The United States Veterans Initiative (U.S. VETS), is a nonprofit organization with locations in Nevada, as well as Arizona, California, Hawaii, Missouri, Texas, and Washington, D.C. U.S. VETS aims to assist veterans in achieving self-sufficiency by providing affordable permanent and temporary housing, vocational training, job preparation, education, and employment assistance. U.S. VETS also helps veterans and their families who are facing difficult circumstances due to addictive behaviors, mental health problems and abuse. This organization connects people in need to recovery and counseling services.

In August 2006, the Law Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Nevada (FPD) began partnering a pro bono legal clinic with the U.S. VETS, known as the Legal Advocacy Project. The Legal Advocacy Project provides an advocacy clinic where veterans can gain assistance in the resolution of outstanding legal matters. The Legal Advocacy Project assists in linking veterans with a pro bono private attorney or appropriate organization (like the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada) that will represent them in court and handle their legal issues. Additionally, the project assists needy veterans by providing self-help packets, legal aid pamphlets, follow-up services and contact information for pro bono legal organizations outside Nevada to assist with out of state legal issues. Attorneys from the FPD visit the U.S. VETS’s Las Vegas facility twice a month, on average servicing between 5 and 10 veterans each visit, or an average of 150 to 200 veterans per year.

To learn more about U.S. VETS, visit: www.usvetsinc.org

National Council for Aging Care’s guide on Military Veteran Benefit Options: www.aging.com/complete-guide-for-veteran-seniors