Employee Spotlight
June 16, 2022
Parvin Thomas, LCSW, CCM
HUD-VASH Social Work Superviso
James A. Haley VA Medical Center
Q: How long have you worked for VA?
A: I’ve worked with VA since 2007, so about 15 years. 3 of those years were spent in the Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Program, plus 12 years in the Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.
Q: Tell me about your role at VA.
A: I am currently the HUD-VASH Supervisor in the Tampa, Florida area. The James A. Haley VA Medical Center has 2 HUD-VASH teams: an urban team, and a team for outer counties. I supervise 23 staff that make up the urban HUD-VASH team.
My duties vary a lot. I support staff and Veterans and take care of administrative issues. I frequently interact with the community as well. Every day is different, and that’s what I love most about my position. The urban team has more than 800 HUD-VASH housing choice vouchers, so we help a lot of Veterans. As a facility, we have 1,203 vouchers.
Q: What brings you the greatest sense of satisfaction in your role?
A: I’m grateful to be a part of the immediate and positive impact that housing provides a homeless family. I get to witness the renewed sense of pride that Veterans feel when they get the keys to their new home. I get to watch as they fully absorb that they now have a safe place to live. I get to feel joy from them seeing their children realize they have their own beds.
In our team huddles, we even get to celebrate Veterans who have successfully transitioned through the HUD-VASH program and moved on to homeownership. My greatest satisfaction comes from sharing in those moments.
Q: In what ways do you see racial inequalities contributing to homelessness?
A: I think racial inequalities exist surrounding how information about services and opportunities for help are conveyed to people experiencing homelessness, which can lead to prolonged homelessness. This month’s Juneteenth celebration is a perfect example of how a lack of information can lead to racial inequality.
The Emancipation Proclamation became official on January 1, 1863, yet the information did not reach the slaves in Texas until almost 2 and a half years later on June 19, 1865! Slaves were freed, yet they were unaware or uninformed of their freedom. Throughout history, African Americans have lost their freedom, rights, and property because they were not informed. Knowledge is power, and people perish from the lack of it.
Q: From your perspective, what are the systematic barriers to safe and stable housing that Veterans face?
A: I think on the surface, the system is designed to be equal, not equitable. Most homeless policies seem as though they were written assuming everyone is starting at the same point, but that is often not the case.
From my perspective, there are ingrained biases. A good example of bias was a homelessness assistance assessment tool used by many communities to assess and determine referrals for resources. Though the tool was popular for many years, recently evaluations have found that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color) individuals were less likely than whites consumers of services to receive a high prioritization scores, limiting their ability to access needed services. If we don’t examine the process for racial inequities, the results will continue to be biased.
Q: What conversations do we need to have about racial equity in our own social circles? How can having these conversations help eliminate homelessness?
A: In my social circles, there are many conversations around racial inequity, even at the “middle-class” level. Most know of, or are related to, someone who has faced homelessness at one point in their life. So, the conversations are personal. There are daily struggles to address micro-aggressive behaviors that we face. Based on our own experiences, I think there is increased empathy for those who face homelessness. We are literally thinking, “That could be someone in my family.” It feels so hard to imagine what a truly equitable and just society would look like. And that feels scary because if we can’t even imagine it… visualize it… how can we ever hope to achieve it?
One of my favorite quotes is from Frederick Douglass. He said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” Conversations aren’t enough. We also need focused action.
Q: What is one experience from your time so far with the homeless program that you will carry with you for the rest of your life?
A: I worked with a Veteran who was estranged from his family for many years. He was embarrassed about being homeless and his physical appearance. Through engaging with HUD-VASH, the Veteran was able to secure stable housing. He was referred and selected to receive extensive dental services, which restored his confidence. We worked with him to re-establish contact with his family, and he was able to meet his grandchildren for the first time. I remember the Veteran showing me a photograph of him, his son, and grandson. Three generations! I will never forget the smile on the Veteran’s face in that photograph.
