Because of its projects to eliminate homelessness among military veterans and to increase Medicaid assistance for veteran families, the Washington State Department of Veteran Affairs received two national awards Tuesday, Feb. 11.

Clyde Marsh, the president of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs, presented the WDVA with two Abraham Lincoln Pillar of Excellence Awards in a ceremony at the White House.

The WDVA applied for two of the four awards presented and received two.

In 2009, the WDVA partnered with the state and other community programs in the mission to end veteran homelessness in five years. Its efforts began with taking an inventory of shelters for homeless vets and the capacity for serving homeless veterans in each community across the state.

Then the WDVA worked with communities in applying for grant funding for housing. It also partnered with community programs like the Catholic Community Services and the Salvation Army. The objective was to bring change.

It was to get communities ready to address veteran homelessness within their own region.

"We had regional conferences throughout the state," said Heidi Audette, a WDVA communications director. "That really started the conversation at the grassroots level. So that communities would be ready to handle and serve homeless veterans in their communities."

The impact of the project has been significant. In 2008, the statewide count for homeless veterans was 8,714. In 2012, that count was down to 1,475.

"It's definitely an indication that it's working," Audette said.

The WDVA's other award involved its partnering with DSHS and an enhancement program. When individuals apply for Medicaid because they need assistance to pay for long-term care, DSHS provided the WDVA with information that could be cross matched with federal information to see if any of the individuals applying were veterans or widows or spouses of veterans.

"Then we see whether or not the individual is eligible for a program called VA pension," Audette said.