The VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (GLA) provides comprehensive ambulatory and tertiary care to Veterans throughout Kern, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. GLA is one of the largest integrated healthcare organizations in the Department of Veterans Affairs with 945 operating and authorized beds, over 4,400 employees, and an operating budget of $750 million. The West Los Angeles VA Medical Center (WLA) campus designated a 1A VHA healthcare facility, Patient-Centered Care (PCC) Center of Innovation, Level II Polytrauma Network Site for VISN 22. GLA has the largest Community Care Program in the nation in support of Veterans who are homeless.
Based on Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) FY 2010 point-in-time data, there were approximately 7,000 Veterans who were homeless, living in GLA’s service area on any given night. This count reflects a drop from the FY 2009 count of approximately 8,000. GLA is committed to Secretary Shinseki’s pledge to end homelessness among Veterans by 2015.
Services Offered:
GLA has an active outreach component to Veterans who are homeless and congregating in areas like Skid Row, rescue missions and shelters. GLA also helps sponsor and staff Stand Downs (health/service events for Veterans) at sites in Bakersfield and Ventura. GLA has a women’s outreach team targeting female Veterans. It also has a team which goes into Los Angeles County Jails. The jail outreach staff develops discharge plans for inmates and helps the Veterans receive VA care upon release. Staff also actively collaborate with the LA County Veterans Court.
The GLA Comprehensive Homeless Center provides a centralized screening clinic (Mental Health Screening and Treatment Clinic) on the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center (WLA) campus that promotes same-day access to primary care and mental health care, and housing placement and homeless services. (This clinic was named a VA Mental Health Best Practice Program in 2005 and 2006).
Comprehensive Homeless Center:
Through this screening clinic, GLA provides access to VA specialty medical and mental health care, including programs for Veterans with dual diagnosis or PTSD; and to non-emergent dental care by VA and contracted non-VA providers.
In addition, Veterans are provided access to vocational rehabilitation and job-finding programs through its Veterans Community Employee Development Program (VCED)and private agencies which are paid by the VA and the Department of Labor Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.
GLA also provides access to extended residential care for Veterans with serious mental health and medical problems through a 300-bed Domiciliary located on the VA WLA campus. For those Veterans with a diagnosis of mental illness in board-and-care and assisted living facilities, GLA operates a Community Residential Care program with a case management workload of approximately 330 Veterans. Also, GLA operates a HUD-VA Supported Housing program, which case manages over 1,800 formerly homeless Veterans and their families living independently in the community.
Community Partnerships:
In collaboration with community partners GLA has secured over 1,200 community transitional housing beds for Veterans who are homeless through its VA Grant and Per Diem Program. Veterans in transitional housing programs stay for 3-18 months while receiving a range of medical, mental health and rehabilitative services. Many Veterans who complete the Grant and Per Diem Program move on to independent housing. Housing partners include such organizations as Salvation Army, Volunteers of America, United States Veterans Initiative, and New Directions.
In conjunction with LA County Mental Health, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, City of Santa Monica, Venice and Hollywood, a group of local service agencies and GLA have created Project 60. This project targets 60 Veterans who are chronically homeless in Venice, Hollywood, San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica with a focus on getting the most vulnerable Veterans off the streets and into beds throughout the community, with a “streets to home†philosophy. This project incorporates both Housing First and Harm Reduction principles.
Impact:
In FY 2010, approximately 6,600 Veterans who were homeless received services through GLA programs such as medical care, mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and/or housing. During this same time period, approximately 1,300 Veterans were treated through GLA’s Grant and Per Diem Transitional Housing Program. Accordingly, 68% ended with a Veteran being discharged to independent housing or to a secure institutional arrangement (e.g., half-way house). Also, 39% of the discharges of non-disabled/retired individuals ended in employment or job training. In terms of patient satisfaction, 89% of Veterans surveyed said the quality of services at their GPD program was good to excellent; 94% said they would recommend the program to another Veteran or friend.
