Percent of participants who secured competitive, compatible employment
Originally launched as a Social Impact Bond in 2018, Veterans Coordinated Approach to Recovery and Employment (Veterans CARE) is an outcomes-based initiative that supports veterans in attaining competitive, compatible employment through the evidence-based Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model.
Goals
Support veterans in finding competitive employment: Support unemployed, underemployed, and vulnerably employed veterans with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or military sexual trauma (MST) to gain meaningful employment that fits individuals’ workforce needs and preferences.
Expand access to services: Deliver high-quality IPS services to more veterans, including those managing conditions outside of PTSD, such as MST, and in additional geographies.
Leverage outcomes-based funding models: Lay the groundwork for the use of outcomes-based approaches to scale the impact of Veterans CARE within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Participant Stories
For George, Veterans CARE Felt Like Coming Home
After 17 years in the Army, George found the return to civilian life traumatic and struggled to find stable employment. Veterans CARE helped him turn things around. Reflecting on the support he received from his IPS specialists, George said, “They care about you, they want to see you succeed. They want you to achieve beyond the military … there’s a lot more we have to offer to society.”
Helping Veterans Reclaim Self-Worth Through Employment
After not being out of the house for nine years, one veteran participating in Veterans CARE “reclaimed his sense of worth and dedication to himself,” said his IPS service provider. “In the last month, he has gone to an interview, gained a position as a warehouse manager, and gotten his driver’s license.” Of the 360 veterans included in an evaluation of the program, nearly 60% obtained at least one competitive job. Their average earnings matched or exceeded those from a randomized control trial across 12 service sites.
How It Works
Programs like Veterans CARE illustrate our administration's focus on making smart investments in promising evidence-supported programs coupled with rigorous evaluation of results.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is serving. as the outcomes payor for the project extension and previously served as a matching outcomes payor on the original Social Impact Bond.
Social Finance is providing active performance management services and supported the design and financial structuring of the project extension and the original Social Impact Bond.
![Man in a military uniform typing on a laptop](https://socialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Vets-CARE-e1668452770694.png")
![George Robertson Veterans CARE](https://socialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/George-Robertson-Veterans-CARE-e1668456587818-1000x1000.png")
![Retail Warehouse full of Shelves with Goods in Cardboard Boxes,](https://socialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AdobeStock_390578288-scaled-e1668458069540-1000x1000.jpeg")
