them to be with their peers, whom they highly respect, and enjoy some of the positive cultural dynamics of the military—reminding them of what they gained during their service. This, in turn, gives the opportunity for the case manager and the chaplain to tap back into what the veter- ans experienced in the military and help them rebuild their sense of self as individuals. Admission to Tustin Veterans Outpost is not contingent on discharge status (however, all of the same entrance requirements for Village of Hope do apply). “Other than honorable” discharge statuses, which may limit veterans from receiving benefits and services, have no bearing on their status with Tustin Veterans Outpost. Because Orange County Rescue Mission is privately funded, the discharge stipulations enforced by Veterans Affairs do not apply. Interestingly, the mission found that this low-barrier admission for veterans helped Orange County Rescue Mission to gain favor and acceptance among other govern- ment-funded veteran service providers, who would have otherwise seen the rescue mission as a competition for their clients. Jim decided to staff Tustin Veterans Outpost with only veterans for the case manager and outreach coordinator positions. He strongly recommends this decision. The military functions on a chain of command. And while Tustin Veter- ans Outpost gives no rank among the program participants, the chain-of-command mindset is an effective tool early in the program when homeless veterans are re-acclimating to a structured way of life. Their mindset naturally has a respect and trust for other veterans, especially combat veterans. If all things are equal among two candidates for a position, but one has combat experience, it’s best to choose the person with the combat experience. Building a new facility is always a time- consuming and challenging undertaking. However, with 14 campuses to date under the organization of Orange County Rescue Mission, Tustin Veterans Outpost was one of the most widely accepted and supported by the surrounding community. In fact, the typical NIMBY response was not an issue because it’s a facility that serves veterans. Veteran programs are very popular among donors, especially major donors. Shortly after Orange County Rescue Mission’s initiative became public, the City of Tustin reached out. The mayor declared it a priority to create an initiative to help veterans; the City of Tustin asked to partner with Orange County Rescue Mission. Jim told them, “We need housing.” The City pro- vided the apartment complexes that became Tustin Veterans Outpost at no direct cost. The complexes were vacated and run down, requiring approximately $500,000 in cash donations, in addi- tion to volunteer labor and gift-in-kind donations WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG MARCH/APRIL 2019 11 Continued on page 14   Individual case management and an individual treatment plan.  Mental health services in partnership with Hurtt Family Health Clinics and Mighty Oaks Warrior Programs.  Physiological services in partnership with University of California Irvine.  Educational assistance in partnership with Concordia University.  Food and nutrition assistance.  Spiritual growth and development in partnership with Mission Bible Church.  Physical health and dental services at the Hurtt Family Health Care Clinics.  Legal services in partnership with Trinity Law School.  Job training and employment placement.  Post­employment counseling. Serving Those Who Served Types of assistance offered at Tustin Veteran Outpost: