Dalton says GPD program at BAVR ended, all veterans now in DHS program

The GPD program at BAVR has now ended.

There's no longer a separate VA eligibility decision and every veteran at BAVR is placed in the DHS program.

DHS program.

Staff from the New York City Department of Veteran Services, the VA, and the Supportive Services for Veteran Families, or SSVF, continue to work on site.

For single adult women, women veterans are offered placement at one of two ICL-run shelters with beds set aside for veterans.

DHS does not have a separate shelter only for women veterans.

As of October 18th, 55 women in our DHS shelter program identified as veterans.

For adult families, the process is similar.

Any member of the family who self-reports as a veteran are offered placement at one of two sites with beds set aside for veterans, depending on the family's needs.

Families with children under 18 apply for shelter at PATH, that's the Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing Intake Center.

For families with children who include a veteran, we prioritize as close as possible to the youngest child's school.

SSVF providers work at PATH to connect these families to SSVF services.

For all veterans we serve, whenever a veteran is placed in shelter, whether single adult men, single adult women, adult families, or families with children, our shelters work to connect them with appropriate, supportive, and wraparound services.

Our DHS Veterans Service Unit at DHS partners with DVS and other stakeholders, including SSVF, the VA, and others, to connect veterans to the wealth of local, state, federal, and veteran-specific services in our city,

including housing services, medical and behavioral health care, city, state, and federal entitlements like public assistance and pension benefits.

DHS staff lead this work through regular meetings, weekly, biweekly, and monthly, with all stakeholders to stay connected and ensure we are working collaboratively to serve our veterans.