GPD Replicable Models: Part One

Speakers:

Way Station, Inc. – Scott Rose

Sacramento Veterans Resource Center – Sean Benedict

Soldier On – Jack Downing and Steve Como

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans – Kristina Hunken

Kristina Hunken, NCHV

-    Welcome/Introduction

-    Question and Answer session following presentations

Scott Rose, Way Station, Inc.

-    Substance addiction is specialty of Way Station, Inc.

-    Two most important components of program: creative partnership and current research

-    Way Station is thirty year old nonprofit

-    Comprehensive services include scattered site housing

-    True partnership with VA and Maryland State Mental Hygiene Administration

-    Way Station has two GPD programs; receive capital contributions and expertise from state of Maryland and VA

-    Approached by VA to create specialty programs for veterans

-    Partnerships with Department of Labor and Dartmouth Medical School

-    Five evidence-based mental health practices endorsed by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

-    Way Station programs implement three of five: supported employment; integrated dual-disorders treatment; and illness management and recovery. 

-    Symptom management, ex: giving iPods to veterans to help drown out or divert attention away from “hearing voices”

-    Honoring a person’s vocational dream and working with it rather than moving person away from it

-    Customized employment: spending time better matching the needs of employer with skills of employee

-    Integrated dual-disorders treatment and harm reduction

-    Story of Doug, Vietnam veteran suffering from severe mental illness and substance addiction; Way Station created partnership with VA to get Doug into condo with supportive services; Doug helped Way Station get contract for building and grant for program which currently serves 4,000 individuals

Sean Benedict, Sacramento Veterans Resource Center (Vietnam Veterans of California)

-    VVC was established thirty years ago; runs program sites throughout Northern California

-    Sacramento Veterans Resource Center has three unique GPD programs: one is for men (30 beds), one is for women and children (8 beds), and one is a co-ed facility for dual diagnosis treatment (22 beds).

-    Goal of these programs is the same: Removing Barriers to Self-Sufficiency

-    Previously, when incoming clients were diagnosed with mental health issues, they were sent to White City, OR for treatment; VVC decided to provide services directly and created Behavioral Health Center

-    Receive funding through country drug and alcohol services division; contract for 8 beds

-    Recipient of VA Special Needs grant; allows Center to fully staff dual diagnosis program

-    Holistic approach; dealing with veteran as a person rather than a symptom

-    Behavioral Health Center has been running for approximately 3 years; work very closely with VA liaison

-    Work with special needs coordinator and VA benefits representative

-    Men’s GPD program also funded by HUD; set up in 1996

-    8 bed duplex for female veterans

-    Contract with Child Protective Services to work with veterans in the system

-    Have helped reunite five female veterans with their children in the past two years

-    “Therapeutic Milieu”: all interactions with clients are viewed as having therapeutic potential; staff is trained to be mindful of this, regardless of circumstances.

-    Every veteran is unique and needs are unique; no “cookie cutter” standards

-    Humanistic, relationship based program

-    Safe psychological space to create change

Jack Downing and Steve Como, Soldier On

-    Soldier On was established in 1994

-    Operates two facilities: a 165 bed GPD program for transitional living on the VA campus in Northampton, Massachusetts and a 60 Bed Transitional Living, GPD program and 11 permanent apartments in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

-    Currently getting under construction 39 limited equity cooperative apartments that formerly homeless veterans will own

-    Looking at developing 300 permanent housing units for formerly homeless veterans

-    Focus began as wanting to shelter veterans; substance abuse treatment

-    Model: build affordable safe housing using sustainable energy systems and providing supportive services

-    Last night, 221 veterans were in Soldier On’s care: 8 returned Iraqi vets and 9 women

-    Five years ago, moved from staff-directed program to veteran-directed program

-    Management teams of veterans set up rules, curfews, expectations, etc.

-    Staff take on failures of program, veterans are responsible for the successes of program

-    Soldier On accepts all veterans who are eligible for program; limitations with sex offenders (limit of 8 in program at any given time)

-    Message to clients: failure is never final, and success is never-ending

-    Integrity model; self-reporting after 90 days of being in Soldier On’s care

-    Med management system; medicines distributed from central point in building

-    Partnerships with VA, state and national level

-    Corporate sponsorships

-    Soldier On believes the long term solution to homeless veterans is permanent affordable housing with services

-    Diversion model: keeping veterans out of criminal justice system and coming into treatment

-    Met with district attorney last year and 250 first responders at conference; working with first responders to identify veterans and connect them with service providers rather than jailing/fining them; raised awareness within community about veterans’ issues

Closing

Kristina Hunken, NCHV

-    Thank you

-    Part Two of this series will take place on October 28^th

-    For information on upcoming conference calls, visit www.nchv.org

To listen to a recording of this conference call, click here.