From: SSVF
Subject: SSVF Program Update December 22, 2016
Attachments: 314 Rights Management Services 11012016.pdf; RMS Guide
12-19-16.pdf
1. NEW: Critical Incident Reporting
Process for Submitting Reports to the SSVF Program Office
2. NEW: Calendar of Events on SSVF
Website
3. NEW:
SSVF National Webinar Schedule Change for 2017
4. New Law Addressing Eligibility: H.R.6416 - Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal
Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016
5. National Guidance for Rights
Management Services (RMS) for Non-VA Email Correspondence
6. FY 17 SSVF SOAR and Legal
Survey: *Deadline Extended to Friday,
January 6, 2016*
7. HUD-VASH and SSVF Referral Packet
(RRH Only)
8. Reminder: SSVF NOFA applications are
due February 3, 2017 at 4pm EST!
NEW: Critical
Incident Reporting Process for Submitting Reports to the SSVF Program Office
The SSVF Program
Office has implemented a new process for submitting Critical Incidents. All Critical Incidents will be reported to
the SSVF Program Office using the SSVF online grants management system
(GIFTS). Grantees will find the Critical
Incident Template in their GIFTS account portal as an active Requirement,
titled SSVF Critical Incident Form.
Please complete and submit the form, as needed. The SSVF Program Office will provide a new,
blank form for future use. The SSVF
Program Office is requiring Grantees to submit only the most serious Critical
Incidents including Veteran Suicides, Veteran involved Homicides, Staff
Improprieties, and serious incidents that receive media attention. Grantees must continue to follow their own
internal policies and procedures for all Critical Incidents, including those
incidents that do not require submission to the SSVF Program Office. The Critical Incident user guide has been
posted to the SSVF website and can be found using the link below.
NEW: Calendar of
Events on SSVF Website
The SSVF Program
Office has developed an Events Calendar, now available on the SSVF
Website. The calendar includes key dates
for Reporting Deadlines, Data uploading, program changes and webinars. The Event Calendar may be accessed by the
link below
https://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/?page=/home/event_calendar
NEW: SSVF National Webinar Schedule Change for
2017
Beginning
January 2017, the SSVF National Webinars will now occur the second Thursday of
each month. Note this is a change from
the formerly scheduled third Thursday.
The time of the Webinar will not change.
It will continue to be from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM Eastern.
Please Save the
Date for the next Webinar on January 12th 2017, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM.
New Law
Addressing Eligibility: H.R.6416 - Jeff
Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act
of 2016
This
legislation, signed into law on December 16, 2016, establishes that current
eligibility standards used to serve Veterans in SSVF and GPD are codified into
law. For SSVF and GPD, this confirms that Veteran eligibility is defined as per
38 CFR 62, Veteran means a person who served in the active military, naval,
or, air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions
other than dishonorable
National
Guidance for Rights Management Services (RMS) for Non-VA Email Correspondence
VA has issued
national guidance confirming that Rights Management Services (RMS) is approved
email encryption for correspondence between VA and non-VA partners. RMS is an Outlook security tool that allows
for the encryption of sensitive but unclassified information for secure email
transmission. This encryption protects
both email content and attachments. An
overview of RMS and the RMS guide are posted on the SSVF Website:
http://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/index.asp?page=/ssvf_university/community_coordination_and_plans
FY 17 SSVF SOAR
and Legal Survey: *Deadline Extended to
Friday, January 6, 2016* The new SOAR & Legal Survey aims to provide a more
in-depth picture of how SSVF grantees are utilizing the SSI/SSDI Outreach,
Access, and Recovery (SOAR) model and legal services to connect Veterans and
their families with Social Security disability benefits, when eligible. It
builds on the individual SOAR and legal surveys released by the SSVF Program
Office in prior fiscal years to document the progress of community
collaborations in increasing access to mainstream benefits and can lead to
further efforts in establishing technical assistance with specific communities
based upon their stated needs.
Survey Goals:
Obtain an update on SOAR model and
legal service utilization among SSVF grantees
Document grantee success in
increasing access to SSI/SSDI using SOAR
Document success resolving legal
cases via direct SSVF provision of legal services
Assess future SOAR training needs
Determine barriers to SOAR and
legal service implementation and technical assistance needs
How to
submit: Similar to the previous survey
the SSVF Program Office can only accept one survey submission per grant
award. Do not access the survey link
unless you are designated to complete the survey and are ready to submit your
answers. The survey link is contained in the November 2016 SOAR & Legal
Survey Companion Guide, available on the SSVF Website at:
http://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/index.asp?page=/official_guide/reporting_and_monitoring_requirements
Tools: The SSVF
Program Office has prepared several materials to assist with this process:
These tools are also available on the SSVF Website.
1. Companion Guide (pdf)
This guide provides an in-depth
description of each question, the question format, and response options and
should be used as grantees are preparing their responses.
2. Blank Survey Question Document (Word
document)
This document includes each
question and the responses. It is expected that grantees use this as a
worksheet to prepare their answers prior to accessing the Survey Monkey link.
This way, grantees will have a copy of what they submitted and it should
streamline the process for entering data into the survey, since the survey
software does not allow users to save drafts of the survey or to save a copy of
the final submission.
Survey
Deadline: All survey responses must be
submitted no later than Friday, January 6, 2016 (deadline extended).
HUD-VASH and
SSVF Referral Packet (RRH Only)
The HUD-VASH and
SSVF Referral Packet (RRH Only) was presented during the SSVF National Webinar
October 20, 2016. The Program Office
appreciates the work SSVF grantees and their HUD-VASH partners have done to
have discussions about how the toolkit will be used in their communities. This
is a joint initiative between the SSVF and HUD-VASH National Program Offices.
The packet is required effective December 1, 2016.
Please note that
the referral packet was updated to include a supplemental HMIS data section to
assist with collecting the required HMIS data elements for SSVF grantees. The
latest HUD-VASH Referral Packet and HUD-VASH Referral Packet FAQ document can
be found at:
http://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/index.asp?page=/official_guide/forms
Reminder: SSVF
NOFA applications are due February 3, 2017 at 4pm EST!
Finally, we
would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Thank you,
SSVF Program
Office
NOTE: If you are receiving this email in error,
please disregard. We request your
patience as the SSVF Program Office continues to address system issues with the
grants management database.