Homeless Veteran Service Providers > Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans
Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans
Successful HVRP Employment Program Depends on Partnerships
Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV), located in Minneapolis, has been helping veterans for over 12 years, serving over 2,400 veterans during that time with a wide range of housing and outreach services in a seven-county area. MACV, determined to increase the level of employment and housing services provided to homeless veterans in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, was awarded a Department of Labor Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) grant in March 2000. Funding for the organization's employment assistance program has been renewed every year since. With a 2003-2004 HVRP budget of $300,000, MACV continues its efforts to move homeless veterans away from the street and into employment and stable housing.
MACV has used its HVRP grant to expand its reach into the metropolitan twin cities area, funding the salary of four case managers and one metro regional director. One case manager, stationed at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center with Veterans Industries, completes the initial interviews, places the veteran in the work station and maintains contact with the VA clinical case managers as well as the job supervisor as part of the Employee Development Plan (EDP). The goal of the EDP is to prepare the veteran to enter the work force.
The HVRP Housing case manager interviews veterans to determine the appropriate housing setting for their needs. Once veterans are placed, they begin the process for movement from transitional to permanent housing. The housing plan is also part of the EDP.
The other two HVRP case managers work with local Department of Labor Disabled Veteran Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists and Local Veteran Employment Representatives (LVER) to provide outreach focusing on recovery and the removable of barriers to employment and housing. Some of the areas of concern include focusing on sober living, money management and debt reduction
The HVRP Metro Regional Director is responsible for all program integration in the seven-county metro area. The director makes sure that case management services, of which HVRP is the main recipient, are integrated with well maintained and available housing stock, which MACV owns or leases. The director makes sure that that support services are provided by leveraging other funding sources. He also coordinates health care services for the veterans through VA.
Another requirement for all HVRP programs is that they provide linkages to other mainstream services in the communities served. This includes communicating the availability of the different services being provided, and collaborating with other organizations to maximize services for program clients. MACV works closely with:
- Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs
- Minneapolis VA Medical Center
- Department of Labor-Veterans' Employment and Training Service
- County veterans service officers
- Local workforce centers
- Local nonprofit organizations
By placing a case manager at the VA to work with homeless veteran clients, MACV is able to ensure that all necessary services and benefits are applied for and received. Case managers also work with VISN 23 veterans health care workers to ensure that clients are able to get to their appointments at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. MACV works closely with the region's county veterans service officers, who provide eligible veterans and their dependents assistance with applications and claims for both federal and state veterans' benefits through agencies including the VA, Social Security Administration, Railroad Retirement Board, and Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. This network of support helps to ensure that homeless veterans will make it through the process of applying for benefits, gaining employment and, through MACV properties and state housing funding, securing long-term residences that help to stabilize formerly homeless veterans as they return to the workforce.
MACV administers a sober program that requires clients to abstain from using alcohol and drugs according to practices based on the Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous traditions. It believes in a comprehensive, holistic approach to recovery from the complex challenges of homelessness. The success of this comprehensive program depends on working closely with other organizations to provide a full continuum of care.
MACV also provides a legal assistance service, funded through a DOL Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) grant, which helps veterans overcome barriers to employment and housing caused by legal problems. This is an example of MACV using an existing program to maximize its HVRP success.
The Department of Labor requires grant recipients to set program goals and to meet or exceed those during the program year. MACV had the following outcomes in FY 2003 (July 2002 to June 2003):
Goal Actual % of Goal
Agency Assessments 190 421 222%
Total Program Enrollments 182 349 192%
Housing Placements 190 383 202%
Direct Employment Placements 70 24 34%
Assisted Employment Placements 30 94 313%
Combined Employment Placements 100 118 118%
Retained Employment 90 days 32 56 175%
Average hourly wage @ placement $10.37 $10.58 102%
The MACV program has met or exceeded eight of 10 success measurements during the last fiscal year. While the program faced challenges keeping employees in jobs over 30 days, those they were able to place maintained employment at a highly successful rate.
Those who found employment were paid approximately $10.58 an hour, more than twice the minimum wage. This rate of pay makes it more likely that self-sufficiency will be attained.
MACV provides convenient, accessible assistance to homeless veterans where they are. It integrates its HVRP services with effective, already existing programs and collaborates with other organizations serving veterans to maximize successful outcomes. These successful outcomes are clearly illustrated with detailed measurement. MACV is an excellent, replicable example of how a caring, effective organization that understands its clients and the local service system can take the lead in developing a comprehensive approach to ending homelessness and helping veterans achieve self-sufficiency.
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