Challenge
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has made ending Veteran homelessness a top priority. There is an unprecedented undertaking to dramatically increase resources as well as awareness of VA services available for homeless Veterans and Veterans at risk of homelessness. While permanent, stable housing is the benchmark of these efforts, housing alone might not be sufficient to mitigate a current episode of homelessness or prevent future episodes.
Solution
As a part of its Plan to End Homelessness Among Veterans, VA seeks to increase the emphasis on competitive employment as a strategy for preventing homelessness and sustaining permanent housing as equally important to ending and preventing Veteran homelessness. To accomplish this, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Homeless Program Office is developing “champions,” or Community Employment Coordinators (CECs) within the VA Medical Center (VAMC) structure at the direct service level to coordinate and maximize the impact of resources across the homeless services continuum (both within VA and in the community). Atlas Research is committed to providing the support, education, training, mentoring, resources, tools, and Technical Assistance (TA) that these CECs need to achieve excellence in their critical role within each VAMC, including developing a thorough understanding of the factors within each VAMC and the regions that have a direct bearing on the success of their goals.
Result
Atlas Research supports VA by performing education and training across the homeless continuum supported by targeted, time-limited mentoring to newly hired VHA CECs at all designated VAMC sites. Atlas trainers travel to each VAMC site and provide onsite analysis, training, and ongoing technical assistance to develop a foundation to increase the emphasis of competitive employment as a strategy to obtain and maintain permanent stable housing.