Homeless Veterans Programs: Real Help, Real Hope, Real Change

 Leah breaks down the VA’s Homeless Veterans Programs, highlighting how they provide housing, mental health support, substance abuse treatment, and employment opportunities to help veterans regain stability. She explains key initiatives like HUD-VASH, the GPD program, HCHV, and SSBF, while emphasizing the “housing first” approach as the foundation for recovery. Leah also shares personal insight on the importance of rebuilding community bonds after service, and underscores the role of partnerships with nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and local agencies. 

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At Prestige Veteran Medical Consulting, a veteran-owned company, we specialize in Independent Medical Opinions (IMOs) known as Nexus letters.

The purpose of this channel is to empower YOU, the veteran, to take charge of your medical evidence and provide you with valuable educational tools and research to guide you on your journey. 

Understanding the unique challenges veterans face our commitment lies in delivering exceptional service and support.
Leveraging an extensive network of licensed independent medical professionals, all well-versed in the medical professional aspects of the VA claims process, we review the necessary medical evidence to incorporate in our reports related to your VA Disability Claim. 

Prestige Veteran Medical Consulting is not a law firm, accredited claims agent, or affiliated with the Veterans Administration or Veterans Services Organizations. However, we are happy to discuss your case with your accredited VA legal professional.

⚠️ DISCLAIMER
This video is not medical or legal advice and should not be substituted for advisement from your VSO, accredited agent, or Attorney.

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Episode Transcript

Leah bucholz (00:06):
Hey guys, it's Leah B from Prestige Veteran
Medical Consulting. I am a USArmy veteran physician assistant
and former compensation andpension examiner. So welcome to
our channel where we break downVA programs benefits and support
systems to help you and yourfamily thrive. I am Leah
Buchholz and today we're goingto talk about something close to
the heart and vital to ourcommunities and that is the

(00:27):
homeless veterans program. Sothis episode is going to walk
you through the program the VAand partner organizations have
in place to address homelessnessamong veterans.
So from emergency housing tomental health care to employment
support and long term stability.So you may not be homeless but
you may have a loved one, abattle buddy, a family member
that has or perpetually suffersfrom being homeless or in and

(00:51):
out of homelessness. So todaywe're gonna talk about
understanding the scope ofveteran homelessness, key VA
programs addressing housing andhomelessness, mental health and
substance abuse and use supportservices, employment and job
training opportunities, andaccess points how and where
veterans can get help. Socommunity and nonprofit

(01:13):
partnerships that make adifference. So let's start why
this issue matters.
So the reality of veteranhomelessness is that veterans
make up about 6% of The U. S.Adult population but they've
historically beenoverrepresented in the homeless
population. While progress hasbeen made on any given night,

(01:34):
tens of thousands of veteransexperience homelessness. So some
common contributing factorsinclude unaddressed mental
health issues, that's a hugeone, right?
Substance abuse disorders, lackof affordable housing,
unemployment or underemployment,social isolation after
discharge. A lot of us havereally close knit relationships

(01:56):
while in active duty. And I'msure many of you guys can kind
of understand this that there'sreally no other relationship
like kind of growing up withyour battle buddies in your
platoon and your squad, company,battalion, whatever. Those
buddies that are right next toyou day in and day out, whether
that's working in the motorpool, being deployed, being at

(02:19):
the range, being on a detail,whatever those relationships and
bonds that you create are sohard to reproduce once you've
separated. It's just reallydifficult to do that.
But I personally have found itto be very difficult. And when I
started doing martial arts,which I still do, I have a lot

(02:41):
of aches and pains, but I try todo that. I've sort of begun to
develop some of thoserelationships again because
we're growing up together anddoing things together and having
adversity. Regularly in thecivilian world it's hard to find
those types of relationships,right? So the VA has made ending
veteran homelessness a toppriority and that brings us to

(03:03):
the programs available rightnow.
So housing first, VA programsthat get vets off the street. So
the VA and its partners operateon a housing first model meaning
safe stable housing is the firststep towards recovery and
reintegration. So some key VAprograms include HUD VASH,

(03:23):
Housing and Urban Development VASupport Housing. This combines
rental assistance vouchers fromHUD with case management and
clinical services from the VA.This serves veterans with
serious mental health issues,substance use disorders, or
other challenges.
Grant and per diem or the GPDprogram funds community agencies

