HOMELESS VETERANS

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HOMELESS VETERANS

• Remembering Our Forgotten Heroes

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MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HOMELESS VETERANS

• The VA takes care of all of them
• Most are panhandlers and live on the street

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ABOUT HOMELESS VETERANS

• Who are they?
• What causes them to be homeless?
• Where are they?
• How many are there?
• What services do they need?
• What seems to work best?

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NATIONAL COALITION FOR HOMELESS VETERANS (NCHV)

• Who is NCHV?
• What does NCHV do?
• What do NCHV memberscommunity-based homeless
  veteran service providers (CBOs)do?
• Where are service providers located?

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HOW CAN YOU HELP?

• Locate nearby CBOs
• Listen and advise regarding available resources
• Refer
• Mentor, counselor or legal aide
• Volunteer
• Advocate

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ABOUT HOMELESS VETERANSWho are they?

• 26 of the nations homeless population are
  veterans
• Only 9 of U. S. citizens have served in the
  military
• 33 of male homeless population are veterans
• 89 received an honorable discharge
• 85 completed high school/GED compared to 56 of
  non-veterans

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ABOUT HOMELESS VETERANSWho are they?

• 4 of homeless veterans are women, the fastest
  growing homeless veteran cohort
• Women veterans are 3.6 times more likely to
  become homeless than non-veteran women
• Many suffer from serious and life threatening
  trauma and have experienced physical harassment

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ABOUT HOMELESS VETERANSWhat causes them to be
homeless?

• Health issues (PTSD,TBI, substance abuse,
  clinical problems)
• Economic issues (unemployment, non-transferable
  skills, no college degree)
• Lack of safe, affordable housing
• Compounded by lack of family and social support
  networks

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ABOUT HOMELESS VETERANSWhere are they?

• Community-based organizations, shelters
• Living with relatives or friends
• Staying in hotel/motel or in their car
• Under bridges, in alleys and abandoned buildings,
  or in the woods
• 79 reside in central cities
• Communities
• Rural areas
• Prison

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ABOUT HOMELESS VETERANSHow many are there?

• VA estimates nearly 154,000 on any given night
• Approximately 300,000 will experience
  homelessness during the year
• NCHV member community-based organizations serve
  150,000 homeless veterans each year

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ABOUT HOMELESS VETERANSWhat seems to work best?

• Community-based, nonprofit, veteran helping
  veteran groups
• Transitional housing with camaraderie of living
  in structured, substance-free environment with
  fellow veterans who are succeeding at improving
  themselves
• Individualized case management support, and
  employment training/placement services

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ABOUT HOMELESS VETERANSWhat services do they
need?

• Coordinated effort that provides secure housing
  and nutritional meals, physical health care,
  substance abuse aftercare and mental health
  counseling and personal development and
  empowerment
• Job assessment, training and placement assistance
• Focus on helping veterans reach highest level of
  independence

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NATIONAL COALITION FOR HOMELESS VETERANSWho is
NCHV?

• Founded in 1990 by service providers seeking to
  educate the public about the high percentage of
  homeless people who were veterans and to identify
  federal programs to help them
• National, not-for-profit organization wholly
  dedicated to helping Americas homeless veterans
  regain control of their lives and return to
  society as productive, self-sufficient citizens
• Serves as primary liaison between care providers,
  Congress, and Executive Branch agencies
• Recognized as leading authority on homeless
  veterans by VA, DOL, HUD and HHS

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NATIONAL COALITION FOR HOMELESS VETERANSWhat
does NCHV do?

• Public outreach
• Publications
• Program development assistance
• Toll free telephone assistance, 1-800-VET-HELP,
  and website, www.nchv.org
• National Annual Conference
• Public policy awareness

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NATIONAL COALITION FOR HOMELESS VETERANSWhat do
homeless veteran service providers do?

• Provide
• Emergency shelter
• Food
• Transitional and permanent housing
• Employment training and placement
• Health screening and counseling
• Substance abuse treatment
• Legal assistance
• Other supportive services (personal development
  and empowerment

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NATIONAL COALITION FOR HOMELESS VETERANSWhere
are service providers located?

• NCHV represents over 280 community-based
  organizations in 46 states, the District of
  Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico
• Other service providers can be found on the NCHV
  website, including faith-based and civic groups,
  veteran service organizations and organizations
  run by state and local governments

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HOW CAN YOU HELP?

• Locate CBOs in your area and learn array of
  services provided
• Advise veterans at risk of homelessness about
  where they may receive assistance (VAMCs, vet
  centers, CBOs, faith-based groups, veteran
  service organizations)
• Refer homeless veterans or those at risk of
  homelessness to CBOs for non-health services,
  housing
• Serve as mentor, counselor or legal aide (basic
  life/social skills, employment training/placement,
  mental health or substance abuse counseling or
  help with legal problems)

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HOW CAN YOU HELP?

• Urge homeless veterans or those at risk of
  homelessness to attend a Stand Down (1-, 2- or
  3-day event that gives homeless veterans a
  secure, community-like retreat to receive health
  care/personal hygiene services, food, clothing,
  housing and employment referrals, VA benefits
  counselingall in one location)
• Volunteer at a Stand Down
• Become an active advocate to ensure veterans
  receive appropriate share of available resources
  to address and prevent homelessness

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IN CONCLUSION

• A quote from Albert Schweitzer, You must give
  some time to your fellow men. Even if its a
  little thing, do something for otherssomething
  for which you get no pay except the privilege of
  doing it.
• Thank you for wanting to help homeless veterans
• --They need you
• --Together we can accomplish our mission to end
  homelessness among Americas veterans

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Contact Information

• Cheryl Beversdorf, RN MHS MA
• President and CEO
• National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
• 333 ½ Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
• Washington, DC 20003
• Phone [phone]
• Email nchv1_at_nchv.org