By Anastasia Edmonston, Daniel Cover & Jennifer Cho

1. Interviewing and Legal Services for Veterans Danielle Cover, Homeless Persons Representation Project hprpprobono@hprplaw.org (800) 773-4340, (401) 685-6589, ext. 14

2. General Background: Homeless Veterans QUESTION: How many homeless veterans are there in Maryland and Montgomery County specifically? ANSWER: Your guess is as good as mine.

3. The Numbers National Alliance to End Homelessness Study, Vital Mission (VA Census Data) 2007: ~4000 homeless veterans 2008: ~1000 homeless veterans www.endhomelessness.org 2009 Continuum of Care Data (HUD data) 593 homeless veterans 47 persons in Montgomery County http://www.hudhre.info/index.cfm?do=viewCocMaps&yr=2009#tab 2010 Count of Homeless Persons in Metro Area (based on HUD data) 56 persons (55 single adults, 1 adult in a family) http://www.mwcog.org/uploads/pub-documents/ql5fXlw20100513103856.pdf

5. HUD does not count people who are doubled and tripled up as homeless.

7. Empathy not sympathy

8. Explain the difference between available legal remedies and “Justice” as defined by the client

10. Awareness of and sensitivity to the values of the military community

11. Sit so that the veteran has a way out of the room or space

14. Discharge Status: the level at which a veteran is discharged is critical to the first level of analysis of eligibility

16. Creating a chronology of events

17. Memory issues

18. Family reactions to client behavior upon discharge or return

19. Buddy stories/statements

21. Have you ever had a mental health diagnosis?

22. Has a doctor or other medical provider ever prescribed medication for depression or nerves? Are you taking them?

23. Have you ever had an admission in a psychiatric facility or hospital?

25. Was substance abuse involved in the acquisition of the injury or condition?

26. Do you need to refer the client for treatment now?Danielle Cover , Homeless Persons Representation Project (410) 685-6589, ext. 14

28. Veterans’ Benefits

29. Discharge Upgrades

30. Child Support (Veterans only)

33. Pension: Monetary benefits for veterans of wartime services and their families for a non service-connected disability or death. For more information on Veterans’ Benefits, go to: http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21

36. Baltimore County OCSE, Baltimore City OCSE, and University of Baltimore Law School Civil Legal Clinic, HPRP

38. Contact Charles Blomquist, Chair, (410) 435-6599National Veterans Legal Services Program http://nvlsp.org/ Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program http://www.vetsprobono.org/

41. The Helping Up Mission: http://community.helpingupmission.org/

44. Do not follow local PHA restrictions on housing vouchers; follow federal regulations, i.e., not on Life Time Sex Offender Registry and no convictions for production or distribution of methamphetamines.