Challenge
Benefit programs can be complicated to navigate and often have unique eligibility requirements. Many Veterans lack the information needed to enroll or even to find appropriate benefits for which they qualify. Further confounding this issue are local and federal regulations that can impact a Veteran’s ability to access services. Lengthy enrollment forms, long waiting lines in government offices, required in-office interviews during regular business hours (not helpful to employed applicants), and documentation that can be hard to retrieve all impede access.
It can be difficult for health care professionals, too, to navigate through the many benefits and resources available to Veterans from federal, state, and local organizations. In particular, staff from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers (VAMC) could benefit from a “one-stop” source for up-to-date information about non-Veteran benefits and resources that would complement any already existing tools that connect with benefits, services, and resources inside VA.
Solution
The National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans (National Center) developed a program called the Benefits Assistance and Support System (BASS) to help VA social workers and case managers prevent Veteran homelessness. BASS provides technical assistance to VA staff who help eligible homeless Veterans and Veterans at-risk for homelessness to obtain mainstream benefits, including those that offer income support and access to local services that provide legal assistance and credit counseling. In addition to its technical aspects, BASS was designed to incorporate the benefits of organizational relationships between VA and local providers and benefit programs so that data, requirements, and policies are always current. Examples of such benefits include Medicaid and federal housing programs.
When Veterans are screened positive for their risk of homelessness, BASS helps staff by providing relevant information (via smartphones and a mobile application) on non-VA benefits and services for which Veterans might be eligible (at the federal, state, and local levels). BASS is accessible online via desktop, laptop, or mobile devices. A Help Desk is available to provide support.
Result
During the first year, VAMC staff in New Orleans, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Atlanta received training and support to access and utilize BASS. In the second year, training and support was extended to VAMCs in Boston, Las Vegas, Houston, Chicago, and Washington, DC. Thirty-seven additional cities received access to the web-based application tool over this time period.
As the prime contractor for VA, Atlas Research partnered with Advocates for Human Potential, Binary Group, and Single Stop USA – three companies with experience in Veteran homelessness, community based services, electronic resources, and case management. Together, they:
- Developed a web-based application tool to facilitate and obtain access to non-VA benefits;
- Provided training for VA staff so they have the skills to effectively access benefits and use the web-based application tool;
- Created program materials, including a user manual and both online and print-based educational materials to support use of the web-based application;
- Supported VA staff and VA referred, at-risk Veteran clients through a virtual Help Desk; and
- Worked with VA staff, community providers, and other stakeholders to identify and overcome barriers to successful benefits applications for Veterans.