Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program

Department of Veterans Affairs Eastern Maine Collaborative Project to Connect Veterans to Supportive Services

It is no secret that, for decades, our returning veterans who have served in active combat have struggled to assimilate back into civilian life.  Many face real or perceived roadblocks to securing permanent safe housing, employment, general health and mental health services, and other necessary “life” services.  These roadblocks could consist of narrowly missing income cutoffs for assistance, confusion about available services, inability to work, lack of transportation, and health/mental health issues which can compound the difficulty in accessing help.  In Maine, these issues are further compounded by rural isolation and extreme geographic distance from service providers.

This geographic burden complicates efforts to identify veterans and their families and the circumstances surrounding their living conditions and needs, and makes it difficult for veterans hampered by physical, mental, and economic barriers to connect with services.  Finally, there is a preponderance of services in Southern Maine which supports the highest population concentration for the state, adding to the complexity of serving veterans in Central and Northern Maine.  Compounding the remote geographic spread is the fact that many of the extremely rural regions still rely on dial-up connectivity to access the internet – it’s clearly difficult for these individuals to connect with services via traditional travel or by “traveling” on their computer.

Maine’s two congressional districts each support between 64,000 – 83,000 veterans according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Actuary, Veteran Population Projection Model (2007).  Approximately 40-45% of these are 65 years of age and older, and 7.6-10% are veterans of World War II.  This implies that many of our veterans are further hampered by complications associated with advanced age.  For a state as sparsely populated as Maine, service providers are continuously faced with barriers to reach out and identify those needing services, and barriers for veterans who need help connecting with the services in place. 

A significant factor that impacts on the success of connecting with veterans is the inherent suspicion and lack of trust for “government” employees and other service providers.  A recent Maine Public Radio broadcast entitled, “Maine’s Veterans Fight Another Battle: Homelessness” (aired 10/21/2011) reported that on average, Maine has approximately 1,000 homeless veterans with many experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, other mental health issues, substance abuse, and/or unemployment.  This number does not take into account those veterans who are living on the edge or in substandard housing.  Regardless, it was noted that "veterans themselves say some of the greatest support they get is being around other veterans who are plagued by some of the same demons.”  One veteran described military service as a brotherhood or sisterhood.

This project proposes to take these observations into consideration to build an effective outreach program that will help identify veterans in remote rural regions of Eastern Maine, and connect them with case management and services that assure their safety and quality of life.

Total Funding Request:  $642,594
Funding Period:  Twelve months, with continuation funding available
Lead Applicant:  Eastern Maine Development Corporation

The objectives of this project are to:

1. Identify the location and needs of veterans in relation to supportive services.  Project staff will travel to communities in the three-county service area (Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Hancock counties) to connect with veterans where they live and congregate (church, VFW halls, schools, local eateries, etc.).  When identified, their locations will be “mapped” using geographic information mapping (GIS) software.  This will provide a clear picture of where veterans reside in the rural communities and their proximity to services.

2. Employ a staff of Veteran Gateway Coordinators to travel throughout the region and work to connect with veterans, assessing their need for services.  We will recruit and hire qualified veterans to fill these “peer-support” positions to foster the camaraderie between fellow veterans and effectively identify the needs of each veteran.  This approach would enhance efforts to engage the veterans in discussion, identify their needs, and increase their motivation to get assistance.  A “no wrong door” approach will support their referral to agencies (experts) for case management and connection to housing, transportation, employment, and other necessary services.

3. Base the Coordinators at regional career centers (Dover-Foxcroft, Piscataquis County; Ellsworth, Hancock County; Millinocket, Penobscot County), with the project staff based in Bangor.  These regional sites will act as service “hubs” or home bases to ensure that we have appropriate space in the communities to promote easy access and geographic proximity to areas served by the project.  The Coordinators will also establish itinerant sites throughout the region where they can meet with veterans in safe and confidential environments to conduct initial intake and assessment activities and to provide other supports.

4. Create a pool of third party funds that will be reserved for payout to veterans in need of emergency, one-time support.  Funds would be accessible for a wide range of needs including security deposits, utility deposits, transportation, child care, utility fee payments, moving costs, structural needs (i.e., wheelchair ramp), and emergencies.  EMDC will manage these third party funds and will implement an application process for appropriate disbursement of funds.  (The Veteran Gateway Coordinators will be responsible for helping with the application process.)

5. Build a network that connects the local COC (Greater Penobscot Continuum of Care for People Who are Homeless, GPCOC) and other agencies to this project, promoting a “no wrong door” approach and smooth referral process.  The following partner organizations have already committed to collaboration on this project:
Greater Penobscot Continuum of Care Bangor Area Homeless Shelter
Eastern Maine Development Corporation Penquis
City of Bangor Health & Community Services Bangor Housing Authority
Community Health & Counseling Services Penobscot Community Health Care/Hope House
Maine Balance of State Region III Homeless Council
Bangor VA Maine Department of  Veterans Administration
Maine Department of Labor, Career Center, 
Bureau of Employment Services, Veterans Program

We will aggressively work to engage more community supportive service agencies to support a seamless referral process.

6. Support the search for long-term solutions such as gainful employment (job searches, education, workforce training), stable housing, transportation, healthcare, and other.