1. Residents Saving Money, Reducing Debts
2. Staff Apply the CREED in Times of Crisis
3. Teamwork Among Agencies Meeting Needs of Homeless
4. The Recovery Games: My Personal Olympics

Teamwork Among Agencies Meeting Needs of Homeless
By Martha Lepore

   Everyone in San Diego has heard of Jewish Family Service, The Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul Village – right? And Vietnam Veterans of San Diego (VVSD), Travelers Aid and Volunteers of America? If so, most have an idea about what these agencies do, yet a lot of people might be surprised to learn that they all work in tandem to serve the city’s homeless.

   Through the initiative of St. Vincent de Paul Village, area human service agencies formed the Solutions Consortium in 1994 (see box with current members) to provide homeless individuals the spectrum of resources they need to regain self-sufficiency.

   The consortium is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), according to Anthony Griffin of St. Vincent’s, who coordinates the grant compliance and reporting activities of the consortium.

   " HUD has recognized our consortium as an exemplary collaborative organization," notes Griffin. "Communities nationwide look to us as a model for developing their own inter-agency efforts and we now showcase it through our Village Training
Institute.

   " By working together Consortium members have saved taxpayers thousands of
dollars, significantly reduced the duplication of services in San Diego and organized a centralized-service network. The various agencies have expertise that complements what other member organizations do," Griffin explains.

   Several consortium agencies offer services on-site at St. Vincent de Paul Village, including Travelers Aid Society of San Diego, Jewish Family Service and VVSD.
"Since we have many men in residence who are military veterans, we have an agreement with VVSD to host its case managers at the Village. It’s a really good fit," says Griffin.

   VVSD President Al Pavich, a combat veteran, agrees. "We serve all homeless veterans and this collaboration with St. Vincent’s is beneficial to us both," he says. "We have limited housing available, so having veterans live at the Village is a plus. Our on-site case managers can help these residents access a variety of military benefits that might otherwise be unfamiliar to Village staff."

   David Ross, a VVSD case manager, has worked at the Village since the mid-1990s. Coming from a broken home in inner-city Detroit, he served on a destroyer during the Korean War and later had a successful career managing dealerships for Mercedes Benz. "With my background, I can talk the talk and be honest with clients, help them to stop playing games," says Ross.

   An important aspect of the St. Vincent’s-VVSD collaboration involves the recognition and treatment of residents suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

    "The staff at the Village assessment center often find men who suffer from PTSD and recommend follow-up," says Ross. "Between the counseling services at the Village and the PTSD support group at VVSD, we’re able to help these men."

   Working within the Solutions Consortium has its rewards, according to Ross. He says, "It’s very satisfying to see veterans successfully complete their programs, and leave employed, with savings in the bank and a place to live. One client told me if it hadn’t been for VVSD and the Village, he’d probably be in jail or dead."

   With an urban homeless population estimated at 5,500 to 6,000 adults in San Diego, Griffin notes that the consortium is able to provide services to as many as 3,000 homeless individuals each year.