EVIEW - Dixoncenterdixoncenter.org/images/pdfs/ESDC_2014_InReview_Final_LoRes.pdf · community can provide. Success means connecting and building community, friendships and mentorships—areas

2013–2014 IN REVIEW

2 Years of Collective Impact

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Dear Friends,

About one thousand service members return home from military service each day with thousands of non-profits, government entities and corporations focused on providing assistance to them and their families. That is a good thing.

But there is only so much government can do, and private entities—from non-profits to corporations—are being asked to provide backbone support both large and small.

That is where Easter Seals Dixon Center’s military and veterans services works hard to make a difference. It all began thanks to generous contributions from The Taishoff Family Foundation, Prudential, The Marilyn Ware Charitable Giving Fund, Britt Charities, Marianne and Lou Lowenkron, The Linda and John Anderson Charitable Foundation, Robert J. McCann, The Steven A. and Alexandra M. Cohen Foundation, Inc., Dr. John W. Rowe, The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation,The Safeway Foundation, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Lorraine Dille Williams, and a donor who prefers to remain anonymous. In addition to these generous gifts to launch Easter Seals Dixon Center, this report highlights the numerous investments of foundations, corporations, and individuals in specific programs in partnership with Easter Seals Dixon Center and affiliates across the nation. This report, two years later, is a sampling of efforts we initiated and/or supported across the country and the efforts made to sustain and promote the work of like-minded organizations collectively coming together to impact local communities.

We are not seeking to replicate community programs that already exist—or even to create new ones. Rather, Easter Seals Dixon Center believes we must create our own indigenous force at local levels to ensure veterans and military families thrive where they live. We must recognize we need programs where veterans are not singled out for their unique needs but embraced within existing “civilian” programs.

Our 72 Easter Seals affiliates are harnessing existing community-based support to serve the millions who have been impacted by conflicts going back to World War II. We follow inclusive practices: if you or your family member wore a uniform, you are welcome.

Thank you for your support,

Summer 2014

COL David W. Sutherland, US Army (ret.) James E. Williams, Jr. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Easter Seals Dixon Center Easter Seals, Inc.

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EducationThe GI Bill is a phenomenal opportunity for veterans and military families to begin their successful transition and reintegration back into the community. But it goes beyond admission. For Easter Seals Dixon Center, the challenges begin not upon acceptance, but at the first class. So many users of the GI Bill encounter significant difficulty completing their degrees. This shouldn’t happen, but it does.

The life experiences of a veteran and a typical 18 to 22-year-old undergraduate can be stark. A veteran may have served one or two combat tours, been shot at, witnessed Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosions and even lost a battle buddy. Some new college students coming directly from high school may simply be worried about how to do their own laundry.

For our veterans and military families, achieving that goal of earning a diploma or graduation certificate goes beyond just the academic system, and involves the full resources a community can provide. Success means connecting and building community, friendships and mentorships—areas in which Easter Seals Dixon Center is working to connect the dots.

These past several years, Easter Seals Dixon Center has worked with multiple colleges, universities and trade schools to ensure resources are clearly available. Be it administration, staff, student counselors, veterans resource networks or the individual Student Veterans of America chapters, we all must collaborate to ensure student veterans understand the utmost importance in achieving that diploma.

Our most intensive effort, though, came in generating collective interest in collaboration and working together among organizations critical to education for service members, veterans, military families and families of the fallen. In September 2013, Easter Seals Dixon Center facilitated a convening in Washington DC, hosted by Admiral Michael Mullen, 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2007-2011) and his wife Deborah Mullen. At the convening, more than 25 organizations providing educational scholarships to veterans, military spouses, military children, and families of the fallen discussed as one unified group the challenges in the educational space and the simultaneous efforts by all organizations to address these complications.

Easter Seals Dixon Center continues to steward this effort, driving to make the most impact on mission need. The convening was merely the beginning of a fundamental change in how we as a collective group accomplish our goals, for we acknowledged and accepted a core common truism: We are much stronger together than apart.

