Executive Office of Veterans Services Announces Funding for Veteran Employment Program at VA Event

Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) hosted an event to announce its sponsorship of an employment program that supports veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and military sexual trauma.

BOSTON—Yesterday, the Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Tuscaloosa Research and Education Advancement Corporation (TREAC), and the national nonprofit Social Finance hosted an event at Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center to announce renewed funding for the Veterans Coordinated Approach to Recovery and Employment (Veterans CARE) program. 

Veterans CARE launched in 2018 to help veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or military sexual trauma (MST) get high-quality jobs that align with their vocational preferences and mental health needs through an evidence-based supported employment model called individual placement and support (IPS). The program has since served more than 300 veterans, with 58% securing competitive and compatible employment.

“Our goal is to ensure veterans in all communities have access to the care and resources they deserve as they reintegrate into the workforce,” Secretary Jon Santiago, EOVS, said. “The Vets CARE Program has a proven track record of success in helping veterans secure meaningful, competitive employment opportunities. Through our collaboration with VA Boston, Social Finance, and TREAC, we’re dedicated to expanding this partnership statewide.” 

Sec. Santiago also announced that EOVS had assumed oversight of the program from the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, which administered Veterans CARE from 2021 to 2023. 

“EOVS is excited to collaborate with SFI, TREAC, VA Boston Healthcare System and the IPS Teams to take the Vets CARE program to the next level,” Mike Aldred, EOVS Director of Veterans Employment, Education, and Training Opportunities, said. “By expanding this opportunity throughout the Commonwealth, this partnership can deliver high-quality, results-driven services to veterans that need them the most.” 

Representatives from Veterans Affairs, TREAC, and Social Finance, who developed and launched the initial incarnation of Veterans CARE through the Commonwealth’s Social Innovations Financing Trust Fund, reflected on the impact of the program and the IPS model. 

“Veterans CARE is a model of mission-focused support and advocacy for veteran employment and recovery through creative partnerships at the federal, state, local and integrated clinical team level,” Rich Toscano, IPS Mentor-Trainer and Fidelity Monitor at Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, said. “The Social Impact Bond approach to scaling up access for veterans living with PTSD and MST has effectively leveraged public-private and federal-state collaboration that might not have otherwise materialized.” 

“Veterans CARE is a complement to and an expansion of services the VA is able to offer veterans,” Dr. Deborah Brief, Director of Residential and Rehabilitation Services at the VA Boston Healthcare System, said. “There is room for veterans in all stages of their recovery in Veterans CARE.” 

IPS specialists, who help veterans reach their personal employment goals, attended the event as well and shared anonymous personal accounts from veterans served through the program. 

“It can’t be reiterated enough how customizable this program is,” Isabelle Cincotta, IPS Coordinator at TREAC, said. “It’s tailored to each veteran’s interest. From beekeeping to accounting, our participants pursue a whole range of careers.” 

Veterans CARE currently serves veterans in the Greater Boston area through the Jamaica Plain and Brockton VA Medical Centers.  

Social Finance and TREAC, with the support from EOVS and in partnership with the VA, hope to expand services to veterans throughout the Commonwealth, particularly in the Bedford, Cape Cod, Springfield, and Worcester regions. 

“This is the kind of dynamic, adaptive partnership we want to see more of in the sector,” Jake Segal, Managing Director of Social Finance’s Impact Advisory Practice, said. “The Commonwealth is yet again taking a best-in-class program, pointing it toward outcomes that really matter, and then creating the flexibility and infrastructure needed to produce results.”

About Social Finance 

Social Finance is a national nonprofit and registered investment advisor (SF Advisors, LLC). We work with the public, private, and social sectors to create partnerships and investments that measurably improve lives. Our Impact Investment team designs, launches, and manages impact-first investments. Our Advisory team partners with government and philanthropy leaders to implement data-driven programs for social impact. And through the Social Finance Institute, we aim to build the field and change systems through actionable research, communities of practice, and educational outreach. Since our founding in 2011, we have mobilized more than $350 million in new investments designed to help people and communities realize improved outcomes in workforce and economic mobility, health, and housing. Learn more at socialfinance.org.       

Media Contact
Carrie Benjamin
Director of Media & Communications, Social Finance
cbenjamin@socialfinance.org
(857) 340-6064