Homeless Veteran Service Providers > Swords to Plowshares
Swords to Plowshares
Coordination of Specialized Units Allows HVRP Program to Excel
Swords to Plowshares is a community-based veterans self-help group founded in 1974 to advocate for veterans' rights and to provide direct services to veterans. Through the vets-helping-vets model, Swords works to help rebuild the shattered lives of soldiers who were once put in harm's way to serve and protect this nation. Swords' goal is to help homeless and low-income veterans through direct services and advocacy for effective public policy.
With more than 2,400 homeless veterans in San Francisco alone, Swords has been the city's most prominent agency to care for disenfranchised veterans. For those facing homelessness to substance abuse, legal issues to unemployment, Swords is there for veterans every step of the way.
Swords is recognized and respected nationwide for its pioneering and effective work on behalf of veterans struggling with homelessness and poverty. And for more than 25 years, Swords to Plowshares has been the principal provider of employment services for homeless and low-income veterans in the San Francisco area. Swords helps homeless veterans make the transition to gainful employment by offering vocational counseling, life-skills training, resume writing assistance and job referrals. In some cases, employers who accept referrals from Swords can be reimbursed for training costs, and the organization helps those companies apply for and obtain tax credits for hiring its program participants.
Swords first received funding from the Department of Labor-Veterans' Employment and Training Service (DOL-VETS) Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program in 1990 through the local Private Industry Council of San Francisco. Since then, the program has successfully competed for funding consistently, with grants ranging from $110,000 to $312,000. In 2003, the Swords HVRP program received $250,000.
The program is focused on helping homeless veterans with barriers to full employment. More than 50% of its clients are impacted by substance abuse and mental health problems. More than 55% are between the ages of 45 and 61. Approximately 45% of clients are Vietnam Era Veterans. About 59% identify themselves as being part of a minority community, the largest of which is African-Americans. More than 90% of the clients are male.
Swords has a holistic approach to service delivery. In order to properly address each veteran's needs, organized "units" administer services ranging from transitional housing to comprehensive supportive services. The Residential and Community Resources unit provides transitional housing, housing assistance, assistance filing for VA benefits, and legal counseling. The Supportive Services unit provides mental health counseling and temporary housing assistance, both internally and through community service providers.
The employment services team works closely with other programs offered by Swords and community-based organizations in the area to help stabilize veterans so they are able to fully participate in employment and training activities. The majority of employment-related services are administered internally.
Swords' HVRP employment and supportive services include:
- Job readiness assessment
- Vocational counseling
- Mental health and substance abuse counseling
- Pre-employment counseling
- Resume development/Interview techniques
- Financial support services (transportation funds, clothing vouchers, food vouchers, tools, union dues, uniforms, etc.)
- Housing assistance
- Job search/job placement assistance
- Retention counseling
- Support groups
When the program began in 1990, Swords was a sub-contractor with the Private Industry Council, and charged with running a HVRP demonstration project. In 1993, the Swords' HVRP program received the Department of Labor grant directly and was able to nearly triple the amount of services offered to veterans.
Through the years, the organization has been able to develop collaborations with other community-based homeless service providers. These collaborations have enhanced and expanded the support available for homeless veterans. During the 10-year period from 1993 through 2003, the HVRP program has provided supportive services to more than 1,800 veterans, and helped secure jobs for more than 900. It is important to remember these numbers represent veterans who otherwise might not have had access to the broad spectrum of services needed to prepare for and gain steady employment.
Because of its links to more than 40 service providers in the San Francisco area, Swords is a "One Stop Center" providing a continuum of care with seamless service delivery, and is a certified "Access Point" in accordance with the Workforce Investment Act. The agency is electronically linked to partners offering resources that include substance abuse treatment, mental health care, permanent supportive housing, life skills training, job searches and career counseling. The San Francisco Career Link offers veterans additional testing and vocational assessment for in-depth exploration of their employment goals.
A Department of Labor Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP) representative is stationed once a week at Swords' main office through an agreement with the local Employment Development Department (EDD) office. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Comprehensive Homeless Center provides case management counseling and recovery services for eligible clients. VA's Veterans Industries operates the Compensated Work Therapy program for veterans with mental illness or other serious barriers to employment, and its Vet Center conducts group counseling sessions. These programs all have reciprocal referral relationships with Swords to Plowshares.
Swords is also a charter member of the Treasure Island Homeless Development Initiative (TIHDI). In May 2000, Swords established a transitional housing program for homeless veterans at that location. The Presidio Veterans Academy provides the veteran residential community with educational and training opportunities.
Through the Private Industry Council (PIC), Swords operates on-the-job training programs for eligible veterans under the Homeless Employment Collaborative (HEC) and Title 1B of the Adult Workforce Investment Act. Swords is a member of HEC and a member of the PIC Committee of Community Agencies (CCA). The CCA actively advises the PIC on issues relating to providing job services to economically disadvantaged job seekers.
Swords is a member organization of the California Association of Veteran Service Agencies (CAVSA), a statewide association of community-based organizations providing employment and training services to veterans with significant barriers to employment, and the San Francisco Employment Committee, an EDD-sponsored group of local veteran advocacy organizations. It meets monthly to coordinate services, promote the hiring of veterans and plan the annual San Francisco Veterans Job Fair.
Swords has also partnered with Goodwill Industries and Northern California Service League in the San Francisco Training Partnership (SFTP). Homeless and disadvantaged veterans receive short-term skills training for in-demand occupations, and are then placed into training related jobs. Effective communication between Swords and area employers ensures employment opportunities are available for program participants.
General assistance benefits for eligible program participants are provided through the County Adult Assistance Program (CAAP) of the San Francisco Department of Social Services. The county's Personal Assisted Employment Services (PAES) program also refers veterans to the Swords program.
HVRP Program Outcomes – 4th Quarter 2003:
Goal Actual % of Goal
Total Agency Enrollments 100 106 106%
Total Agency Assessments 120 186 155%
Employment Placement 65 53 82%
Permanent housing placement 36 33 92%
Average wage at job placement $8.75 $10.96 125%
Through its interaction with numerous government and community service organizations, a stronger voice and enhanced service network have emerged. Services and dollars are stretched more effectively through collaborative efforts. Also, the ability to provide comprehensive services in-house permits a more stable support system for the veteran, reducing the need to go to several sites to secure needed assistance.
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