Children & Families of Homeless Veterans: Resources to Address Homelessness

1. Children & Families of Homeless Veterans: Resources to Address Homelessness

2. Learning Objectives • Objective/Goal #1   Participants will gain increased knowledge about the National Resources and initiatives to End Veteran Homelessness such as the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Grant.  • Objective/Goal #2   Participants will be able to identify at least one strategy utilized by the Veterans Administration to address homelessness among Veterans and their children. • Objective/Goal #3   Participants will learn about the local responses to Veteran homelessness including interim housing options for homelessness veterans' and their children.

3. Who are Homeless Veterans? Homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children face special  challenges   Female veterans are between two and four times as likely to be homeless as  their civilian counterparts.  Female veterans make up about five percent of homeless veterans, up from  about three percent a decade ago.  Women Vets with children make up the most rapidly increasing homeless veteran population and women veterans in general face higher risks of homelessness than their male counterpart.

4. Causes of Veteran Homelessness • Shortage of affordable housing, livable income and limited access to health care • Lingering effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) • Substance abuse • Lack of family and social support networks

5. Special Concerns for Homeless Veterans • 45% suffer from mental illness • 70% suffer from substance abuse problems • 58% have health/physical problems • 46% are age 45 or older compared to 20% of non-Veteran homeless citizens

6. How Big is the Problem:The Statistics

7. Veteran Homelessness: Children & Youth • 107,000 veterans experience homelessness • 1,300 homeless veterans are individuals with dependent children. • Nearly one million children and youth experience homeless, including some whose parents are active duty members of the military. • Homeless families account for 41 percent of the homeless population in the U.S

8. What stressors do homeless students experience? • Transient / unstable lifestyle • Living in crowded conditions • Frequently changing schools • Inadequate personal hygiene • Shabby or unclean clothing • Poor health / nutrition • Sporadic school enrollment/attendance Let’s add to this the impact of a deployed parent or parents or a parent struggling with the visible and invisible wounds of war.

9. Resources to Support Children of Homeless Veterans • Operation Military Kids (OMK): http://www.k12.wa.us/OperationMilitaryKids/default.asp. OMK CORE PARTNERS • UGA Cooperative Extension & Georgia 4-H • Department of Education & Local School Districts • Joint Family Support Assistance Program Staff • Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) • Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) • The American Legion • Community Agencies, e.g., Georgia Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (GACCRRA)

10. Veterans Administration: Responses to Homelessness • Every VA medical center has a homeless Veteran services coordinator who is responsible for providing outreach and services for homeless or at-risk Veterans http://www1.va.gov/homeless/ and click on “Find a Homeless Coordinator” • National Call Center for Homeless Veterans • 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838) • Homeless Veterans Chat links to Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Veterans/Default.aspx

11. VA Homeless Programs • Prevention Services • National Call Center for Homeless Veterans • Housing and Support Services • Treatment • Employment/Job Training • Benefits/Other Services • Other Resources www.va.gov/HOMELESS

12. Federal Government Services for Homeless Veterans with Children • The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program Information is available at http://www1.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp. • The Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supporting Housing (HUD-VASH) Information is available at http://www1.va.gov/HOMELESS/HUD-VASH.asp. • The U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service A list of participating programs is available at http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/vets/VETS20100917.htm. • The U.S. Department of Education’s Veteran Initiatives more information is available at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/triovub/index.html and http://www2.ed.gov/programs/cevss/index.html.

13. Prevention Services • For Veterans in need of intensive services due to involvement in the criminal justice system… • Healthcare for Reentry • Veteran Justice Outreach

14. Stand Downs • Stand Downs for Homeless Veterans • Events to provide outreach to homeless Veterans • Coordinated among local VA Medical Centers, other government agencies and community agencies serving the homeless • For locations of Stand Downs • www.va.gov/HOMELESS/StandDown.asp • Homeless Veterans Programs Office: 202-461-7401

15. Benefits and Other Services • Homeless Veteran Benefit Assistance • Property Sales for Homeless Providers • Excess Property for Homeless Veterans

16. Decatur Cooperative Ministry… Our Mission & Vision Mission: Decatur Cooperative Ministry helps families facing homelessness settle into safe, stable homes and build healthy lives filled with peace, hope and opportunity. Vision: To lead our diverse congregations and community in ending homelessness by: • Providing individualized, comprehensive services to homelessness families, • Raising awareness and providing education about homelessness and its systematic causes, • Advocating for social justice and long-term solutions to homelessness

17. Decatur Cooperative Ministry Prevents & alleviates homelessness through our programs and partnerships: Education Decatur and DeKalb Schools Rapid Re-Housing Project Community Connections Inc. Income First Step Staffing HomelessnessPrevention Project Take Charge Short-Term Shelter Hagar’s House Long-Term Transitional Housing Family House

18. DekalbKidsHome Collaborative

19. Where to find help • National Coalition for Homeless Veterans • Phone: 1-800-VET-HELP • Email: nchv@nchv.org • Website: www.nchv.org • VA Medical Centers • Homeless Coordinator • www.va.gov/homeless • homelessvet@va.gov • Phone 1-877-222-VETS • State Director of Veterans Affairs • Website: www.va.gov/statedva.htm

20. Where to Find Help (continued) Veterans Service Organizations and Auxiliary Organizations (VSOs) AMVETS www.amvets.org Blinded Veterans Association www.bva.org Disabled American Veterans www.dav.org Veterans of Foreign Wars www.vfw.org Vietnam Veterans of America www.vva.org

21. How can you help? • Establish single points of contact (POC) in agencies to facilitate service provision to veteran and active military families • Establish a volunteer mentor program for students experiencing homelessness, including children of veterans and active duty military members Support emergency shelters • Volunteer as mentors, counselors or legal aide • Raise funds for programs • Volunteer at Stand Down programs

22. A Parting Word: Please Remember • Families experiencing homelessness are families “first” • Stress affects both parents and children • Effects on children vary with developmental stage • Families of Homeless Veterans are resilient • Your Role • Advocate for the child • Educate, support family

23. References http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm http://ftp.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/vet.pdf (1) DOD, “Report on the Impact of Deployment of Members of the Armed Forces on Their Dependent Children”, 2010 www.va.gov/homeless http://www1.va.gov/HOMELESS/prevention.asp www.nchv.org/page.cfm?id=122 www1.va.gov/homeless/page.cfm?pg=6 http://www.va.gov/health/NewsFeatures/2013/September/Stand-Downs-VA-and-Partners-Helping-Homeless-Vets.asp http://www.nchv.org/howtohelp.cfm http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm#facts Unspoken Wounds: Casey D. Mull, Extension Military Specialist: UGA Cooperative Extension - 706-542-4H4H

24. Thank you for all you do. Questions?