Next steps are to:

• Identify champions across the community

• Map the landscape and use data to make the case and define the scope

• Facilitate outreach to the community

• Assess baseline data to identify issues and gaps

The sections of this report address the key areas where Easter Seals Dixon Center wraps our arms around veterans and military families through a community-based model of excellence. By breaking down critical sectors in this way, we hope to showcase the importance of collective impact within our communities, the strength of sharing partnerships, and the power of reintegration.

The overarching tenet is Leadership, under which falls: Education, Employment, Access to Healthcare and Wellness.

MILITARY & VETERANS SERVICESEASTER SEALS D IXON CENTER

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Engagement with Employers and Employment Networks Cross-Country

EmploymentEaster Seals Dixon Center is a leading provider of workforce development for veterans, offering veterans direct services and solutions. Since Easter Seals Dixon Center began our partnership, we have, together, advised major corporations, businesses, trade organizations, government and philanthropic entities on how to put theory into practice based not on the best practices of others, but rather looking at the conditions and resources of the specific organization.

Through a generous gift from the Bob and Dolores Hope Charitable Foundation, Easter Seals Dixon Center and Easter Seals Southern California established the Bob Hope Veterans Employment Program in Southern California. An estimated 65,000 unemployed veterans live in the Southern California region. Since the program launch in January, Easter Seals Southern California is seeing approximately two new veterans a day, each seeking—and receiving—support and services.

Easter Seals Dixon Center also works closely with the Families and Work Institute (Institute) to advise employers and share lessons learned when hiring veterans. As members of the Review Committee for the Institute, we participated on a judging panel to identify award-worthy organizations that successfully outreach to the military and veteran community, recognizing both the unique challenges and amazing leadership skills these men and women bring to an organization.

Our work in the employment sectors generates outcomes in four distinct ways:

• Empowers employers to go beyond academic degrees and recognize veterans come with real-life skills.

• Encourages employers to understand employment goes beyond recruiting and includes training, integrating and retaining the veterans, as well as their families.

• Engages with government officials to reassess credentialing and licensing requirements so they can take into account the already existing skills of our service members and make the appropriate changes.

• Educates employers and potential business colleagues that veterans offer best-in-class qualities, and show what veterans have to offer.

These four actions will make a positive difference for our veterans and all organizations.


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Access to Healthcare/WellnessThe power of community, a guiding principle for Easter Seals Dixon Center, mandates inclusivity for veterans and military families. Nowhere is this more important than in the area of health and wellness, which runs the gamut from medical treatment and caregiving supports to legal counsel and financial security.

HealthcareMany of those who served overseas are National Guard and Reserve members. They return to their communities, many of which are located more than three hours from a major medical treatment facility that accepts Tricare, the health insurance provider for the U.S. military. Therefore, having medical service providers accepting Tricare in the local communities is critical for our veterans and their families. Easter Seals Dixon Center is also working with various medical associations to fill this void. We are reaching out to associations that include the

Association of Osteopathic Surgeons, Association of Family Physicians, and the Association of Physician Assistants to encourage their members to accept Tricare so veterans and military families get the immediate and ongoing medical treatment they need, when they need it.

We encourage veterans and military families to explore caregiver training and respite services offered through our affiliates. In collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Easter Seals Dixon Center provides a Program of Comprehensive Support to eligible veteran caregivers. Training covers topics including caregiver self-care, home safety, caregiver skills, veteran personal care, managing difficult behaviors and support resources. To date, more than 20,000 caregivers have been trained.

LegalQuite often, deployments cause situations where legal representation or legal advice is essential and critical. Working with various legal firms such as McDermott, Will and Emery has greatly enhanced the quality of life for many of our veterans across the nation.

Financial PlanningManaging a budget and planning for one’s financial future can be a challenge for some veterans, military service members and military families. Deployments, relocations/change of duty station orders and unplanned medical expenses can throw a proverbial wrench into the best-laid plans. To address these, Easter Seals Dixon Center works with the Foundation of Financial Planners to provide veterans and military families with competent financial advice at no cost and with no strings attached.

