Veterans Healthcare Administration Detroit VA Medical Center Homeless Program Continuum of Care

Department of Veteran Affairs Five Year Plan to End Homelessness Among Veterans Six Strategies Outreach/Education Treatment Prevention Housing/Supportive Services Income/Employment/Benefits Community Partnerships Baseline data was collected in FY2009. FY2010 was the first of the five year plan to implement changes.

Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Provides outreach, assessment, and referral services for homeless veterans. Immediate assistance with food, shelter, clothing and showers Assistance in applying for permanent housing Assistance in accessing other medical care within the VA Medical Centers and dental care through a national initiative. Numbers of unique veterans served are increasing Services offered by phone and on a walk-in basis during business hours.

Homeless Hotline VA National Call Center for Homeless Veterans 1.877.424.3838

Homeless Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program 50 bed co-ed treatment facility in Detroit Average length of stay 3-6 months Holistic approach addressing the following needs: Medical and Dental Psychiatric Substance Use Disorder Vocational/Financial Safe, Affordable, Permanent Housing

Grant and Per Diem Provides transitional housing for up to two years, as needed by the veteran Community organizations may apply for grants to develop beds for this program Case management services are provided Ultimate goal is to move into permanent housing Grants awarded from the VHA Central Office

Contract Residential Transitional housing with supportive services offered by community agencies. Average length of stay is 6 months (with some flexibility per the VA case manager) Ultimate goal of permanent housing Contracts occur with local VA Medical Centers

Homeless Community Employment Coordinators Employment Specialists provide assistance in connecting Veterans with employers. Staff develop working relationships with employers to increase employment opportunities for Homeless Veterans. Prepare Veterans for the job search experience: resume preparation, translating military work into civilian settings, employment readiness.

HUD/VASH Subsidized housing vouchers with Case Management services and support Each Medical Center manages the vouchers for their catchment area All VA Medical Centers practice a Housing First Approach to housing Veterans In home supports including supportive therapy, substance use disorder treatment, psychotherapy, and health/medication/illness management education Services provided in the homes of Veterans

Detroit Area Updates on VASH MSHDA relaxed the VI-SPDAT cut-off scores for Veterans for the Detroit VAMC catchment area VA has relaxed the chronically homeless criteria in HOMES system Result: Any VA eligible Veteran who meets the income requirements and who we can document has a need and willingness for case management, can be housed with VASH.

Veterans Justice Outreach/Healthcare for Re-entry Veterans Coordination with the criminal justice system to: Assist veterans in accessing VA services Avoid unnecessary incarceration when possible Improve veteran functioning in community through mental health, substance use disorder, and other medical treatment, as needed Prevent or address homelessness Assistance with the development of Veterans’ Courts. Outreach to jails and prisons.

Veterans Community Resource and Referral Center – 313.576.1580 Outreach center in Detroit Pilot program 7 days/12 hours per day “one stop shop” concept for: assessment of needs concrete needs met for shower, food, laundry immediate shelter/transitional housing referral quick linkage to VA registration and medical care space for other community providers to come onsite and work with veterans ultimate goal of permanent housing

Housing First Team-Detroit Pilot Pilot program in Detroit offering intensive in-home services for veterans with serious mental illness who are living in the community with subsidies from HUD/VASH Vouchers Services are provided by a team consisting of two Social Workers, one Psychiatrist, one Substance Use Disorder Social Worker, and one Peer Support Specialist.

Homeless PACT Pilot programs in Detroit and Battle Creek offers Primary Care services by a team of practitioners devoted to working with the homeless veterans. Health Care services are provided through the VCRRC in Detroit and also through outreach using space provided by community partners. Training Medical Students from Wayne State University to work with a homeless population in the community. It is partially running. We have the full team in place in Grand Rapids, but have not yet fully established services in Lansing.

Zero: 2016 Detroit VA Medical Center has two Zero: 2016 COCs; Detroit and the Oakland County Goals to end Veteran Homelessness by the end of 2015 and Chronic Homelessness by the end of 2016

VA Veteran Housing Placement Data: Oakland County* January 2015: 9 February 2015: 5 March 2015: 1 ** * Data does not include HMIS data, does include SSVF **SSVF data is one month behind so will be added in the next week

Community Partnerships Staff involvement with Continuums of Care throughout Michigan Involvement in the Michigan Interagency Council on Homelessness Collaboration with the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Involvement with statewide SOAR initiative Collaboration with private agencies around the state, Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Cemetery Administration, universities, dental and legal services providers

Detroit VA Medical Center Homeless Program Contacts Beth Baker, LMSW; VCRRC Chief and HCHV Supervisor 313.576.1580; beth.baker3@va.gov Tyrone Frazier, LMSW; HUD/VASH Supervisor/Coordinator 313.576.1000 X 62362; tyrone.frazier@va.gov Gloria Kekalos-Allum, LMSW; Transitional Housing and Fiscal Coordinator 313.576.1000 X 61482; gloria.kekalos-allum@va.gov Patricia Wolschon, LMSW; Director of Homeless Programming 313.576.1000 x 64249; patricia.wolschon@va.gov