Letter to Hon. Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States - Sens. Cramer, Hassan Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort to Strengthen Program that Helps New Veterans During Transition to Civilian Life

Letter

Dear Mr. Dodaro:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established the Solid Start program in 2019 to provide
an important link between newly separated veterans and the resources the VA can provide, by
connecting with each 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.
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. 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. This assessment should include topics such as:
(1) Analyze how many veterans have been reached through the Solid Start program and how
many have not. For those that have not been reached, determine potential reasons why
and whether additional outreach is being attempted to make contact with those veterans;
(2) Examine the VA's process for determining the optimal number of phone calls, or touch
points, for each separated veteran, including the steps the VA takes to determine the
value of these calls both for providing information about resources and for serving as a
mental health check-in;
(3) Identify the annual costs of the program, including the source of funds the VA uses for
the program and what other programs are funded from that same source and;
(4) Determine whether the program is effectively and efficiently accomplishing its stated
goals of getting veterans connected to resources and note any improvements needed to
increase its effectiveness, such as potentially requiring the VA to include veterans who
separated from service before the program began in December 2019 or having the VA
provide information on state resources and veterans service organization contacts; and
(5) Any recommendations the Comptroller General deems appropriate for our consideration.
Please work with Melissa Reilly-Diakun, melissa_reilly-diakun@hassan.senate.gov, in Senator
Hassan's office and Austin Girelli, austin.girelli@mail.house.gov, in Representative Slotkin's
office with the specifics of your evaluation, and they will coordinate with the other offices.

Source