A motion by Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Kathryn Barger that asks officials involved with veterans’ health services to detail the framework of a peer access network for LA County veterans has been approved.

Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Mark Ridley-Thomas introduced a motion to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors at their Tuesday meeting to look into increasing the County’s support of local veterans.

The motion also requests that the plan lay out recommendations for an enriched set of resources including health care, mental health care, substance use treatment, legal services and housing, and give the network of veteran peers easy access to all of these resources, according to officials.

“This is going to promote veterans healthcare and expand upon the services we already have,” said Erick Matos, Health Deputy for Supervisor Barger’s office.

Trained veteran peers serving as ‘battle buddies at home’ can help those who have already fallen on hard times to move from the streets and the jails, into supportive, stable housing environments, according to officials.

A recent study conducted by the University of Southern California found that roughly 40 percent of veterans admit not knowing whom to approach for assistance, or where to get access to help after separating from the military. Additionally, over 50 percent of post-9/11 veterans describe having no idea where to start looking for assistance.

Despite the County’s efforts to help subsidize housing and services for struggling veterans, there has been a 57 percent increase in veteran homelessness in the 2017 Point-in-Time nightly Homeless Count, according to findings from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

The approved motion gives the County 90 days to report back to the Council with a written plan to create a veteran peer access network.

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