Peer Housing Location Assistance Group (PHLAG)

Description of the Program

Finding permanent housing with enough support to avoid relapsing into homelessness is a daunting problem for homeless veterans. VA Homeless Veteran programs served 63,283 veterans in FY 2004, but only 45% had an apartment, room, or house at discharge. In response, the VA Central Office (VACO) has funded a pilot project called Peer Housing Location Assistance Group (PHLAG) from FY2006 to FY2008. The PHLAG pilot program is developed from a successful program developed by Carol Klein at the Boston Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) which empowers veterans through a peer-assisted permanent housing assistance group.

PHLAG's underlying philosophy is consistent with SAMHSA's 10 fundamental components of recovery*. At each pilot site, PHLAG is staffed by a Social Worker and a Peer Support Technician who work together with the goal of assisting the Veterans to take responsibility and initiative to choose, apply for, and obtain permanent housing, as described by its 12 core components. Veterans participating in PHLAG will assist and support each other in the housing process through a weekly facilitated group and informal contacts between group meetings.

Implementation and Evaluation of the Program

This pilot is being implemented in 6 VA facilities across the US: 3 are Domiciliary settings (Hudson Valley, NY, Los Angeles, CA and Martinsburg, WV) and 3 are HCHV sites (Dallas, TX, NY Harbor, NY, and Walla Walla, WA). The VISN 5 MIRECC is assisting VACO in the implementation and conducting the evaluation of this pilot.

Obtaining Housing Resources

• Sample Flyers/Forms
  
  
  • Generic PHLAG Weekly Meeting flyer
    
    
  • Generic PHLAG Information flyer
    
    
  • Housing Plan of Action
    
    
  • Housing Search Log
    
    
  • Landlord's Request for References
    
    
  • Specific PHLAG Site Informational Flyers and Brochures
    
    
    • Martinsburg PHLAG Brochure
      
      
• Links
  
  
  • Dealing with Identity Theft
    
    
  • Dealing with Federal Student Loans
    
    
  • Ending Homelessness Among Veterans Through Permanent Supportive Housing*
    
    
  • Free Credit Reports
    
    
  • Issues in the First Year
    
    
  • Making the Transition to Permanent Housing*
    
    
  • Motivational Interviewing
    
    
  • Screening and Eviction*
    
    
  • Violence Against Women Act of 2005*
    
    

• Peer Support Programs Overview
  
  
• Peer Support Technician Position Descriptions
  
  
  • Health Technician, GS-640-5
    
    
  • Health Technician, GS-640-6
    
    
• Certified Peer Specialist Training Program Descriptions*
  
  
• Evaluation of the DBSA Peer Support Certification Training Program*
  
  
• Mental Health Recovery HOPE Website*
  
  
• National Empowerment Center*
  
  
• National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearing House*
  
  
• Peer-to-Peer Resource Center*
  
  
• Veteran Recovery Peer Support/Peer Education*
  
  
• VISN 5 Mental Health Recovery
  
  
  

PHLAG Evaluation Data Forms

• Veteran Contact/Locator Information
  
  
• Intake Data Form (PHIN)
  
  
• Interim Assessment (PHIA)
  
  
• Discharge Form (PHDI)
  
  
• Satisfaction Questionnaire (PHsat)
  
  
• Six Month Follow Up Form (PH6)
  
  
• Weekly Participation Log
  
  
• Monthly Fidelity Report (PHFID)
  
  

*Please note: You are now leaving the Department of Veterans Affairs Website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked website.

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