January 2017 NCHV Newsletter

NCHV eNewsletter
January 2017
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! 2017 NCHV Annual Conference – Yes, In My Back Yard: Putting Veterans First
May 31-June 2 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. 
Register today! Mark your calendars for May 31-June 2, 2017, when the 2017 NCHV Annual Conference, Yes, In My Back Yard: Putting Veterans First, will take place at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C.

With an overarching focus on giving you the knowledge, tools, and resources to implement best practices in your community at the local level, the 2017 Conference is shaping up to be a pivotal event.
Make it your priority to attend this event to share your challenges, strategies, successes and to learn from experts across multiple areas related to the work you do with veterans in your community! 
If you are unable to use the online form above, download a registration form to return by fax here.
New in 2017! The NCHV Veterans Access to Housing Summit Pre-Conference event will be held on May 30 as a lead-in to the Annual Conference. Add the Housing Summit Pre-Conference on to your Conference registration for under half the cost of previous Veterans Access to Housing Summits! This event will be held at a location TBD. Register online here, and stay tuned for more details!
Have you renewed your NCHV membership? Interested in becoming a member? NCHV members receive discounted rates for the Annual Conference, in addition to other benefits. Click here to renew or become a member today!

Exhibitor space will be available for you to feature your products and services in front of 700 service providers, housing developers, government officials and employees, and other stakeholders. Download your exhibitor registration to return by fax here.
Stay tuned to www.nchv.org for updates as they become available.
Hill Watch: New Year, New Congress, New Administration
Final policy thoughts on 2016, and on the changes coming in 2017
All in all, the service provider community had a good 2016, legislatively speaking. While of course there remains a mountain of work to accomplish in 2017, there was more substantive legislation signed into law in 2016 than in the previous two years. These included:
  • Permanently authorizing the use of VA homeless programs by veterans with “Other Than Honorable” discharges,
  • Updating VA’s definition of homelessness, to include the McKinney-Vento updates which allow individuals fleeing domestic violence to be considered homeless,
  • Authorizing a higher Per Diem rate to be paid to Transition in Place programs,
  • Creating a program to allow for follow-up case management for veterans who have successfully completed a GPD program,
  • Adding provisions designed to ease the transition for any GPD that wishes to shift units to permanent housing, and
  • Permanently authorizing the National Center for Homelessness Among Veterans.
Likewise, on the appropriations front, two of the pillars of our work to end veteran homelessness received increased funding; the SSVF program received an increase of $20 million, and the GPD program also received an increase of $10 million. NCHV remains committed to continuing our work in these areas, as well as completing the unfinished work of long-term funding increases for HVRP and the HUD-VASH program.
With the changing of the Administration, the opportunities for policy changes in our area of government are nearly countless. President Trump has nominated Cabinet Secretaries for three of our most germane federal agencies: Dr. David Shulkin for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Dr. Ben Carson for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Andrew Puzder for the Department of Labor.
Dr. Shulkin is currently the VA’s Undersecretary for Health at the VA and has proven himself to be a committed public servant for our nation’s veterans. Dr. Carson recently underwent his Senate confirmation hearing, and his statements about veteran homelessness and the HUD programs which serve those veterans were very encouraging to advocates. Mr. Puzder has yet to make any public statements about the issue, but NCHV looks forward to his hearing and any statements he will make which describe his vision for the Department of Labor under his leadership.
NCHV remains committed to our core mission and looks forward to working with our traditional federal partners under the new Administration. Together we can ensure that a veteran never has to sleep on the streets of the nation he signed up to defend.
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: Your Opportunity to Present at the 2017 NCHV Annual Conference
Share your expertise with individuals from around the country working to end veteran homelessness
Every year, NCHV gathers the top experts and presenters to lead sessions at the NCHV Annual Conference. Submit your presentation abstract to be among those guiding services as we embark into the new Administration by sharing your best practices, creative solutions, unique programs, and more with 700 attendees.
Call for Nominations: Annual NCHV Awards
To be presented at the Annual NCHV Awards Ceremony, June 1 in Washington, D.C.

Each year, NCHV honors the commitment and service of a few of the many deserving organizations and individuals helping homeless veterans across the nation. We are now accepting nominations for the following awards:

  • Outstanding Member - to an NCHV member organization whose programs, partnerships, and people combine to create extraordinary results
  • Partnership Award - to an organization or individual whose work building effective partnerships exemplifies creativity and collaboration
  • Public Policy Award - to an elected official whose record shows strong commitment and action in measures to help homeless veterans
  • Unsung Hero Award - to an individual whose efforts go above and beyond expectations, who expects nothing in return and demonstrates a hero's heart for homeless veterans
  • Federal Agency Staff Award - to a Department of Veterans Affairs, Labor, or Housing and Urban Development staff member on the local, state, regional, or national level who exhibits extraordinary commitment to homeless veterans and service providers
Please submit a one- to two-page letter of nomination including the nominee's name, title, and which award you are nominating for by email to rbrown@nchv.org no later than April 17, 2017.
Webinar: Opioid Use Disorders and Homelessness
Presented by the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans
The opioid epidemic in the United States has had a profound and deadly impact. Opioid use disorders are particularly hard on veterans who are homeless or at risk for being homeless, where prevalence of mental health conditions and substance misuse is high and access to health care often problematic.
The National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans has explored this issue with Homeless Programs Office leaders and experts on substance use disorders and homelessness to develop a set of policy recommendations designed to complement ongoing Veterans Health Administration efforts in mental health and primary care. The rationale and caveats for these recommendations will be presented and discussed during this webinar roundtable on Feb. 2, 2017 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.
Moderated by Center Director Dr. Thomas O’Toole, the event will provide an opportunity for a wider vetting of the issues and set the stage for future education and training of staff who work directly with veterans affected by the opioid epidemic.
Join the meeting online at http://va-eerc-ees.adobeconnect.com/hers/, or call 800-767-1750 and use access code 70207# for the audio.
Funding Opportunities
Caesars Foundation is a private foundation funded by a portion of operating income from resorts owned or operated by Caesars Entertainment. The Foundation is the entity through which Caesars Entertainment funds programs and projects of $10,000 or more, as well as nonprofit giving requirements imposed by certain operating jurisdictions. The Foundation's objective is to strengthen organizations and programs in the communities where Caesars employees and their families live and work. Caesars Foundation accepts proposals on a rolling basis. Caesars Foundation Trustees meet on a quarterly basis, typically around the second week of each quarter. Check with your nearest Caesars Entertainment property for deadlines. For more information, click here.
The DTE Energy Foundation is at the core of DTE Energy's commitment to the communities and customers it serves. The DTE Energy Foundation is dedicated to strengthening these communities and its connection to customers in three areas: strengthening Michigan’s vitality through economic growth, life-sustaining help to the most disadvantaged members of the community, and education, innovation and the development of inspiring leaders. For more information, click here.
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