The Veterans Employment & Education Commission heard speakers address homelessness, entrepreneurship and more at the Washington Conference.
In addressing members of the Veterans Employment & Education Commission on Feb. 24 at The American Legion’s Washington Conference, Kathryn Monet encouraged them to not just use their voice in D.C. when they met with legislators.
“I think there is a lot that you can do beyond just using your voice here this week in D.C. but sort of taking some of that voice back to your community to do some meaningful work,” said Monet, CEO of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
Monet was part of a panel discussing housing and homelessness for veterans at the commission meeting.
While it was noted that veteran homelessness has been decreasing even as the overall homeless population in the U.S. increases, there are still obstacles that must be addressed.
Among those is the lack of funding for the Elizabeth Dole Act. While the omnibus bill was signed into law Jan. 2 by President Biden, it has yet to be funded, panelists noted.
“Tell (legislators) to fund it, so we can have some of the money that we need to ensure that the veterans are having their transitional housing,” said Darryl Vincent, president and CEO of U.S. Vets.
Vincent noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, appropriations from the Department of Veterans Affairs to address homeless veteran issues were readily available. “They said you need more money, you need more funds,” he said. “The VA did the right thing with that.
“I really feel homelessness among veterans is an epidemic, it’s a pandemic, it’s an emergency; I really wish they would declare that and we could end it within two or three years,” Vincent added, although he noted that he knew that wasn’t realistic.
Instead, it’s up to The American Legion and others to encourage legislators at all levels to find the funding to help homeless veterans.
It’s not just a matter of building homes, panelists agreed. It’s addressing issues like workforce development, health care both physical and mental, and more.
“When you have that continuum of care (for homeless and at-risk veterans), they don’t stop at permanent supportive housing. They’ll go on to purchase their new homes, because they don’t feel like they’re all by themselves and these wraparound services that will help veterans get housing is available,” said Phillip Leverette, vice president of family services for SOME (So Others Might Eat).
“What you heard from everyone on this panel, we are absolutely in an affordable housing crisis in this country,” Monet said. “There’s a lot we can do about it. We often come to these panels and we tell you a lot about the services that are available at VA or DoL or HUD, and we focus on that because that’s where we have the most impact.
“But there is a lot that people can do as citizens in their communities to influence the way that your community develops and permits for affordable housing. … I think there is a degree to which all of you as community leaders can really lean in on advocating and using your voice to influence not only the way that local and state funding is used but even some of the decisions that communities are making because homelessness has got really politicized in the last few years.”
Others on the homelessness panel included moderator Mark Walker, deputy director of Swords to Plowshares; Anthony Love, principal advisor, intra/inter-agency collaboration and director of community engagement for VHA Homeless Programs; Clifton Lewis, COO of Access Housing; and Sarah Bierman, deputy director for grants and training with the Department of Labor.
Other speakers during Monday’s meeting included:
· Derek Blumke, co-founder of Student Veterans of America and currently veteran impact fellow at the Grunt Style Foundation, who discussed issues with antidepressants and their negative impacts on veterans.
“I’ve been working with researchers around the world, mostly in Europe because you don’t find a whole lot of researchers here in the United States actually working on this issue,” said Blumke, who described his own paranoic reactions after quitting his medication. “But when you’re looking at medications we use to treat mental health issues, almost all of them come with a risk profile of some sort.”
A member of Post 194 in Petoskey, Mich., Blumke encouraged his fellow Legionnaires to “start asking questions” about medications for mental health.
“The advocacy that this organization does is going to be the reason that we put an end to a lot of these veteran suicides, and the work that we’ve already been doing with Be The One is saving and changing lives,” Blumke said.
· Ivan Denton, director of national programs at DOL-VETS, who talked about the transition from military service to civilian employment, including programs such as TAP and Boots to Business.
He noted that the training and development that servicemembers receive is a benefit to them and civilian employers.
“There is no better talent pool than those that have served our country, and then we put all this money into their training and development,” Denton said. “I am so sorry that we have suicides and I am so sorry that we have homeless, but that’s not the average narrative. The average narrative is employers come to me and they’re like, ‘How do I go get more?’
“You’re walking billboards for us. Think about what the military spent on your training and development. Why should your kids join? Because it will give them a leg up.”
· David “Mac” McEwen, director of Veterans Justice Commission with Council on Criminal Justice, who spoke about advancing justice for veterans in the criminal justice system.
“Most of us come back and we’re stronger, better, for our service. But some have problems readjusting,” McEwen said.
Among the commission’s recommendations are better identification of veterans at the front end of the justice system and increased diversion of veterans away from prosecution and incarceration.
“This just allows us to not throw away these veterans, for one mistake. They still take accountability for what they’ve done,” McEwen said. “We allow them to get the help they need.”
· Tammy Barlet, vice president of government affairs with Student Veterans of America, moderated a panel on the GI Bill and student veterans benefits that included Navy veteran and Howard University counselor Kratel Ruiz-Washington; Army veteran and assistant director of the Office of Military & Veterans Services at Howard University Katesha Goodson; Army veteran and American University Washington College of Law student Brittany Andrade; and Howard University mechanical engineering student Luther Gourdine Jr., who’s using his father’s GI Bill benefits to further his education.
Among topics the panel discussed were ideas on how to improve or change the GI Bill process. Goodson shared the story of a student who lost benefits after their father died, even though there was still GI Bill eligibility left.
· Stan Kurtz, director of policy and engagement for the Small Business Administration’s Office of Veterans Business Development, moderated a panel on transitioning from service to veteran entrepreneurship. Panelists included Michael Thornton Sr., COO and co-owner of Visionary Consulting Partners; Donnell Johns Sr., owner and founder of Veterans Growing America; and Hyacinth Tucker, owner of The Laundry Basket.
The entrepreneurs discussed how they started their businesses and shared advice for prospective entrepreneurs, including jumping at opportunities and trying not to go it alone.
- Careers