From: SSVF
Sent: Friday, April 23, 2021 8:42 AM
Subject: SSVF Program Update Friday April 23, 2021
Attachments: MACA Survey Questions.pdf; SSVF Program Guide March 2021
Revisions .pdf; Feeding Pets of the Homeless Policy for Emergency Veterinary
Care rev 3.24.2021MASTER.pdf; Homeless Flyer.pdf
TOPICS:
ACTION
NEEDED: SmartSimple Grant
Contacts Review & Updates
ACTION
NEEDED: SSVF
Modified Costs Allocation Approach (MACA) Survey due: May 6, 2021 (PDF
attached)
UPDATE: SSVF Program Guide Updated March 2021
(PDF attached)
RESOURCE: Feeding Pets of the Homeless (2 PDFs
attached)
GOOD NEWS: “Permanent and Lasting Change”
ACTION
NEEDED: SmartSimple Grant Contact Review & Updates
In order for
Grantees to receive communications from the SSVF Program Office, contacts will
need to be added to at least the FY2021 approved grant award in SmartSimple.
Please take time to review the pre-recorded webinar titled: “SmartSimple
Grants Management System: Adding Contacts to Grant Awards” which
explains how to add contacts to your current grant awards.
Note: Contacts are added in the Grant
file NOT the Organization file. Grant account owners will need to first
add themselves as a Grant Contact and then may send invitations to others, with
designated roles. If you have any questions, please contact your
Regional Coordinator. Access to the webinar:“SmartSimple Grants
Management System: Adding Contacts to Grant Awards” is found here: https://youtu.be/oeCt3TuABgY.
ACTION
NEEDED: SSVF
Modified Costs Allocation Approach (MACA) Survey due: May 6, 2021
As the SSVF
Program Office has offered the opportunity for Grantees to transition to a new
method to account for administrative costs using Modified Costs Allocation
Approach (MACA), we would like to provide Grantees with an opportunity to
provide feedback on this very important and critical process. The SSVF
Compliance Office is requesting that each Grantee complete the MACA Survey to
provide feedback on the MACA process thus far and any recommendations for the
remainder of the roll out. The survey is specifically designed for the
Finance staff that oversee the administrative costs section of the SSVF
budget. The questions are attached and the survey may be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K5BHGKW.
Only one survey should be completed per Grantee and are due by: May 6,
2021. If you have any questions, please email Rico Aiello, SSVF
Compliance at: Riccardo.aiello@va.gov
UPDATE:
SSVF Program Guide Updated March 2021
The SSVF
Program Guide has been updated as of March 1, 2021. The main changes are
provided in the attached summary, and in Exhibit I of the document. It is
highly recommended that Grantees review the complete guide and share with SSVF
staff. The new Program Guide is available on the SSVF website at: https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/ssvf/docs/SSVF_Program_Guide.pdf
RESOURCE:
Feeding Pets of the Homeless (2 PDFs attached)
Feeding Pets
of the Homeless is a valuable resource to assist Veterans experiencing
homelessness who have pets. Any Veteran who is homeless and unable to afford
their pet’s emergency veterinary care is eligible for free assistance AND
they are now offering assistance to Veterans within the HUD-VASH program for
the next 6 months to determine if they will have the bandwidth to continue
these efforts for HUD-VASH Veterans long-term. The only requirement is
that the Veteran’s HUD-VASH case managers will need to verify that the Veteran
is in the HUD-VASH program. Please share widely with Homeless program
staff and Veterans in your programs.
Feeding
Pets of the Homeless® is a national non-profit organization, and their goal
is to help the pets of homeless individuals & families by providing free
assistance within these four programs:
The flyer for
the program may be printed and placed in your common areas or have available
for the Veterans who come in for assistance. Please read the attached
Policies and Procedures to be sure everyone follows the required intake
process. Veterans and/or Homeless Program staff may contact Feeding
Pets of the Homeless M-F 9am-3pm (PST) at (775) 841-7463 for
further assistance & information.
GOOD
NEWS: “Permanent and Lasting Change”
The SSVF
Program Office is pleased to highlight the following success story from SSVF
Grantee, The Opportunity House, in Reading, Pennsylvania.
“I wanted to
see the world,” said Thomas, a former jet mechanic when asked why he joined the
Air Force. His travels started with school in Illinois and then he was
stationed at Travis Air Force base in California. He honed his skills
working on 141 and C5 planes. He was stationed in Kadena Air Force Base
in Okinawa, Japan. While stationed there he was able to fulfill his dream of
seeing the world by travelling to Australia, New Zealand, Korea and the
Philippines. Leaving the Air Force also meant he gave up his career as a jet
mechanic. He began a long career in the construction industry when tough times
hit. Facing eviction, his brother, a fellow veteran encouraged him to
reach out to Victoria Spitler, Case Manager for the Supportive Services for
Veteran Families (SSVF) in Schuylkill County, PA. His brother, William, had
worked with her when he was experiencing homelessness. “She helped me get
back on my feet,” he noted and now advocates for the program. “Do it, ask
for help. It’s what you need to do,” he advises other Veterans. Through
the program, Thomas was able to get connected to the VA Healthcare Services in
Lebanon, PA to address his health concerns. Victoria was instrumental in making
that happen. Case management means that clients are never alone in the
process. “Victoria called every week. She cared about me,” he added.
It’s that care and compassion that makes a difference. By providing
on-going support, Thomas is taking steps in the right direction for permanent
and last change.
Regards,
SSVF Program
Office