DEPARTMENTS: Economic Development
DEPARTMENT HEADS: Rene Dominguez
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
The Economic and Workforce Development Committee (EWDC) will hear a briefing on the Veterans Employment Pay for Success Project, a partnership that will provide workforce development support to veterans with service-connected PTSD in order for them to gain sustained, competitive employment and increased earnings.
SUMMARY:
The Veteran Employment Pay for Success Project (VEPSP) will be implemented in partnership with Social Finance, the federal Department of Veteran Affairs, the City of San Antonio, the South Texas Veteran's Health System (STVHS), and the Foundation for Advancing Veterans' Health Research (FAVHR), with Social Finance serving as the project manager. Social Finance is a non-profit organization dedicated to mobilizing capital to drive social progress.
Social Finance has been awarded a $3 million grant from the federal Department of Veteran Affairs to provide employment outcomes for veterans with service-connected PTSD with the assistance of matching funds to four local jurisdictions across the country. San Antonio was selected as a candidate to be one of the four jurisdictions.
Under this program, over a three-year period veterans will receive services in accordance with the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model. IPS is an evidenced-based approach to supportive employment emphasizing rapid job search for employment that matches an individual's needs and preferences with integrated mental health care.
The outcomes for the veterans being served by the IPS model are: sustained competitive employment, increased earnings, and job satisfaction. The City of San Antonio and the federal Department of Veteran Affairs will only pay if the local outcomes are achieved.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
According to the VA, of these Veterans with service-connected PTSD form a special population that has been underserved in the commu...
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