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Leadership In CommunitiesThe Easter Seals Dixon Center leadership meets regularly with executives and influencers from corporate, non-profit, philanthropic, faith-based, and government organizations. Some of these meetings are simply that—meeting to guide organizations on better integration of veterans and military families into the community. Others are presentations, with our chairman’s “Lead from the Front” speech requested at gatherings large and small across the country.

The Non-Commissioned Officers Association (NCOA) recognized the leadership of Easter Seals Dixon Center and asked COL Sutherland to be the keynote-closing speaker at its 2013 NCOA national convention. COL Sutherland was only the second commissioned officer to ever be asked to speak at the NCOA convention.

Easter Seals Dixon Center plays critical roles in collaborative efforts to support veterans and military families, as evidenced by the numerous organizations who seek out our leaders for input and partnerships, including:

• F7 Group

• Family and Work Institute

• Newman’s Own Foundation

• Points of Light Community Blueprint

• Purdue University’s Military Family Research Institute

• Stay Classy Leadership Council

• Student Veterans of America

• Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families

• Vets PreVail

The military teaches many things. One tenet is all branches excel at how to be a leader during good times and bad, moving relentlessly to the front and inspiring those around you to do the same. We pull from that real-life experience at Easter Seals Dixon Center, building upon four pillars to strengthen communities for veterans and military families:

★ Character Follow-though on commitments, even after the initial rush has given way to a realization of the difficulties of the task at hand.

★ Knowledge Connecting teams into the whole, rather than simply assigning individual tasks, considering both the task-at-hand as well as future challenges.

★ Pressure Upfront clarity on expectations while demanding excellence.

★ Motivation Communicating effectively, securing buy-in from the start, and empowering teams to make decisions.

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Sharing Our Story: Media EngagementLeveraging Hollywood to Change the ConversationAll too often, by focusing on challenges, people lose sight of veterans’ strengths, such as being highly disciplined, educated and skilled—positive attributes learned while serving. Easter Seals Dixon Center believes returning veterans make valuable, long-lasting contributions to our community.

It’s a message we stress with media and entertainment—asking the best storytellers and reporters in the world to help us change the conversation and provide a more balanced perspective of what it means to serve. It’s one of the best ways to connect with younger generations and raise new awareness.

We’re meeting with top media, talent, writers, producers and studios to introduce them to Easter Seals Dixon Center and work to integrate our messages into the content they create for TV, film, and news. Each engagement positions Easter Seals Dixon Center as content experts, a key service provider in hundreds of communities, a solution for military families on the ground, and especially a trusted resource, brand and partner to this community in their story development and philanthropic pursuits.

Veterans PSA Using Light HumorIn November 2013 and in May 2014, we released two public service announcements (PSA), “The Morning Routine” and then, “The Bank,” to challenge public perception about our veterans’ experience. They present a more balanced example of military service and showcase the unique qualities veterans offer to communities and employers. We created each PSA with an all-veteran crew, from writer/director to actors/production. Each spot is amassing thousands of views via Easter Seals YouTube channel and online platforms and is getting picked up by network broadcast stations across

the country—preliminary results show it far outperforming other PSAs.

“The Hornet’s Nest” Private ScreeningsEaster Seals newly elected National Board Member, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist, Mike Boettcher is the passionate driving force and filmmaker behind a new documentary about the war

in Afghanistan, “The Hornet’s Nest.” Easter Seals Dixon Center teamed with Boettcher to host a series of 10 screenings across the country, engaging more than 3,000 select audience members in high-level conversations and panel discussions about the film, the needs of veterans as they return to civilian life, and how each community can better support veterans.


