VA & Community Eligibility
This document is the primary evidence needed to prove a Veteran’s military service status for SSVF eligibility.
What is a DD-214?
This acronym stands for the primary medical system managed by the VA for Veteran health.
What is VHA (Veterans Health Administration)?
Because of a lack of refrigeration, a veteran experiencing homelessness may struggle to store this type of medicine.
What is insulin (or refrigerated medication)?
The primary, ultimate goal of all SSVF services.
What is Housing Stability?
This common legal issue involves the formal process of a landlord removing a tenant and is a primary focus for SSVF legal aid.
What is an Eviction?
For Rapid Re-Housing, the Veteran must be considered this, meaning they are staying in a place not meant for human habitation or a shelter.
What is "Literally Homeless"?
These community-based locations allow Veterans to receive care closer to home rather than travelling to a main VA Medical Center.
What are CBOCs (Community-Based Outpatient Clinics)?
This "invisible wound" is one of the most common mental health struggles among homeless veterans.
What is PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)?
This model allows rapid re-housing to be provided regardless of a Veteran's perceived barriers, such as sobriety.
What is Housing First?
Legal aid can help a Veteran apply for this to change their military record, potentially opening doors to VA health care and other benefits.
What is a Discharge Upgrade?
This database allows SSVF staff to check if a Veteran is already enrolled in VA healthcare.
What is SQUARES?
This specific VA program provides permanent housing and case management for homeless veterans, often paired with SSVF.
What is HUD-VASH?
A Health Care Navigator should assist a veteran in creating a plan to address this, which is a major barrier to keeping medical appointments.
What is transportation?
All direct staff should document all client contacts in this system.
What is HMIS (Homeless Management Information System)?
SSVF legal funds can be used to help Veterans restore this essential document, which is often a barrier to both employment and housing.
What is a Driver's License?
To be eligible for SSVF, a Veteran must be discharged under conditions other than this.
What is Dishonorable?
If a veteran is not enrolled in VA care, a navigator helps them get registered with this department to begin the process.
What is Enrollment and Eligibility (or Business Office)?
In addition to mental health, this common physical health issue resulting from noise exposure during service often requires special equipment.
What is tinnitus (or hearing loss)?
This approach starts with minimal assistance and increases interventions as needed.
What is Progressive Engagement?
These four legal issues are among the top 10 unmet needs for homeless Veterans that SSVF legal services aim to address.
What are evictions/foreclosures, child support, outstanding warrants/fines, and driver's license restoration?
These are the three, or sometimes four, types of discharge status that allow a veteran to receive SSVF services (assuming they are not dishonorable).
What are Honorable, General, Under Honorable Conditions, and sometimes Other Than Honorable (OTH)?
Navigators act as a liaison between the SSVF grantee and this specific VA medical network to coordinate Veteran care.
What is the VHA (Veterans Health Administration)?
When a Veteran is not eligible for VA healthcare, the HCN must connect them to these, such as Medicaid, Medicare, or charity care.
What are community resources?
This is the term for a temporary, 24-hour setting designed to help a veteran stabilize before transitioning to permanent housing.
What is a shelter (or transitional housing)?
This specific, intensive legal advocacy method is often used to help disabled veterans obtain SSI/SSDI benefits.
What is SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery)?