PWS Vietnam Veterans Workshop Inc Womens Dorm 2023.pdf

Statement of Work Women Veterans’ Homelessness Program

Background:

Through HCHV, VA provides case management and outreach services to Veterans and facilitates their access to a broad range of medical, mental health, and rehabilitative services. HCHV’s goal is to engage Veterans experiencing homelessness in treatment and place them in a safe and secure environment that supports their rehabilitation goals.

The Women Veterans’ Homelessness Program (WVHP), an essential and critical part of HCHV and VHA, is vital for providing a gateway to VA and community supportive services for eligible women Veterans who are homeless. The WVHP focuses on addressing the needs of the most vulnerable and at-risk homeless Veterans. Ensuring that Veterans can be placed in community-based programs which provide quality housing and services that meet the needs of this special population is a particular focus of the

WVHP.

The mission of the WVHP is to provide intensive case management and clinical services to women and MTF transgender Veterans who are either experiencing homelessness or at risk for homelessness in the metropolitan Boston, Massachusetts and surrounding areas. The growing numbers of women Veterans experiencing homelessness pose a significant threat to women Veterans in Massachusetts. There are high rates of serious mental illness and substance abuse in this population and these women Veterans need safe and secure shelter.

VA Boston Healthcare System is home to the Women’s Stress Disorder Treatment Team, Women Veteran’s Transitional Residence, Women Veterans Health Center, and Women’s Health Sciences Division of the National Center for PTSD. The programs are closely linked with the Women Veterans’ Homelessness Program (WVHP), which affords the opportunity of highly coordinated and comprehensive services for women in primary care, mental health, and substance abuse treatment services.

VA Boston Healthcare System is seeking a non-VA community contractor who will provide up to twenty

(20) emergency shelter beds for Women Veterans experiencing homelessness with services consistent with the WVHP objectives. The goal is to remove homeless women Veterans from the street or places unfit for human habitation and place them in a safe and secure environment that supports their rehabilitation goals. The Contractor must have sufficient services to meet the needs of the women Veterans served.

The Contractor shall provide a safe, supervised, clean and sober environment for women Veterans. The Contractor shall be physically located in the metropolitan Boston area and within Norfolk County and/or Suffolk County, Massachusetts.

The Contractor shall provide shelter for women Veterans, including transgendered Veterans identifying as women, in an area separate from males and/or male Veterans. The community resource must serve the women Veterans three (3) meals per day and make available private and secure bath and shower facilities.

The Contractor shall assign a case manager to coordinate with the WVHP Social Worker to provide coordinated care. The Contractor shall ensure storage of Veterans’ information is secure and follow established guidelines of confidentiality and HIPAA for all VA clients. The non-VA community resource case manager will be trained in advocacy and case management work with homeless clients, and must have a basic understanding of Military Sexual Trauma (MST), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and various other mental health and substance abuse disorders commonly detected in women Veterans.

Special emphasis on privacy and security must be noted in mixed gender facilities. Requirements to include, but not limited to:

a) Separate and secure sleeping arrangements for each gender (door locks, etc.),

b) Separate and secure bathroom arrangements for each gender (shower curtains, bathroom stall doors, etc.),

c) Screening procedures and criteria for sex offenders (mixed gender facility),

d) 24 hours a day, 7 days per week supervision for women Veterans. Shall include at least one (1) woman staff member each overnight and weekend shift,

e) Common areas with appropriate security arrangements, and closed circuit television monitoring of the hallways and Common areas,

f) Sexual harassment policy and written verification of staff education of the policy

g) Safe and secure area for women Veterans to store their psychiatric and non-psychiatric medications,

h) Mixed gender facilities that share entrance and common areas (living room, kitchen, dayroom, etc.) must include onsite staffing available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.

i) Sufficient personnel to assure security,

j) Staffing available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week

k) Access to three (3) healthy meals per day; a healthy meal contains foods that give the Veteran nutrients to maintain their health,

l) Access to VA inpatient and outpatient programs.

VA Boston Healthcare System will conduct a safety and security review annually to ensure the security and safety of the women Veteran clients and contractual stipulation compliance.

WVHP Social Worker/Liaison shall serve as the liaison between the Contractor Case Manager and VA services. WVHP Social Worker shall provide clinical support and consultation as required. WHVP Social

Worker shall conduct quarterly team meetings with the Contractor case managers to review Veteran caseload and provide referrals or resources deemed necessary for the homeless women Veterans.

WVHP Social Worker shall be a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW or its equivalent).

VA Boston Healthcare System reserves the right to detail staff appropriate to the position. A Social

Work Intern, under the supervision of the WVHP Social Worker, may also provide the aforementioned services.

The Contractor shall have a written emergency plan in place for any homeless woman Veteran requiring medical and/or psychiatric treatment. All Veteran residents should be provided with the Veterans Crisis

Line information: (800)273-8255 and press 1 to reach the Veteran Crisis Line. In the event of a medical or mental health emergency, the Contractor should call 911. The Contractor should maintain documentation of the emergency and provide written notification to the VA WVHP case manager within

24 hours.