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Variety Magazine PartnershipEaster Seals Dixon Center was honored to play lead roles in two, elite Hollywood events in June and September. First, we were the exclusive charity partner for “Variety Magazine’s” Emmy Studio that played host to television’s top drama and comedy programming and featured 40 of the Emmy-nominated talent. Then, Admiral Michael Mullen, 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2007–2011), served as the keynote speaker during Variety’s annual “Emmy Elite: The Showrunner’s Breakfast.” Admiral Mullen addressed a 300-person audience made up of the leading storytellers and entertainment creators, encouraging them to commit to changing the dialogue about our veterans through their influence, content and programming, and consider Easter Seals Dixon Center as a reliable content resource. The partnership with Variety helped introduce Easter Seals Dixon Center to the entertainment community and uncovered champions in the industry with whom we continue to work.

Easter Seals Dixon Center In The NewsCOL Sutherland is frequently called upon to comment on topics in the news; he also contributes commentary and op-eds to various news outlets. These efforts help build the reputation of Easter Seals Dixon Center as a leading advocate for veterans and military families while garnering extra reach through social media and social sharing.

Of particular note, Easter Seals Dixon Center crafted a series of op-eds via Hearst/New York Times Syndicate that ran in the Virginian-Pilot; Biloxi Sun-Herald; Raleigh News & Observer; St. Paul Pioneer Press; Sarasota Herald-Tribune; and Boston Herald—garnering a total reach of 645,062.

• Ranked as the #1 trending article on Forbes.com for two days, with more than 100,000 views; 14,900 Facebook shares; and 561 Tweets.

• COL David Sutherland named #69 on Twitter’s Top 100 Leadership Experts to Follow (rankings determined by number of retweets for that individual).


A sampling of news outlets featuring Easter Seals Dixon Center:


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This map represents a sampling of the events Easter Seals Dixon Center has participated in over the past two years.

COLLECTIVE IMPACT ACROSS

EventsEaster Seals Dixon Center works with local affiliates, multiple communities and organizations to provide the essential guidance and relevant advice and consultation necessary to ensure smooth reintegration of veterans and military families into communities.

In every case, the ask of the audience remains the same:

• Build public awareness

• Increase community involvement

• Promote community-based services

Oakley Headquarters, Foothills Ranch, CA

Ft. Sam Houston Warrior and Family Service Center Grand Opening, San Antonio

American Airlines Skyball, DFW, Dallas

Operation Veteran Success, Texas A&M, College Station, TX

Guardian Ball, Boise, ID

Islandwood Veterans Summit, Bainbridge Island, WA

National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices, Ltd, San Diego

GenNext Conference, Los Angeles


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THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Wounded Warrior Banquet in Huntsville, TX

Lone Survivor Foundation Gala, Houston

Operation Veteran Success, Texas A&M, College Station, TX

American Legion Auxiliary National Convention, Washington DC

Association of the United States Army, Washington DC

Veterans Treatment Court Conference, Washington DC

Easter Seals New Hampshire

Easter Seals New York

NASDAQ Closing Bell, NY

Social Innovation Summit, United Nations, NY

Easter Seals Chicago Metropolitan

Points of Light National Conference on Volunteerism, Chicago

Pritzker Military Library, Chicago

Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) Military Sports Camp Banquet, Chicago

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Gala, Chicago

Society of Professional Journalists, St. Louis

West Point Society Founders Day, Cincinnati

Yellow Ribbon Fund Dinner, Rochester, MI

Exelis Volunteer Action Corps, Tysons Corner, VA

Bank of America Diversity and Inclusion Awards Ceremony, Charlotte

Forum Club Leadership Series in Naples, FL

General Federation of Women’s Clubs Annual Convention, Hollywood, FL

Easter Seals Maine


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CASE STUDIES ★ CINCINNATI

In Cincinnati, Easter Seals Dixon Center and Easter Seals TriState were honored to receive a sizable grant from the Farmer Family Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation and The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation to establish Operation Vets THRIVE. Operation Vets THRIVE is a community-based initiative that relies on a collaboration of organizations within Cincinnati to provide the most effective and efficient resources to veterans and military families.

