Together with legislative staff and the administration, we selected the veterans homes in Yountville (Napa County), West Los Angeles (Los Angeles County), and Redding (Shasta County) for our sample. We were directed to focus on state and federally funded veterans services and to base our research on a sample of veterans homes and the surrounding community. The four service categories of particular interest are: long–term care, mental and behavioral health, transitional housing, and employment assistance. It was agreed that we would report, by the original due date of March 15, 2017, on: (1) the demographics of California’s veterans, (2) an overview of existing services provided to veterans in the veterans homes and outside of the homes (“in the community”) based on four specified service categories, and (3) possible recommendations to improve service delivery to the veteran population in California. Given the data constraints, we participated in discussions with legislative staff and the administration to refocus the report requirement. Reporting Language Revised in Light of Data Constraints. Based on our review of available data and discussions with the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), we concluded that there is currently not sufficient data to reasonably project the future needs and preferences of California’s veterans, as desired initially by the Legislature. As originally intended, this language would have required the LAO to produce a forward–looking analysis on how the needs of veterans in California will change over time and whether the state’s veterans homes will be able to meet the anticipated needs-to the extent such a report was feasible given the availability of data to project veterans’ future needs. A statement of legislative intent (known as “supplemental report language”), adopted by the Legislature during deliberations on the 2016–17 budget package, directed the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) to report on the role of the veterans homes in the 21st century by March 15, 2017.
Supplemental Report Language Required LAO to Report on Veterans Service Landscape in California. If the Legislature is interested in improving service delivery at the veterans homes, it may wish to take action to reduce and prioritize wait–lists, restructure the levels of care offered at each home, ensure staffing ratios are appropriate for residents with complex needs, and address staffing challenges at all levels. In our review of the services offered by the veterans homes, we found that: (1) the longest wait–lists at the homes are for the highest levels of long–term care and (2) the homes have limited capacity to serve veterans with complex mental and behavioral health needs. Legislature Has Opportunity to Improve Service Delivery Within the Veterans Homes.
For veterans looking for employment assistance, the state administers several federal grants targeted at veterans through the Employment Development Department. Both the state and federal governments offer a variety of options for homeless veterans or veterans looking for affordable housing, including the Transitional Housing Program for homeless veterans located at the West Los Angeles veterans home. Residents of the veterans homes may also access basic mental and behavioral health services at the homes. Mental and behavioral health care is available to eligible veterans through the federal Veterans Health Administration, a division of the U.S. Veterans may also use federal veterans benefits to finance private long–term care. The state’s veterans homes provide independent living and long–term care services to about 2,500 California veterans. Qualified veterans have a variety of federally and state–funded options for long–term care, mental and behavioral health, transitional housing, and employment assistance. Specifically, the LAO was directed to review federally and state–funded services related to four service areas of legislative interest: long–term care, mental and behavioral health, transitional housing, and employment assistance.įederal and State Governments Provide a Wide Array of Veterans Services Within the Veterans Homes and in the Community.
In light of data constraints, the supplemental report language was revised to require the LAO to report on the current veterans service landscape in California-including services in the state’s veterans homes and services outside the veterans homes (“in the community”). A statement of legislative intent adopted by the Legislature during deliberations on the 2016–17 budget package directed the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) to report on the role of the veterans homes in the 21st century.
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