Veterans Employment Program (VEP)
Helping Veterans Overcome Barriers to Employment
The Veteran’s Employment Program at River City serves our veterans by assisting them with all aspects of the job search process. We work with participants to overcome many of the barriers that have made finding meaningful employment difficult. Each participant is assessed to determine their unique needs, and services range from resume assistance to mental health counseling. The program operates a drop in assistance center Monday-Friday, where participants can stop by without appointments to use computers, get assistance with job searches, practice interview skills, and get help from skilled case managers, among other things. We also support participants with transportation, clothing, tools, and training needed for employment. Once a participant has found employment, our case managers will continue to work with them as they navigate the transition, aiding in any additional training or supportive services that may be required. Program participants are also encouraged to take part in our weekly wellness groups and computer training classes. Additionally we have periodic on-site training including, but not limited to, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, Serve Safe and OSHA; as well as workshops featuring local employers and employment specialists.
Guidelines For Admission
To be eligible for enrollment as a participant under this VEP grant an individual must be homeless and a veteran defined as follows:
The term “homeless” or “homeless individual” found at 42 U.S.C. 11301(a), and amended by the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-22) includes:
Persons who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;
Persons living in supervised public or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements;
An individual who resided in a shelter or place not meant for human habitation and who is exiting an institution where he or she temporarily resided; and
Persons with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings. Inadequate nighttime residence examples include, but are not limited to, sleeping in the streets, in the woods, in public parks, in cars, on outside benches, under bridges, in tents, in caves, under a lean-to, etc.
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The term “veteran” means a person who served in the active military and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable [38 U.S.C. 101(2)]. Veterans who received a “dishonorable” discharge are ineligible for HVRP services.
The term “chronically homeless” is defined as an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more, or who has had at least four (4) episodes of homelessness in the past three (3) years. A disabling condition is defined as a diagnosable substance abuse disorder, serious mental illness developmental disability, or chronic physical illness or disability including the co-occurrence of two or more of these conditions. A disabling condition limits an individual’s ability to work or perform one or more activities of daily living.
Program Goals
The goal of the Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program is to connect homeless veterans with appropriate employment placements. We aim to provide a comprehensive array of services that will not only meet employment needs, but will also support all program participants in finding housing, applying or receiving benefits, other social supports.