Support for Service Providers > GPD Replicable Models: Part Two
GPD Replicable Models: Part Two
Speakers:
Veterans Assistance Foundation, Inc. – Robert Piaro
–
People Assisting The Homeless (PATH) – Shaun Pruett
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans – Kristina Hunken
Kristina Hunken, NCHV
- Welcome/Introduction
- Question and Answer session following presentations
Robert Piaro, Veterans Assistance Foundation, Inc.
- VAF began as rural program, started in 1994
- Operates three programs in Wisconsin
- VAF Tomah is a rural based program with 60 GPD beds housed on grounds of VA Medical Center
- On-site medical, mental health care and substance abuse and PTSD counseling, treatment and aftercare
- GPD liaison and VA clinical staff member on-site; responsibilities focus on the program and veterans
- Veterans referred to WI from VA Medical Centers in Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Indiana
- Community providers offer on-site services (Job Service, Legal Assistance, Credit counseling, federal benefits counseling)
- “Step Up Programs” require veterans to take on more individual responsibility without day-to-day structure of entry level programs.
- VAF Madison is 7 bed program located on grounds of Central Wisconsin Center
- Veterans get referred after completing four phases of another per diem program
- Focus is on employment, savings and transitioning into permanent housing.
- Case managers provide house visits at least once every two weeks.
- Supervision and security is coordinated with a house manager at each program site; homes lodge up to three veterans
- VAF staff is available 24 hours per day for emergencies or other assistance.
- VAF Tomah: during referral process, on-site VA clinical staff is able to access veterans’ medical records to assist in determining appropriateness for admission.
- All three programs are case management focused
- During program intake, veteran meets VAF case manager who automatically gets an appointment with VA clinical staff within 24 to 48 hours.
- VA clinical staff makes appointments for medical, mental health and substance abuse needs.
- Job skill evaluations, training and counseling are provided by Job Service LVER and through VAF’s HVRP grant for all veterans entering programs.
- Veterans who have been assessed and may have initial barriers for employment can participate in VA’s CWT/IT (Compensated Work Therapy/Incentive Therapy) Program
- If veterans have been out of job market for long period of time and need assistance re-developing good employment skills, CWT/IT is a good tool that can help veterans refocus on employment.
- VAF staff assists veterans in coordinating needed services through community agencies and programs.
- Many organizations provide services on-site
- Have linked with area homeless consortiums, employment agencies and housing providers.
- GPD liaison and clinical coordinator in Tomah are on-site and can provide immediate assistance to veterans enrolled in the program.
- On-site medical and mental health care and substance abuse counseling, treatment and aftercare are available.
- On-site AA/NA meetings are held in the same building which provides easy access to meetings due to transportation barriers.
- CHALENG meeting participation through VA Tomah and VA Madison
- Veterans participate in volunteer activities to give back to others veterans; escorting them to medical appointments or to community or other VA functions
- In return, volunteer veterans earn canteen books to purchase items at the VA’s store.
- Veterans are able to put together craft kits from the VA, which is therapeutic, kits range from models (cars, boats, airplanes, motorcycles) and leather goods (slippers, belts, wallets) to painting and latch hook kits.
- Veterans participate in the annual Creative Arts Festival through the VA by showcasing their talents.
- Two programs participate in the HUD Balance of State Continuum of Care that encompasses 69 counties
- Staff attends quarterly meetings to seek out other programs and referrals; Madison has Dane County Homeless Consortium where VAF staff travel to monthly meetings.
- VAF has developed relationships with county agencies that provide HUD vouchers for veterans.
- Interagency relationships
- Families First is the one-stop agency used in Monroe County for assistance; veterans of the program are able to access services at one agency instead of having to travel to receive multiple services.
- Since our programs are rural there are no sources of public transportation; nearest metropolitan city is approximately one hour away
- One-stop job center and Workforce Connections provide additional employment assistance.
- Job Service provides weekly on-site employment assessments; partner through the HVRP grant
- USDVA Federal Benefits Counseling provided weekly
- Consumer Credit Counseling representative provides “Money In Motion” classes for budgeting and will work with veterans who have outstanding debt or need to look at bankruptcy.
- Legal Action of WI provides bi-monthly visits from three attorneys; they are able to assist with child support issues and fines/fees.
- Probation & Parole provides on-site visits for residents of the program.
- Salvation Army of La Crosse: closest shelter within a 45 mile radius of Tomah
- Dane County Homeless Consortium: through participation in this organization, VAF is able to link with all of the agencies within Dane County that provide housing and services to homeless.
- Monroe County Planning Council: monthly meetings encompassing community service providers for low income people and families
- Monroe County Housing Coalition: addresses housing needs within the county.
- Emergency Shelter Meeting: Addresses emergency shelter needs throughout Monroe County.
- VAF participates and provides funding through HVRP grant for annual La Crosse Stand Down.
- Outreach is conducted at the local Masons Lodge, VFW and American Legion meetings.
- Multiple veteran organizations, their auxiliaries, individuals and church organizations provide personal hygiene products, wish list items and monetary donations.
- Every year, a community organization coordinates a fundraiser for the program that goes for veteran specific needs. This funding is not used for organizational or operational costs of the programs.
- VAF receives GPD funding for the purchase of vans.
- Purchase cab vouchers
- Challenges, gas prices
- Residents of the program drive, flyers have been put out to DAV drivers and to veteran organizations to seek volunteers to drive for the program
- Veterans and staff talk to employers regarding transportation issues and carpooling system
- DAV transportation assists with medical appointments outside Tomah VA area.
