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

2. 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 FY FY2010 was the first of the five year plan to implement changes.

3. 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.

4. Homeless Hotline
VA National Call Center for Homeless Veterans

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. Detroit VA Medical Center Homeless Program Contacts
Beth Baker, LMSW; VCRRC Chief and HCHV Supervisor ;
Tyrone Frazier, LMSW; HUD/VASH Supervisor/Coordinator
X 62362;
Gloria Kekalos-Allum, LMSW; Transitional Housing and Fiscal Coordinator
X 61482;
Patricia Wolschon, LMSW; Director of Homeless Programming
x 64249;