From: SSVF
Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2015
1:32 PM
Subject: SSVF Program Updates October
22, 2015
Importance: High
Topics
1.
FY2016
Grant Agreement Resolutions (Update)
2.
FY2015
Quarterly Performance Reporting Deadlines: IMPORTANT
3.
USICH
Webinar on October 29, 2015: Understanding the Criteria and Benchmarks for
Ending Veteran Homelessness
4.
SOAR
Webinar on November 12, 2015: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
5.
Announcement:
HUD and VA Launch New Demonstration to Provide Permanent Homes for Native
American Veterans Experiencing Homelessness
FY2016 Grant Agreement
Resolutions (Update)
At this time, 91% of grantees
have submitted SSVF Resolutions within the online grants management
system. Thank you for supporting this new process! The SSVF Program
Office has activated all HHS Payment Management System accounts for those
grantees whose budget submission align with the awarded amount. GRANTEES
NEED NOT AWAIT ADDITIONAL CORRESPONDENCE APPROVING THE RESOLUTION SUBMISSION.
The thorough review of all Resolutions is currently underway. Should this
review result in any questions or a need for clarification, the SSVF Program
Office will notify the contact person identified within that grant. There
is no need to delay implementation of services, as renewal awards are expected
to have little to no variance from last year’s grant term.
· There are a small number of grantees who either have not submitted a Resolution or continue to submit errors within the budget. These grantees have already been notified by the SSVF Program Office will receive additional correspondence from an SSVF representative in order to ensure that these submissions are revised and able to be accepted.
· There are a small number of grantees who experienced a combination of 2 or more grant programs in FY2016. The SSVF Program Office will reach out to these grantees upon completion of the Resolution review in order to support a smooth program integration and discuss any issues with the geography, projections, and other program targets for this grant term.
It is anticipated that the
Resolution review will be completed by Friday, October 30, 2015. At this
time, the SSVF Program Office will begin the electronic distribution of the
signed agreements between grantees and the VA.
FY2015 Quarterly
Performance Reports: IMPORTANT
The SSVF Program Office
continues to implement the grants management tool for processing grantee
reports and requirements. Reports are no longer to be submitted to the SSVF
Regional Coordinator. The primary and secondary points of contact designated to
each grant have received an email notification, as well as the SSVF
grants management system account holder (some grantees may identify the same
contact under these roles and could receive duplicate messages, but we will do
this to ensure all contacts receive this information). Grantees may
determine who is best suited to submit the reports. Again, transferring
accounts is an option once logged in to the system. Existing users may
log in to their account using the following
https://www.grantrequest.com/SID_2115 .
QPR forms have not changed,
only the process to submit. Each grantee must submit two files:
1. Quarterly Progress Report - Template and Companion Guide at http://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/index.asp?page=/official_guide/reporting_and_monitoring_requirements)
2. Quarterly Financial Report that is customized to your grant's approved budget. Please ensure that you use your latest version, which would have your 3rd quarter data and any subsequent approved program change.
Deadlines for submission:
· November 21, 2015 – Grantees without extension of FY2015 renewal award
· December 15, 2015 – Grantees with extension of FY2015 renewal award
With the final
QPR submission for FY15 comes the end of year close. The SSVF Program Office
will also utilize the online grants management system to notify grantees of
close out certification, which will include the final expenditures for the
grant and the instructions for completing the Federal Financial Report (FFR)
within the HHS Payment Management System.
USICH Webinar on
October 29th: Understanding the Criteria and Benchmarks for
Ending Veteran Homelessness
USICH
will conduct a webinar to discuss the criteria and
how to align it with your local efforts in support of that vision, with a focus
on long-term, lasting solutions. They will also talk about the Federal process
for confirming your community's achievement of the goal.
Presenters:
·
Richard Cho, Deputy
Director, U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness
·
Marcy Thompson,
Senior Advisor, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs,
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
·
Keith Harris,
National Director of Clinical Operations, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
·
Anthony Love, Senior
Advisor and Director of Community Engagement for the Veterans Health
Administration Homeless Programs, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Registration for webinar is available at
the following link
Understanding
the Criteria and Benchmarks for Ending Veteran Homelessness
October 29, 3:00-4:00 p.m.