In the past seven months, veterans, military families and families of the fallen have not only received employment assistance, but also behavioral health services and emergency financial assistance:

Three community convenings• Combined total of 280 attendees

Employment• 140 employment cases opened

• 59 candidates placed for employment at average wage of $12.96/hour

• 66% of candidates secured jobs with benefits

• 51% of candidates placed have a service connected disability

• Employment coordinators met with 95 employers

Easter Seals TriState Community OneSourceSM • In only six months, 280 cases opened, providing 887 referrals

• 99% (278/280) of 2013 those cases closed successfully

• Established a productive working relationship with the United Way 211 staff to ensure minimal duplication of service

• Established personal connections with 160 Community Partners

This coordinated effort is a shining case study of the good that can happen when like-minded organizations work together for the common good of our veterans and military families.

Operation Vets THRIVE


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Getting a Vet Back on Her FeetA female U.S. Army veteran found herself unemployed with outdated work skills and a 50% service-connected disability. While she was receiving some disability payments, she had no other income and needed financial assistance with rent, utilities and food. She also needed a plan to establish stability for herself and her son, who suffered from severe anxiety disorder.

A national veteran service organization referred her to an existing community-based support, which stepped in with an immediate plan of action. The staff first assisted her in filing a medical necessity form to have her electricity restored. Easter Seals TriState affiliate then worked with the State Home Energy Assistance Program, the Salvation Army, and St. Vincent DePaul to get her access to food stamps through County Department of Job and Family Services. Given Easter Seals’ expertise in children and disability services, they were able to connect her to a lawyer so she could file for disability benefits for her son. Finally, she was contacted with the VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation department to coordinate benefits and educational assistance in preparing for a job search.

This veteran is now getting back on her feet and moving forward on a path towards independence.

Perfect Example of Mission SuccessA recently discharged veteran returned to Cincinnati to reintegrate back into the civilian world. Due to an administrative error, his final paycheck was not deposited, and the automatic bill payments he had set up could not be made. Although he had planned for a smooth transition to civilian life, unforeseen circumstances now had him in a precarious situation. Homeless, broke, living apart from his wife and child, depressed and scared, he didn’t know how to keep going so he called United Way’s 211 for help, and they referred him to Easter Seals TriState Operation Vets THRIVE.

In just two weeks, Easter Seals TriState reached out to contacts at Goodwill, The Thank You Foundation and USA Cares, all of whom were able to provide assistance with first month’s rent and the security deposit, pay off his car insurance for the rest of the year, pay his cell phone and car payment for the month, and provide him a grant for food and miscellaneous items. Easter Seals TriState Employment Specialists set him up with an interview that led to a good job within three days.

CASE STUDIES ★ CINCINNATI


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★ ★Employment Success in the Midwest

Utility Workers Military Assistance Program (UMAP)Working with Easter Seals Dixon Center, the UMAP program linked 75 veterans (and another 35 currently in school) going to school at City Colleges of Chicago with the Utility Workers of America to help them get reduced-fee certification and licensing. People’s Gas then came on board to guarantee jobs to these veterans because there was a huge need for qualified workers.

We also coordinated with local social services to ensure the veterans had the support systems in place to allow them to finish their coursework. Some had childcare needs, and Easter Seals

locally stepped in. Three of the students were homeless and through the partnership with the Utility Workers and TCF Bank, they were provided local housing resources so they weren’t living in their cars.

This was an amazing collaboration between four very disparate types of resources: civic, private sector, government and social non-profits. By focusing on the whole problem, rather than their own small pieces of the puzzle, five organizations in Chicago enabled 75 veterans to succeed. They created collective impact—meaning all organizations collaborated towards a common vision. This is always more powerful than isolated impact.

CASE STUDIES ★ CHICAGO


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Army Veteran Quickly Finds Success in IndianapolisAfter leaving the Army in 2013, Brody (last name withheld) worked in a couple of different service industry jobs before connecting with Easter Seals Crossroads in Indianapolis through Craig’s List. Realizing many young job seekers search for employment through a variety of social networks, Easter Seals staff routinely recruit former service members for specific jobs with local employers. Such was the case with Brody.

