Community Outreach Division (COD)
909 Vine St. Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(513) 977.6800
The Community Outreach Division provides services to
Veterans who are homeless and/or at-risk of homelessness
Sally Hammitt, LISW- S
Director, Community Outreach Division
Sally.hammitt@va.gov
(513) 977.6807
Stephanie Kindred, Administrative Support Assistant
(513) 977.6800
Community Outreach Division
(COD)
• Health Care for
Homeless Veterans
(HCHV)
• Grant and Per Diem
(GPD)
• HUD/VASH
Adams
COD provides referrals for:
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Transitional housing for eligible Veterans
Residential and Outpatient treatment
Substance abuse treatment
Medical treatment
Employment training programs
Assistance in applying for VA benefits
Permanent supportive housing
Health Care for Homeless Veterans
(HCHV)
• The core mission of HCHV is primarily to
perform outreach provided by the VA Social
Worker and other mental health clinicians, to
identify homeless Veterans and assist these
Veterans in accessing appropriate health care
and benefits. In addition to its initial core
mission, HCHV also functions as a mechanism
to contract with providers for communitybased residential treatment for homeless
Veterans
Health Care for Homeless Veterans
(HCHV)
• Homeless/Educational Outreach
• Maintains and updates Homeless & Low Income
Resource guide (5th Edition)
• National Call Center/ CPRS Homeless Consults
• Establishes relationships with community providers
(local police, community mental health agencies, shelters, soup kitchens,
homeless coalitions, COC, etc.)
• Maintains close relationships with local street outreach
workers and participation in “homeless counts”
• Develops relationships, rapport, and trust with
homeless Veterans through engagement efforts
Health Care for Homeless Veterans
(HCHV)
• VA partners with Talbert House to contract 12
emergency shelter beds
• We can house single males, single females,
families, and LGBT Veterans
• Of special importance is our ability through
this program to keep Veteran families intact
through an episode of homelessness
Health Care for Homeless Veterans
(HCHV)
• The Supportive Services for Veteran Families
(SSVF) Program
– The SSVF program assists very low-income
Veterans and their families who are literally
homeless or imminently at risk of becoming
literally homeless in obtaining or retaining
permanent housing
Health Care for Homeless Veterans
(HCHV)
HCHV Staff
•
Page Layman, LISW, Outreach Specialist
william.layman3@va.gov
513.977.6811
•
Emily Hunt, MSW, LSW, Outreach Specialist
emily.hunt2@va.gov
513.977.6813
•
Pete Contreras, BS, Resource Specialist
peter.contreras@va.gov
513.977.6825
•
Seana Creech, LCDC III, SUD Specialist
seana.creech@va.gov
513.266.7877
•
Susan Ball, NPC, HCHV Nurse Practitioner
susan.ball@va.gov
513.477.1788
Grant and Per Diem
(GPD)
• Up to two years of transitional housing per
episode of care
• Veterans need not be medically eligible to obtain
services through GPD transitional living programs
• 173 GPD beds currently operational –(90 Beds in
2009)
• The goal of all GPD Transitional Living Facilities is
to exit the Veteran from homelessness into
permanent housing
Grant and Per Diem
(GPD)
• Qualifications/Eligibility criteria for GPD
Programs
– Veteran MUST be homeless or at-risk of becoming
homeless (e.g., served with eviction notice)
– Must have other than “dishonorable discharge”
and served at least one day of active duty
– Able to provide their own self care (e.g., bathe
themselves, take their own medication, dress
themselves, etc.)
Grant and Per Diem
(GPD)
• Brighton Recovery Center
– 3 GPD beds for female Veterans with active
substance abuse diagnosis
– Veteran must be willing to commit to substance
abuse treatment
– Referral Process: Contact Anita Prater or Michelle
Westerkamp at 859.282.9390 or refer to assigned
GPD Liaison Steve Knight at 513.977.6808
Grant and Per Diem
(GPD)
• Joseph House
– 63 beds for male (only) Veterans with an active
substance abuse diagnosis
– Veteran must be willing to commit to substance
abuse treatment
– Referral Process: Contact Calvin Wooten at
513.476.5978 or refer to assigned GPD Liaison
Donna Cobbah at 513.977.6810
Grant and Per Diem
(GPD)
• Goodwill Industries (Veteran’s Dormitory)
– 24 beds for homeless Veterans that are able and
willing to work
– Veteran will be screened into the program based
on their ability and motivation to obtain and
maintain steady employment
– Referral Process: Veteran should call Neil
Hutchinson or Dennis Koenig at 513.631.4500 or
refer to assigned GPD Liaison Donna Cobbah at
513.977.6810
Grant and Per Diem
(GPD)
• Drop Inn Center (Veteran’s GPD Step-up Dorm)
– 15 beds for male Veterans
– Veterans will work with assigned Veteran’s case
manager as well as assigned VA GPD liaison
– Education/treatment classes are offered
– The ultimate goal in all GPD transitional living facilities
is to exit into permanent housing
– Referral Process: Call Ruby Lucas or Sherran Harris at
513.721.0643 or refer to assigned GPD Liaison Steve
Knight at 513.977.6808. The Veteran can also arrive in
person for a face-to-face screening
Grant and Per Diem
(GPD)
• Volunteers of America/Veterans Resource Center
– 46 male beds and 4 female beds
• Target population:
– Veterans with mental illness
– Veterans involved with the justice system (e.g., recently
released from incarceration, on probation, on parole, etc.)
