NEWS FROM….

CONGRESSMAN LANE EVANS

RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER

COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS

    U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FOR RELEASE: September 28, 2000

1. Findings
2. National Goal To End Homelessness Among Veterans

1. National goal to end homelessness among veterans within a decade
2. Encourage cooperative efforts by all departments and agencies of Federal, State, and local government, quasi-governmental organizations, private and public sector entities, including community-based organizations, and individuals.

1. Establish Homeless Veterans Advisory Committee, Department of Veterans Affairs

1. Advises Secretary
2. Secretary shall appoint members of veterans service organizations, advocates of homeless veterans and other homeless people, community-based providers, specialized homeless service providers, previously homeless veterans, and others he may deem appropriate.
3. Reports Annually to Committees on Veterans Affairs
4. Charge

1. Review the continuum of services provided to veterans within VA or by contract to define cross-cutting issues and improve coordination of all services within the agency involved in addressing the special needs of homeless veterans.
2. Use Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups (CHALENG) report and other resources and data to identify and provide recommendations to address VA program gaps in serving veterans (this assessment shall include identifying geographic areas with unmet needs).
3. Define barriers to working effectively with other federal, state or local agencies addressing homeless populations.
4. Define opportunities for increasing liaisons with non-profits and private industry.
5. Participate with appropriate Department officials designated by Secretary in Interagency Council on Homeless.
6. Advise on other matters as assigned by the Secretary.

1. Annual Meeting Requirement for Interagency Council on Homeless (authorized in McKinney Act—title 42, Chapter 119, subchapter 2, section 11311; expires 2004; requires annual report to Congress)

5. Evaluation Component

1. VA shall support the continuation of evaluation centers which monitor the structure, process, and outcome of VA homeless programs.
2. Provide annual reports to Congress on Health Care for Homeless Veterans Programs.

6. Changes in Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation

1. Designate care provided to veterans enrolled in Mental Health Intensive Community Case Management (ICCMs) as "complex care" and thus subject to reimbursement associated with that designation.

1. Designate care provided to veterans in VA-provided or sponsored residential treatment settings domiciliary (§ 1710); therapeutic residencies (§ 1772); community residential care coordinated by the Secretary (§ 1730); veterans for whom VA finances care in homeless "grant and per diem providers" (P.L. 102-590 §§3-4) as "complex care" and thus subject to reimbursement associated with that designation.

1. Designate care provided to veterans with both serious chronic mental illness and substance use disorders (aka dual diagnosis) as "complex care" and thus subject to reimbursement associated with that designation.
2. Ensure that funds for any new programs for homeless veterans are designated as special purpose (non-modeled) funding for 3 years after initiation of the program.

7.   $5 million Homeless "Special Needs" Grant Program

    VIII. Joint Mental Health/Readjustment Counseling Service Initiative: Coordinated Strategy to               Outreach to Veterans at Risk of Homelessness

(Discharges from Institutions Inpatient Psychiatric Care, Substance Abuse Treatment Programs, Prisons, Jails)

1. Mentoring programs/support networks
2. Family support
3. Appropriate Referrals within Department of Veterans Affairs and Community
4. Case Management

9. Create INTEGRATED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DELIVERY "Center of Excellence"

1. Request for Application process for delivery models that integrate mental health, substance abuse and medical components
2. $1 million/each in start up funds associated for three models:

1. Mental Health Primary Care Teams
2. Patient Assignment to mental health primary care team linked with primary care team
3. Mental Health Participants on Medical Primary Care Teams

1. Compare outcomes of chronically mentally ill veterans in integrated mental health programs to similar chronically mentally ill veterans treated in models that employ traditional consultative relationships
2. Dissemination of results

1. report to Congress
2. share "best practices" nationwide

10. Expansion of Authority for Dental Care

1. Veterans receiving care in any setting furnished or contracted by VA shall be considered to be receiving "hospital care" for the purposes of title 38 section 1712(a)(1)(E)—limit to:

1. PRIORITY 5 vets (§ 1706(5))

1. receiving care in one of the following settings:

1. domiciliary (Sec. 1710)
2. therapeutic residencies (§ 1772)
3. community residential care coordinated by the Secretary (§ 1730)
4. veterans for whom VA finances care in homeless "grant and per diem providers" (P.L. 102-590 §§3-4)

