Episode 27 - Bridge to Stability: Sherif Cobb on Veteran Supportive Services
Have you ever wondered about the path that leads a vulnerable veteran from battlefield trauma and instability to the civilian workforce? Veteran Career Coach Sherif Cobb shares her personal odyssey from disabled vet to becoming a trusted guide for fellow veterans as a at Easterseals Crossroads. From perfecting a resume to the final handshake after a successful job interview, each step is a leap towards stability and self-reliance. Sherif emphasizes the value of adapting and embracing modern job application processes, and the transformational power of building relationships that foster confidence and growth. Her own story mirrors the stories of those she aids, illustrating the profound impact of bringing your unique experiences and wisdom to work. The episode stands as a testament to the fact that a little help goes a long way, especially when it’s paired with sheer determination and the right resources. Afterward, Steve and Elliot discuss the structural barriers that serve to restrict employment opportunities for those receiving disability, and the joy Sharif has clearly found in work centered in truly helping people.
https://www.eastersealscrossroads.org/
00:05 - Helping Homeless Veterans Find Employment
18:02 - Supporting Veterans in Employment Success
25:11 - Supporting Veterans in Employment
36:40 - Building Confidence Through Relationship Building
Speaker 1:
She started off with us being homeless and now she's a supervisor. You have to really show them that you're willing to help. I especially love what I'm doing right now because, when I talk to Vets, they're telling me all of this information and blah, blah blah. But I already know because I'm a disabled Vets. So I'm like there are no barriers because I'm working. This is where I belong.
Speaker 3:
Welcome to Homeward Indie, a bi-weekly conversation where we meet the people working to end homelessness in Indianapolis and hear their stories. I'm Elliott Zan.
Speaker 2:
And I'm Steve Barnhart Sharif. Thank you for being a part of Homeward Indie.
Speaker 1:
Thank you. Thank you very much. I'm glad she offered them. She said who wants to be on a podcast? And my co-workers are like I'll do it All right.
Speaker 2:
Well, good for you, thank you. Well, you come highly recommended by Elliott as well. She said Sharif will be great on the podcast and we're anxious to hear about what Easter Seals, crossroads does and your role, all those kinds of things. So maybe it's best to start kind of with a big picture. I know Easter Seals is a very large organization and probably does many, many things, but if you can tell us just a little bit about Easter Seals and how that then leads into what you do, Well, easter Seals has quite a few programs for disabilities.
Speaker 1:
The big one that stands out to me is autism. So, yeah, we have families, children that come in and they have a lot of therapists there to assist them with whatever disabilities they may have. I don't know quite all the disabilities but, like I said, autism is a big one. A lot of stuff going on at Easter Seals and we just happen to be veteran services.
Speaker 2:
Okay, so that's your area. Is veteran services?
Speaker 1:
Yes, so we've been around about 11 years.
Speaker 2:
How much of that 11 years have you been with the organization?
Speaker 1:
It will be two years in July.
Speaker 2:
So you have some employment history before coming to the organization.
Speaker 1:
I've been in employment for over 10 years. My let's see. I have an MPA, master of Public Affairs, and I concentrate on human services. I started to work in human services way back in college of course, emergency services, emergency referrals, anything to do with helping people, foster care, social services side and it was something that I enjoy doing. But human services can't wear you down.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
So I was thinking about what I could do next and I learned about employment. So I started to work at the employment office, not here but in Arizona. I worked in the employment office for better and from there on I went to book rehab. I was the book rehab counselor with young teams at the high schools. I worked at about four high schools. Came back home here in Indiana and I started to work again with young teams create, trying to prepare them for a different job interview preparation, career readiness, basically Okay.
Speaker 1:
Yeah along with that, how to dress appropriately for interviews, different little things that some of the youth may not, they didn't know.
Speaker 2:
Exactly.
Speaker 1:
Or they didn't know. I was in support, so I did some of that pre-ex and I also worked with individuals with disabilities who were working out at places like Goodwill. Let's see where else. We got Famous Tomatoes, some of the different vegetable places here, just retail wherever I can get them to work.
Speaker 2:
So you've kind of specialized in recent years in this whole concept of helping people find work.
Speaker 1:
Find work.
Speaker 2:
And you know what you gave a long, very impressive list of experiences you had. But what I am most impressed by is what you said right at the start, when you said anything to help people. Yeah, that's how you summarize the whole thing and what Sharif is all about. Let's get into a little more detail. You're in veteran services and the way you are helping veterans is with employment. How does that work? And who comes in? Who are you talking to? How are you helping them?
Speaker 1:
Okay, well, it's all familiar to me because I started off working with veterans back in Arizona years ago, so now I'm working with them again. When I first got back home, I couldn't find a place that suited me, so that's why I did the employment with individuals with disabilities. I did everything I could until this job came open, and it was at Easter Seals, and everybody loves Easter Seals.
Speaker 2:
Has a very high, great reputation, I should say.
Speaker 1:
Yeah. So everyone loves Easter Seals and I thought they have a veteran services. Oh my gosh, I'm going to check it out. I got hired. I got hired and I've been doing the job. I just fell right into the job because I've always worked with that. So what I do, what we do, is we try to service the veteran. When they are looking for employment, they're going on interviews, we try to make sure we have work clothes for them, gas cards, food cards, whatever they may need. That we kind of bridge it down. We don't do all the housing. We don't do that. The most we can do with that is referral.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
So yeah. So on our end we resume writing, career readiness, anything that a veteran wants if they're going to sit down and take the time out to do it or request it. We try to help them with it.
