Veterans Committee Meeting Minutes
September 8, 2017
In attendance: Dan Boyea, Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, Keegan Hersey, Veterans Inc., Sue Moorman, VA, Katherine Person, Veterans Inc, Nikki Riello, Hilltown CDC, Denise Rivera, Friends of the Homeless/CSO, Pamela Schwartz, Network, Kate Sweetster-Owens, HUD VASH, Stephanie Tonelli, Friends of the Homeless/CSO, Sabrina Willard, Soldier On
Hampden County Sheriff Department Update: Dan relayed his thanks to the VSO Association (Chris Lizotte chair, with help from Steve Connor) for providing the necessary letter requesting that contact info on current veteran inmates get forwarded to the appropriate municipality’s VSO for follow-up in the service of public safety. This is the request they needed to make it possible for the Sheriff’s Department to provide this information. Referrals and connections are happening now (both with inmates traveling to the VSO and with the VSO traveling to the correctional facility). This is very exciting progress and promises to reduce homelessness for formerly incarcerated veterans. Thanks to Dan and to the VSO’s for their leadership on this! We agreed that this collaboration could offer a model statewide and that we will be sure DVS is aware.
Nikki Riello of the 3 County CoC will pursue contacts in the Berkshire County Corrections to try to replicate this arrangement.
Dan also announced that he just received a promotion to Grants Coordinator for the system, but the good news is that either he or another from the Sheriff’s Dept. will continue to attend these meetings. Congratulations to Dan!
Hampden County by-name list: At the latest meeting earlier this week, there were only 9 veterans on the list. Great progress is being made.
Three County by-name list: Outside of Soldier On, there are 10 veterans on the list, 4 of whom are unsheltered. At Soldier On, there are 190, a significant drop from the aprox. 250 formerly sheltered there (many transitioned into permanent supportive housing).
Other 3 County updates: working on veteran referral form for other providers (modeled after Hampden County CoC referral form); working on outreach to VSO’s in more municipalities
Announcements:
- Soldier On’s dedication of its new veteran housing (Gordon H. Mansfield Veteran Housing) in Agawam will take place on September 18, 1 pm, 702 South Westfield Street, Feeding Hills. 51 units of veteran housing, move-in date slated for end of Sept.
- Stand Down is happening on Friday, 9/29 – Greek Cultural Center, 16 Plainfield St. Springfield
- Northampton Housing Authority now has a trickle of HUD VASH vouchers again (formerly all used for Agawam housing but that need has no been met so acquiring vouchers through attrition, etc.).
Keegan’s update from Maine: Keegan of Veterans Inc attended a veterans committee meeting convened by the ME CoC (only one CoC for the state). It was interesting to see their emphasis on governance and the level of prescriptive detail when contact with a veteran is made. Their goal is to ensure sustainability of the system regardless of actual individuals involved. We agreed this is an important element that deserves more attention in this region.
Keegan’s other update on Grants Per Diem (GPD): this grant in Shrewsbury is changing as of 10/1, transferring more beds to a clinical case management model. All part of the overall shift in allocation of beds in the GPD program.
Next meeting dates:
October 27, Northampton, 9:00 -10:30
Friday, December 1, MHA, 9:15-10:30
