NOVEMBER 2016

St. Petersburg College is partnering with the Gasparilla Music Foundation to support music and education through the community outreach program, Recycled Tunes. Gently used instruments can be donated Nov. 14-18 at SPC locations. The instruments will be refurbished by Recycled Tunes and then donated to Pinellas County Schools’ music programs.

The first 40 donors will receive a special music lover’s gift bag. All donors will receive:
• A two-day ticket to the 2017 Gasparilla Music Festival

• A ticket to the SPC’s MIRA (Music Industry Recording Arts) Fall Showcase at the Palladium Theater on Nov. 28

The donation drop-off times include:

• 1-5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14 and Wednesday, Nov. 16

• 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15 and Thursday, Nov. 17

• 9 a.m.–noon on Friday, Nov. 18

The SPC drop-off locations include:

• SPC Clearwater Campus (ST 122), 2465 Drew St.

• SPC Seminole Campus (UP 192), 9200 113th N

• SPC St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus (SS Building), 6605 5th N.

• SPC Downtown Campus (DC 225), 244 2nd N., St. Petersburg

• SPC Allstate Center (Main Entrance –Front Desk), 3200 34th S., St. Petersburg

• SPC Tarpon Springs Campus (Mon., Wed., Fri. AG Building; and Tue. and Thur., FA Building), 600 Klosterman Rd.

For more information, contact Rosaria Pipitone at 727-314-4722 or visit here.

What:   Veterans Art Center Tampa Bay Art Presentation

When:  November 17th, 6:00PM-8:00PM

Where:  Hofbrauhaus, 123 4th Street South, St. Petersburg 33701

Recognized Veteran Artist:  Sgt Anthony Apolinar, US Army

Cost:  $10.00

Event Flyer:  veterans-art-center-tampa-bay-hofbrauhaus

RSVP:

Eventbrite:  https://www.facebook.com/events/356560678014709

Email: vactb@outlook.com

Since 1944, VA has backed over 22 million home loans for Veterans and their families.  The program provides a guaranty for mortgage loans made by private lenders to eligible Veterans.  The guaranty backing effectively eliminates the need for a down payment, helping Veterans afford homeownership.  No other major no-down mortgage program exists in the market today, and typically around 90% of VA loans are obtained with no down payment.  As of September 30, we reached the milestone of over 700,000 home loans guaranteed for the fiscal year 2016.   That 700,000+ figure is the most home loans guaranteed in one fiscal year in the history of the program.

VA continues to modernize the program, reducing time spent in the loan approval process while also improving the accuracy of benefit delivery, Veteran outreach and communication. These improvements have allowed VA to maximize opportunities to promote the attractiveness of the program to lenders, builders, real estate agents and most importantly to our active duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and surviving spouses.

The VA Home Loan program benefit is not a one-time benefit– it’s reusable.  VA loans can be obtained for up to the full appraised value of the home (100% loan-to-value).  In addition, there is the potential for these loans to include up to $6,000 towards improvements for energy efficiency, AND the loan funding fee can be rolled right into the loan balance.  VA waives that funding fee for Veterans who receive VA compensation benefits, those who are service-connected disabled, but serving on active-duty, or those drawing retirement pay. Some surviving spouses are also exempt from the funding fee.

We are proud to say that our VA Home Loan program can also help Veterans who are current homeowners.  Many borrowers are now looking to take advantage of historically low interest rates to refinance their homes.  Just 5 years ago, the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 6%; today that same rate is around 3.5%.  Veterans can reuse their VA benefit to streamline refinance an existing VA loan, often with no money out of pocket.  On these streamline refinance loans, VA requires no appraisal and no credit underwriting, which can be of great assistance to Veterans who may have suffered a minor credit setback, or whose home values may have declined during these past few years.  Last year, a streamline refinance decreased the average Veteran’s interest rate 1.4%, and saved $202 a month in mortgage payments.  Cumulatively, our Veteran borrowers saved over $300M last year!

For Veterans with FHA or conventional loans, VA can also assist with the ‘regular’ refinance program.  Since VA does not charge borrowers upfront or monthly mortgage insurance premiums, refinancing from an FHA loan into a VA loan can save Veteran borrowers a significant amount of money.

We encourage Veterans to seek the advice of a financial professional to determine what mortgage decisions are in their best interest, but wanted you to know that the VA Home Loan program stands ever-ready to serve them, providing the opportunity to purchase or refinance a home.

