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Texas Veterans Leadership Program. Mission. The mission of the Texas Veterans Leadership Program (TVLP) is to assist returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan as they resume civilian life in Texas.
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Mission • The mission of the Texas Veterans Leadership Program (TVLP) is to assist returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan as they resume civilian life in Texas. • Across the state there will be 28 Veterans Resource and Referral Specialists (VRRS) that will provide critical resource and referral services to assist these veterans in connecting with necessary employment and training services, as well as locating existing resources that can provide other ancillary services.
Goals • To provide coordination between the different services available to assist returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. • Focus on the re-integration of the returning veterans into their communities. • Work in conjunction with other governmental agencies and community organizations. • Provide proactive assistance to veterans. • Help to develop a leadership group of returning veterans who can make a positive contribution as future leaders of our state and nation. • Draw on the “common experience” of those who served to help their returning veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and/or Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan.
Purpose • TVLP is a resource and referral network that serves to connect returning veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan with the resources and tools they need to lead productive lives and enjoy the full benefits of the society they have willingly served.
Veterans Resource and Referral Specialists • VRRSs will: • Seek out veterans in need of service. • Serve as resource and referral agents, directing returning veterans to resources tailored to their needs. • Make referrals and coordinate with different programs ranging from employment and training to medical care, mental health and counseling, veterans benefits, and other programs to address the varying needs of veterans. • Coordinate a chain of volunteer veterans familiar with the obstacles faced by returning veterans to assist in mentoring and serving returning Iraq/Afghanistan veterans.
Media • A comprehensive media campaign will be developed to outreach Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who may be unaware of the services that are available to assist them. The media campaign will also focus on the resources that these returning veterans bring by: • Portraying these veterans as a viable resource for employment, noting the experience their military careers provide. • Portraying these veterans as a productive part of their communities. • Ensuring that these veterans understand that they can find gainful employment and services after they leave the military, and to ensure that they are welcomed back to Texas the right way in appreciation of their answering their country’s call.
Timeline for Success • 1.99 million Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. • 113,501 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in Texas. • 24-25,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans separate from the service and return to Texas annually. • 40-50,000 service members rotate in and out of Texas to and from Iraq and Afghanistan annually.
For Additional Information Please Contact Sherman N. Weeks Veterans Resource and Referral Specialist Texas Veterans Leadership Program Texas Workforce Commission Sherman.weeks@twc.state.tx.us (512)466-3722