11. Programmatic expansions

1. Transitional housing (grant and per-diem—P.L. 102-590 §§2-4) program

1. Requirement for one active residency in each state
2. Extend authority for general treatment (§ 1771) to Dec. 31, 2006

1. Comprehensive Homeless Program (P.L. 102-590 § 2)

1. Requirement to raise ceiling to 20 sites in largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas;
2. Extend through Dec. 31, 2006

1. Opioid substitution therapy available at every VA Medical Center

12. Various Authorities

1. Allow vocational rehabilitation to contract with VA CWT (§1718) for employment programs.
2. Allow VA to contract for therapeutic residencies for CWT programs (§1772)
3. Assign one FTE specifically to every VBA regional office to oversee and coordinate homeless veterans programs, including the HUD supported housing program for veterans, VA supported housing, CHALENG assessments as required by §1774, the Comprehensive Homeless Program, and other duties as may be assigned.
4. Out-lease extension of VA Property to Homeless Providers to 20 years
5. Allow VA to provide repossessed properties at a discounted rate to entities that are providing transitional housing assistance to homeless veterans.

1. Homeless veterans (cross reference definition of homeless)
2. Veterans being released from an institution (including a homeless shelter or grant per diem program)
3. Discharged from active military service under conditions other than dishonorable
4. Less than marginal income for preceding month (veteran must certify income and assets under pains and penalties of perjury)
5. Veteran must have either served during a period of war (as defined in title 38) or have completed the period of service for which the veteran enlisted or was called to active duty, unless discharged due to a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty. (Ref. 38 U.S.C. §5303A)

Note: No disability requirement

1. Duration of six months during any 2-year period
2. Maximum Amount of Grant:

1. Amount of pension payable to veterans under Chapter 15 of title 38.
2. In computing the amount of the grant, the income and needs of dependents shall be taken into account in the same manner as provided for in Chapter 15 of title 38.
3. An additional amount, not to exceed the actual amount charged for child care or 25% of the temporary assistance grant (whichever is less), for veterans whose children under the age of 12, or disabled children of any age, if child care is necessary in order for the veteran to obtain health care, employment, education or training.
4. An additional amount, not to exceed 30% of the basic grant may be paid where the housing, heating, cooling and utility costs paid by the veteran exceeds 30% of the veteran’s income.
5. For employed veterans, the first $100.00 per month of gross earned and one-half of the remainder income shall be excluded from income counted in determining eligibility.
6. In computing the amount of benefits paid, other income shall be deducted in the same manner as provided for recipients of pension under Chapter 15 of title 38.

1. Offset of Veterans Benefits

1. If retroactive benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs are due for any month during which a temporary assistance grant was paid, the amounts due for such month shall be offset by the amount of temporary assistance paid during that month.
2. On-going benefits shall not be reduced to recover monies paid for retroactive months.

15.   Emergency Homeless Grants

1. Eligibility:

1. Homeless veterans (cross reference definition of homeless) who have a housing emergency
2. Housing emergency means the inability to pay any of the following housing expenses in order to secure or maintain safe and affordable housing:

1. Last month’s rent, security deposit, utility deposit or cleaning deposit.
2. Rental, mortgage and/or utility arrearages.
3. Veterans provided emergency housing assistance must have the ability to continue paying current and anticipated future housing expenses (defined as housing on-going housing expenses that do not exceed 50% of family income)

1. Veterans being released from an institution (including a homeless shelter or grant per diem program) who have a housing emergency.
2. Discharged from active military service under conditions other than dishonorable.
3. Less than marginal income for preceding month or loss of income which would reduce income below marginal income for current month (veteran must certify income and assets under pains and penalties of perjury).
4. Veteran must have either served during a period of war (as defined in title 38) or have completed the period of service for which the veteran enlisted or was called to active duty, unless discharged due to a disability incurred or aggravated in line of duty. (Ref. 38 U.S.C. §5303A)

Note: No disability requirement

1. Duration: once in any 24-month period.
2. Maximum Amount of Grant:

Actual amount of emergency housing expenses or 4 times the monthly grant amount payable for a veteran with no dependents under Chapter 15 of title 38, whichever is the lesser.