After contacting Brody and encouraging him to attend an upcoming Job Club, it became clear that Brody’s attitude and skills were a good match for several employers. After the initial skills identification conversation, Brody worked with Easter Seals staff

to refine his employment goals, update his resume, practice his interviewing skills and participate in job club activities. Brody aced his first interview, passed the background check and was hired.

The employer states, “Brody is one of its best employees. Because of his strong performance,

Brody has received a raise and is currently being considered for a supervisory position.” The employer now considers Easter Seals Crossroads a partner when searching for qualified job candidates.

Brody credits Easter Seals with helping to change his life. He is happy in his job and feels that he has a future with his current employer. When Brody refers his

military colleagues and friends to Easter Seals, he tells them he received individualized help, and as a result, had a new job in one week.

CASE STUDIES ★ INDIANAPOLIS


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Relocated Vet Finds His Way with Easter Seals Vets2JobsAn Army veteran who had relocated from Texas to Syracuse, New York was referred to Easter Seals New York’s Vets2Jobs program, funded by Bank of New York Mellon. While initially skeptical of what Easter Seals would do, his attitude quickly turned around when he realized the Vets2Jobs program provided “real help,” not just filling out forms.

The veteran complied with all tasks assigned in his individualized employment plan: establishing realistic vocational goals; attending job readiness class where he learned to develop a marketable resume; using Easter Seals CareerFinder program to target job leads; attending mock interviews; and participating in interview coaching. Easter Seals also provided referrals to support services such as housing, soup kitchens, food pantries, fresh food giveaways, and personal care items.

Concurrently, Easter Seals developed job leads that led to interviews and greater self-confidence for the veteran. Once he secured an interview, the organization not only scheduled a ride but accompanied the vet to help reduce the anxiety of the interview process. The veteran obtained that job and is gainfully employed at American Steel doing a full time light manufacturing job at $10 per hour.

In addition to placing the veteran in employment, Easter Seals also obtained permanent housing for him within four months. He now has renewed confidence in the veteran support system and continues to retain his position and new apartment.

Veterans CountVeterans Count, developed in partnership with Easter Seals New Hampshire, the New Hampshire National Guard and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, provides emergency assistance and serves as a safety net to any U.S. veteran, service member or military family in New Hampshire who is pre-deployed, deployed or has returned home from active duty. Since Easter Seals New Hampshire launched the program, more than 2,000 military families have been served. Care Coordinators work directly with families to create a care plan toward self-sufficiency. Philanthropic dollars, totaling $1.2 million have been distributed to provide financial support that may include food, home maintenance, housing, rent, fuel assistance, utilities, vehicle repair, gasoline, medical bills, and child care.

Mobilizing Collective Impact in the Northeast

CASE STUDIES ★ SYRACUSE & NEW HAMPSHIRE


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Easter Seals Southern CaliforniaAs part of our efforts in Southern California, Easter Seals Dixon Center recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) to launch a pilot program with the San Diego Chapter of SHRM. This program will connect HR professionals with qualified veterans seeking employment, but even more importantly, the program aims to immerse Human Resources (HR) professionals into the oftentimes confusing world of military awards, language and job descriptions. By doing so, we believe that these professionals will gain a better understanding of the values veterans bring to the workforce in terms of skills, leadership and competencies. Based on the success of this pilot, Easter Seals Dixon Center and SHRM plan to roll out the program to SHRM’s membership of more than 250,000 HR professionals over the next 2 to 3 years.

A Groundbreaking Partnership in Southern California

CASE STUDIES ★ SAN DIEGO

eastersealsdixoncenter.org

Easter Seals Dixon Center1425 K Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, D.C. 20005

202.347.3066 office202.347.0711 fax

eastersealsdixoncenter.orgFacebook: EasterSealsDixonCenter

Twitter: @DixonCenterVets

Cover photo credit (flag) @ alancrosthwaite, iStock

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EVIEW - Dixoncenterdixoncenter.org/images/pdfs/ESDC_2014_InReview_Final_LoRes.pdf · community can provide. Success means connecting and building community, friendships and mentorships—areas