From:                                                       SSVF

Sent:                                                         Friday, July 16, 2021 9:02 AM

Subject:                                                   SSVF Program Update Friday July 16, 2021

 

TOPICS:

NEW: VA Homeless Programs Overview Recording

REGISTER: Voluntary Training Opportunity, Peer Specialists in Homeless Programs - Screening for Suicide Risk in the Community, July 21, 2021 at 1pm EST

UPDATE: End of Eviction Moratoriums

REGISTER: SSVF Office Hour Series: Homelessness Prevention & the End of the Eviction Moratorium July 30, 2021 at 12:00pm EST

REMINDER: Repository Uploads and Data Reports

RESOURCE: SSVF Compliance Corner- Review of Commonly Asked Compliance Questions

 

 

NEW: VA Homeless Programs Overview Recording

The SSVF Program in conjunction with VA Homeless Programs Offices of Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV), Grant per Diem (GPD), HUD VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH), and Homeless Veterans Community Employment Services (HVCES) have developed a comprehensive overview of available homeless services.  This recording provides general information about each of the VA Homeless Veteran Programs.  This recording will be helpful for new employees who will provide homeless services in addition providing a refresher to existing staff.  Please take the time to review the recording and integrate the use of this recording into your new employee orientation process.  The recording can be accessed at: https://youtu.be/g-dcsC2f-O0

 

 

REGISTER: Voluntary Training Opportunity, Peer Specialists in Homeless Programs - Screening for Suicide Risk in the Community, July 21, 2021at 1pm EST

The VA National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans is presenting this voluntary live webinar to VA and Community homeless providers outlining the ability of paraprofessionals, like VA Peer Support Specialists, to use a universal suicide screener to identify Veterans at high risk of suicide. The webinar will discuss how VA Peer Support Specialists and other VA staff should address encounters with Veterans screened as high risk for suicide, especially when outside of VA Medical Centers. All SSVF Providers are encouraged to attend. Course - VHA TRAIN - an affiliate of the TRAIN Learning Network powered by the Public Health Foundation. You will first be asked to create a VHA TRAIN account or login, prior to registering. Please click the appropriate box to register:

VA staff register here     Non-VA staff register here

 

 

UPDATE: End of Eviction Moratoriums

The Treasury Department now maintains a list of Emergency Rental Assistance Programs (ERAP) assistance by state. These programs can provide the financial assistance necessary to prevent evictions. This broader mandate, preventing evictions rather than SSVF’s more focused mandate to prevent homelessness, may mean that ERAP is a resource for some Veterans who would not be eligible for SSVF prevention services. Find providers at: Find rental assistance | U.S. Department of the Treasury

 

SSVF’s Stage 2 Homeless Prevention Screener is an important tool for prioritizing eligible Veterans who are likely to become homeless since research indicates that most of those who are evicted do not become homeless. However, COVID-19’s economic impact has placed many more renters at-risk. In response, the SSVF Program Office issued guidance that gave SSVF Grantees broad flexibility in delivering prevention services.  While the Stage 2 Screener was reinstated on January 1, Grantees can choose a threshold score that meets the anticipated increase in service demands that may occur with the end of Eviction Moratoriums. Additionally, Grantees have been provided substantial additional funding through CARES and the 40% cap on prevention spending has been lifted for FY 2021.

 

 

REGISTER: SSVF Office Hour Series: Homelessness Prevention & the End of Eviction Moratoriums July 30, 2021 at 12:00pm EST

This webinar will discuss the expiring Eviction Moratoriums as well as provide guidance to SSVF Grantees related to Homelessness Prevention. The webinar will also discuss policy updates and practice considerations for all Grantees. Program Directors and other SSVF staff are strongly encouraged to attend.

 

Please register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8362153582468086288 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

 

 

REMINDER: Repository Uploads and Data Reports

As continuing education regarding Data Entry, HMIS and Repository uploads, this week we are highlighting the availability of data quality reports following successful uploads.  As noted in the FY2021 SSVF Monthly Report Guide, the guide presents introductory and usage information on the monthly report. The main purpose of this guide is to improve Grantees’ ability to understand, navigate and share SSVF HMIS Monthly Report findings internally and locally.  Understanding and usage of this report should help Grantees to improve their SSVF program’s policies and practices, client outcomes, and their external coordination efforts. Additionally, the report provides a shared picture of Grantee service provision and outcomes to both VA and the SSVF Grantee.

 

On a monthly basis, the HMIS Repository generates a SSVF Monthly Report for each upload slot. The report is emailed via an automated process to SSVF Grantee staff with associated HMIS Repository accounts. The report is generated on or around the 11th of every month and will include data from the most recent upload provided to the repository from the 1st through the 9th of that same month. As a reminder, repository uploads are grant-to-date and grow in size each month, building toward a full fiscal year data set by the 12th upload of every fiscal year.

 

Grantees should refer to the FY2021 SSVF Monthly Report Guide as needed to support ongoing data quality needs at: SSVF Monthly Report Guide – FY 2021 v 1.0 (va.gov)

 

 

RESOURCE: SSVF Compliance Corner- Review of Commonly Asked Compliance Questions

Question: Should we treat the 2021 child tax credit as income?

 

Answer: No. SSVF Grantees should not include this when calculating and determining income eligibility. The payments that a veteran or family may receive are advance payments of the 2021 child tax credit, so they are not taxable.

 

 

Regards,

SSVF Program Office