January 23, 2012 – InTransition

The holidays are behind us and the promises and possibilities of a new year abound as the DCoE inTransition program continues to move forward with a sense of purpose and an unwavering commitment to excellence of service.

What this means for our service members and their families and for those who are dedicated to providing them with the best psychological health and traumatic brain injury  care and treatment, is a renewed confidence that:

• The inTransition program will strive to reach greater heights as it continues to be instrumental in improving the system of care by becoming that critical bridge of support that qualifying service members, guard and reserves need during transitions

• Our unparalleled telephonic coaching services performed by licensed master’s level mental health experts will continue to be a program of choice. This is evident by the impressive 54% of new participant enrollment made through self-referrals by service members in 2011

• Our skilled inTransition coaches will continue to provide exceptional support to service members seeking to locate the care and services they need and motivate them to achieve their wellness goals.  These mental health experts have a thorough understanding of today’s military culture and issues and respect the importance of privacy.

• The inTransition program will continue to improve the critical follow-up of deactivating, separating and retiring service members with VA mental health services to ensure a successful system of care

The DCoE inTransition program continues to be free, voluntary and accessible via:

1-800-424-7877 Inside the United States;

1-800-424-4685 (DSN) Outside the United States toll-free; or

1-314-387-4700 Outside the United States collect

Look for inTransition on display at these upcoming events:

• MHS Conference, January 30-February 1, 2012, National Harbor, MD
• American Psychiatric Association Annual Conference,  May 5-9, 2012,  Philadelphia, PA
• Combat Operational Stress Control Conference, May 22-24, 2012, San Diego, CA
• Armed Forces Public Health Conference, June 1-8, 2011, San Diego, CA
• Case Management Society of America, June 18-19, 2012, San Francisco, CA
• DoD / VA Suicide Prevention Conference, June 20-22, 2012, Washington, DC

To learn more about inTransition or share the information with your colleagues,  please visit www.health.mil/inTransition or contact Robbyn Shin at Robbyn.Shin.ctr@tma.osd.mil to arrange a video teleconference, brief at your clinic or facility, or an informative webinar.

In anticipation of the 2012 Housing Inventory Count (HIC) and Point-in-Time (PIT) counts, HUD has provided communities with a few reminders.

When to Conduct the Sheltered and Unsheltered Count

Beginning in 2012, all Continuums of Care (CoCs) must conduct an annual sheltered count.  The unsheltered count is only required every other year – the next required year will be 2013. Although 2012 is not a required year for CoCs to conduct an unsheltered count HUD encourages all CoCs who have the means to conduct an unsheltered count to do so.

Who to Count

Though the new HUD homeless definition has been published, the McKinney-Vento Act as amended by HEARTH states that CoCs will continue to count the same literally homeless populations and subpopulations in their counts, as they have in the past.

How to Count Chronically Homeless and Unaccompanied Children 

CoCs must count chronically homeless individuals and families and unaccompanied children in the same manner they did in the 2011 PIT count. In the interim Consolidated Plan rule, effective January 4, 2012, HUD published an amended chronically homeless definition. However, HUD will not collect data based on the amended chronically homeless definition until the Consolidated Plan rule is published as final. For the purpose of the 2012 PIT count, the subpopulation data for unaccompanied children will be limited to persons under 18. Prior to the 2013 PIT count, HUD will provide additional guidance on how to count chronically homeless individuals and families, as well as unaccompanied youth.

When to Conduct the HIC and PIT Counts

CoCs are required to complete a PIT count of homeless people for a single night during the last 10 days in January, as well as a housing inventory. The 2012 annual housing inventory and the sheltered PIT count should be on the same night. Any CoC planning to conduct the HIC and/or PIT count outside the last 10 days of January 2012, must submit a waiver request to HUD. Waiver requests should be submitted via email to Michael Roanhouse, Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs at michael.roanhouse@hud.gov and must include the proposed date of the count and the rationale for selecting a date outside the last 10 days of January.

What to Prepare for in the Future

HUD anticipates publishing the CoC HEARTH regulations during 2012. As HUD works with the other members of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness to implement Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, communities should pay special attention to data collection and performance management issues. Communities are highly encouraged to evaluate their count process and determine how to improve it for future years. In particular, communities are asked to consider the effectiveness of their processes to capture data on specific subpopulations, including families with children, youth, chronics, and veterans.

HUD is considering how to provide additional support to communities interested in improving their methodology. If you have specific questions, concerns, or suggestions, or you are interested in participating in a peer planning group/community of practice in 2012 to improve your methodology, please write to us at the HUDHRE Help Desk.

Resources

Please visit the Homelessness Resource Exchange and the links below for additional information.

2012 Housing Inventory Count and Point-in-Time Count of Homeless Persons Data Collection Guidance

Preparing for Your 2012 Housing Inventory and Point-in-Time Counts Webinar

Preparing for Your 2012 Housing Inventory and Point-in-Time Counts with Special Attention on Veteran Program Guidance Webinar

2012 Point-in-Time and Housing Inventory Count FAQs

A Guide to Counting Sheltered Homeless People (Revised January 2012)

A Guide to Counting Unsheltered Homeless People (Revised January 2008)

Submit questions to the Virtual Help Desk on the HRE

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 – 8AM-3PM South Wilmington Shelter –  1420 South Wilmington Street  Raleigh, NC 27601

8AM-3PM

Raleigh’s Project Homeless Connect is a one-day, one stop connecting homeless people with essential resources, helping them take steps towards better lives.

http://www.raleighhomelessconnect.org/

MISA Workshop

  MISA_Workshop.pdf (284.1 KiB, 24 hits)

Date: February 8, 2012
Time: 8 AM – 4 PM
Registration: Free
Location: NC Rural Center,
4021 Carya Dr., Raleigh, NC
Provided: All materials, Continental
Breakfast, Lunch

Pre Register: 910-907-5044 or 866-567-5899

January 19, 2012 – Army.mil

The Army today released the Army 2020 Generating Health and Discipline in the Force, Report 2012, referred to as the Army Gold Book. The report serves as an update to the Army Red Book published in 2010.

It summarizes the progress made in enhancing the health, discipline and readiness of the force. It represents the next phase in the Army’s ongoing campaign to counter the stress associated with more than a decade of war.

The Gold Book candidly addresses the challenges that Soldiers and families currently face, while providing a thorough assessment of what the Army has learned with respect to physical and behavioral health conditions, disciplinary problems, and the remaining gaps in Army policy. The report will serve as an invaluable resource for leaders, policy makers, commanders, and service providers, as they work together to address the unique and difficult challenges that lie ahead.

“While we have made tremendous strides over the past decade, there is still much work to be done,” said Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli. “This war, as we often hear it described, is a marathon, not a sprint. And, as mentioned, many of our biggest challenges lie ahead after our Soldiers return home and begin the process of reintegrating back into their units, families and communities.”

Read the full article.

Read the report.