- VAF uses community programs such as Families First and the county to assist with veterans’ families needs.
- Since many veterans entering Tomah facility are from other counties or states, family members are already housed before they enter (about 98%)
- Veterans are encouraged to develop and nurture family relationships by visitation and communication.
- On-site visitation is also encouraged; families talk with case managers
- Many agencies provide services on-site: Job Service, Federal benefits counseling, Attorneys provide pro-bono legal aid, Credit counseling services, Social Security office has an employee who works solely with homeless
- Lens Crafters provides eye glasses for indigent veterans at no cost
- Able to access a medical grant through VA Tomah for services such as dental (that is not covered through the VA)
- In 1990, expanded to CA with 60+ bed program
- Recently received grant to expand program with apartment complexes; four people to an apartment
- Offering cooking classes to residents
- Veteran Homestead programs
- Veteran Hospice: for terminally ill veterans; veterans may stay for extended periods of time (ex: residents have stayed up to eight years); place of life
- Hero Homestead: elderly assisted living; old mansion located in helpers come four to five days a week to assist with showering, housekeeping, etc.; nurse and case managers make rounds
- Programs do not have more than 15 people assigned to one case manager
- Armistice Homestead: more graduated substance abuse and mental illness program
- Mobile Unit: medical health screening, outreach, legal and benefit counseling; not supported by GPD
- Veteran Victory Farm: 80 acre working organic vegetable farm in NH; therapy is learning to care for animals and grow vegetables; sell vegetables at local market; raise pigs, chickens and ducks; provide substance abuse treatment, PTSD and mild TBI
- Hacienda de Veterano: located in Puerto Rice; substance abuse treatment
- Northeast Veteran Training and Rehabilitation Center: new program specifically for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans; contact at 978-353-0234 for more information
- Achieving residential stability: teaching veterans everything they will need to know once they get back into “the world” (budgeting, marketing, being able to stay clean and sober)
- Farm project is very intense drug and alcohol rehab
- Teach value of hard day’s work; cooking, cleaning up, being respectful of others
- A lot of patients in programs will not be able to be successful on their own
- Learning from other organizations’ mistakes; “pirate” ideas if they are successful
- Plus is financial support from VA
- Transportation is challenge; in Fitchburg and Leominster area transportation is provided by town; have GPD vans, but problems with paying for insurance and gas, hiring someone responsible to drive; prefer to hire veterans
- Use DAV and Red Cross in outlying areas
- In Puerto Rico, transportation is an issue because there is no parking at the VA
- Involvement with community
- Cater to people who are difficult to serve (terminally ill, TBI, PTSD, chronically mentally ill, and “general troublemakers”)
- Give back to the community
- Have two miles of highway in NH; twice a year, clients in program are in charge of cleaning area of highway
- Veterans participate in public speaking and volunteer opportunities; operate a farm stand; shovel snow for elderly
Shaun Pruett, People Assisting The Homeless (PATH)
- To hear presentation, click on link below.
Question and Answer Session
Q: For the first speakers, in the location where your facilities are, do those cities lack public transportation? If so, is that the reason why you think you have problems with transportation?
Piaro: Yes, they lack transportation completely. It’s just a cab company of maybe five or six cabs to serve the population of the city. Tomah maybe has two or three thousand people in it. There is no public transportation there. It’s almost not feasible. That’s what brings the challenge. These are rural areas. That’s the challenge we always have in transporting our veterans to jobs in the area. Even transporting our veterans for medical care from the Tomah VA is an hour and a half away. So either we have to transport them with the vans that are done through our grant or we get DAV to do it. If we have a medical emergency, they can triage probably right there. But they’re going to get you out of there as quick as they can and back down to a medical hospital. I was in that same hospital back in the 80s for post-traumatic stress as a patient. I lost a third of my body blood at Tomah VA when I was a patient there and I had to be transported by helicopter down to Madison for emergency surgery. That hasn’t changed since the 80s, as far as medical treatment and the transportation issue. It’s an ongoing challenge for rural programs.
Q: What can organizations do to strengthen their applications when applying for GPD funds?
Piaro: To strengthen your GPD application, it’s essential to network, having cooperative agreements with all other agencies in your area, be it health care, whatever it may be, anything and everything. There’s nothing that you shouldn’t try to approach in getting cooperative agreements, either monetary, in-kind services, etc. I think that the route we have to take in these times is the cooperative agreement because there’s no one agency that’s going to fund everything. So the more collaborative efforts you have with the VA, with HUD, with your local agencies, county, state, federal, business partners in your community, anything and everything, the better. There’s nothing that should be untouchable. Good example: the Lions Club. In California, that’s actually who provides glasses and eye care for our veterans. That was something we approached by ourselves, just by talking to them. Don’t be afraid to try anything. I think that’s what makes a very strong Grant and Per Diem application.
Lightfoot: I’d like to add don’t be afraid to take advantage of what NCHV has to offer. Melanie and John will come out and do technical assistance and if you’re a beginner grant writer, that’s incredible. It’s really good help.
Pruett: Networking and collaboration is essential. I think that demonstrates that we have the capacity as an organization to get even more done and to assist veterans than just what we offer with our own organization. There’s always an expert out there, and the more we can attach ourselves to those organizations that are experts, the more that we can demonstrate we’re going to have a holistic approach.
Closing
Kristina Hunken, NCHV
- Thank you
- Part Two of HVRP Replicable Models series on November 5th
- For information on upcoming conference calls, visit www.nchv.org
To listen to a recording of this conference call, click here.
|
