Aspire receives grant to help homeless vets
Aspire Indiana Health has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to launch a new program to assist homeless military veterans through sustaining unemployment.
The Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) aims to improve outcomes for homeless Hoosier veterans in Boone, Hamilton, Madison and Marion counties. Aspire plans to hire four new employment specialists to assist veterans with finding and keeping a job, and one housing coordinator to help with getting them a safe, stable place to live.
According to a 2020 survey of Central Indiana homeless populations, 8 percent of homeless individuals in Boone, Hamilton and Madison counties were veterans, with double that number (16 percent) in Marion County. Most veteran households are unable to afford traditional rent costs on their Veterans Administration benefits, if they receive them at all.
Homeless vets in Central Indiana face additional barriers to finding employment. Of those veterans surveyed, 80% had no proper identification to obtain employment, food resources, or shelter; 60% had no working phone to apply for jobs; and most have histories of low wages and/or non-traditional jobs in landscaping, odd jobs or under-the-table work.
Employment services utilize evidence-based practices of supported employment, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, strengths-based case management and Psychological First Aid to better prepare veterans to enter and stay in the workforce.
“Veterans are one of the most vulnerable Hoosier populations, and Aspire is proud to have a long history of supporting them with their unique needs,” said Jerry Landers, Vice President, Strategy & Business Development and himself an Army veteran.
“Our employment specialists are highly skilled in assessing individual career interests and job skills, identifying barriers to employment and working with the veteran to secure stable employment and get them housed. We are very thankful for this grant and excited about the opportunity to use it to help Hoosier veterans.”
