Homelessness Support Group

Today's appointment with the VA homeless Vet rep started off better than I had darned hoped. Deana was actually early for our appointment and with all the prior information that she had, via others who had contacted her, she was ready to raise cane.
As the appointment continued and she found out more and more of the cracks I had been falling through, the more upset she became. As she also found out, most of the information I had be getting was faulty, she started making calls to find out the source of the misinformation.
She has funding for a program that I qualify for, but the money has not been released by the feds yet and so the program is in limbo. She is hoping that the money is released before Christmas, but she is not hopeful. It is called the grant per diem program, and it will be run by the VOA, American Legion post 13 and Workforce Plus.
They will have facilities for 50 vets if or when it opens. They will be working with at risk Vets to keep them from falling back through the cracks. It will consist of making sure we get the medical and mental help that we need, along with reintegration into society. That will hopefully mean a job, a place to live and some self respect. I am hoping that they will get the funding released soon.
I had a interview with a psychologist and am getting my meds restarted. A good thing.
It was a long interview and she was extremely nice. It is hard to remember the last time any of the health professionals have treated me with anything but disdain.
Now I am at the main clinic, here they are going to get me back on my meds for GERD.
I have to triaged and then see the physicians assistant.
I have lab work to be done.
I have to see the FDVA claims assessor.
This should take a while, I might as well get comfortable. Darn, to my surprise, I am wrong.
This VA is working with unusual efficiency.
I am finished and all of it took only 6 hours and I have all my needed meds, appointments for future visits, a new ID card, my is old, and the paperwork is in for my disability.
Try this on for size folks, the VA here runs like a well oiled machine. That has thrown me for a loop. I am not used to everything happening in one day.
In one day with the help of Deana, by way of phone calls by others, I have been accepted into the Grant Per Diem Program, seen a psychiatrist and those meds restarted, been to the main clinic and been checked and have the meds for my GERD, had lab work done, seen the FDVA claims assessor and gotten my paperwork restarted for my disability. This was all done without jumping through hoops, having to wait for months and without feeling as though I was beneath their help.
Everyone I talked with realized I was a homeless vet. I was treated with nothing but the utmost respect and dignity. It felt good to be treated that way.
I am a human being and a vet and have earned the right to be respected, no matter what my station in life happens to be at this moment.
My only hard part is going to be the wait until the funding becomes freed up. I have to have more faith that it will happen. Waiting is always the hard part.
Posted on 09/18/08, 02:09 pm