From:                              SSVF

Sent:                               Friday, October 30, 2015 8:41 AM

Subject:                          SSVF Program Updates October 30, 2015

Attachments:                 FY2015 SSVF Summary Program Information.pdf

 

Importance:                   High

 

Topics:

 

1.     FY2015 SSVF Program Summary Information

2.     Save the Date for the SSVF National Webinar on Suicide Prevention:  November 19, 2015

3.     FY2015 Quarterly Report Submission and Grant Close Out (Important Information Regarding Financial Status Reports in HHS)

4.     Extended due Date for November Updates to Community Plans:  November 16, 2015

5.     SOAR Webinar on Traumatic Brain Injury:  November 12, 2015

6.     Resource:  HUD’s Coordinated Entry Resource Page

 

1.  FY2015 SSVF Program Summary Information

 

Over the past year, SSVF has given aid to over 157,000 Veterans and their families, which includes over 34,000 children. This represents an increase of more than 34,000 people over last year and this achievement has occurred even while grantees have placed greater focus on the hardest to serve, literally homeless households. In fact, the entire increase of those served over the past year, are due to gains in rapidly re-housing the most vulnerable Veteran households. The program office will be preparing a more detailed analysis of FY 2015 outcomes which will be shared on a future webinar. Thank you for your continued efforts in this life saving work!

 

Please see attached PDF

 

2.   Save the Date for the SSVF National Webinar:   November 19, 2015

 

This training will become part of the SSVF University’s required training for new staff under “Staff Development”.

 

Title:   VA’s Suicide Prevention Overview: The Power of 1

 

Date:  November 19, 2015

 

Time: 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM EDT

Description: This presentation will be divided into two parts:

Part 1: Overview of VA's efforts related to suicide prevention and the resources available to Veterans who may be in crisis or having thoughts of suicide to be presented by Dr. Caitlin Thompson, VA's Deputy Director for Suicide Prevention

Part 2: Overview of Critical Incidents received by SSVF and guidance for submitting Critical Incidents

Link for Registration to follow

 

3.  FY2015 Quarterly Report Submission

 

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 FY2015, 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. 

 

IMPORTANT:  Grantees may have received an email from HHS indicating that Financial Status Reports (FSRs) are due by October 30, 2015.  This is incorrect.  The HHS Payment Management System has just activated all FSR reports for grants with terms that ended 09/30/2015.  However, the deadline for these reports will coincide with the final Quarterly Report deadlines noted above.  The close out and FSR instructions will be released to grantees next week and more details about timelines will be included. 

 

4.  Extended Due Date for November Updates to Community Plans:  November 16, 2015

 

Thanks to all communities for submitting the September updates on community plans.    For the November update, we are asking all communities to submit the completed Excel version of the Community Plan.

 

 

The SSVF Program will be contacting all communities who do not have a completed September plan submitted. If a Community is submitting a plan for the first time, a complete toolkit is required.

     

5.  SOAR Webinar on November 12th:  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

 

6.  Resource:  HUD’s Coordinated Entry Resource Page

 

HUD has developed a dedicated coordinated entry resource link Resources cover the range of Continuum of Care (CoC) responsibilities and duties, including CoC governance and structure, system operations and planning, designating and operating the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), and designing a coordinated entry system. These resources also address the CoC’s responsibilities for preparing and submitting the annual application to HUD for funding, and there is a section specifically for Collaborative Applicants with or seeking a designation as a Unified Funding Agency.  Resource may be found at:


https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/coc/toolkit/responsibilities-and-duties/

 

 

Thank you,

 

 

SSVF Program Office