Case Study: Engaging the Streets of Solutions (SOS) 2011-2012.

Jim White, member; VAPHS, IRB research board (Veteran)- Pittsburgh, Pa.

Mission: To establish centric research sampling with the cold weather emergency shelter to determine viable evidence-based acceptance protocols for homeless and transitional veterans in tasking forward to local health care for homeless veterans process as available. To sample one area-suggest Pittsburgh, Pa. Further to enhance findings towards national field exercise implementation for 2011-2012 cold weather conditions .Once sampling in a evidence-based protocol validates weaknesses/strengths in etiology as we are only using the observation based on centric population of this concept. A year round developed process can be enhanced. Currently data reflects 107,000 homeless/distressed veterans. 9,000 are current era veterans. Ongoing two-year systems along with high priority prevention models are working. Chronic ,relapse and regressed veterans and at risk continue to be the (SOS) challenge as witnessed by trained field operators in shelter operation placements.

History:

The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) has founded a National Call Center for Homeless Veterans hotline to ensure that homeless Veterans or Veterans at-risk for homelessness have free, 24/7 access to trained counselors. The hotline is intended to assist homeless

Veterans and their families, VA Medical Centers, federal, state and local partners, community agencies, service providers  and others in the community.  To be connected with a trained VA staff member call 1-877-4AID VET (877-424-3838).

Call for yourself or someone else Free and confidential Trained VA counselors to assist Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week We have information about VA homeless programs and mental health services in

your area that can help you.

Case Study, Winter Observation 2011: Field trained veterans working in the cold weather shelter have an opportunity to bridge the gap of motivating the homeless veteran to seek support at local Veterans hospitals. During the check-in process from 7:00 pm in the city center, staff ask yet do not verify veterans. This is noticeable process on a national level as well. If client responds “yes” to veteran status it is marked as such.

Phase One: To only invite and require holders of acceptable veteran approve and issued ID card, or DD 214 in hand to call the 1-877-424-3838 national veterans number to be accounted for with a trained staff member to offer engagement and or consult authority for the veteran. If made a requirement on check-in, the available data-points needed can be addressed. First being the homeless/distressed veteran can “trust” the VA and its local partners. Dialogs in engagement of acceptance is the bridge to gap observing the current trends downward towards less homeless in our veteran populations. (end page one)

Page 2: Street of Solutions 2011-2012.Funding partners:

As FEMA directly funds county programs and county partners are selected to manage the day to day cold weather shelters, a cross training of shelter staff as may apply where veterans administration sees best based on outcome measurements. Logistical; phone and a receipt password identifier shared with shelter staff to record task completed that changes daily at NHVCC. Protocol may provide cost effective start-up to initiate protocol sampling. The goal is to motivate the veteran to call, to do this gently and yet it must be a required staging at the shelter check-in process, thus enhancing the engagement model.

Mission, history technology portfolios up-coming, enhancing a point of contact equation serves the Veterans Administration at the core shelter, soup-kitchen field operations and supplements the needed Veterans Administration outreach message to motivate a veteran to grain trust in the process of “ending” homelessness by the veteran practicing the one step that delays and adds to denial behavioral sets time and time in most past eras, to wit: Making the call regardless of the veterans current mindset (ie: drinking or on drugs) As the call center is staffed by nurses and professionals VA is a health-care priority and engages at the basic level the veteran to dialog. Charting after-call must be considered as to veterans anger, anxiety, stress of engagement process and can be achieved by field staff thus forwarded to VA to apply in treatment findings.

Advancing this sampling will require stage set’s up with the director of the call center to establish training guidelines. Allowing partners in the FEMA, county emergency and the Operation Safety Net directors along with local Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) managers at VA to reach agreements in operational settings will benefit the cascade methodology established.

Case Study: Jim White, Pittsburgh, Pa., jjimpwhite@yahoo.com 412-403-6793 www.perceptualvetgroups.net (conceptual) Vet2Vet . CC: Rev. Michael Wurschmidt, VA Chaplain- VAPHS Jim Withers, MD, Medical Director, Operation Safety Net. Mary Frances Pilarski, RN HCHV-VAPHS Richard Venezia, Administrator, DHS, Allegheny County. Peter H. Dougherty, Director Homeless Veteran programs-DC Office of SECVA Director, National Call Center http://www.va.gov/homeless/nationalcallcenter.asp Dr. Roger Casey, Director: http://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/NationalCenter.asp Shepherds Heart Veterans Advisory Council www.shepheart.com (Mentor Project) Dr. Bruce Ling, MD, Chairman, IRB Medical Research Board. (Info Copy)(end page 2of 2)