VetWorks Wisconsin to serve military families transitioning to Wisconsin

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.