WHCNAA Native Veterans Homelessness Initiative update: Interagency Map
The Indian Health Service and the Department of Veterans Affairs have launched a new interagency map application, Find Health Care & Resources for Native Veterans, to increase access to health care, community-based resources, and other essential services for American Indian and Alaska Native veterans.
The interactive map application is housed on the IHS website and integrates location-based data from 41 urban Indian organizations with 82 locations and 1,500 VA health care facilities. The application creates an immersive one-stop platform for Native veterans to search and explore health care and other supportive services by clicking on the map to gain additional details and driving directions within specified areas of interest.
The development of the map application is a part of the Native American Veteran Homelessness Initiative, a multi-agency effort led by the White House Council on Native American Affairs Health Committee, including VA, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Housing and Urban Development. This initiative’s overall goal is to develop relationships between VA, IHS, and other organizations serving Native Americans to provide education on VA and IHS resources and encourage Native veterans to access these services. These organizations include federal, tribal, and urban Indian organization partnerships.
Who We Serve
The White House Council on Native American Affairs (WHCNAA) Committee on Health supports initiatives that promote the health and well-being of all American Indian and Alaska Native people.
New Initiatives
Native Veterans Homelessness
Committee Members
Leads
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Devin Delrow
Principal Advisor for Tribal Affairs
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Dr. Christie Prairie Chicken
Acting Director of Tribal Health
Participants
About the WHCNAA Committee on Health
The White House Council on Native American Affairs (WHCNAA) Committee on Health supports initiatives that promote the health and well-being of all American Indian and Alaska Native people. Prosperous and resilient tribal nations are healthy Tribal nations, and Native health is especially important as Tribes continue to recover from the far-reaching impacts of COVID-19.
Co-led by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the White House - Domestic Policy Council, the Committee’s goal is to improve federal services through interagency collaboration and coordination to overcome the health care issues faced by Tribal communities. The Committee is pursuing the following:
- Strengthening COVID-19 recovery efforts for Tribes and Tribal communities
- Improving access to federal behavioral and mental health resources in coordination with the WHCNAA Committee on Public Safety and Justice and the WHCNAA Committee on Education
- Supporting public health infrastructure development including improving access to clean water and sanitation services
- Promoting culturally competent care services to Tribal communities
- Developing Native youth initiatives in coordination with the WHCNAA Committee on Education and Native youth organizations, to support youth development and wellness
