G099--Health Care for Homeless (HCHV) Contracted Emergency Residential Services (CERS) Stanislaus County, CA

DRAFT NORTHERN CALIFORNIA VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM HEALTH CARE FOR HOMELESS VETERANS (HCHV) CONTRACTED EMERGENCY RESIDENTIAL SERVICES (CERS) EMERGENCY HOUSING A. BACKGROUND Ending homelessness among Veterans was established as a national priority by the Department of Veterans Affairs in November 2009 at the National Summit on Ending Veterans Homelessness. In June 2010, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) released Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, which is fully aligned with this goal. Eliminating Veteran Homelessness remains one of three Agency Priority Goals for in VA’s Strategic Plan. The Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) program is an essential and critical part of VHA, providing a gateway to VA and community-based supportive services for eligible Veterans who are homeless. HCHV programs provide outreach services; care, treatment, and rehabilitative services, including case management services; and therapeutic transitional housing assistance under 38 U.S.C. 2032 in conjunction with Work Therapy under 38 U.S.C. 1718. The program uses Contracted Residential Services (CRS) in community locations to engage homeless Veterans who have been underserved. Many of these Veterans would benefit from a shelter program but will not avail themselves of these services without the encouragement of outreach workers. B. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The HCHV CERS Program exists to provide a means of removing homeless Veterans from the street or habitation unfit for humans and placing them in community-based, residential environments with sufficient supportive services to meet their basic needs and ultimately, facilitate the improvement of their overall health status and housing situation. This program will provide case management services to homeless Veterans and be located in Stanislaus County California (See PWS Addendum 1 Zip Codes) and will be for between 5 and 15 beds for men and women (starting with 8 beds). The program should have a minimum establishment of one-year in the required zip codes. Period of performance begins September 30th, 2026. B.1. HCHV CERS Program characteristics: B.1.1. Targets and prioritizes homeless Veterans who are eligible for VA health care, and are transitioning from chronic literal street homelessness, Veterans being discharged from institutions, and Veterans who recently became homeless and require safe and stable living arrangements while they seek permanent housing B.1.2. Seeks to reduce barriers to immediate placement with the goal of same-day admission to all CRS Programs. Ensures their internal admission processes and procedures allow for timely placement of homeless Veterans into available beds 24 hours a day 7 days a week whenever beds are available and funding allows. Contractor overnight staff shall have access to the SQUARES database in order to establish possible VHA eligibility. Veterans who are later determined to be not- -- 1 of 18 -- DRAFT eligible will have VA payment for their stay for up to 4 days (see C.4.1. Determination of Eligibility pg. 5). B.1.3. Ensures a Veteran is not denied entry to HCHV CRS based solely upon length of current abstinence from alcohol or non-prescribed controlled substances, the number of previous treatment episodes, the time interval since the last program entry, the use of prescribed controlled substances. Ensures a Veteran is not denied entry to HCHV CRS based solely upon legal history, except in situations where the program excludes the admission of those with a sex offense history due to having children on-site or having a residential treatment license that prohibits those with a sex- offense history. B.1.4. Provides safe, secure, and wheelchair accessible housing as well as supportive services. B.1.5. Lengths of Stay typically range from 30 to 90 days with the option to extend based on clinical need. B.1.6. Veterans are expected to meaningfully engage their case managers and available programming B.1.7. Emphasis is placed on achieving placement in permanent housing or longer term residential programs that offer path to increased housing stabilization at the time of program exit, and reducing negative exits due to rule violations or other avoidable circumstances. B.2. House Rules and Expectations B.2.1. Rules focus on staff and resident safety: • No buying or selling of alcohol or drugs in the facility • No use of illicit drugs in the facility • No sexual activity between residents • No violence or threats of violence • Honor nightly curfew B.2.2. When possible, infractions are to be used to engage residents, not simply as grounds for service termination. Negative discharges will be monitored as a measure of program quality. B.2.3. Veterans are expected to engage programming and maintain communication with case managers at all times around matters relating to admission, stay, and treatment. B.3. Admission Practices B.3.1. Staff will assist residents with admission forms and eligibility determination with VA B.3.2. Facility works to reduce barriers to admission: • Accepts referrals throughout day if possible • Flexibility with admission processes -- 2 of 18 -- DRAFT B.4. Admission Criteria B.4.1. Homeless Veteran B.4.2. Eligible for VA Health Care B.5. Overview of Types of Services Available to Residents B.5.1. Safe, Secure housing (includes shared laundry and restroom facilities) B.5.2. Three daily nutritious meals B.5.3. Case Management and Care Coordination Services B.5.4. Vocational Services B.5.5. Benefits Services B.5.6. Enhancement of Independent Living Skills B.5.7. Permanent/ Transitional housing search support C. PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT C.1. OBJECTIVE The Contractor shall provide emergency housing and supportive services for homeless Veterans in accordance with the HCHV CERS model requirements. Services are expected to consist of supportive, secure housing for homeless Veterans. The program places an expectation on the Veteran to engage in supportive case ma…