Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System Homeless Program Al Hernandez, MSW, LCSW

Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System

Homeless Program

Al Hernandez, MSW, LCSW

Today’s Agenda

• Prevalence and risk of homelessness among Veterans

• President Obama and VA Secretary Shinseki’s goal to end homelessness among Veterans by 2015

• Transitional and permanent housing programs for Veterans

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Prevalence and risk of homelessness among Veterans

Why are Veterans Homeless?

• Shortage of affordable housing

• Underemployed or unemployed

• Some military occupations aren’t always transferable to the civilian

workforce

• Mental Health issues

• Substance Abuse issues

• Lack of family support networks

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Plan to End Homelessness Among Veterans

• The President and Secretary are committed to ending homelessness among Veterans.

• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking decisive action toward its goal of ending homelessness among our nation’s Veterans.

• To achieve this goal VA has developed the Plan to End Homelessness Among Veterans.

• VA is committed to eliminating homelessness among Veterans by 2015;

this initiative sets the elimination of homelessness as the goal in order to

energize government agencies to do all they can. Anything short of that

goal is unacceptable.

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• One of the Secretary’s highest priorities

• A Veteran-centric “no wrong door” approach

• Right-size existing programs and services and develop new initiatives that promotes transformation efforts and optimize the six integrated pillars of VA’s Plan:

1. Community Partnerships

2. Outreach/Education

3. Prevention Services

4. Treatment Services

5. Housing/Supportive Services

6. Income/Employment/Benefits

VA’s Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness Among Veterans

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Community Partnerships Outreach / Education

VA and the following agencies have formed a task force to end

chronic homelessness among Veterans in Salt Lake County:

• The Road Home Shelter

• State Community Services Office

• Volunteers of America

• Housing Authority of Salt Lake City

• Housing Authority of the County of Salt Lake

• Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

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VA is also partnering with the following agencies to end

homelessness among Veterans throughout the state of Utah:

• St.Anne’s Shelter

• Ogden Rescue Mission

• Dixie Care and Share Shelter

• Iron County Care and Share Shelter

• Homeless Veterans Fellowship

• Ark of Little Cottonwood

• First Step House

• Catholic Community Services 7


VA is involved in the following outreach:

• Shelters

• Encampments / viaducts in partnership with VOA

• Panhandling program (HOST) in partnership with SLC Police Dept

• SLC Police Mobile Command Center

• Jails

• Prisons

• SLC Library

• Homeless Day Centers

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Continued…..

• State Homeless Coordinating Committee

• Local Homeless Coordinating Committees

• Directors Committee on Preventing and Eliminating Veteran

Homelessness

• VA Medical Units

• VA Psychiatric Unit

• VA Substance Abuse Unit

• National Call Center for Homeless Veterans

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VASLCHCS: Male: 93.9%, Female: 6.1%

VASLCHCS: <25: .6% 25-34: 10.3%, 35-44: 15%, 44-54: 29.7%, 55-64: 36.4%, >65: 8.1%

12VASLCHCS: 2012 Serious Medical Problems Reported: 76.7%

VASLCHCS: Serious Psyc Dx: 75.3%, Any SA Dx: 56.7%, Dual Dx: 45.8%, Serious Psyc or SA DX: 86.1%, Past Psyc Hospitalization: 46.9%

Treatment Programs / Housing

VASLCHCS Homeless Program is comprised of a multidisciplinary clinical team of professionals.

• Licensed Clinical Social Workers • Certified Social Workers• Psychologist• Registered Nurse • Mental Health Associate• Peer Support Provider• Vocational Development Specialist• Program Support Assistant

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Psychosocial Assessment• Chief Complaint:• Living Situation:• Educational/Financial/Work History:• Support System:• Religious, Spiritual, or Cultural Views: • Developmental History:• Sexual Orientation and Functioning:• Legal History: • Medical History: • Substance Abuse History:• Psychiatric History:• Assessment/Diagnosis:• Mental Status:• Multiaxial Assessment:• Plan:• Clinical Reminder Activity: 16


• Housing and Urban Development and Veterans

Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program

• Grant & Per Diem (GPD) Program

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Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs Supportive

Housing (HUD-VASH) Program provides supportive services and

permanent supportive housing for homeless Veterans who require

these supports to live independently. VA and HUD currently provide

funding for 350 vouchers to five housing authorities:

• Housing Authority of Salt Lake City: 155 vouchers

• Housing Authority of the County of Salt Lake: 140 vouchers

• Housing Authority of the City of Ogden: 30 vouchers

• Housing Authority of St.George: 10 vouchers

• Housing Authority of the City of Pocatello: 15 vouchers18

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HUD-VASH “Chronic” PrioritizationThe term `chronically homeless' means, with respect to an individual or family, that the individual or family—

(i) is homeless and lives or resides in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, or in an emergency shelter;

(ii) has been homeless and living or residing in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, or in an emergency shelter continuously for at least 1 year or on at least 4 separate occasions in the last 3 years; and

(iii) has an adult head of household (or a minor head of household if no adult is

present in the household) with a diagnosable substance use disorder, serious mental illness, developmental disability, post traumatic stress disorder, cognitive impairments resulting from a brain injury, or chronic physical illness or disability, including the co-occurrence of 2 or more of those conditions.

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Grant and Per Diem (GPD) residential treatment

programs provide supportive services and

transitional housing to homeless Veterans struggling

with issues pertaining to physical health, mental health,

substance abuse, and other socioeconomic problems.

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Supportive Services may include:

• Mental Health Treatment

• Substance Abuse Services

• Case Management Services

• Assistance with obtaining benefits

• Health Care

• Nutritional Advice

• Assistance with obtaining permanent housing

• Vocational Assistance

• Recreation Therapy

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Grant & Per Diem Program Regulations:

– Veterans must be provided a clean and sober environment.

– Residential supervision must be provided 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

– Veterans are required to engage in case management and other supportive services.

– Each quarter the GPD-funded program is required to provide a technical performance report of how they have met the goals and objectives as stated in the original grant proposal.

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VASLCHCS Homeless Program currently provides clinical

oversight and funding for the daily operations of 244 GPD

beds/units that are operated by four community-based

agencies.

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Housing Authority of Salt Lake City: • Freedom Landing: 61 beds/units• Sunrise Metro Apartments: 20 beds/units• Valor Apartments: 13 beds/units • Valor House: 72 beds/units

Homeless Veterans Fellowship: 40 beds/units

Catholic Community Services: • St.Mary’s Center for Recovery: 20 beds/units

First Step House: 18 beds/units

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FY12 - Average Length of GPD Episode

• 288 days or 9.6 months

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Where do Veterans live after discharge from GPD?• Senior Housing - affordable housing option but you must be of a certain

age or be disabled

• Tax Credit Properties - affordable housing units set aside for those who meet low income criteria

• Property Management Groups – agencies that may be able to help you find a rental in a particular area, or under a certain price range

• Rental Finders - agencies that may be able to help you find more affordable housing units that are specific to your needs for a small fee

• Single Room Occupancies and Hotels - multiple-tenant building that houses one or two people in individual rooms

• Housing Websites – KSL, Craigslist, Housing Authorities, etc

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Documents

Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System Homeless Program Al Hernandez, MSW, LCSW