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Homelessness is a significant and growing problem in the United States. A recent study estimates that over 700,000 people are homeless on any given night and up to 2 million people experience homelessness during a year. Through nearly two decades of work with families and individuals who are homeless, we have learned that effective services are available and that persons who are homeless will use those services. Nearly every one of these services can be supported by traditional mainstream insurance, entitlement, and assistance programs funded by Federal agencies. In March 2003, Secretary Tommy G. Thompson released HHS' plan to end chronic homelessness. The plan supports the commitment of President Bush to end chronic homelessness in a decade. HHS administers health and social service programs that make critical contributions toward fulfilling this commitment. (Click on Homelessness Resources of the Department of HHS that is contained in Related Links Inside CMS at the bottom of the page.) Tools And Resources: FirstStep ? An interactive tool for assisting individuals who are homeless with accessing the following Federal benefit programs: - Food Stamps
- Medicaid
- Medicare
- One-Stop Career Center System
- Social Security
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
- State Children?s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Veterans Affairs Compensation
- Veterans Affairs Health Care
Screening tools that can be used to assess if an individual may be eligible for a variety of governmental programs can be found by accessing the GovBenefits and BenefitsCheckUp links. (See related links inside CMS at the bottom of the page.) To view FirstStep, see Related Links Inside CMS at the bottom of the page. For copies of the FirstStep CD-ROM, contact Community Connections at 1-800-998-9999. A downloadable version is also available by clicking on the Download link at the bottom of the page. What Do I Need to Know About Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage to Help My Homeless Clients Fact Sheet (March 2006) - (Fact sheet may be downloaded from the bottom of the page.) Improving Medicaid Access for People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness: State Examples - A technical assistance report for states designed to highlight several initiatives that increase Medicaid access for people who are chronically homeless. (Report may be downloaded from the bottom of the page.) Letter to State Medicaid Directors - In this letter, dated May 25, 2004, CMS encourages States to "suspend" and not "terminate" Medicaid benefits while a person is in a public institution or Institute for Mental Disease. (Letter may be downloaded from the bottom of the page.) Homeless Policy Academies - CMS and other HHS agencies, with the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, and Labor, sponsors a series of homeless policy academies. The academies assist States to explore new policies and collaborations across multiple programs that will improve access to housing and treatment resources and contribute to ending homelessness. (For information on the Policy Academies, as well as information on other Federal agencies and national organizations, see Related Link Inside CMS at the bottom of the page.) Related Sites - To pursue the goal of ensuring that persons who are homeless have access to services, we have formed a partnership within DHHS agencies, as well as with other Federal agencies, to work together to achieve this end. The links to HHS and Center for Mental Health Services, SAMHSA provide extensive information on Federal and national homeless initiatives. (See Related Links Inside CMS at the bottom of the page.)
Page Last Modified: 06/03/2008 1:26:38 PM
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