From: SSVF
Sent: Friday, February 26, 2021 7:39 AM
Subject: SSVF Program Update Friday February 26, 2021
Attachments: Temporary Financial Assistance Improves Housing
Outcomes.docx
TOPICS:
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Status of FY 22
Funding
NEW: Temporary Financial Assistance Improves
Homeless Veterans’ Odds of Becoming Stably Housed (document attached)
REGISTER: VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide
Prevention Webinar March 10, 2021 2:00pm EST
REGISTER: SSVF National Webinar: Back to
Basics with Enhanced Supportive Services March 11, 2021 2:00pm EST
REMINDER:
Recordings Now
Available: SSVF National Webinar Series on Race Equity
REMINDER: Time Limits in SSVF Emergency Housing
in Hotels/Motels
SURVEY: We want your feedback!!!
UPDATE: Updated SSVF Fraud Awareness Training
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Status of FY 22 Funding
Applications
submitted in response to the SSVF NOFA published on November 19, 2020 are
currently under review. Award announcements for FY 22 based on the NOFA are
expected sometime in August 2021. You have recently been notified of the most
recent round of supplemental CARES Act funding. This supplemental funding is
unrelated to the NOFA announcement or the awards that will stem from the NOFA.
If you have any questions, please contact your SSVF Regional Coordinator.
NEW:
Temporary Financial Assistance Improves Homeless Veterans’ Odds of Becoming
Stably Housed (document attached)
Programs that
provide financial assistance for housing-related expenses with a goal of
facilitating housing for previously homeless individuals can be an important to
better health outcomes. Since October 2011, VA has partnered with community
organizations to provide housing support and services through the Supportive
Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program. A key component of SSVF is
temporary financial assistance (TFA), which provides funds for rent, utility
payments, security deposits, and other housing-related expenses for Veterans
who have lost – or are at risk of losing – stable housing. Please see
document (attached) for other related information on how Temporary Financial
Assistance Improves Housing outcomes.
REGISTER: VA Office of Mental Health
and Suicide Prevention Webinar: Coordinating Across All Levels of the Continuum
of Mental Health Care- The Role of Veterans Crisis Line with Each of You March 10, 2021 2:00pm EST
The SSVF Program Office would like to
share a learning opportunity regarding the Veterans Crisis Line. The U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
present, Coordinating Across all Levels of the Continuum of Mental Health Care:
Veterans Crisis Line. This live (online) training will provide
participants with a comprehensive overview of the crisis intervention services
provided by the Veterans Crisis Line. Presenters will review caller data,
including Veteran callers’ elevated risks, along with the critical importance
of assisting Veterans with engaging in services after calling the crisis line.
Current researched related to the Veterans Crisis Line will be highlighted as
well as how new evidence-based programs to support callers are being
implemented.
Those interested should follow the link
to create an account with VHA Train and get registered for this event. Course
- VHA TRAIN - an affiliate of the TRAIN Learning Network powered by the Public
Health Foundation
REGISTER: SSVF National Webinar: Back
to Basics with Enhanced Supportive Services
March 11, 2021 2:00pm EST
The SSVF Program Office will be
presenting information about enhanced supportive services for utilization with
Veteran families. This webinar will provide an overview of Rapid
Resolution, Returning Home, Shared Housing and Shallow Subsidy. Each of
these housing service interventions supports rapid movement from homelessness
to housing. In addition to other case management interventions, we know
that a Veteran’s housing preferences, including where they live and who they
live with, can be a determinant in long-term housing success. Grantees
can access information about these four enhanced interventions at: Homeless
Veterans | Core Concepts (va.gov).
Please register for SSVF National Webinar: Back to Basics with Enhanced
Supportive Services on March 11, 2021 2:00pm EST at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8272773179642119435. After registering, you will
receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the
webinar.
REMINDER: Recordings Now
Available: SSVF National Webinar Series on Race Equity
As the SSVF Program Office continues to
provide grantees with information and data regarding race equity, we would like
to remind everyone of the resources currently available. The SSVF Program
Office in partnership with our Technical Assistance Providers have developed
two webinars. These resources provide information and examples of data
analytics at the National Office level as well as grantee examples of race
equity and inclusion efforts. Please note, SSVF Regional Coordinators
will be providing further data analytics directly to grantees in the coming
weeks. Please reference the links below to each of these resources.
SSVF National Webinar: Centering Race
Equity through Data https://youtu.be/JEaaX7EJb0E
SSVF National Webinar: Race Equity and
Inclusion Efforts in SSVF Program https://youtu.be/JytwiubZEFo
REMINDER: Time Limits in SSVF Emergency
Housing in Hotels/Motels
The Program Office reminds all grantees
that the Stafford Act, the Federal disaster declaration that allows for
increased flexibilities in the SSVF programs, is still in effect. This
includes the waiver of the 45-day limit in hotel/motel placements. Limiting
hotel/motel stays to 45-days is now considered general guidance for
planning purposes – it is not policy. While grantees are expected to
develop and complete permanent housing plans for most Veteran households within
that period, there may be times it is necessary to exceed a 45-day Emergency
Housing placement in a hotel/motel. Grantees need to develop housing plans that
are Veteran-centric and respond to the needs of that individual household.
Market conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the challenges in
securing affordable housing, or the specific needs of the household may make
placement within 45-days impractical. Determinations about extended stays
in SSVF supported hotels/motels or possible transfer to another EH setting
should be done through case conferencing and in close coordination with all
parties (See
SSVF February 2021 Case Conferencing Overview).
SURVEY: We want your feedback!!!
The SSVF Website and University has
been the central location for guidance, training materials and information
related to the SSVF Program Office since 2011. SSVF is now exploring options to
rework its website. We are reaching out to SSVF Grantees to learn more about
how they use the site, what they like and do not like about the site, and how
we can improve the sites ability to deliver useful, timely guidance moving
forward. Our goal is to ensure the SSVF website is a relevant destination
to SSVF Grantees and other stakeholders. Please complete the following brief,
anonymous survey as soon as possible to help with our planning: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9YHDZ2M
UPDATE: Updated SSVF Fraud Awareness
Training
SSVF requires all staff to view the
Fraud Awareness Training once each year. The webinar will review the
basics of fraud, prevention, detection, internal controls, conflicts of
interest, integrity, theft and examples of fraud that have occurred within the
SSVF Program. Fraud awareness and prevention is everyone’s responsibility
and training staff, along with having internal discussions on fraud is a
critical part of the SSVF Program. This webinar may be accessed at: https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/ssvf/docs/SSVF_Fraud_Awareness_Training.pdf
Regards,
SSVF
Program Office