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:

http://usich.gov/action/what-it-means-to-end-homelessness/criteria-for-achieving-the-goal-of-ending-veteran-homelessness

 

 

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.