Employment Roundtable
Working Together to End Veteran Homelessness, One Home at a Time
June 10, 2015, 1–2 p.m. EST
This employment roundtable covered efforts to identify employment opportunities for Veterans exiting homelessness. Officials provided an overview of the Homeless Veteran Community Employment Services (HVCES) program and discussed the roles and functions of Community Employment Coordinators (CECs), who are based at each VA Medical Center and who help establish relationships with potential employers.
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Presenters
- Roger Casey, Ph.D. (Moderator), director of education and dissemination, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
- Carma Heitzmann, Ph.D., director, Homeless Veteran Community Employment Services, VA
- Peter Stigers, manager, Homeless Veteran Community Employment Services, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
- Kelly Matthew, Community Employment Coordinator, Community Care – Homeless Program, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
VA News and Media Coverage
Resources
Presenter Biographies
Roger Casey, Ph.D. (Moderator) is the director of education and dissemination for VHA’s National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans. Dr. Casey holds a Doctoral Degree in Public Health and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. He has worked with VA homeless programs since 1986, providing direct services, implementing national pilot programs and developing research initiatives regarding practice-informed residential treatment, housing and case management design models.
Carma Heitzmann, Ph.D. of VA’s Homeless Veteran Community Employment Services, which works to provide expanded employment opportunities and a full range of employment services to Veterans who are homeless and at risk of homelessness. Prior to this position, Dr. Heitzmann served for 18 years as the clinical coordinator of two residential and four work therapy programs at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. In addition to providing direct clinical care, supervision and training, she has 12 peer-reviewed publications and multiple professional presentations. Dr. Heitzmann received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Arizona State University in 1989 and has been licensed as a clinical psychologist in California since 1990.
Peter Stigers is the manager of the Homeless Veteran Community Employment Services at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s Master in Social Work program with a concentration in workplace social work and an emphasis on Veterans and Military families. Peter began working with the homeless population in 2007 within Downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row neighborhood implementing the Housing First model of intervention. At the VA Greater Los Angeles, Peter has worked in the Department of Housing and Urban Development and VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program. Additionally, Peter serves on multiple boards and committees as an advocate and champion for the homeless Veteran population.
Kelly Matthew is the Community Employment Coordinator (CEC) for the Community Care – Homeless Program at VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. She is from Western Colorado, and served in the United States Army as a Medic. Kelly is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Denver’s Master of Urban and Regional Planning with a concentration in Community Development and Housing Policy. For the past three years Kelly has been serving fellow Veterans at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, beginning as an analyst for the Homeless Program where she worked alongside leadership to streamline and coordinate homeless services. She has also provided direct care to Veterans as a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist under the Homeless Veteran Supported Employment Program.
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Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness can call or visit their local VA Medical Center (VAMC) and ask for a Homeless Coordinator. Use the VA locator tool www.va.gov/directory to find your nearest VAMC and call or visit today.
