Veterans United For A Better Life Assocation
Success in ending homelessness among Veterans involves many people, partners and programs, and here we share a few of these stories. Browse these pages and check back often for new stories, which are added on a regular basis. And if you have a success story you'd like to see featured, drop us a line at this email address and we'll be in touch to get the information we need to share your story.
After 30 Years, Homeless No More
A Tucson Veteran's Story | Dec. 10, 2015
The Challenge
In his mid-50s, the Tucson–area Army Veteran had been homeless for 30 years. He was among the small population of Veterans whose history of legal and justice involvement severely limits housing options and can perpetuate homelessness. The Veteran’s criminal history and his untreated mental health and substance use issues led him to disengage from the support system. Disengagement hardened into distrust and led to an overall unfamiliarity of VA resources potentially available to him. All of these factors contributed to his chronic homelessness.
The Fix
Despite his three decades on the streets, VA outreach workers and community-based partners continued to try to earn the Veteran’s trust. Eventually, a community agency case manager convinced the Veteran to become more accepting and aware of VA medical care and treatment and community housing resources. Caseworkers then tapped a Tucson permanent housing program willing to house chronically homeless Veterans who are ineligible for VA housing and other community resources. The case manager and VA staff worked to get the Veteran enrolled in housing.
The Result
Once the Veteran was permanently housed, he was connected to treatment for alcohol dependence and post-traumatic stress disorder. This Veteran, once so distrustful of the system, was surprised by the wide range of treatment options available to him. With newfound ability to address the issues that for so long held him back, the Veteran is looking forward to rejoining the workforce and to a future filled with possibilities.
Reluctant Veteran Embraces Help to End His Homelessness
Michael’s Story | July 7, 2015
The Challenge
Michael was a Los Angeles-area Veteran who’d fallen hard times. For 10 years, he lived primarily under a bridge along the Los Angeles River. When Michael was first approached by outreach workers from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Mental Health America (MHA) of Los Angeles, a VA grantee under the Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) program, he resisted their entreaties to get help.
Like so many chronically homeless Veterans who’ve lived for years on the streets, Michael had come to feel ashamed of his appearance and resisted taking the difficult steps to come in from the outside. He didn’t want to be homeless, but the complexity of his circumstance made him reluctant to respond to offers of support.
The Fix
VA and MHA outreach workers often encounter such resistance in their work to reach and serve Veterans like Michael. They empathized with Michael, but persisted in trying help him. Outreach workers visited his encampment weekly, determined to build a rapport and, most importantly, to earn Michael’s trust.
For the first month, MHA workers met with Michael at his tent to assess his comfort level. At first, he remained inside his tent. The visits continued, with workers talking with Michael about housing solutions, VA health care services and potential income sources.
A breakthrough came during an unfortunate incident when Michael’s leg became infected and he needed health care services. Still Michael refused to go to VA, and so MHA outreach workers arranged for the delivery of medical supplies and care tent-side. Michael continued to meet with these health workers outside his tent, and they gained his trust. He eventually agreed to visit an MHA office, where he showered, got a cell phone and accessed a computer for the first time in his life.
The Result
This initial connection led to MHA connecting Michael to VA mental health and primary care services to address the chronic health issues that had worsened after more than a decade on the streets.
This led to Michael getting additional support from VA and the community, including a referral to permanent housing through the Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program. He quickly received a voucher and obtained a home, where he’s lived for at least a year. He has reconnected with his family, and is getting employment skills through VAs Compensated Work Therapyprogram.
Michael is active in his community and is no longer homeless.
Peer Support Opens Doors to Housing and Treatment
A New York Veteran's Story | Oct. 23, 2015
The Challenge
Like other Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom, this New York City man returned from multiple tours of duty with severe combat trauma. His situation led to a dependency on opioids and benzodiazepine. Although he detoxed multiple times at the emergency room, his undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) contributed to a hesitancy to enter a longer term treatment program. His problems compounded, and he faced chronic homelessness. The Veteran needed help, but first needed to trust in the available system of care.
The Fix
Enter the HUD-VASH Housing First Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team, part of the VA New York Harbor Health Care System.
The team first convinced the Veteran to apply for a Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) voucher to stabilize his housing situation. Then the team’s peer-support specialist worked to earn his trust and open the door to treatment options. A breakthrough came when the specialist discovered the Veteran’s desire to apply for a service-connected claim through a psychiatrist at another facility. By knowing the Veteran’s preference for care, the specialist found an opening to engage with him about the destabilizing and near-lethal effect of his drug use. Ultimately the team successfully encouraged the Veteran to accept a referral to the VA Medical Center Monroe Campus for inpatient residential rehabilitation services.
The Result
The Veteran is now three months into his recovery. Since completing the rehab program, he graduated from the Montrose PTSD and Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) programs. Through the support of these programs, he is learning how to cope with the effects of PTSD and using the HUD-VASH voucher to exit homelessness.