From: SSVF
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2021
12:49 PM
Subject: SSVF Program Update Friday
March 12, 2021
Attachments: SSVF & GPD
Co-Enrollment Considerations and Guidance .pdf; REQUEST FOR AND AUTHORIZATION
TO RELEASE HEALTH INFORMATION.pdf; CONSENT FOR PRODUCTION AND USE OF VERBAL OR
WRITTEN STATEMENTS.pdf
TOPICS:
NEW: Newly Published VA Memo -
Protocol for Placing Homeless Veterans in Emergency Housing
NEW: SmartSimple Grants Management System:
Adding Contacts to Grant Awards pre-recorded webinar
NEW: SSVF and GPD Transitional Housing
Co-Enrollment Guidance and Considerations during COVID-19 (PDF attached)
REGISTER:
VA’s National Center
on Homelessness and VA’s Office of Rural Health Present: Information Regarding
Serving Veterans Experiencing Homelessness or Unstable Housing in Rural Areas
REGISTER: SSVF Office Hour March 19th at 12pm
EST: Vaccine Coordination and Tracking, Emergency Housing, Equity Resources and
Emergency Rental Assistance Program
RESOURCE: SSVF Compliance Corner- Weekly Review
of Commonly Asked Compliance Questions
RESOURCE: Free Tax Prep for Veterans,
Military & Families
TOPIC: Recruitment of Female Veterans for
Facebook Live Event (2 PDFs attached)
NEW: Newly Published VA Memo -
Protocol for Placing Homeless Veterans in Emergency Housing
The VA
Homeless Program Office (HPO) has developed guidelines to help local VA Medical
Centers, VA Homeless Programs and their community partners implement local
protocols to help Veteran households experiencing unsheltered homelessness
access Emergency Housing (EH) the same day services are sought. It is
vital that unsheltered Veterans are engaged and brought into services as
quickly as possible to ensure their safety. With improved capacity in VA
and community emergency housing options, SSVF can refocus on its principle
mission - placing Veteran families in permanent housing. SSVF hotel and
motel placements should be considered only after other VA or community options
have been considered. Review the Department of Veterans Affairs Memorandum
and accompanying HPO Policy Guidance on Accessing Emergency Housing on the SSVF
website at: Homeless Veterans | Core Concepts
(va.gov)
NEW:
SmartSimple Grants Management System: Adding Contacts to Grant
Awards pre-recorded webinar
In September
2020, the SSVF Program Office informed Grantees of the transition to a new
cloud-based grants management system. The Program Office has since then
presented a series of webinars that we will be offering as we complete the
migration process into SmartSimple. A pre-recorded webinar titled: “SmartSimple
Grants Management System: Adding Contacts to Grant Awards” is now
available and will explain how to add contacts to your current grant awards.
This will enable the relevant staff to view the award in the system and also
receive notifications from the Program Office. The link to access the webinar:“SmartSimple
Grants Management System: Adding Contacts to Grant Awards” is found here:
https://youtu.be/oeCt3TuABgY
NEW: SSVF
and GPD Transitional Housing Co-Enrollment Guidance and Considerations during
COVID-19 (PDF
attached)
The SSVF and
GPD Program Offices have created guidance for decisions on co-enrollments given
the current SSVF and GPD flexibilities under the Stafford Act. Both SSVF
and GPD offer flexibilities that allow for safe and secure placements for
Veterans while seeking permanent housing. The SSVF and GPD Program
Offices are requesting grantees review the SSVF and GPD Transitional Housing
Co-Enrollment Considerations During COVID-19 document. For questions or
concerns, please contact your program’s national office or program point of
contact.
REGISTER:
VA’s National Center on Homelessness and VA’s Office of Rural Health Present:
Information Regarding Serving Veterans Experiencing Homelessness or Unstable
Housing in Rural Areas
The SSVF Program Office would like to
share a learning opportunity regarding recent research regarding service
delivery to rural Veterans. The VA’s National Center on Homelessness
among Veterans will examine challenges to serving Veterans experiencing
homelessness in rural areas along with strategies and resources needed to
address these challenges. Additionally, information will be summarized
regarding an ongoing study funded by the VA’s Office of Rural Health that seeks
to identify and disseminate strategies for improving access to health care
among unstably housed Veterans in rural areas. 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 Office Hour March 19th at 12pm EST: Vaccine Coordination and Tracking,
Emergency Housing, Equity Resources and Emergency Rental Assistance Program
The SSVF
Program Office will be presenting information about several topics in a special
Office Hours being held on March 19, 2021. This webinar will provide
updates to VA's COVID-19 vaccination efforts, review new guidance for SSVF
Grantees about tracking Veteran vaccination, vaccine equity considerations, and
a general overview on privacy and information sharing considerations. We will
also review VA's new guidance regarding the use of Emergency Housing and
information about the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funds being
issued by the U.S. Treasury. All SSVF grantee Program Managers and Health Care
Navigators are strongly encouraged to attend this Office Hour as it will
provide updates and new guidance for SSVF nationally.
Please
register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5423289840368381196. After registering, you will receive a
confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
RESOURCE:
SSVF Compliance Corner- Weekly Review of Commonly Asked Compliance Questions
Question of
the Week: We have an
end of year celebration for all staff and plan on using SSVF funds to pay for a
portion of the catering and entertainment during the party. Can we use
SSVF funds for these purposes?
Answer: No. Funds used to pay for catering
and/or entertainment during any party or event would be unallowable and could
potentially result in subsequent questionable costs and considered for
recoupment in the next audit for your organization. SSVF Grantees are
encouraged to read OMB Circular A-122, Cost Principles for Non-Profit
Organizations and the SSVF Program Guide to determine if a cost is considered
unallowable. The SSVF Program Guide, Section VII, Subsection F,
Ineligible Activities, page 83, states that “Supportive services grant funds
may not be used to pay for any of the following including food, water and
beverages including food provided at staff and other meetings or entertainment
activities”.
If you have a
Compliance question that you would like to see included in the weekly blast,
please email: Riccardo.aiello@va.gov.
RESOURCE: Free Tax Prep for Veterans,
Military & Families
As April 15,
2021 approaches, the SSVF Program Office would like to remind SSVF Grantees
about a free resource to help Veterans with tax preparation. The AARP
Foundation’s Tax-Aide program aims to help the military community and others
file their state and federal tax returns. The Tax-Aide program is free
and available (by appointment only) to all Veterans, Military personnel and
their families regardless of age or AARP membership. Please make referrals
for tax prep supports as needed. Follow this link to access AARP’s
Tax-Aide Service: AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Service. To access additional information
about Veterans filing taxes, VA’s Official Blog VAntage Point is available at: AARP, others offer free tax prep help
to Veterans, military and families - VAntage Point
TOPIC:
Recruitment of Female Veterans for Facebook Live Event (2 PDFs attached)
The VA
Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs (OPIA) will be hosting a
Facebook Live Event on Wednesday, 3/31/21, at 2pm EST in observance of Women’s
History Month. The event will include recorded video clips of female
Veterans’ testimonies who have recently received assistance from SSVF. If
you have a female Veteran who would be willing and able to work with OPIA to
provide a video clip, please email SSVF Regional Coordinator, Maxie
Pulliam, at: Maxine.Pulliam@va.gov by Monday, 3/15/21, COB.
Please also complete the two PDF attachments as well as the following questions
below:
-Grantee
agency name?
-City and
state?
-Veteran’s
assigned case manager and phone number?
-Veteran’s
age?
-Military
branch?
-War era
that she served in?
-Veteran’s
race/ethnicity?
-Married?
Single? Children?
-In no more
than three sentences, what is her story?
Regards,
SSVF
Program Office