This weekly update is targeted
towards the SSVF Grantees and shared with valuable partners for
awareness.
August 4, 2023
NEW: HUD-VASH SSVF Collaborative Case Management Guidance &
Collaborative Agreement Sample Documents Published
REGISTER: SSVF National Webinar: Shallow Subsidy:
Coordination and Operations August 10, 2023, at 2:00pm EST
UPDATE: Customer Satisfaction Survey Update
RESOURCE: Legal Resources
REMINDER: SSVF
Data Office Hours August 18, 2023, 12:00pm EST
REMINDER: Outreach Activities
REMINDER: Determining Veteran Status
NEW:
HUD-VASH SSVF Collaborative Case Management Guidance & Collaborative Agreement
Sample Documents Published
The SSVF
Program Office and the HUD-VASH Program Office have collaboratively developed
written guidance about the development of Collaborative Case Management in
conjunction with the recently released memo. Additionally, a sample
Collaborative Agreement was also developed to support the development of local
coordination efforts between programs. Both of these documents, as well
as the HUD-VASH and SSVF Coordination Memo, are on the Coordination and Planning
page of our website or viewed at:
https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/ssvf/docs/VASH_SSVF_Collaborative_CM_Guidance.pdf
https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/ssvf/docs/SSVF_VASH_Service_Coordination_Agreement.docx
REGISTER: SSVF National Webinar:
Shallow Subsidy: Coordination and Operations August 10, 2023, at 2:00pm
EST
This webinar will review
frequently asked questions regarding SSVF Shallow Subsidy and how this service
fits into SSVF operations. The webinar will also discuss how to raise awareness
of this service and coordination across community partners.
Register in advance for
this webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LkLbQn0ASF28L7p3cNLmFg
After
registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about
joining the webinar.
UPDATE:
Customer Satisfaction Survey Update
The goal of
the Satisfaction Survey is to ensure that Veteran families receiving supportive
services under the SSVF Program are receiving quality services. Each SSVF
Grantee is required to register all household for the SSVF designated
satisfaction survey within 30 days of the participant’s pending exit from the
grantee’s program. Veteran households that are enrolled using the
HUD-VASH or GPD packet and only receive TFA are excluded from the satisfaction
survey registration requirement. If the Veteran is co-enrolled
in SSVF and HUD VASH or GPD and receives services other than one-time TFA, the
Grantee is required to register Veteran household for the satisfaction
survey.
RESOURCE:
Legal Resources
The SSVF
Program Office requires all SSVF grantees ensure access to legal supports for
Veterans. In addition to the recently added Legal agreements or contracts
held by SSVF grantees, the VA also has other legal resources that may address a
Veteran’s legal needs. The link below provide
information and links to additional VA legal services for Veterans.
Legal Help for Veterans - Office
of General Counsel (va.gov)
REMINDER: SSVF Data
Office Hours August 18, 2023, 12:00PM EST
The SSVF Program Office
continues to host monthly SSVF Data Office Hours for SSVF Grantees and their
community partners. Our technical assistance partners with Abt Associates will continue to provide “deep dive” education
and conduct live Q & A about SSVF data requirements. These Office
Hours are a great opportunity for SSVF grantees to grow their data entry and
data quality skills and improve local
processes.
Please register using
the following link: Webinar Registration - Zoom
After registering, you
will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the
webinar.
REMINDER:
Outreach Activities
The SSVF
Program Office would like to remind grantees that outreach is a required
activity. As a core component of the grant, grantees should have a robust
outreach strategy to engage Veterans experiencing or at-risk of
homelessness.
SSVF
grantees should:
·
Ensure
outreach activities cover the full geography and all unsheltered
Veterans are offered a pathway to permanent or interim housing in the near
term.
·
Collaborate
with community partners for street outreach including Coordinated Entry
Outreach Teams, VA Outreach Teams, Law Enforcement, local businesses such as
railroads or gas stations, public services such as street or highway
departments, health departments, bus or train stations, advocacy groups
including domestic violence providers, organizations specifically focused on
supporting marginalized groups
·
Strongly
consider hiring in-house or elevating existing the employment of peer
specialists in outreach settings and across program operations; ensure
outreach personnel include Veterans who have had similar experiences to those
for whom Services are designed to support
·
Provide
access to training in trauma-informed, culturally responsive outreach and
engagement strategies, including Rapid Resolution approaches, motivational
interviewing and implicit bias
REMINDER: Determining Veteran Status
SSVF grantees may serve
clients who only had service time in Basic Training. Please be aware
that the HMIS definition of Veteran requires a day of active duty beyond
training, but this is not a requirement for all VA Homeless Program
eligibility.
For HMIS purposes,
Veteran Status should be ‘Yes’ for anyone who has ever been on full-time active
duty in the armed forces of the United States, regardless of length of service,
excluding anyone who received a dishonorable discharge from the Armed Forces or
was discharged or dismissed from the Armed Forces by reason of the sentence of
a general court-martial.
For members of the active
military, naval, air, or space service:
·
Active duty begins when
a military member reports to a duty station after completion of training,
·
Includes any period of active
duty for training during which a person is disabled or dies from a disease
or injury incurred or aggravated in the line of duty,
·
Includes a period of inactive
duty for training during which the individual concerned was disabled or
died from an injury incurred or aggravated in line of duty or from an acute
myocardial infarction, a cardiac arrest, or a cerebrovascular accident
occurring during such training.
For members of the Reserves
and National Guard, active duty is:
·
Reservist activation or
deployment, either within the United States or abroad under Active Duty as
defined in section 101(d)(1) of Title 10 USC (12304, 12302, or 12301a); or
·
Members of the Reserves
who are active duty for training (ACDUTRA) only; or
·
National Guard called
to active service authorized by State or Federal authority under Title 32 USC;
or
·
National Guard called
to active duty under Title 10; or
·
Anyone who was disabled
in the line of duty during a period of active-duty training; or
·
Anyone who was disabled
from an injury incurred in the line of duty or from an acute myocardial
infarction, a cardiac arrest, or a cerebrovascular accident during a period of
inactive duty training.
Veteran Status should
be ‘No’ for anyone who has not been on active duty, including:
·
Individuals who
attended basic training, officer training school, and/or technical training but
were discharged before reporting to a duty station.
·
Members of the National
Guard who are active duty for training (ACDUTRA) only.
·
Members of the Reserves
or National Guard who were never activated or deployed as described above.
Due to the complexity in
the definition of active military service, it is important to have a strong
level of communication with your local VA Medical Center to verify if a
potential participant has active military service and to verify their type of
discharge.