In addition, VA stands ready to assist Veterans who have already obtained a VA home loan.  If you already have a VA loan and are facing financial difficulty, please call to speak to VA loan representatives at 877-827-3702.  In FY16, of all loans that defaulted, 84% were saved from foreclosure.

Veterans may obtain a Certificate of Eligibility for their Home Loan Guaranty benefit online through eBenefits or through their lender: https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/homepage

Learn more about Interest Rate Reduction Refinance (IRRRL) streamline refinance loans (on VA’s website here:   http://www.benefits.va.gov/HOMELOANS/irrrl.asp).

VA information specific to the Home Loan Guaranty Funding Fees is here:

http://www.benefits.va.gov/HOMELOANS/purchaseco_loan_fee.asp

Information on the VA Home Loan Guaranty, directly from the Department of Veterans Affairs, is available at eBenefits.  Key program facts can be found here:  http://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/

Have you served in a dangerous-duty Military or First Responder assignment that caused your soul to be bruised or wounded? Do you suffer from guilt or shame over things you think you should or should not have done? Are you the family member of a Veteran or First Responder who has experienced SOUL INJURY? Are you a civilian or citizen who wants to help our nation heal from the aftermath of war and violence? Are you a clinician who wants to assess and respond to SOUL INJURIES?

It is not too late to heal the wounds of war. Unmourned loss from fallen comrades and unforgiven guilt and shame is a gaping hole in our society that can subtly and not-so-subtly rob Veterans and First Responders of their vitality. Family members of Veterans and First Responders are also affected; their wounds, too, often go unnoticed and untended. Complicating matters further is the gap in healthcare that fails to identify and intervene with SOUL INJURIES. Furthermore, civilians and citizens may not recognize their responsibility in supporting the reintegration of Veterans and First Responders back into themselves.

A ceremony has now been developed for Veterans and First Responders, their families, healthcare providers, and civilians and citizens to help Veterans and First Responders, and their families lay their burdens down. Unmourned losses and unforgiven guilt can find safe sanctuary so there can be peace…at last.

Date: Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Time: 4:00PM-6:00PM

There is no charge.

Place: Franciscan Center Tampa, 3010 N Perry Ave, Tampa (franciscancentertampa.org)

Sponsor: Opus Peace non-Profit Organization

Please forward to all who may be interested…

More info: Go to www.soulinjury.org or Call Pat at: 727-775-4265            

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has made ending homelessness among Veterans a top priority, undertaking an unprecedented campaign to dramatically increase successful outcomes for Veterans and their families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. VA remains committed to the goal of ending Veteran homelessness. VA and our federal, state and local and non-governmental partners recognize that ending Veteran homelessness is not a single event in time, but rather is a deliberate effort towards achieving the goal, and then continued follow-on efforts to make sure that the goal is maintained.

Our goal is a systematic end to homelessness, which means communities across thecountry:

• Have identified all Veterans experiencing homelessness;
• Are able to provide shelter immediately to any Veteran experiencing unsheltered homelessness who wants it;
• Provide service intensive transitional housing in limited instances;
• Have capacity to assist Veterans to swiftly move into permanent housing; and
• Have resources, plans and system capacity in place should any Veteran become homeless or be at risk of homelessness in the future.

The ultimate goal is that all Veterans have permanent, sustainable housing with access to high-quality health care and other supportive services and that homelessness in the future is prevented whenever possible or is otherwise a rare, brief, and non-recurring experience. (US Department of Veteran Affairs, Fact Sheet, March 2016)

Healthcare for Homeless Vets Outreach & Walk-In Clinic:

Our Homeless Program offers outreach services to homeless and justice involved Veterans in Pinellas, Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier Counties.  Outreach services are aimed at helping homeless Veterans with mental health and substance use concerns get connected to the services and healthcare they need.  Outreach staff can provide information on benefits, registration, and links to both VA and non-VA services.

Contract Housing & Residential Programs:

Contract Residential Programs ensure that Veterans with serious mental health diagnoses and substance use disorders can be placed in community-based programs which provide quality housing and services.  These programs provide short-term transitional living environments, treatment, and case management services to eligible Veterans. The VA provides contracts for these beds through our community partners in the local area. There are 100 emergency shelter beds in the Bay Pines VAHCS catchment area.

Domiciliary Residential Rehab Treatment Program (DRRTP):

The Domiciliary Residential Rehab Treatment Program is a residential treatment environment that provides short term housing and vocational rehabilitation services for homeless Veterans.  Veterans must have identifiable goals that can be met by the program.  The Domiciliary is home to 43 beds for homeless Veterans.

Grant-per-Diem Program (GPD):

VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program is offered (as funding permits) by the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Programs to fund community agencies providing services to homeless Veterans. The purpose is to promote the development and provision of supportive housing and/or supportive services with the goal of helping homeless Veterans achieve residential stability, increase their skill levels and/or income, and obtain greater self-determination.  These are 6 month to 2 year transitional residential programs that provide housing, case management, and other treatment related services. Bay Pines currently has 217 Grant and Per Diem beds from Pinellas to Lee County. Grant and Per Diem can also be used as Bridge Housing (pending provider approval) to provide temporary housing to Veterans with a secure housing plan who need additional time to secure such housing.

Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO):

The purpose of the Veteran Justice Outreach Initiative (VJO) initiative is to avoid the unnecessary criminalization of mental illness and extended incarceration among Veterans by ensuring that eligible justice-involved Veterans have timely access to VHA mental health and substance abuse services when clinically indicated and other VA services and benefits as appropriate.  VA outreach workers regularly visit local jails to engage incarcerated Veterans in VA services.  These outreach workers provide services at county jails throughout our service area.  VA staff can assist incarcerated Veterans with understanding VA services, programs, eligibility and benefits, and provide referrals and linkage on release from jail.

National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (NCCHV):

 The NCCHV was founded to ensure that homeless Veterans or Veterans at-risk for homelessness have free, 24/7 access to VA staff. The hotline is intended to assist homeless and at-risk Veterans and their families, VAMCs, Federal, state and local partners, community agencies, service providers and others in the community. The phone number is 1-877-4AID VET (1-877-424-3838).  Phone calls are routed through a call center in Candidigua, New York and then sent down the local facility.  Phone calls are answered within one day during business hours.

Project CHALENG (Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Educations and Networking Groups) for Veterans:

This program unites consumers, providers, advocates, local officials and other concerned citizens to identify the needs of homeless Veterans and work to meet those needs through planning and cooperative action. CHALENG is designed to be an ongoing assessment process that describes the needs of homeless Veterans and identifies the barriers they face to successful community reentry. This process has helped build thousands of relationships with community agencies, Veterans groups, law enforcement agencies, and Federal, state, and local government. Local CHALENG meetings represent important opportunities for VA and public and private agency representatives to meet and develop meaningful partnerships to better serve homeless Veterans.

Safe Haven

Safe Haven provides a transitional residence for hard to reach homeless persons with mental illness and substance use problems who have failed in traditional programs. The low-demand, non-intrusive environment is designed to establish trust and eventually engage the homeless Veteran in needed treatment services and transitional or permanent housing options. Bay Pines was the first to begin operating one of four pilot Safe Haven sites (operated by Boley Centers) on October, 2010. Veterans can remain in this program for up to 6 months.

Stand Downs:

Stand Downs are events designed to provide services to homeless Veterans such as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefits counseling, and referrals to a variety of other necessary services, such as housing, employment and substance abuse treatment. Stand Downs are collaborative events, coordinated between local community agencies and the Department of Veteran Affairs. Each spring, Bay Pines hosts a Stand Down on the C.W. Bill Young Hospital campus, bringing together a variety of agencies and community partners to identify and provide assistance to homeless Veterans.

Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF):

This program was authorized by Public Law 110-387 and provides supportive services to very low-income Veteran families in or transitioning to permanent housing. SSVF is designed to rapidly re-house homeless Veteran families and prevent homelessness for those at imminent risk due to a housing crisis. Funds are granted to private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives that will assist very low-income Veteran families by providing a range of supportive services designed to promote housing stability. Bay Pines works with 4 agencies to provide service to 8 counties in the Bay Pines catchment area.

If you have questions about Bay Pines Homeless Programs, or want more information please feel free to visit the website or contacts below.

If you know or are working with a homeless Veteran, please encourage them to call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-424-3838.

Please see the event flyer  (link below) for the annual Bay Pines VA Veterans Day Ceremony for posting and sharing.  Help us spread the word about this great event!

veteransdayflyer

 For more information, please contact:

Jason W. Dangel

Public Affairs Officer (00PA)

Bay Pines VA Healthcare System (516)

10000 Bay Pines Blvd., Bay Pines, FL 33744

(O) (727) 398-6661, Ext. 15031 | (M) (727) 798-1531 | (F) (727) 398-9442

www.baypines.va.gov | www.facebook.com/vabaypines | www.twitter.com/vabaypines