U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers recently called for a non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) assessment of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Solid Start program.
“We believe the Solid Start program will become a critical piece of the VA’s efforts to reach out to veterans who may not otherwise access the resources the department has to offer,” wrote Rep. Joyce and his colleagues in a Feb. 1 letter sent to U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro. “We therefore request that the Government Accountability Office assess the program to ensure that it is meeting its stated goals and to analyze whether any improvements or other changes should be made to the program.”
The Solid Start program, which began as a pilot program in 2019, aims to contact every new U.S. military veteran multiple times in the first year after they leave active duty to connect them with critical VA services and benefits, according to the letter, which was also signed by U.S. Reps. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Jack Bergman (R-MI), and U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).
Specifically, the program connects each new veteran through a one-on-one phone call three times within the first year after separation. “These calls are an opportunity for veterans to learn about resources they may have overlooked, get connected to new resources, and receive support for immediate concerns, such as a mental health crisis,” Rep. Joyce and the lawmakers wrote.
They requested that the GAO assessment include topics such as: the number of veterans who have been reached through the Solid Start program and how many have not; the VA’s process for determining the optimal number of phone calls, or touch points, for each separated veteran; the annual costs of the program; and whether the program is effectively and efficiently accomplishing its stated goals of getting veterans connected to resources. The members also seek any pertinent GAO recommendations for the program, according to their letter.