Veterans Serving Veterans: The Plan for Success
One of our many veterans serving veterans at Harbor Care, Richard O’Donnell is a former Staff Sergeant, having served in the U.S Army from 1995 to 2007. He joined the Battle Staff and was an instructor at the Army Instructor School in Vilseck, Germany. Later, he held the position of Instructor at the Army Leadership School at Fort Knox in Leadership & Management Development. He received a Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Achievement Award (3), National Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, and Good Conduct Medal (3).
“Being an old Non-commissioned officer myself, clients understand where I’m coming from and know I understand them too.”
Now Rick is a Case Manager with Harbor Care’s Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (HVRP), where he helps veterans find employment in the community. This takes many forms, depending on the level and type of assistance each of his veteran client’s need. “Helping each vet find their own success,” is the motto he lives by. Rick has a step-by-step approach to finding the right job, but it’s not cut-and-dried. He sits down with each veteran that comes through the door, and asks them about their situation. He says:
“There are different challenges for every client. Some have substance-use issues. Others have mental-health issues. Some are just down on their luck. Every client has their own private hurdles.”
The Plan for Success
Once Rick knows about the client’s needs, the two create a “Plan for Success,” which will guide the veteran to identify what success means for them, and plot a course for their own best outcome. “We help them develop a plan that includes their strengths, deficits, and goals,” Rick says. “For example, a client who wants to work full time but needs treatment for substance use may need to be guided toward working part-time while in treatment instead.” Rick goes on to explain that part time employment can be the best option for a veteran who needs to attend classes, substance use treatment, or has court dates scheduled. It is also an excellent re-entry into employment for those who have been unemployed for a long time, whose mental health is not strong enough to support full-time work, or for those whose work ethic is being rebuilt.
Due to Harbor Care’s broad range of integrated services, HVRP clients are able to access primary healthcare, behavioral health, dental care, peer recovery support services, secure stable housing, and other services. By identifying and incorporating various aspects of a veteran’s life into the plan, Rick feels his clients have a better chance of achieving long-term, sustainable independence.
Once a client’s strengths, deficits, and goals have been established, the next step in the plan is often writing a resume.
The Blank Page
Many have never written a resume before, and are unsure how to distill their various experiences into a page or two. Often Rick’s clients are worried about gaps in their employment history, or are uncertain how their military training and experience will translate into the civilian workforce. This anxiety may convince them that they’re unqualified, that they can’t compete, or that they don’t deserve a good job.
To help his clients put their best foot forward, he offers a template, proofreads, edits, and corrects their resumes. For those who need help with convincing a hiring manager that someone with military experience is a good bet for a civilian position, Rick provides a long list of the benefits of hiring a veteran.
Next Steps
Once the resume is in good shape, Rick helps his clients conduct online job searches. He also instructs them on how to network within the local community in order to find employment leads. Being a naturally outgoing person, Rick calls or visits all potential employers in the area. When doing this outreach, he describes HVRP and explains why hiring vets is a good bet for any organization. In addition, when one of his veterans applies for a job with a local company, Rick may call the manager personally to talk about his client’s qualifications.
Rick meets veterans wherever they are — this time at Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter.
Once the veteran has caught the interest of a potential employer and an interview has been set up, Rick helps his clients move onto the next steps in their plan for success. Does the veteran have appropriate business attire that will impress a hiring manager? Can they arrange childcare if they need it? Most importantly, do they have transportation to and from the interview? During these planning meetings, Rick and his clients identify and create workarounds for barriers they may encounter, as well as develop tools clients can draw from so that the veteran not only gets the job they want, but also keeps it.
Transportation: The Reoccurring Burden
One recurring problem for Rick’s clients is transportation. Many of those who have been experiencing homelessness do not have access to a reliable vehicle. Some do not have a current driver’s license. Often clients lack a credit history that would allow them to finance a car.
Until these vets have worked long enough to save up money and purchase a vehicle, transportation is a constant challenge. For those who are lucky enough to find a good job on a bus route, or within walking distance of their home – and for many, “walking distance” is 5 or 10 miles in one direction -- their road to self-sufficiency can be fairly straightforward. Rick and the HVRP staff often provide bus passes for clients who live in town.
For those who live in rural areas with little walkability and no public transportation, however, getting to work presents a problem. If a client’s new job in another town, Uber or Lyft rides may be their only way to work. The costs of these rides, sadly, can be $90 for a 35-minute ride between Nashua and Manchester, for example. This creates a barrier to interviewing for jobs, as well as to arriving at work on a daily basis once employment begins.
Escaping the Catch-22
Even more burdensome is this cost laid upon a formerly homeless veteran while they are trying to save money to purchase a vehicle, or put down a security deposit on an apartment. The situation is a real Catch-22 for many of Rick’s clients. However insurmountable the challenge may seem, however, Rick and the staff of HVRP don’t stop working until their clients find a solution.
“I think the advantage I have with clients – being an old Non-commissioned officer myself – is that they are more comfortable opening up to another veteran. Clients are more honest with me than they would be with someone else, because they understand where I’m coming from, and know I understand them too.”
You can help Veterans meet these basic needs and experience stability in their lives with a donation to our Veteran FIRST program. Please make a gift today by simply clicking the button.
If you’d like to meet more of our Harbor Care veterans serving veterans, please visit Shaun’s story and Katie’s story. If you’re interested in learning more about Harbor Care’s high level of Integrated Care, please click here. For more information on all Harbor Care programs for veterans, please visit Veterans FIRST. If you would like more information about Rick O’Donnell ‘s program, please visit our HVRP page.