– Case managers provide referrals to identified services and
assistance with obtaining permanent housing
– Referral Process: Complete VOA referral form and fax to
513.322.5171 or refer to assigned GPD Liaison Dawn
Mbomyo at 513.977.6809
Grant and Per Diem
(GPD)
• Parkway Center (Formally Mt. Airy Shelter)
– 18 beds for male Veterans
– Any homeless Veteran can self refer to Parkway
Center. A Veteran simply needs to be homeless or
at-risk of becoming homeless
– To self refer call 513.381.7233 (SAFE)
• Press the number “3” and the Veteran will be sent to a
Parkway Center screening specialist or refer to assigned
GPD Liaison Steve Knight at 513.977.6808
Grant and per Diem
(GPD)
• Facility Liaisons
– Parkway Center; Brighton Recovery Center; Drop Inn
Center: Steve Knight, LISW-S, ACSW
• Steven.knight2@va.gov
• Phone: (513) 977.6828
– Goodwill Industries (Veterans Dormitory); and Joseph
House: Donna Cobbah, LISW-S
• Donna.cobbah@va.cov
• Phone: (513) 977.6810
– Volunteers of America: Dawn Mbomyo, LISW-S
• Dawn.mbomyo@va.gov
• Phone: (513) 977.6809
HUD-VASH
• Utilizes set-aside Section 8 vouchers to help
Veterans secure independent housing
• Provides housing and case management
through a modified Housing First approach
• Prioritizes chronically homeless Veterans ,
homeless Veterans with families, and Veterans
with mental illness or substance abuse issues
HUD-VASH Vouchers
• 325 vouchers currently: (48 vouchers in the beginning of
2008) throughout 5 counties in Ohio and Northern Kentucky.
• Eligibility requirements to obtain a HUD/VASH housing
voucher
– Veteran MUST be eligible to receive VA Health Care
– Veteran MUST fall beneath the financial threshold set forth by the
local housing authority (Approximately $1,300 per month for single
Veteran)
– Veteran MUST agree to case management services
– Veteran MUST have realistic plan put in place to obtain income
Veteran will be responsible for paying their portion of their rent and
utilities
– Veteran needs to be a good neighbor and CANNOT BE ON THE
LIFETIME SEXUAL OFFENDER REGISTRY
HUD/VASH
• Referral Process
– Complete thorough homeless timeline dating back 4 years as well
as HUD/VASH referral form with Veteran
– Fax completed homeless timeline and HUD/VASH referral to Nicole
Michaelson (Supervisor; HUD/VASH) at 513.977.6836
– The referral will be reviewed by a triage team and a priority status
will be assigned based on the Veteran’s history of homelessness as
outlined in the homeless timeline (priority 1-7)
– Once triaged, a note will be placed in CPRS. You can refer to
HUD/VASH note in CPRS to check on assigned priority status
– HUD/VASH housing vouchers are assigned solely based on the
corresponding priority status. THIS IS NOT A WAIT LIST BUT A
PRIORITY LIST!
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans
(DCHV)
1000 S. Ft. Thomas Avenue
Ft. Thomas, KY 41075
859.572.6202
The Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV) is a 58- bed residential recovery
program designed to provide time-limited treatment to Veterans who
are currently homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness and help
them become reestablished in their community.
Dr. Ryan Faulkner, Psychologist, Chief DCHV
ryan.faulkner@va.gov
859.572.6202
Veterans Justice Outreach
(VJO)
• Provides information and education to courts and attorneys
about Veterans' issues and VA services available
• Collaborates with judges and specialty courts to connect
Veterans to VA treatment services and homeless programs
• Develops and implements specialized dockets or Veterans
Treatment Courts for interested communities
• Provides outreach to Veterans in contact with the justice
system
Veterans Justice Outreach
(VJO)
• Justice-involved Veteran is:
– A Veteran in contact with local law enforcement
who can be appropriately diverted from arrest
into mental health or substance abuse treatment
– A Veteran in jail, either pretrial or serving a
sentence
– A Veteran involved in adjudication or monitoring
by a court
JAIL OUTREACH
• 2009- Hamilton County
• 2014- OH Jails: Butler County, Clermont County,
Hamilton County, Warren County
KY Jails: Boone County, Campbell County,
Grant County, Kenton County
IN Jails: Dearborn County
VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS
(VTC)
• 2009- No VTC’s operational
• 2011- Hamilton County VTC (Felony)
• 2012- Hamilton County VTC (Municipal)
Campbell County, KY Veterans Diversion Docket
• 2013- City of Hamilton VTC (Municipal)
Dearborn Superior VTC (Felony)
• 2014- Northern KY Regional- (Felony and Municipal)
Butler County Veterans Court Services Program
Veterans Justice Outreach
(VJO)
• Referral Process:
– Contact Veteran Justice Outreach Specialists at
(513) 977-6838
• Elizabeth Brett, LCSW
– Elizabeth.brett@va.gov
• Amanda List, LISW, LICDC
– Amanda.list@va.gov
• Ron Michaelson, MSW, LCSW
– Ronald.michaelson@va.gov
• Jennifer Wolfe, PCC-S, LICDC-CS
– Jennifer.wolfe3@va.gov
Community Outreach Division
To make a referral to COD:
909 Vine Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Phone: (513) 977.6800
Fax: (513) 977.6836
Questions?