Helping a Homeless Veteran Only a Phone Call Away

VA’s Homeless Veterans Program Office is on a mission to ensure that everyone from VA employees, to first responders and civilian personnel know who and where to call should they encounter a homeless Veteran or a Veteran at-risk of becoming homeless. A major homeless outreach and awareness campaign is under way in 28 cities across the nation as part of VA’s commitment to eliminate Veteran homelessness by 2015. The initial phase of the massive outreach effort is designed to inform and educate those in frequent contact with homeless Veterans have them serve as messengers bhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gify directing Veterans to three primary channels: the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (1-877-424-3838); the VA Homeless Veterans Website at http://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/ ;and local VA medical centers. These major events will include brochures and other information as well as advertising posters at bus stops and radio and TV ads to promote “Make the call.”

NEWS RELEASE: VA to Expand Housing for Homeless Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs continues to develop housing opportunities for homeless and at-risk veterans by adding 34 VA locations across the country.

According to a press release from the Department of Veterans Affairs released June 8, the VA plans to develop unused and underused buildings at existing VA properties across the country to increase the Department's available beds by more than 5,000. VA currently has 15,000 transitional beds available to homeless veterans.

“This initiative will significantly support our efforts to eliminate Veteran homelessness and improve quality of life for Veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We have a moral obligation to ensure that Veterans and their families have access to affordable housing and medical services that will help them get back on their feet.”

Culminating two years of work to end homelessness among Veterans, a recent strategic study, the Building Utilization Review and Repurposing (BURR) initiative, identified unused and underused buildings at existing VA property with the potential to develop new housing opportunities for homeless or at-risk Veterans and their families through public-private partnerships and VA’s enhanced-use lease (EUL) program. Under the EUL program, VA retains ownership of the land and can determine and control its reuse.

Additional opportunities identified through BURR will include housing for returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans and their families, assisted living for elderly Veterans and continuum of living residential communities.

The project will support VA’s goal of ending Veteran homelessness by providing safe, affordable, cost effective, and sustainable housing for Veterans on a priority basis.

To expedite the project, contractors will be asked to develop multiple sites in a region. VA will hold a one-day national Industry Forum in Chicago for interested organizations on July 13, 2011. For information regarding the forum mail to: VA_BURR@va.gov.

Supportive housing projects are planned for homeless Veterans and their families at 23 VA sites: Tuskegee, Ala.; Long Beach and Menlo Park, Calif.; Bay Pines, Fla.; Dublin, Ga.; Hines and North Chicago, Ill.; Danville and Fort Wayne, Ind.; Leavenworth, Kan.; Perry Point, Md.; Bedford, Brockton and Northampton, Mass.; Battle Creek, Mich.; Minneapolis and St. Cloud, Minn.; Fort Harrison, Mont.; Castle Point, N.Y.; Chillicothe and Dayton, Ohio; and Spokane and Vancouver, Wash.

Under the enhanced-use lease agreements, Veterans will receive senior and non-senior independent living and assisted living at eleven VA sites: Newington, Conn.; Augusta, Ga.; Marion, Ill.; Topeka, Kan.; Togus, Maine; Grand Island, Neb.; Big Springs and Kerrville, Texas; Salem, Va.; Martinsburg, W.Va.; and Cheyenne, Wyo.

LZ:DC: Video from Vet Hunters Presentation

On Saturday the AMVETS National Executive Committee voted to adopt California's Vet Hunters program as a national pilot to assist homeless veterans.

The program, which was conceived by California AMVET Joe Leal, seeks to find homeless veterans and ensure that they receive the services they need to make it off the streets.

At the spring meeting of the AMVETS National Executive Committee, Leal took some time to explain the genesis of his program and AMVETS National Programs Director Beryl Love made a motion to adopt Vet Hunters, which was unanimously approved by the committee.

More details will be available on Vet Hunters in the coming weeks. Check back regularly for updates. In the meantime, here is video of Leal's presentation to the NEC, explaining his unique program.



(Image: AMVET Joe Leal, the visionary behind Vet Hunters, shakes hands with AMVETS National Commander Jerry Hotop before his presentation to the AMVETS National Executive Committee on Saturday, March 19. Photo by Ryan Gallucci.)

Twenty-First Century Vets Deliver Their Findings to AMVETS

This morning, participants in the 2010 AMVETS Symposium for 21st Century Veterans presented their findings and recommendations to the AMVETS National Convention floor at the Galt House in Louisville, Ky.

Some of the most prominent recommendations from this year's participants included increased family integration in the transition and treatment processes, equitable treatment for female veterans in VA medical facilities, codified "warning signs" for veterans at risk for homelessness, and comprehensive transition programs available to all branches, including the National Guard and Reserve.

From this morning's presentation, AMVETS National Headquarters will compile the raw data from the week's working groups, follow up with participants, compare notes with VA, Department of Defense and Department of Labor codes, and compile a comprehensive symposium report to be released on Oct. 1.

AMVETS will then use the report to guide its legislative agenda and inform key national leaders on Capitol Hill about the current needs of America's warfighters.

From AMVETS' last symposium for post-9/11 veterans in 2006, more than 25 issues have been addressed, but this year's participants pointed to new issues and some unforeseen consequences of past corrective actions.

One unintended consequence, which came from the women veterans' roundtable, was the concern that today's female veterans were being pigeon-holed into women's clinics for non-gender-specific care, exacerbating access issues to routine primary care treatment.