(03:47):
that provide transitionalhousing and supportive services.
Veterans can stay whilereceiving help with employment,
mental health, and long termhousing planning. HCHV or
healthcare for homelessveterans. This helps connect
homeless veterans with temporaryhousing, VA healthcare and case
management. SSVF or supportiveservices for veteran families, a

(04:12):
prevention and rapid rehousingprogram that helps at risk
veterans and their families stayin or find permanent housing.
All of these are designed to notjust house veterans but to help
support them in staying housed.So mental health and substance
use support. So many veteransexperiencing homelessness also
are battling mental illness oraddiction. The VA offers robust

(04:35):
behavioral health services. SoVA mental health clinics provide
therapy, medication, and casemanagement, substance use
disorders programs or offerinpatient, outpatient, and detox
support.
I actually worked for a numberof years at a wonderful place
called Warrior's Heart that'shere in kind of in my area it's

(04:56):
in Bandera, Texas and theyactually have another location
in Virginia which is wonderfuland they really cater to
veterans and first responders.And I mean it's just wonderful
that the things that they can doand they take VA referrals so if
you just have VA care if you'resuffering from substance abuse

(05:17):
disorder mental healthconditions that's a great place.
There's other places in the Ithink it's called the Warriors
Health Alliance that looks atdifferent kind of locations that
are in network with VA. So peersupport specialists, veterans
who have experienced recoveryand now help others navigate
their path. Suicide preventioncoordinators are available at

(05:38):
every VA medical center.
These services are integratedinto housing programs making
sure veterans don't have to fixeverything before they get a
place to live. So employment andjob training opportunities. So
stable housing is step one. Sostep two is going to be purpose
and income. That's where VAemployment programs can come in.

(05:58):
So VA employment supportincludes things like compensated
work therapy or CWT,transitional work and training
at VA facilities, vocationalrehab and employment or VR and E
for veterans with serviceconnected disabilities who want
to return to work or school. I'mgoing to do a video specifically
on VR and E sometime in thefuture. Think that should be

(06:19):
super helpful. So homelessveterans community employment
services or HVCES arespecialists who connect veterans
to real world employment throughjob fairs, resume support,
employer outreach. So veteransin VA housing programs often
receive priority placement inthese employment tracks, which
is fantastic.

(06:39):
So access points. So how can youget help? If you or someone that
you know is a veteran, that is aveteran is experiencing
homelessness or at risk, the VAprovides multiple access points.
So there's a national callcenter for homeless veterans and
that number is 77 the number 4slash or dash vet so 702-0838.

(07:05):
VA medical centers you can askfor the homeless veterans
coordinator.
Vet centers can assist withcounseling and community
resources, SSVF grantee agenciesfound in most major cities. That
HUD VASH case managementtypically located throughout the
VA or local housing authorities.No matter where a veteran is in

(07:27):
their journey, there is a pathback to housing, health, and
hope. So community partnershipscan definitely save lives. So
the VA doesn't work alone.
Thousands of nonprofits, faithbased groups, and local agencies
support homeless veteransthrough shelters, food pantries,
clothing banks, case management.Some examples include things
like Volunteers of America, theSalvation Army, veteran

(07:51):
services, community resourcesand referral centers or CRRCs,
local continuum of careorganizations. Together these
partnerships can help reducegaps and ensure that no veteran
is left behind. So homelessnessis not a character flaw it's a
solvable problem and forveterans the solution is already

(08:14):
in motion. If you're strugglingor know a veteran who is help
exists whether it's housingthrough, hud VASH, therapy at a
VA clinic, or job trainingthrough CWT, there's a way
forward.
So, again I hope this video washelpful to you guys. I
personally have a family memberwho was is a veteran that

(08:34):
struggled with homelessness andthey used a lot of different VA
resources received VAdisability, received some help
with their mental healthconditions, used the voc rehab
and now they're thriving anddoing well went back to school.
And so I'm really grateful forthose resources that were
provided to that veteran. Soplease drop some comments I hope

(08:56):
this was helpful to you guys andif there's some other videos
like this that you'd like tohear about or see again I'm
going to do that voc rehab videoat some point let me know
definitely drop those commentsso thanks again for watching and
I'll talk to you guys soon