Syracuse University, City of Syracuse launch SyracuseServes network to help city veterans

Supported by a $500,000 grant from the New York City–based Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, SyracuseServes will support the city’s veterans and military-connected population first through a “coordinated application to final service delivery.”  Military families will have access to “efficient and timely” support, as well as access to a range of needed resources.

J. Michael Haynie, SU’s vice chancellor of strategic initiatives and innovation and founder of the IVMF, said he is proud to launch a program that will serve local Syracuse veterans and their families, including the many who study and work on the campus.

“This grant is one example of how we’re bringing the vision of the NVRC to life in a practical way, leveraging the facility and the IVMF’s expertise to serve the social and wellness needs of veterans and families right here in Central New York,” Haynie said.

The Syracuse network will use lessons from AmericaServes’ 17 other communities, including Rochester; Dallas; Seattle; Charlotte, North Carolina; Pittsburgh; New York City; and Washington, D.C. Some services include help with benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); employment assistance; education; transportation; mental/behavioral health resources; and housing.

The IVMF — which Syracuse describes as the first interdisciplinary academic institute in higher education dedicated to advocacy, research, support for military veterans and their families — “identified the need” for coordinated care for military families, the school said. IVMF’s research indicates that navigating services is the “biggest challenge” in transition — rating higher than finding employment, adjusting to civilian culture, and overcoming financial challenges.

“Because of SU, the City of Syracuse is fortunate to be home to IVMF, one of the nation’s top centers of support for the post-service lives of the nation’s military veterans and their families,” Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said in a separate news release. “The IVMF’s AmericaServes program is a proven model for coordinating the resources available in local communities for veterans and their families. I am grateful to Chancellor Kent Syverud and Vice Chancellor Haynie for answering the community’s call to establish a SyracuseServes network here in the City of Syracuse.”