Helping veterans find the resources and support they need is personal for UWWF’s Florida Veterans Support Line (FVSL) team. And many times, it takes months of work to improve a person’s life.
An Army Veteran called FVSL in December 2021. He was recently released from prison and had a hard time finding employment. He was running out of money and facing eviction.
A Veteran Care Coordinator (VCC) provided the Veteran with local resources to help him search for a job and possible housing. The VCC told him to call back anytime he needed more assistance.
The Veteran called back several days later and said he still couldn’t find a job. He was also running out of medication and had no money to refill his prescription. After asking a few more questions, the VCC discovered the Veteran was not registered with Veteran Affairs. He also found out the Veteran has a chronic history of PTSD and was not receiving any benefits. The VCC pointed the Veteran to Veterans Services and encouraged him to initiate a claim for benefits.
While the Veteran was applying for services, he became homeless. This was a strain on his mental health. The VCC recognized the Veteran's mental health deteriorating and made advocacy calls on his behalf. The VCC was able to secure a place for the Veteran to live and get his rent and utilities covered for the first three months. Eventually, the VCC got the Veteran set up with another program to cover half his rent for two years. Once his housing stress stabilized, the Veteran also secured employment.
The VCC kept working with the Veteran over the next few months to encourage him to keep pushing his VA claims. The Veteran was examined by a doctor and received a 100% rating for his PTSD, resulting in $3000 a month in compensation. Now the Veteran is rapidly becoming more self-sufficient, and his mental health is becoming more stable.
Through the support and guidance of the Veterans Care Coordinator and the Florida Veteran Support Line, this Veteran’s path is now one of success!