U'S' Department of

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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Homeless
Programs in Florida
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Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Outreach

• VA HCHV outreach teams go into the local
  community to find homeless
• veterans in shelters, parks, under overpasses
  and bridges, homeless
• camps, also walk-ins to HCHV community based
  offices.

• Eligible homeless vets and vets at risk of
  homelessness are enrolled
• into VA services and assessed for specific
  needs.

• Referrals are made to VA and community services
  including
• food, clothing, job training, voc rehab
  services, CWT/IT, employment,
• shelter, VA SUD/MH tx, primary care, VA GPD
  transitional housing.

• HCHV programs in all Network Medical Center
  Service Areas

• Performance Measure 1b, access to care, SUD/MH
  assessment within
• 60 days of HCHV intake.

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VA Supported Housing (VASH)

• VA and HUD partner to provide Section 8 housing
  and Case Management
• to homeless veterans with chronic mental
  illness.

• Veterans must have intake from HCHV program and
  evaluation from
• VASH Coordinator.

• Programs in Tampa and Miami.

• Currently no availability of additional Section
  8 Housing Vouchers.

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VA Grant and Per Diem Program

• Offered annually since 1994 by the VA HCHV
  programs to fund
• community agencies providing services to
  homeless veterans.

• Promote development provision of supportive
  housing and/or
• supportive services to help homeless veterans
  achieve residential
• stability, increase skill levels and/or income,
  with increased self-
• determination.

• Eligible programs must provide supportive
  housing (up to 24 months),
• or service centers that provide vocational
  training, education, case
• management, crisis intervention, counseling
  ect.

• Two levels of funding The Grant Component and
  the Per Diem
• Component.

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VA Grant and Per Diem Program
Grants

• VA funds up to 65 of the cost of construction,
  renovation,
• or acquisition of a building for use as a
  service center or
• transitional housing for homeless veterans.

• Renovation of VA properties is allowed,
  acquisition of VA
• property is not.

• Recipients must obtain 35 matching funds from
  other sources.

• Grants not to be used for operational / salary
  costs.

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VA Grant and Per Diem Program
Per Diem

• Priority to grant recipients.

• Non-grant programs may apply for Per Diem under
  a separate
• announcement, when published in the Federal
  Register for
• Per Diem Only.

• Can be used for operational costs, including
  salaries.

• Maximum amount payable is 31.30.

• Veterans can be asked to pay up to 30 of
  adjusted income.

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VA Grant and Per Diem Program
National

• Over 8,000 beds in projects across the country.

VISN 8

• Over 500 beds in 21 projects from Thomasville,
  Ga. to Key West,
• and Puerto Rico.

Performance Measures

• 1c - Access to Care, SUD/Psych assessment within
  60 days
• of admission to program.

• 1d Access to Care, Primary Care exam within 60
  days
• of admission to program.

• 1e Access to Care, SUD/Psych assessment with
  in 60 days
• of discharge from program.

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Homeless Veterans Dental Program (HVDP)

• Established in 1992, this program was designed
  to increase the
• accessibility of quality dental care to
  homeless veterans.

• Dental problems such as pain and/or missing
  teeth barriers to seeking
• and obtaining employment.

• Help insure the success in VA-sponsored and VA
  partnerships with
• homeless rehabilitation programs Nationally.

• Limited eligibility for homeless vets in certain
  VA-sponsored
• rehabilitation programs (GPD / DCHV / Contract
  Residential)

• National program office at Bay Pines VAMC.

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Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV)

• Provides biopsychosocial treatment and rehab to
  homeless veterans.

• Average length of stay 4 months.

• Conduct outreach and referral vocational
  counseling and
• rehabilitation and postdischarge community
  support.

• Operational DCHV programs at Bay Pines (25 beds)
  and
• Orlando (20 beds).

• DCHV programs in development at Tampa (30-35
  beds)
• and Gainesville (35-40 beds).