Three gla leaders chosen to help shape va’s homelessness efforts nationally | va greater los angeles health care | veterans affairs

Three senior staff members from VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System’s (VAGLAHS) Community Engagement and Reintegration Services (CERS) have been chosen for new national groups that will

lead the way for VA homeless programs staff across the country. Navy Veteran Dominic Lopez, Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Outreach Certified Peer Support Specialist; Toni Brinson

White, HCHV Contract Residential Services Program Social Work Supervisor; and Maggie Lo, Coordinated Entry System Program Coordinator; were chosen for HCHV’s Frontline Advisory Councils. The

HCHV National Program Office formed these councils in the areas of Outreach, which involves engaging with homeless Veterans in the community; Contracted Residential Services, which allows

VA to contract with partners to provide short-term residential care and treatment to Veterans; and Coordinated Entry, which guides VA and its partners in helping homeless Veterans get into

housing through case conferencing, data sharing and other collaborative efforts. The purpose of these councils is for key staff from around the country to collaborate on how VA can enhance

or improve services for Veterans.  Lopez, Brinson White, and Lo all applied and were selected through a competitive national process, said CERS Access and Outreach Deputy Chief Deborah

Carter. Candidates were reviewed based on professional expertise, dedication to collaboration and teamwork, and problem-solving skills, among other criteria. “I’m really excited that we

shared this opportunity with staff and presented it as a way to engage with VA leaders from across the nation committed to the principles of One Team,” said Carter. “Our three selected staff

will be able to offer our national office a bird’s eye view into the processes we are developing and implementing here in Los Angeles. Our team will also have a valuable opportunity to

learn about best practices from colleagues representing other VA facilities, as they work closely as a group – sharing and collaborating with each other.” Lopez, Brinson White, and Lo have

each expressed their eagerness to help other communities learn from the innovative efforts VAGLAHS has embarked on to house homeless Veterans. In 2023, VAGLAHS permanently housed 1,790

homeless Veterans, the most of any VA facility in America. This was a 38% increase over 2022’s total of 1,301, and 19% above VAGLAHS’ 2023 calendar year goal of 1,500. The councils have

three main goals: to advise the national office on matters affecting Veterans in HCHV programs; to assist with content development and office hours calls; and to offer mentorship

opportunities for new staff. For Lopez, who served 20 years and five months in the Navy Seabees before retiring, taking care of the troops has always been part of his job. After he was

promoted to commanding a platoon of 42, “The role was more about morale and welfare,” he said, and that continues in his role as a Peer Support Specialist.  His work these days is about

gaining the trust and confidence of Veterans. In his words, he’s a “connector of dots” to services and programs that help Veterans get back on their feet. His work has earned him accolades

including “Peer of the Year,” and he said he’s looking forward to sharing some of what he’s learned with others nationwide. “How do you go out there, how do you establish rapport with a

homeless Veteran, how do you gain his or her trust? We need to let them know they’re not forgotten; reinforcements are on the way,” said Lopez. “The reason I applied for the advisory council

was that I think this is information that ought to be shared.” For Brinson White, whose father is a Marine Corps Veteran, serving on the council is a way to provide a support system for

other social workers and VA staff in different communities who are doing the critical work of helping house homeless Veterans.  “It’s an honor to be chosen because in the end it shows that

we’re making a difference,” she said. “It’s nice to not only pay it back but pay it forward.” She said that this is also an opportunity to bring a lot of different perspectives and

experiences together to benefit Veterans. Lo has been busy at VAGLAHS leading the design and implementation process for a Veteran Coordinated Entry System (CES) and One Team model. The One

Team approach, pioneered by VAGLAHS in 2023, is a collaborative effort that unites VA and its community partners to move Veterans from homelessness to permanent housing as quickly as

possible.  In addition to exceeding its housing goal in 2023, VAGLAHS also maintained a housing retention rate of 97.5% (7.5% above the goal of 90%) and engaged with 2,184 unsheltered

Veterans (296 above the goal of 1,888 unsheltered Veterans).  “This is a good way to bring some of our ideas and projects to a national level,” said Lo of joining the council. “I’m looking

forward to bouncing ideas off of each other and finding innovative ways we can work together to end homelessness.”  All three leaders said that they want to help shape VA policies while also

learning from other communities. Together they’re committed to the goal of ending Veteran homelessness nationwide.  “If you do the right thing your work becomes easier,” said Lopez. “I tell

Veterans, the fight hasn’t changed. It’s still One Team, one fight, and nobody gets left behind. The mission is still the same.” Carter is proud of the team that was chosen to engage in

this high-level work. “These are the folks that we want representing us there.”