Los Angeles has the largest population of homeless military veterans in the nation.  An estimated 20,000 veterans live on the streets of L.A. -- eleven percent (11%) of all homeless veterans nationwide.  Many of these men and women suffer from co-occuring disorders, including substance abuse, mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as chronic medical problems.

Since 1992, New Directions has provided comprehensive services to thousands of veterans in Los Angeles County.  More than 800 men and women seek outpatient services from the agency each year, and 225 veterans receive round-the-clock care at five different residential treatment centers.  Also, currently in development is a 147-unit supportive housing facility for homeless and disabled veterans.

New Directions offers a wide array of services, including substance abuse treatment, job training and placement, parenting and money management classes, legal and financial assistance, counseling, remedial education and resources for alumni.  Clients leave New Directions with a job, housing, a savings account, computer skills, renewed self confidence and the support of mentors and peers.  Such a transformation takes hard work, motivation and accountability, but the results are life-altering -- and for many veterans, life-saving.

New Directions is proud to be a member of the Westside Shelter & Hunger Coalition, which is committed to ending local hunger and homelessness through service coordination, public education, and advocacy. The Coalition's new Strategic Plan was made possible by a generous grant from the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles.