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.