APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY
Team Rubicon will start and lead local chapters of veterans, equipped and trained to handle disasters appropriate to their regions, and able to assist other chapters when needed. When not managing or assisting in disasters, TRT members will focus on transitioning home, and helping others in their chapter with the transition process. The five pillars of the program are: disaster response, education and training, employment, local service, and personal health.
Team Rubicon Transition is designed to help veterans find meaningful employment in the healthcare and emergency response fields, both growing sectors of the American economy. The healthcare sector has many jobs available, but is lacking specific skilled labor. This also relates to disaster response; TR needs specially trained veterans in medicine and healthcare for disaster response operations. TR will partner with institutions to provide education, training, and certifications to veterans, equipping them for better disaster response, while also training them for industries with ample jobs.
TRT will also provide opportunities for local service, allowing veterans to develop camaraderie while gaining skills in continued service to others. Local service will help relieve the stigma associated with hiring veterans, with the aim of leading to mentorships and employment.
TR will keep the physical, mental, and emotional health of TRT veterans as the highest priority. TRT chapter members will help each other with the difficult transition home, developing a culture of shared sacrifice and teamwork, similar to shared sacrifice developed in military service. Each chapter will have a mental health professional or counselor to help higher risk vets, and they may even deploy with teams during disaster situations. Chapter members will encourage each other to stay healthy through group activity (much like in the military), shared storytelling, and retreats.
IMPLEMENTATION, TIMELINE, AND DELIVERABLES
July 2012: Developed three test chapters with an average of 15 members per chapter (45 veterans in total). Each member is engaged in some kind of medical / emergency response training. First Team Rubicon Conference about engaging veterans in disaster response.
End of 2012: Evaluation of three test chapters (how many veterans have started/completed medical training courses? How many TRT veterans have secured meaningful employment? Have symptoms of PTSD increased or decreased?) Release a plan about how to start a TRT chapter.
July 3013: Twelve more chapters started, engaging 120 more veterans. A total of 165 veterans have started or completed medical training classes. TR hosts the Second Annual Team Rubicon Conference.
End of 2013: Reevaluation of TRT chapters (see July 2012)
July 2014: 35 more chapters started, engaging 350 more veterans in disaster response. A total of 515 veterans have started or completed disaster response training classes, and have secured or are on the path to securing meaningful employment. TRT has a total of 50 chapters (an average of one per state).
End of 2014: TR reevaluates TRT and the chapter model, and decisions about how to best move forward.
According to the VA, 18 veterans commit suicide each day. Young veterans are unemployed at an alarming rate of 27% (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Men and women who served their country are coming home to a broken economy, and are lacking the appropriate training and certifications for the jobs that are available. Many veterans are searching for meaningful employment, and a way to build on their skills learned in the military. Team Rubicon has found that veterans' skills are perfectly suited towards disaster response, and that veterans enjoy continued camaraderie and teamwork with fellow service men and women. The Team Rubicon Transition program will help veterans transition from military service by organizing small, localized teams of first responders, and providing them with the appropriate medical and emergency response training. With large growth in the health care sector, and many jobs available, Team Rubicon's mission is to train and provide certifications to veterans to allow them to secure meaningful employment in the health care / emergency response field.
SEEKING: Financial Resources, Implementing Partners, Best Practices Information, Media/Marketing Opportunities
TR is seeking to partner with corporations, educational institutions, non-profits, or government organizations that can help them train and equip veterans to secure meaningful employment in the healthcare /emergency response field. TR is seeking financial resources, implementing partners (who can provide medical training to veterans), organizations who would like to train/hire veterans for the health care field, and media/marketing opportunities to showcase the skills and value of veterans, and show the many benefits of hiring veterans.
OFFERING: Implementing Partners, Best Practices Information
Team Rubicon can provide best practice information to organizations who are interested in hiring veterans. TR can be an implementing partner to organizations who would like to train and/or hire veterans in the healthcare / emergency response field.
