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
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.
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
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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