VA Homeless Programs

“This team is being nominated because of their incredible teamwork and willingness to help each other. On a daily basis, they go above and beyond to ensure Veterans are getting excellent care. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fargo homeless team has used creativity to continue to assist Veterans. The team did “knock and drops” including food baskets and “to do” kits to help Veterans make it through lockdowns. Social work is not an easy career, but working with a positive, fun, and supportive team helps us to reach the goal of ending Veteran homelessness.”

—Rachel Marsolek, Veterans Justice Outreach Coordinator

The above picture includes: Michael Danielski (Coordinator Entry), Brenda Witt (HUD-VASH Coordinator), Andrea Vilhauer (HUD-VASH CM), Jennifer Williams (HUD-VASH CM), Caitlin Mitchell (HUD-VASH CM), Joseph Robillard (Tribal VASH CM), Sara Wiederholt (Homeless Outreach), Teresa Church (Homeless Outreach), Rachel Salquist (Grant and PerDiem L iaison), Rachel Marsolek (Veterans Justice Outreach Coordinator), Nicole Siira (Employment Specialist)

Fargo CRRC Program Staff

VHA Program Social Workers

Workplace & VISN

Fargo VAMC, VISN 23

How long have you been employed by the VA?

Team members have been working at VA between 3 weeks and 14 years.

Branch of Service:

Brenda Witt: US Army

Rachel Salquist: Air Guard

Why did you become a social worker? What do you like about working in VHA homeless programs?

In the words of a few of these dedicated social workers on why they chose social work and homeless programs:

“I fell into social work in undergrad after taking an Introduction to Social Work class. I realized that I was not good at math or science but excelled in this class!”

"I learned about VA as a child because my grandpa was a POW in WWII and he loved going to his local VA for appointments and spending time with fellow Veterans. I only recently started working for VA after relocating from Chicago. It was tough to leave Chicago and start over in Fargo but coming to the Fargo Homeless team – a cohesive, hard-working set of social workers – made things easier. I consider myself to be part of a team of professionals who are passionate about the homeless Veteran population. This population can be challenging, but this team works together to ensure all Veterans’ needs are met by using team case management and helping out our coworkers whenever needed, without question. Kudos to all who serve this population!”

“Because social workers are cool and fun to work with!”

“I became a social worker because life experience encouraged me to help others. I started looking for ways to help in a meaningful way. Working in homeless programs was an accident. I interned at VA in Primary Care, but my desk was in the homeless team office. I observed them as a team and enjoyed hearing them discuss cases and interact with each other, and the staff meetings were interesting and engaging. When a job opened, I took the opportunity and haven’t regretted it.”

“Social workers continue to prove their value within the workplace. Without social work, we’d all be lost!”

“The time is right for social work and social workers because the last two years have proven that being forced to live in a bubble is taxing on people. The psychosocial approach social workers take to help Veterans (in their homes, in our case) cope with the social stresses of the pandemic and obtain basic needs are critical to navigating the pandemic. This year’s theme resonates with me because social workers are uniquely trained to provide services for Veterans in need.”