UNITED STATES VETERANS INITIATIVE (U.S.VETS)

U.S.VETS' mission is the successful transition of military veterans and their families through the provision of housing, counseling, career development and comprehensive support. U.S.VETS is unique in its comprehensive approach, offering evidence-based practices that address the needs of returning military personnel in the context of their families and communities. We strategically partner with governmental and non-profit organizations, universities and others to assist the greatest number of at-risk veterans and families, filling service gaps while avoiding duplication of services. By locating services in multiple locations, access to services is improved, overcoming the fragmented service delivery veterans typically receive and alongside it, the inclination to avoid seeking assistance. U.S.VETS' programs are a national model of best practice, successfully leveraging the existing infrastructure by connecting military installations and established community organizations to meet the needs of returning troops and their families. U.S.VETS' serves more than 5,000 veterans a day through housing, employment, mental health, case management, and other supportive services.

The strategies guiding our long-term plan are based on U.S.VETS' understanding of the issues facing at-risk service members and 20+ years of experience developing evidence-based practices that address the needs of returning military personnel in the context of their families and communities: : 1)Develop a National CARF accreditation team to establish universal A.S.P.I.R.E. standards; achieve CARF accreditation at each U.S.VETS site by 2018; 2)Expand services for female veterans to each location, using U.S.VETS' well established ADVANCE program as a model; 3)Expand evidence based approaches to veteran homelessness prevention; 4)Share organizational best practices by function; develop a universal operational manual of best management, clinical, and operational practices, policies and procedures; 5) Unify/codify U.S. VETS' administrative policies and procedures nationally and develop technologies and strategies to ensure national adoption and appropriate updates are in place; 6)Conduct periodic clinical program evaluations to ensure U.S. VETS is meeting the current veterans' needs based on era of service, current types of disorders and gender appropriate responses; 7) Expand internal communication within U.S. VETS that includes technology, shared best practices between sites, corporate-wide recognition for employees and staff development; 8) Expand permanent housing to 50% of U.S.VETS' bed inventory within the next five years; 9)Develop a continuum of care at each location that offers prevention, rapid rehousing, emergency, transitional, and permanent housing beds and services for all veterans; 10) Continue to partner with other providers in order to ensure veterans can access mainstream services (especially permanent housing) where they would otherwise be excluded and/or overlooked; 11) Embrace and implement the Housing First approach using a scattered site model; 12) Develop national fundraising and marketing plans to grow revenue, diversify funding requests and increase local sites' involvement in fundraising and marketing efforts; expand site Advisory Boards.

Homelessness prevention efforts will remain a key element of our work. These programs currently include: (1) the Career Development Initiative (CDI), winner of the Call of Duty Seal of Distinction, recognizing CDI as “one of the most cost-effective programs in the country putting vets back to work"; (2) Outside the Wire, providing free mental health counseling to veterans transitioning from the battlefield to the classroom; and (3) Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), providing temporary assistance to at-risk, low-income veteran families in an effort to keep them from becoming homeless.

U.S.VETS' 25+ years of experience, strong collaborative relationships and dedicated board will continue to be invaluable in achieving our long-term objectives. A nationally-recognized leader in program development and service delivery, U.S.VETS has a history of innovation including development of a model dual-diagnosis program to address co-morbid mental illness and substance abuse among veterans, and creation of ADVANCE, the first-of-its-kind program addressing military sexual trauma in female veterans.

As the largest veteran specific non-profit service provider in the country with multiple sites in five states and the District of Columbia, U.S.VETS has the unique ability to create programs and activities at scale to effect change for the maximum number of veterans, as well as the programmatic capacity, military cultural competency and robust services to meet the varied needs of a heterogeneous veteran population. The organization's programs are innovative, collaborative efforts that mobilize multiple stakeholders in the community to work together to eradicate veteran homelessness. While U.S.VETS' list of partner organizations is too large to share here, some recognizable partners include Goodwill Industries; Salvation Army; University of Southern California; Chicago School of Professional Psychology; U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Labor; Workforce Investment Boards; Washington D.C. Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness; area Chambers of Commerce; and regional Continuums of Care. U.S.VETS works synergistically with VA regional hospitals, local clinics and benefits offices to provide seamless care, maintaining close working relationships with VA staff to eliminate wait times and bureaucratic difficulties. The organization also works with employers across the country, expanding the network of companies interested in hiring veterans. In 2014, U.S.VETS was selected by the County of Los Angeles to serve as the lead agency at the historic Bob Hope Patriotic Hall. In this role, U.S.VETS collaborates with the County of Los Angeles' Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the Department of Mental Health to provide high quality, health and human services to the more than 400,000 U.S. military veterans, dependents, and survivors residing in Los Angeles County.

U.S.VETS' Board of Directors embody the attributes of the veterans we serve: dedicated, loyal, and hard-working. Over 60% are veterans representing the last half-century of war eras. Director's expertise spans the fields of law, business, health and human service, finance, accounting, science and technology. U.S.VETS is proud to report that 100% of the Board contributes annually to U.S.VETS.

U.S.VETS mission will be accomplished when no man or woman who has worn the uniform of our country is living on the streets or is struggling to lead a self-sufficient, productive life. The answer is as much about procuring a stable housing situation and clinical support as it is about homeless prevention, career development, job training, and job retention. We have made a significant difference in the lives of veterans and families: engaging over 135,000 veterans through outreach; providing nearly 50,000 veterans with a place to call home and securing living wage employment for over 13,000 veterans. These accomplishments are significant but much remains to be accomplished. In order to realize our ultimate intended impact, U.S.VETS will utilize its 25+ years of experience and lessons learned to address the following obstacles:
• Barriers to obtaining and retaining living wage employment - Gulf War Era II veterans continue to experience higher unemployment rates compared to other veteran and non-veteran demographic segments. Barriers can include mental health issues; lack of formal private sector recognition of their military training, experiences, and skill sets through civilian certification and licensure; lack of career preparation, limited professional networks; and employer misconceptions surrounding PTSD and the difficulty of transitioning from the military to civilian employment.
• Lack of gender-specific housing and tiered support services for homeless women veterans including those with dependent children and victims of Military Sexual Trauma (MST). U.S.VETS' ADVANCE is one of the few programs in the country currently serving this population.
• Need for early mental health treatment for combat related mental health issues - Returning to civilian life after multiple tours in the military is a stressful undertaking for many veterans, and fraught with challenges for the estimated 19% who return with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or major depression and anxiety, and the approximately 20% who have suffered a probable Traumatic Brain Injury during deployment. Studies show that 60% of veterans returning with PTSD will not seek treatment from the VA and those who do seek support may encounter significant delays. Expanded programs that can provide confidential counseling in an unthreatening, veteran friendly environment are needed to reach veterans when they can most benefit from the support.

U.S.VETS is continuing to expand homelessness prevention efforts across the country, develop specialized support for female veterans with dependent children and those impacted by sexual trauma; and grow mental health programs embedded in community colleges, trade schools and universities that engage veterans who might otherwise fall through the cracks. Collaborations with other providers across the nation are continually being sought to avoid duplication of services and meet the needs of the greatest number of veterans.