WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced plans to form an advisory committee to evaluate policies and programs affecting homeless veterans.
According to the Federal Register published today, the "VA Advisory Council on Homelessness Among Veterans" will be charged with looking at health care and benefits programs to ensure that the best services are available for an estimated 200,000 veterans who are homeless every night.
Additionally, the council will make recommendations to the VA secretary and other senior VA leaders. It is anticipated that the council will be operational for at least six years.
The 15-member committee will include health care specialists, benefits counselors, mental illness and substance abuse professionals, education and training experts and social workers knowledgeable about permanent and transitional housing. The group will include at least one veteran who had been homeless and had benefited from homeless programs.
VA has the largest network of homeless assistance programs in the country and is the only federal agency that provides substantial one-on-one contact with the homeless. In cities and rural areas, VA social workers and clinicians conduct outreach programs, clinical assessments, medical treatment, alcohol and drug abuse counseling and job training.
