East Contra Costa Veteran Health Navigation Partnership
Since early 2016, the Community Health Fund (CHF) has seeking ways to help address the health and wellness needs of underserved veterans residing in Far Eastern Contra Costa County (Brentwood, Oakley, Knightsen, Bethel Island, and Discovery Bay). A series of meetings with groups serving veterans revealed that military sexual trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and homelessness are the top issues for vets in the region. In addition, transportation to the Martinez VA Clinic is a challenge, as are the barriers to applying for, qualifying for, and receiving VA benefits.
In March 2018 – after confirming mutual interest from both parties – the CHF gave La Clínica de La Raza and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10789 (VFW) a discretionary grant of $34,650 to develop a business plan, a process that the firm Emerald HPC International facilitated. Then, in July 2018 the CHF awarded $214,221 to La Clínica and $6,523 to the VFW to implement the first year of the plan. In year one:
- La Clínica created a peer navigator position and a program manager position, the latter to be phased out after policies, procedures and workflows are in place.
- The VFW created two volunteer positions: a health care coordinator and a training coordinator.
- Together, the two organizations:
- Developed and conducted trainings for La Clínica staff to help them better understand best practices for serving veterans
- Established a plan for branding the partnership, recruiting volunteers, conducting outreach and referrals
- Developed protocols for tracking confidentiality and referrals
- La Clínica became a Veterans Choice Provider
In the ensuing time, La Clínica has been unable to see patients in primary care due to Department of Veterans Affairs policies about community clinics and primary care, but the VA was making referrals for specialty care, which played into La Clínica’s updated care delivery plan for Phase II implementation. With the support of a $100,960 grant from the CHF ($100,260 to La Clínica and $700 to the VFW), in 2020:
- The partners continued their Phase I activities.
- La Clínica made itself available for specialty care services (pediatrics, prenatal care, integrated behavioral health, community-based mental health services, dental and vision) for veterans.
- The partners intended to conduct outreach and education for 871 veterans, veteran family members and the wider community, with additional components including:
- A needs assessment of military families and children of military families in East Contra Costa County
- Benefit and claims seminars for 220 veterans and veteran families
- One-on-one claims assistance for 90 veterans with a VFW Training Coordinator
- La Clínica serving as an advocate for veterans to receive timely and accessible health care delivery services
In addition, because of a contract with TriWest Healthcare Alliance, La Clínica became part of a nationwide network of community providers that care for the health of veterans, with the hope that the network would support the peer navigator position when CHF funding concludes. For its part, the VFW worked with its local VFW auxiliary to raise funds from individual donors to support the initiative. Yet when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the partners encountered delays in spending and programming, so the CHF granted La Clínica a No-Cost-Extension through December 2022.
Due to challenges with the VA and timeline extension caused by the pandemic, staff invited a combined plan/proposal and scaled down budget to continue strengthening the partnership during 2022. Key goals and objectives include:
- Strengthening the referral process with TriWest
- Hosting two COVID-19 vaccine pop-ups at Brentwood VFW
- Conducting:
- One in-person Claims Development seminar
- Targeted outreach at three veteran specific events
The CHF approved a $19,427 grant to supplement funding the partners will draw from their own funds.