Veterans also clamored for more family integration into the overall transition and treatment process, saying that veterans' spouses and children play pivotal roles in ensuring that veterans receive all of their proper benefits and entitlements. Family members are also directly impacted by reintegration issues that their loved ones face, potentially leading to relationship issues.

AMVETS National Legislative Director Ray Kelley, the symposium's facilitator, said the input from the diverse group of veterans will also help to guide AMVETS organizationally to better serve today's warriors.

AMVETS asked for anonymous feedback from each participant and plans to take their recommendations to the AMVETS National Executive Committee to host future events.

Participants said they enjoyed the opportunity to participate in the symposium and that no other veterans' groups had offered them similar opportunities to candidly discuss what is important to them. They also said that they wanted to see similar events take place every year until all of America's service members return home.

More than 50 veterans who have served after Sept. 11, 2001 participated in the symposium, representing a broad cross-section of today's veterans including current service members, recent retirees, wounded warriors, female veterans, urban and suburban veterans, rural veterans, and members of the National Guard and Reserve from coast to coast.

AMVETS National Commander Duane J. Miskulin thanked each of the participants personally after the presentation and said it was the kind of work AMVETS needed to continue down the road.

(Photos: Top: Post-9/11 veteran Joe Leal delivers the findings of the health care breakout group from the symposium, while his fellow participants and AMVETS National Commander Duane Miskulin looks on. Bottom: AMVETS members thank symposium participants for their hard work following this morning's presentation on the floor of the National Convention. Photos by Luis Jimenez.)

Last Day to Donate Blankets Through AMVETS/Sears Operation Blanket

Today is the last day to donate gently used blankets for homeless veterans at participating Sears stores around the country and receive up to 20 percent off a Sears purchase through Operation Blanket.

Last month, AMVETS partnered with Sears to collect blankets around the country to be distributed to homeless veterans through AMVETS posts and departments. Sears also committed $5,000 directly to benefit AMVETS' national programs.

Sears stores participating in Operation Blanket can be found in California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Sears representatives said this is their latest effort to support the military and veterans' communities. Over the last few years, Sears has raised more than $11 million to support military families through programs such as Operation Blanket and the ongoing Heroes at Home program.

(Image: Sears Blue Crew employee Billy Turner presents AMVETS Department of Illinois Commander Rudy Spaulding at AMVETS Post No. 66 in Wheeling, Ill. Photo courtesy of Sears.)

This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran, we will be covering Veterans Day in depth. We will also highlight last week's homeless veterans summit, hosted by VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. At the summit, Shinseki outlined an ambitious plan to end homelessness among veterans, which has been met with cautious optimism around the veterans' community.

This morning, AMVETS launched its new veterans' health care information Web site, VeteransHealthCenter.org.

American Veteran encourages our readers to check out this new resource and, please, let us know what you think.

AMVETS will also officially publish its legislative agenda for FY2010 on Veterans Day. Check out www.AMVETS.org at noon on Veterans Day to read the document.

AMVETS will be on hand this week as Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden host members of the military and veterans for a Veterans Day luncheon.

AMVETS posts and departments around the country will also host their own Veterans Day events ranging from special dinners honoring local veterans, to parades and special visits to veterans at VA Medical Centers around the country.

American Veteran Online is eager to highlight these events, so if your post or department has photos or stories you would like to share, please let us know.

American Veteran will also be following developments on Capitol Hill with last week's passage of the health care reform bill in the House. AMVETS leaders still seek clarification on how the latest language will affect veterans who use VA health care and their loved ones.

Finally, American Veteran will continue to follow the developments out of Fort Hood, where 12 American soldiers and one civilian were brutally gunned down by a rogue soldier.

AMVETS National Executive Director Jim King said last week that the thoughts and prayers of AMVETS are with the victims of the brutal attack. On Friday, AMVETS National Headquarters held a moment of silence in memory of the fallen.

As details emerge, AMVETS leaders remain skeptical of the shooter's motives, but still will not jump to conclusions.

Check back regularly with American Veteran Online for updates on these and other stories. And, as always, please let us know what you think.

White House announces unified electronic health records for all service members

President Obama, alongside VA Secretary Erik Shinseki and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, announced a new unified electronic health and service record system for all service members during a press conference at the White House this afternoon. AMVETS and leaders from the nation's top veterans' service organizations were on hand for the landmark announcement.

AMVETS and the veterans' community applauded the Administration's decision to implement a new electronic system, which will help close the gap in care many veterans experience between leaving the military and entering the VA health system.

The President said that the records would follow troops throughout their lives from the moment they enter service in the U.S. military and into the VA system.

AMVETS Legislative Director Ray Kelley said AMVETS has been calling for a unified health record for DoD and VA for more than a decade.

"Historically, the onus for enrolling the VA system has fallen on the service member one they come off active duty," Kelley said. "Now, troops' medical records will automatically make it into the VA, ensuring the most times and sufficient health care for all veterans."

The President, who returned from a surprise visit to Iraq yesterday afternoon, also praised America's service members for their sacrifices and promised to deliver "the care they were promised and the benefits they deserve."

Obama also addressed the issues of homelessness, education and mental health during his press conference, saying that the proposed VA budget will include new programs to help alleviate the transitional stressors on many of our nation's vets.

As these stories develop, check in with American Veteran Online for more details. And as always, please let us know what you think.

To read President Obama's remarks, Click Here.

(Video: White House video of President Obama's speech introducing the new e-records for military service. Video is part of the public domain.)