning Survey is due next week on May 3rd. The SSVF Program Office is appreciative of all of the work that CoCs, VAMC Homeless Leadership, Vet Work Groups, SSVF, and community partners are doing to obtain a collective response to the survey; one survey should be submitted per CoC. Please refer to the SSVF Special Edition Program Update on April 3rd for additional details. If you have questions, please reach out to Adrienne at adrienne.nashmelendez@va.gov and cc your Regional Coordinator.
Register for the SSVF Educational Series: Landlord Partnerships and Creative Housing Coordination on May 3, 2017 at 2:30 PM EDT
The next SSVF Educational Series will take place on Wednesday, May 3rd at 2:30PM EDT. Stable housing is a critical component to ending Veteran homelessness. This webinar will provide SSVF grantees and community partners with information on landlord partnerships and housing coordination strategies to support their community planning efforts. Presenters will discuss national efforts, system-wide housing coordination, information on leveraging affordable housing resources, and landlord perspectives.
Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.
Register for the SSVF National Webinar May 11, 2017 at 2:00 PM EDT
Topic 1: Overview of the SSVF System Assessment & Improvement Toolkit Topic 2: VHA Services offered to Women Veterans
This webinar will provide an overview of the recently released SSVF System Assessment & Improvement Toolkit. SSVF is one of the primary drivers of local progress toward achieving an end to Veteran homelessness, and SSVF programs are expected to be fully integrated into local community planning efforts. SSVF's unique flexibility and capacity to contribute and lead community planning activities at the local level has created an opportunity for success in every region of the country. The System Assessment & Improvement Toolkit is designed to help providers assess and improve homeless response systems and contains tools and templates to put findings into action.
The second topic will provide an overview of VHA benefits available to Women Veterans and the cultural shift VA has made to improve services and increase access to these resources.
Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar
Additional Guidance on SSVF Eligibility of Homeless Persons that Received a Bad Conduct Discharge (BCD)
On March 15, 2017, a memo from the Deputy under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management was dispatched clarifying Veteran eligibility for the Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) and the Grant and Per Diem (GPD) programs. The memo described the expanded group of Veterans that could be served as a result of Public Law 114-315 and provided a summary of eligibility for these programs based upon discharge type.
As noted in the memo, a homeless person who received a BCD as a result of a special court-martial is eligible for the SSVF and/or GPD programs, and a homeless person who received a BCD as a result of a general court-martial is not eligible for these programs.
We recognize there may be some challenges distinguishing between the two possible sources of a BCD, and are considering ways to facilitate efficient and accurate determinations in this regard. Until then, our guidance is that if the homeless person has documentation showing that their BCD was from a special court martial, then the person would be considered a Veteran for the purposes of the SSVF and/or GPD programs. Otherwise, the person should be referred to local community services until the source of the discharge and thus eligibility can been established.
Integrating Employment Opportunities with Rapid Re-housing Interventions
A new paper from Heartland Alliance's National Initiatives on Poverty & Economic Opportunity makes recommendations for integrating employment opportunities with rapid re-housing interventions. The article has been posted to the SSVF website and can be found at the link below.
https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/
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.
1. Reminder: Community Planning Survey due Wednesday May 3rd
2. Register for the SSVF Educational Series: Landlord Partnerships and Creative Housing Coordination on May 3, 2017 at 2:30PM EDT
3. Register for the SSVF National Webinar May 11, 2017 at 2:00 PM EDT
4. Additional Guidance on SSVF Eligibility of Homeless Persons that Received a Bad Conduct Discharge (BCD)
5. Integrating Employment Opportunities with Rapid Re-housing Interventions
Reminder: Community Planning Survey due Wednesday, May 3rd
This is a reminder that the Community Planning Survey is due next week on May 3rd. The SSVF Program Office is appreciative of all of the work that CoCs, VAMC Homeless Leadership, Vet Work Groups, SSVF, and community partners are doing to obtain a collective response to the survey; one survey should be submitted per CoC. Please refer to the SSVF Special Edition Program Update on April 3rd for additional details. If you have questions, please reach out to Adrienne at adrienne.nashmelendez@va.gov and cc your Regional Coordinator.
Register for the SSVF Educational Series: Landlord Partnerships and Creative Housing Coordination on May 3, 2017 at 2:30 PM EDT
The next SSVF Educational Series will take place on Wednesday, May 3rd at 2:30PM EDT. Stable housing is a critical component to ending Veteran homelessness. This webinar will provide SSVF grantees and community partners with information on landlord partnerships and housing coordination strategies to support their community planning efforts. Presenters will discuss national efforts, system-wide housing coordination, information on leveraging affordable housing resources, and landlord perspectives.
Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.
Register for the SSVF National Webinar May 11, 2017 at 2:00 PM EDT
Topic 1: Overview of the SSVF System Assessment & Improvement Toolkit Topic 2: VHA Services offered to Women Veterans
This webinar will provide an overview of the recently released SSVF System Assessment & Improvement Toolkit. SSVF is one of the primary drivers of local progress toward achieving an end to Veteran homelessness, and SSVF programs are expected to be fully integrated into local community planning efforts. SSVF's unique flexibility and capacity to contribute and lead community planning activities at the local level has created an opportunity for success in every region of the country. The System Assessment & Improvement Toolkit is designed to help providers assess and improve homeless response systems and contains tools and templates to put findings into action.
The second topic will provide an overview of VHA benefits available to Women Veterans and the cultural shift VA has made to improve services and increase access to these resources.
Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar
Additional Guidance on SSVF Eligibility of Homeless Persons that Received a Bad Conduct Discharge (BCD)
On March 15, 2017, a memo from the Deputy under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management was dispatched clarifying Veteran eligibility for the Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) and the Grant and Per Diem (GPD) programs. The memo described the expanded group of Veterans that could be served as a result of Public Law 114-315 and provided a summary of eligibility for these programs based upon discharge type.
As noted in the memo, a homeless person who received a BCD as a result of a special court-martial is eligible for the SSVF and/or GPD programs, and a homeless person who received a BCD as a result of a general court-martial is not eligible for these programs.
We recognize there may be some challenges distinguishing between the two possible sources of a BCD, and are considering ways to facilitate efficient and accurate determinations in this regard. Until then, our guidance is that if the homeless person has documentation showing that their BCD was from a special court martial, then the person would be considered a Veteran for the purposes of the SSVF and/or GPD programs. Otherwise, the person should be referred to local community services until the source of the discharge and thus eligibility can been established.
Integrating Employment Opportunities with Rapid Re-housing Interventions
A new paper from Heartland Alliance's National Initiatives on Poverty & Economic Opportunity makes recommendations for integrating employment opportunities with rapid re-housing interventions. The article has been posted to the SSVF website and can be found at the link below.
https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/
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.