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Saratoga County veterans peer program expands services; county aims to bring coordinator on full time
Summary
Committee heard that the county's peer-to-peer program has increased participation and that officials hope to convert the part-time peer program coordinator to a full-time role to add a women veterans coordinator and veteran service officer duties using grant funds; the plan was described as a goal not yet formalized.
Saratoga County's Veterans Affairs Committee on June 3 received an update on the peer-to-peer program and a staffing proposal to expand services for veterans, particularly women.
"Our goal is to bring Erin on full time right now," Frank McClements, Veterans Service Agency representative, told the committee. He said there is money in the budget from grant funds and that bringing Erin on full time this year would not create a board budget impact.
McClements described the role he envisions: Erin would continue as the peer program coordinator while dedicating half of her time to serve as a women veterans coordinator and as a veteran service officer. McClements said the county already has a female staffer who is accredited, Megan Cutbush, but that Cutbush serves in a supporting role and "doesn't exactly have all of the technical expertise that somebody who's dedicated to doing VSO stuff would have."
Why it matters: McClements told the committee that Erin increased participation in the peer program by more than 200% during her two years as a part-time employee and that program participants report an over 88% approval rating in the county's internal measures. McClements said dedicating a full-time staffer would enable broader initiatives beyond small, repeated events and would free staff to pursue larger outreach and engagement.
The committee discussed recognition and volunteer support related to the peer program. McClements said the program relies on volunteer mentors and that the agency hosts an annual appreciation dinner; this year's event is planned for the Basin in Schuylerville near Fort Hardy Park. He described reimbursement of volunteer expenses for meals and mileage and noted that some mentors visit incarcerated veterans in the county jail.
Ending: The staffing change was described as an administrative goal with funding identified from existing grant allocations; the transcript records no formal hiring decision or vote during the June 3 meeting. Committee members expressed support for Erin and for retaining program staff.
