Saturday, April 20, 2024
4/20/2024
Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WDHS) has joined with the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) to create the Veterans Outreach and Recovery Program (VORP). This comprehensive coordinated outreach, treatment and recovery support program for veterans who are homeless and have a behavioral health disorder will supplement the existing treatment and homeless programs in northern Wisconsin. A local contact, who is a veteran, will be established as an Outreach and Recovery Specialist (ORS) in each of the four identified northern regions where veterans have difficulties accessing adequate housing and treatment. The ORS will establish key local contacts including county homeless, behavioral health and veterans groups to encourage referrals of veterans to be screened for behavioral health needs and enrolled in VORP. Supported by a Clinical Coordinator, the ORS will use the evidence-based Motivational Interviewing method to work with veterans who are homeless to ensure they have stable housing, connect them to proper treatment and follow up to ensure that the treatment is continual and effective, providing the appropriate recovery supports to be successful. VORP takes a resourceful approach to address the needs of homeless veterans with behavioral health needs in a large rural and under-resourced part of the state. VORP has the following grant goals and objectives: 1) to establish a network that makes treatment options more accessible to rural veterans; 2) to identify homeless veterans and define gaps in treatment; 3) to provide information on housing and behavioral health treatment services to all homeless veterans contacted; and 4) to ensure that 90% of the enrolled VORP participants are either connected to housing and/or behavioral health services at follow-up.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
