Veteran Employment and Economic Security Research Consortium (SERVES)

Background and Significance: The Supporting Employment and Resources for Veterans’ Economic Security (SERVES) CORE will develop data infrastructure and a learning health system community of researchers dedicated to studying employment and economic security for Veterans to prevent negative downstream outcomes including homelessness, suicide, criminal justice involvement, and poor health. SERVES will address the priority area of housing/economic security/homelessness, is aligned with the VHA’s Strategic Plan, and will help fulfill required activities per the Evidence-Based Policymaking Act. At the end of Year 5, SERVES will operate a network of diverse researchers in various career stages, successfully administer a multi-year pilot grant funding program, and have developed a body of operations partnered research that has improved understanding and development of programs that serve the economic security of Veterans to improve their housing, health, and well-being.

Strategic Plan: The three major Goals of SERVES are to: 1) Increase Veterans’ access to evidence-based programs and expand VA’s adoption of scientifically supported employment services; 2) Foster research on the reciprocal effects of employment and medical/psychosocial conditions, as well as the development and evaluation of programs to ameliorate the impact of these factors; and 3) Create a robust network of early career and mid-career investigators incorporating aspects of financial health that align with the needs and priorities of relevant VACO partners. A number of activities are proposed to achieve these goals, including developing a repository of best practices for employment and financial stability/health for Veterans; forming a national research agenda on employment and economic security; identifying outcomes measures that can be standardized across VA; compiling a database of available datasets for researchers to analyze; and creating a mentoring program.

Innovation: SERVES would be the first concerted VA effort to create a network and infrastructure for a learning health system focused on economic security, which is the root of many social determinants of health. SERVES would help support the next generation of researchers to focus on primary and tertiary prevention of homelessness.

Coordination, Collaboration, and Partnerships: SERVES will work with primary operational partners in the VHA Homeless Programs Office and the VHA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services; with secondary operational partners in the Office of Suicide Prevention, the National Substance Use Disorders Office, the Office of Veterans Financial Resource Center, and VBA. Research partners will include the QUERI-funded evaluation center, SALIENT, MIRECC, and the HSR Center of Innovation, CHOIR.

Leadership: Jim LePage, PhD; Brian Stevenson, PhD; Jack Tsai, PhD