Finding Hope: Employment

Joe was a homeless veteran.

A hopeFound Street Outreach Worker met Joe, a 43-year-old homeless veteran, and referred him to IMPACT Employment Services because he expressed some interest in working.

Homeless since he was honorably discharged from military service in the late 80’s, Joe, a high school graduate with some college education, served four years in the Army and was stationed in Germany. His life since that time has been far less than ordinary.

Initially returning to his native Oregon, Joe began a life of wandering, crisscrossing the United States, venturing into Central and South America, always on foot. Few personal relationships were formed along the way.

Most recently, Joe was homeless in Boston, living under a South East Expressway overpass. This is where our Street Outreach Team found him eventually beginning the slow process of building a trusting relationship.

For 5 months, Joe worked with an employment counselor. He was also evaluated by a clinician.

Despite a history of severe child abuse and evidence of a detachment disorder creating difficulty with social engagement, there were some positive glimmers of hope in this man. With work, he could flourish.

Joe's military service provided him with some skills. He shows no signs of substance abuse and enjoyed adjusting to his new housing. Employment counselors are excited about Joe’s prospects and continue to work with him in the area of “job readiness.”

“For Joe,” says a counselor, "job readiness means rebuilding social skills. It means having the ability to build trusting relationships, to know how to function within a relationship, to have goals, and to experience achievement. Finding a job is not the only piece to this particular employment puzzle. People tend to undervalue the role social skills play in job retention.”

She continues, “There is a lot of history to erase here. We know Joe found shelter in other cities, but we don’t think he was ever engaged in a case management process like he is here in Boston. We are working with him to build those socials skills. He is housed. We want to help him find employment and self-sufficiency.”

hopeFound | 170 Morton St. | Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
t: 617 983-0351 | f: 617 971-9339