Programs

Veteran and Active Duty Service Member Programs

Of the 5 boroughs of New York City, Staten Island has the highest per capita concentration of veterans, and Sector New York is the largest Coast Guard operational field command on the East Coast. Sector New York is located at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island with 1,000 active duty and reserve service members. The Army Reserve 353 Civil Service Command, also located at Fort Wadsworth, organizes, trains, and equips soldiers to mobilize, deploy and conduct civil military operations with a primary focus in the U.S. Africa and U.S. European Command regions.

Although many veterans and active-duty military service members live on Staten Island, the civilian and veteran and military communities and services are not well integrated and aware of each other. Among the veteran population, many health disparities exist, especially related to accessing behavioral health services. Veterans have high rates of serious mental illness, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide. 

In 2020, Staten Island PPS established a partnership with the New York City Department of Veterans to create the Staten Island Veterans Suicide Prevention Collaborative (SIVSPC). Based on its success, similar initiatives were launched in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan in 2022 and 2023. The group has since combined to become the Staten Island Veterans Task Force.

In 2021, Staten Island PPS became the Community Coordinator for ETS-SP, a national program to provide support to service members transitioning to civilian life during the time period when they are at highest risk for suicide. Through Staten Island PPS coordination efforts, they are assigned a trained sponsor from their home community to help them connect to services and adapt to civilian life.

Also in 2021, Staten Island PPS and AmeriCorps Seniors created the Staten Island Service Member Veteran and Families (SMVF) Taskforce with 70 military and civilian entities and dedicated individuals. Its objectives include identifying pressing challenges encountered by SMVF in Staten Island and to formulate actionable strategies to address them, sharing relevant information and resources, and providing referrals for individuals in need of services to the appropriate agency or Taskforce member.

In 2023, ETS-SP was rebranded as Onwards Ops to reflect expansion to all military branches, not just the Army.