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Veteran Advocates Services and Training
Mentoring - Re-entry - Housing - Education - Job Placement
VAST Bringing the community together
The pain of homelessness, incaceration, substance use, and mental illness
Mission Statement: Bridging the gaps that support underserved, disabled veteran’s and their families whose mental health, leads to mass homelessness, incarcerations and substance use issues. Our goal is the successful re-integration of the veteran and their families through Peer Mentorship, education, and supportive services.
VAST is the solution to the question.
" How do we get veterans off the revolving door of homelessness and incarceration?"
Solution: We meet the veterans where they are and address the behaviors that have kept them on this broken path.
The VAST family of community partners gets veterans housed, trained and employed., some as Peer Mentors. VAST then deploys them back into the community to walk with others the way we walked with them. The veterans go from costing taxpayers, to becoming one of them.
"To get them off the revolving door you have to show them a new one." ~VAST CEO Valerie James
The Bridge to Transformation
Incarceration, Personal Development & Reentry Program
The Bridge to Transformation is VAST's correctional education, behavioral development, and reentry program designed to help incarcerated individuals—particularly veterans—develop the self-awareness, personal accountability, emotional intelligence, and decision-making skills necessary for positive change and successful community reintegration.
The Bridge Home
Housing & Stability Program
The Bridge Home works to reduce these barriers by helping participants identify available housing options, navigate community resources, and develop individualized plans for maintaining housing stability.
VAST recognizes that securing housing is only the beginning; continued support and access to essential resources are often necessary to prevent a return to homelessness.
VAST with our community partners Cloudbreak Houston can offer homeless veterans single Room Occupancy studio apts.
HUD-VASH welcome. Some criminal Backgrounds welcome.
https://cloudbreakcommunities.com/light-rail-lofts/
The Bridge to Wellness
Mental & Behavioral Health Program
The Bridge to Wellness addresses mental and behavioral health challenges that may interfere with housing stability, employment, relationships, personal well-being, and successful community participation.
The program supports veterans and nonveterans who need education, encouragement, peer support, and connections to appropriate professional care.
The Bridge to Opportunity
Employment & Workforce Development Program
The Bridge to Opportunity helps veterans and nonveterans move from unemployment or underemployment toward meaningful, sustainable employment.
The program focuses on practical preparation, professional presentation, confidence-building, and connections to workforce opportunities.
The Bridge to Empowerment
Women's Support & Development Program
Women's Support & Development Program
The Bridge to Empowerment is VAST's women-centered support and development program designed to assist women facing homelessness, trauma, mental and behavioral health challenges, incarceration, unemployment, domestic instability, and other barriers to safety and independence.
The Bridge to Understanding
COMMUNITY EDUCATION, EMPATHY & TOGETHERNESS
The Bridge to Wellness addresses mental and behavioral health challenges that may interfere with housing stability, employment, relationships, personal well-being, and successful community participation.
The program supports veterans and nonveterans who need education, encouragement, peer support, and connections to appropriate professional care.
Why we serve
What is a justice involved veteran?
Justice Involved Veterans
The term justice involved Veterans is used to describe former service members who have been detained by or are under the supervision of the criminal justice system. Their involvement can range from arrest, to court involvement, to incarceration in jail or prison. ~Veterans Administration
Veterans sometimes enter the military seeking a better life from trauma, a trauma that can be exacerbated during their military service. After their military service you now have a veteran suffering compounding trauma. When these traumas escalate the ensuing behavior if not treated may lead to run ins with the law. This is the justice involved veteran.
VAST Navigator
Army Master Sargent Jake Hicks
Why he has such a heart to serve the veterans and their families
Recognition
Mayor Syvester Turner Awarded VAST with a Proclamation for our 10 years of work in the communinity
The National Coalition of Homeless Veteran of Wash D.C
Award VAST for our homeless
Programs in Texas
Our VAST team was awarded the Queen of Purpose
VAST aannual day at the ranch takes 50 of our previously homeless heroes on a mental health day. We were awarded two congressional awards.
How VAST serves the community
Be a Champion for Our Veterans: Make a Donation to Veteran Advocates Services and Training
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Policy
https://www.vasttx.org/dei-policy
Donate dollars
Your donation can help VAST transition a homeless veteran to a life saving shelter. Your funding helps us Mentor our mentally ill veterans while they are incarcerated.
Donate your time
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Honesty and integrity.
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Confidence.
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Inspire Others.
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Commitment and Passion.
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Good Communicator.
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Decision Making Capabilities.
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Accountability.
and a heart to serve heroes please join our mission.
Connect to VAST
Email:
Phone:
No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes.
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