Grant from the Department of Veteran Affairs supports workforce development and permanent housing programming

The Baltimore Station, a residential treatment program supporting veterans and others transitioning from homelessness and substance use disorder to self-sufficiency, will offer expanded workforce development programming to homeless veterans as part of the Department of Veteran Affairs’ (VA) Service Intensive Transitional Housing (SITH) grant. The VA grant allows the organization to expand its services and increase its capacity to 131 beds. With this grant award, The Baltimore Station is now the largest VA funded Grant and Per Diem Provider (GPD) in the region.

The VA’s SITH grant supports residential services that facilitate stabilization and transition to permanent housing. While The Baltimore Station currently serves men with substance use disorder, this programming will be open to any homeless, unemployed male veteran and will support the veterans as they work towards career development and permanent housing stability.

Veterans who participate in The Baltimore Station’s SITH program will be able to take advantage of the services, community partners and staffing that are already a part of the organization’s successful clinical treatment program in which 83 percent of its participants are discharged to permanent housing and 88 percent of the veterans obtained sustainable income.

“Since 1989, we have watched thousands of veterans successfully complete our program and go on to productive lives where they have stable jobs, permanent housing and are able to live a life of self-sufficiency,” said John Friedel, executive director, The Baltimore Station. “This grant from the VA allows us to provide our unique services to one of the most vulnerable populations—homeless veterans—and ensure even more veterans benefit from this life-changing program. We are thankful for the VA’s continued partnership and look forward to working with the organization to help more men turn their lives around.”

Residents in the SITH program will develop a comprehensive Individualized Service Plan (ISP) with an assigned case manager that outlines housing goals, timeline for accessing permanent housing, and detailed career goals. Additionally, the men will participate in workforce development training and job readiness programs that include resume writing, financial literacy classes, education and formal career training. The Baltimore Station’s has established partners where participants in the program can be referred to for jobs and job training. Current workforce development partners include BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Maryland Multi-Housing Association, Bmore Green Careers and National Center on Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA).

The Baltimore Station is currently accepting referrals into the program and looking for partners to volunteer and provide services to participants in the program. For more information visit, https://baltimorestation.org/service-intensive-transitional-housing-program/.