Services Provided to Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program Participants at American Job Centers

HVRP grantees can be state, local, or tribal governments; local workforce investment boards; or profit or nonprofit organizations. They receive three-year grants, although the second and third years are based on performance and available funds. As a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) program, HVRP has close ties with employment services offered at American Job Centers (AJCs). In particular, DOL requires all HVRP grantees to co-enroll participants in one of three DOL-funded programs at the AJC: Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs funded under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service, or Jobs for Veterans State Grant (JVSG) (National Veterans’ Technical Assistance Center 2019). The public workforce system through AJCs provides job-related services, including training, job search assistance, and job club workshops. At AJCs, veterans also receive priority access to all DOL-funded programs.

This analysis examines data from the Workforce Integrated Performance System (WIPS) and includes all HVRP participants and other veterans experiencing homelessness across the United States who enrolled in the Wagner-Peyser Employment Service at AJCs during program year 2019 or 2020. To better understand the provision of services for veterans, the brief also describes whether services for HVRP participants received differed based on their demographic or characteristics; and examines the duration and types of services. Observable characteristics are justice involvement, disability status, receipt of public funds, and educational levels. The study includes data from over 5,000 HVRP participants across 41 states and the District of Columbia. This is the first brief in a series.

(This brief is 26 pages long.)

Original title: Services Provided to Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) Participants at American Job Centers

The issue brief analysis found that HVRP participants received more of some types of services at AJCs and received services for longer periods of time than other veterans experiencing homelessness. They also received more distinct services than other veterans experiencing homelessness. For example, a higher percentage of HVRP participants received individualized career services,  Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) specialist services, and an individual employment plan than other veterans experiencing homelessness.

The results from this analysis point to implications for the HVRP impact study that "will compare the employment-related outcomes of HVRP participants to otherwise similar veterans experiencing homelessness receiving Wagner-Peyser services but not enrolled in HVRP.  AJC services, including those provided by the Wagner-Peyser Employment Services and DVOP specialists, are a key component of the total package of reemployment services that HVRP participants and other veterans experiencing homelessness are offered" (p.16). 

The authors also indicate the analysis findings should not be interpreted as impacts of HVRP, because it is unclear if the observed differences are a result of differences in participants’ service needs, program referrals, availability of or access to services, or other factors. Furthermore, this brief provides context for interpretation of the future impact findings given that the employment and earnings outcomes for HVRP participants will be influenced by the quantity and quality of reemployment services they received. "Findings about the relationship between HVRP participant characteristics and service receipt might also be of interest to HVRP grantees. For example, the finding that HVRP participants with higher education levels had longer enrollment spells and received more of some types of services suggests that there is room for HVRP participants with lower education levels to take up more services at AJCs and spend longer periods of time engaging with those services" (p.16).

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2022
• Author(s): Johnson, M.; Hartog, J.; Espinoza, A.; Taylor, V.; Schochet, P., et al.
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Damon Jones
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies