Download Grant Proposal: Addressing Needs of Mentally Ill Veterans and more Assignments Creative writing in PDF only on Docsity! Peter Kennedy WRA 453 Hart-Davidson 13.9.2005 Interview/Review of Volunteers of America Grant Proposal Sometimes, despite plenty of support from other agencies and the absence of other local organizations addressing an issue, an organization encounters denial to its proposal attempt due to the lack of resources available. At this time, one questions the heart of the American people and its government when trillions of dollars flood in many directions but do not have enough substance to trickle to the neediest of organizations. The grant proposal came on behalf of Volunteers of America of Michigan (henceforth referred to as (VoA)). VoA has a national status but the grant regarded the Lansing chapter. The compiler of the grant, Patrick Patterson, also serves as the Director of Operations of the VoA, where he has served for 5 years. Prior to his time at the VoA, he was a successful businessman. His involvement with the VoA began when he realized he wanted to live for something substantial and purposeful brought on by his Christian faith. A notice of the Special Needs grant funding for Grant and Per Diem in the Federal Register alerted him of the grant. As the VoA already has a connection with the Veteran Affairs organization of Battle Creek and as it exists as one of the few local organizations addressing the needs of Veterans, it seemed from the outset to have a great potential in obtaining the grant. This section from the grant describes the connection that the VoA had in the past. “Since 1999, the VoA has been a homeless provider under the Veteran’s Association Homeless Providers Grant & Per Diem Program. VoA operates both a residential contract with Veteran Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) for a 16 bed program serving male and female veterans and a 18 bed Grant & Per Diem Program serving male veterans.” The VoA hoped that the grant would add on to its impact. Patrick Patterson and those involved in the writing processes of the need for the grant provided 31 citations worth of background information. This information regards the conditions of the veterans and different strategies used and needed to address their specific needs. The writers consisted of Mr. Patterson, 3 of his colleagues with the VoA, and a contract grant writer. Doctor Bruce provided the research for the grant while Patterson’s colleague Shannon provided the final editing touches. With three letters of support from major coalitions and organizations as well as three partnership agreements, the VoA showed within the grant necessary criteria for their service as part of a community of groups and not a stand-alone organization. The grant properly defines the Chronic Mentally Ill (CMI) veterans, their needs, how the VoA has addressed this need and how the VoA hopes to improve in their service through a program called Critical Time Intervention (CTI). The CTI is a common VA term specific to those CMI veterans. Through VoA’s coalitions and partnerships, it situates itself as a leader with strong relationships with other capable organizations. In the partnerships, other organizations share responsibility in the realization of the program but the grant does not point toward the deficiency in efforts of previous organizations in addressing the need. This seems to barely hint toward Tardy’s argument that a need within a precedent should be addressed. Knoblauch’s view that one represent oneself well in a confident manner takes second priority to the relationships that VoA has with other Veteran associations. It points to such a great need for organizations supporting veterans that the only deficiency that needed to be addressed involved VoA’s own organizations limited capabilities based off their lack of funding. Patterson’s main sources when compiling the grant information came from those previously involved with VoA’s current Battle Creek, VAMC. These people include the Clinical
