From: SSVF
Sent: Friday, March 5, 2021 8:56 AM
Subject: SSVF Program Update Friday March 5, 2021
Attachments: SSVF HP ERA Linkage Guidance March 2021.docx;
SurveyMonkey_FEB EHA.pdf
TOPICS:
SURVEY: We want your feedback!!! Please submit
by Thursday, March 11, 2021
NEW: Health Care Navigator and VAMC
Coordination Privacy Update
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: Emergency Housing Assistance (EHA)
Survey due TODAY: Friday, March 5, 2021- document attached
RESOURCE: SSVF Compliance Corner- Weekly review
of a commonly asked Compliance questions
UPDATE: Emergency Rental Assistance Program
(ERA)- document attached
SURVEY:
We want your feedback!!! Please submit by Thursday, March
11, 2021
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
NEW: Health
Care Navigator and VAMC Coordination Privacy Update
The Department of Veterans Affairs,
Central Office in collaboration with the Homeless Programs Office have
developed the following guidance pertaining to SSVF Health Care Navigators care
coordination activities. The following information was discriminated to
VHA Homeless Programs and VA Medical Center Privacy Officers as of March 1,
2021:
o VA Medical Centers are expected to
collaborate with Health Care Navigators (HCN) who are working with Supportive
Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) grantees to coordinate health care
services for Veterans. SSVF participants are enrolled in a VA funded
program and HCNs are health care providers authorized to schedule or inquire
about health care appointments on behalf of the Veteran to coordinate VA
care. Additionally, it is of particular importance that HCNs are able to
confirm that Veterans enrolled in SSVF have received COVID-19 vaccines as these
homeless Veterans are a VA priority group for the vaccine. Furthermore, HCNs
are authorized In instances where an ROI is not immediately available in the
clinical record, as these disclosures are covered by the Privacy Act system of
records, “Patient Medial Records-VA”, 24VA10A7 Routine Use 43, HIPAA Privacy
Rule under treatment and 38 U.S.C. 7332(b)(2)(H).
REGISTER: VA
Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Webinar 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:
Emergency Housing Assistance (EHA) Survey due TODAY: Friday, March 5, 2021
The SSVF Program Office is requesting
updated EHA data from all grantees. This information must be submitted through
Survey Monkey TODAY, Friday, March 5, 2021. Please prioritize this
date as a deadline to enter this important data. You can access the survey
by following the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SSVFFEBEHA. The survey questions are attached to
this update as well. If you have question, please reach out to your
Regional Coordinator.
RESOURCE: SSVF
Compliance Corner- Weekly review of a commonly asked Compliance questions
Question of the Week:
We have a federally approved indirect cost rate agreement (via HHS) at
23.2%. Since SSVF caps "administration" at 10%, we charge only
10% as indirect costs to the administration line. Since we have an
approved indirect rate, we do not have to show documentation for those
costs.
Answer:
An SSVF grantee that has an indirect cost rate agreement is not exempt from the
requirements to document costs. Grantees are required to have a detailed
breakout of these administrative costs along with any supporting documents for
those expenses for auditing and oversight. During a Financial & Operational
Fitness Audit (FOFA), auditors will review documentation to support each cost
charged to SSVF Admin. Under SSVF, drawing down to pay for an agency's
administrative costs based on a set percentage is not allowable.
If you are a grantee that has struggled
with accounting for administrative costs on a past FOFA, please consider
transitioning to a Modified Administrative Cost Approach (MACA). For more
information, please reach out to the Office of Business Oversight (OBO) Team
at: VAOBOSSVFMACA@va.gov. If you have a Compliance question
that you would like to see included in the weekly blast, please email: Riccardo.aiello@va.gov.
UPDATE: Emergency
Rental Assistance Program (ERA)
The recent stimulus bill created ERA.
ERA provides $25 billion for households unable to pay rent and utilities due to
the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Low-Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC)
maintains a national database of programs offering rental assistance. This
database is updated regularly and can be found at: https://nlihc.org/rental-assistance. Eligibility criteria for ERA:
As 90 percent of ERA funding must be
used for direct financial assistance, SSVF grantees may co-enroll ERA
recipients, with SSVF providing case management services while ERA provides
TFA. The attachment offers guidance on how SSVF providers might partner with
local ERA providers.
Regards,
SSVF Program
Office