CINCINNATI, OH – Easterseals Redwood (ESRW) has partnered with the Expiration Term of Service Sponsorship Program (ETS-SP) to help connect service members from all branches of the Armed Forces to the informational and emotional support and resources that will help them make a successful transition from active duty to veteran and civilian life.

ESRW is the first organization in Ohio and Kentucky to partner with the ETS-SP to assist the approximately 200,000 service members transitioning to civilian communities each year.

“ESRW is proud of the work we do with local veterans, helping to connect them to job training, employment opportunities and other services they may need as they transition back to civilian life, which often presents overwhelming challenges and high levels of stress,” said Pam Green, CEO and President of ESRW. “This partnership allows our Military and Veteran Services department to take one more step toward ensuring our veterans get the support they need and deserve for a successful and maintainable transition after serving our country.”

The program is centered on building a relationship between the service member and a VA-certified and trained mentor who will advise them in five key areas: Employment and Education, Housing, Family and Legal, Social and Physical Fitness, and Medical care.

“Easterseals Redwood Military & Veteran Services is proud to be the first organization within the Tri-state area to partner with ETS-SP in assisting service members as they take off their uniform and transition to civilian life,” said Sherry Ems, Director of Military and Veteran Services for ESRW. “Through this program, we hope to provide a close connection to a mentor who will help them find success in a new chapter of their life as a civilian.”

The ETS-SP is now active in 14 states and expects to reach 22,000 new enrollees within the next 18 months. The Army is leading the way through a pilot program in Texas that offers all transitioning soldiers the opportunity to participate in ETS-SP.  Nearly half opt to do so, and the program is expanding to new installations each month.

“We are very pleased to partner with Easterseals Redwood,” said Brigadier General (retired) Mike Eastman, Executive Director of ETS-SP. “Connecting our transitioning service members with first-rate, proven community organizations closes a significant gap in the transition journey, ensuring they will have access to the entire range of services and benefits they have earned as veterans.”

Easterseals Redwood’s Military and Veteran Services assists an average of 320 veterans each year. The organization works toward advancing 100% equity, access and workforce inclusion for people with disabilities, those facing economic disadvantages and veterans in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

About ETS-SP: The ETS Sponsorship Program, in a public-private partnership with the Veterans Administration, exists to support communities across the country in the successful reception and transition of service members out of the military and into civilian life by connecting transitioning service members to destination communities at all levels through a secure common data platform, augmented by trained volunteer sponsors, to set conditions in the community for a positive, pro-active return to civilian life. Find us at www.etssponsorship.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.