For MMC
MILWAUKEE– The Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce,
Wisconsin Veterans Network, and the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs
recently launched a program providing comprehensive support to active duty
military service members as they transition out of military service and
relocate to communities across Wisconsin.
VetWorks Wisconsin will provide transitioning service
members and their families with assistance in employment, education, housing,
legal services, veterans benefits, and medical care. Through the VetWorks
Wisconsin program, the Veterans Chamber and Wisconsin Veterans Network will
partner together to coordinate services and resources and direct support to
service members and their families, addressing needs across social determinants
of health such as economic stability, employment, and health literacy.
“This new program not only puts Wisconsin on the map as the
state where service members and their families can experience the highest
quality of life and overall well-being after their military service, but it
also provides employers with an opportunity to connect with the most highly
skilled labor force in the country,” said Saul Newton, president & CEO of
the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce. “VetWorks Wisconsin meets the needs
of service members and their families, and addresses the critical workforce
needs of Wisconsin’s employers.”
VetWorks Wisconsin is an extension of the Expiration Term of
Service-Sponsorship Program, a program established in partnership with the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs to sponsor service members through the
transition process from military to civilian life. The program is grounded in a
personal relationship between the transitioning service member and a matched
volunteer sponsor living in the community where the future veteran will
reside.
Service members are matched with sponsors up to one year
before leaving the military, allowing time to plan for transition and develop a
strong personal relationship with their sponsor. Service members remain with
the program through graduation, up to 12 months after leaving the military.
Wisconsin Veterans Network, a nonprofit organization based in Milwaukee,
connects the transitioning service members to sponsors, as well as essential
resources and services in communities around the state. The Wisconsin Veterans
Chamber of Commerce, the state’s only business association dedicated to
supporting veteran-owned and veteran-friendly businesses, will work with
employers to meet their workforce needs and ensure positive employment outcomes
for transitioning military members and their families.
According to the Department of Defense, more than 4,000
military members relocate to Wisconsin every year. Foundational to the VetWorks
Wisconsin approach is a focus on the 12 months between leaving the military and
reintegrating into a civilian community, a period of time known as the ‘deadly
gap,’ when the combined stresses of a perceived loss of purpose, geographic
relocation, financial uncertainty, and underlying medical and psychological
issues lead to new veterans committing suicide at rates two times higher than
civilians in the same age group, according to the Department of Veterans
Affairs. The program’s goal is to set conditions for service members and sponsors
to achieve purpose and prosperity, reduce stress and risk, and engage together
for continued service to the nation.
“For the past six years, Wisconsin Veterans Network has been
collaborating with veteran service organizations, other nonprofits, state and
local agencies and the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide services to
veterans and their families who are in crisis or facing urgent needs to deliver
benefits and resources to our veteran clients,” says Quentin Hatfield,
Executive Director of VetsNet. “Most
recently, in 2021, we were able to serve 427 veterans in 38 Wisconsin counties,
meeting needs ranging from homelessness, rent and energy assistance,
employment, food insecurity, health and mental health services, education
benefits and a range of other urgent needs.
The Expiration Term of Service-Sponsorship Program, which launched
October 1, 2021, in Wisconsin with VetsNet as the Community Integration
Coordinator for the state, gives us the perfect opportunity to connect service
members coming home in the next 6-12 months to jobs, education benefits,
housing and a range of needs that ensures their homecoming is a ‘soft landing’
and, prevent these warriors from facing the kinds of crises our current veteran
population deals with on a daily basis.
The goal, ultimately, is a reduction in the rate of veteran suicide in
Wisconsin by eliminating many of the stressors that could be potential triggers
for self-harm. By connecting a service member with a volunteer sponsor/mentor
who can help them build a homecoming plan and identify the resources they need
for themselves and their families, we ensure that the soon-to-be veteran knows
they have a team at home to pave the way for smooth transition to civilian
life”
More information, visit wiveteranschamber.org.
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