View the
Criteria and Benchmarks:
SOAR
Webinar on November 14th: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
SSI/SSDI
Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) Webinar: Traumatic Brain Injury
Thursday, November 12, 2015
3:00pm – 4:30pm EDT
Please join the SAMHSA SOAR
TA Center for an informational webinar on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the
context of representing the SOAR applicant with the Social Security
Administration (SSA). In recent years, SOAR practitioners have seen an increase
in Veterans with a TBI, a common medical impairment among this population.
This webinar will educate the
SOAR practitioner about the presence of TBI among returning service members, as
well as individuals who are experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. Often, the
hidden presence of a TBI makes it difficult to engage successfully in services
and live/work independently in the community.
You will learn how to
recognize the signs and symptoms of TBI and its’ effects on functioning.
Division of Disability Determination Services (DDS) staff will explain how
SSA’s Listings of Impairments are used to evaluate TBI and share tips on
documenting TBI. Even if your practice does not including service to Veterans,
the webinar will give you the knowledge to represent other populations
experiencing a Traumatic Brain Injury.
Speakers:
· Anastasia B. Edmonston, MS CRC, Traumatic Brain Injury Trainer, Maryland Behavioral Health Administration, MA
· E. Caroline Mason, Medical Relations Director, Maryland Disability Determination Services, MD
· Dr. Lynda Payne, PhD, Medical Doctor of Psychiatry, Maryland Disability Determination Services, MD
Intended Audience: SOAR
practitioners, SOAR State Leads, SOAR Local Leads, SOAR SSVF practitioners, VA
social workers
To register, click here: http://soarworks.prainc.com/article/soar-webinar-TBI
Announcement: HUD and
VA Launch New Demonstration to Provide Permanent Homes for Native American
Veterans Experiencing Homelessness
WASHINGTON – For the first
time ever, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are launching a demonstration program
to offer a permanent home and supportive services to Native American Veterans
who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. The Tribal HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive
Housing (Tribal HUD-VASH) Program will combine $4 million in rental assistance from HUD with
case management and clinical services provided by VA to serve approximately 600
Native American Veterans.
HUD Secretary Julián Castro announced this
new demonstration program during a speech to the 72ndAnnual
Convention of the National Congress of American Indians in San Diego.
“Today, we open a new door of opportunity
for our Native American Veterans who have worn our nation’s uniform but who
need our help,” said Castro. “The evidence is clear that by offering permanent
housing solutions, combined with needed services and case management, we can
end homelessness.”
HUD is inviting 30 eligible tribes to seek
Tribal HUD-VASH vouchers to help house and serve an estimated 600 Native
American Veterans who are currently experiencing homelessness or at extreme
risk of becoming homeless. Read HUD’s notice published today.
Since 2008, more than 79,000 vouchers have
been awarded and approximately 90,000 homeless Veterans have been served
through the broader HUD-VASH program. Rental assistance and supportive services
provided through HUD-VASH are a critical resource for local communities in
ending homelessness among our nation’s Veterans. This year, Congress authorized
funding for a demonstration program in order to expand the HUD-VASH program
into Indian Country and directed HUD to coordinate with Indian tribes, tribally
designated housing entities (TDHEs), and other appropriate tribal organizations
on the design of this program, and to ensure the effective delivery of housing
assistance and supportive services to eligible Native American Veterans.
The Tribal HUD-VASH Program will
provide rental assistance and supportive services to Native American Veterans
that are Homeless or at risk of Homelessness living on or near a reservation or
other Indian areas. HUD is making available $4 million in grant funding to
Indian tribes and TDHEs to fund this rental assistance and associated
administrative fees. Indian tribes and TDHEs participating in this program must
partner with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide healthcare
assistance to eligible Native American Veterans.