Speaker 2:
Obviously, this podcast centers around those who are experiencing homelessness. What you're saying is you're not necessarily providing a direct service, but it is direct. I mean, you are helping people who might be experiencing homelessness. Is that correct?
Speaker 1:
Yes, Actually, yes, they must be a homeless bet.
Speaker 2:
Okay, so that is a part of who, those two things, and then they are eligible to receive your services.
Speaker 1:
Yes, but it's a little more. They must be homeless. Including a couch server. They could be in a motel more than likely, Then, of course, out on the street.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
They must have served one day of active duty. So that means they did all their basic training and then they served one day, and maybe they left under medical condition or they left, but it was an honorable transition. Yeah, so, honorable general, we take some things that most people wouldn't take as far as discharges, but that's how our program is designed.
Speaker 2:
When you said earlier that the program has been around for, did you say like 10 years?
Speaker 1:
About 11 years 11 years.
Speaker 2:
Are you talking about that specific service to that particular demographic?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, our program, the battery program.
Speaker 2:
Okay, gotcha, you've described quite a bit of what qualifies an individual to receive your services. Can you tell us a little bit about if we were to meet one of your typical clients and I realize everyone's different, but how would you describe that person? What have they experienced? Age, all those kinds of things?
Speaker 1:
Well, our population is basically not the young people just getting out in the military. They don't normally come to us. The people or individuals we see are the ones that are out on the street, homeless or not far from homeless, or have been in a program the housing program numerous times, and we can see them as much as they want. You may not be able to tell that they're homeless, but most of them are about 40-ish and up. Yeah, they're in this vicious cycle of homelessness. No matter how many times they've gotten out of it, they go back into it somehow.
Speaker 2:
How do these individuals find you, or do you find them?
Speaker 1:
Well for me, for my case law word of mouth, I'll be doing three intakes, two this week, one Monday due to getting intakes For my boss, john. He gives us referrals through all of the people that he knows in the community. They will refer and he'll just. Like you know, it's only three of us, myself and my two co-workers and my boss.
Speaker 2:
John.
Speaker 1:
So it's four of us in the office. So he'll take a look at the referrals to who would do a better job and he just hands them off. So yeah, I'm not in the community. Like I said, I go to the library. So I actually met one guy yesterday and I did an intake. So it just depends, you know.
Speaker 2:
You say library. How does that work?
Speaker 1:
Well, I set up my table. You know, like an event. We look at it, we put our little table and brochures and all that stuff out and the clients or patrons just walk by and if it rings a bell for them, they want to sign up or talk a little bit more and if I can figure out if they are eligible during that time, I would sit down and sign them up or I'll send an appointment and you know we'll do what we can to help them. And.
Speaker 1:
I well, I guess we all do sit out job-leaf One of our offices down the hall. They work closely with families so they always have different jobs that they've come across and we work together with that and if it fits our clients or that we do what we can to help them.
Speaker 2:
So the library is a place where you can kind of do outreach, to just kind of set up and knowing that the population that you serve often might be there, and that's just the connecting point for you.
Speaker 1:
Exactly yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's one of the places we also go to stand-downs. I don't know if you're familiar with stand-downs, military stand-downs, is like this big event All of the people, the veterans, the organizations, the veterans themselves. They come out for the day and they get a lot of free stuff. It could be clothes, it could be whatever the organizations are offering, have donated brand new things, a lot of stuff you wouldn't believe. I mean it would be so much it would fit a whole duffel bag. So, yeah, it's really exciting. We do that once a year.
Speaker 2:
What's an Indianapolis-wide kind of event that happens once a year?
Speaker 1:
Well, it's an each state. When I was in Arizona, we did the same thing. It's each state, it's just. You know, it's not synchronized. But, yeah, it happens.
Speaker 2:
Is that typically held in Indianapolis or not necessarily?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, it's Indianapolis, then it's in the Donut County, so you have to be Hamilton Hendricks wherever, but ours is the biggest here in Indianapolis. Yeah, you know, due to sponsors, you got a lot more going on here.
Speaker 2:
Just to make sure I understand this happens once a year or you just participate once a year.
Speaker 1:
It happens once a year.
Speaker 2:
And when it does happen, you participate in that.
Speaker 1:
We do.
Speaker 2:
So you're just doing your services to whoever might be there. How would an individual who's a veteran, who may not be connected yet with that event, how would they find out about it?
Speaker 1:
Flyers we advertise it's not ours but we are invited. So it's run by one of the housing agencies, hvac, which is a very big agency. They house a whole bunch of Sets on the Sets so and they put it all together and they just invite us and they, you know, just very nice welcome once we get there and we have a good time.
Speaker 2:
Oh great, have a good time. So it's a one day.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, it's for one day.
Speaker 2:
Excellent. Is one coming up here anytime soon, or you've already had it?
Speaker 1:
September, september.
Speaker 2:
So it's going to be a little while. To the next one.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, they usually be between August and September. It just depends on how what they do for this year. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:
So you mentioned, as we've been talking, a few of the things that you provide to an individual you're serving, and it can be anywhere from helping them with a resume to making sure they have the right clothes, that they have the transportation. What do you find are some of the greatest needs of our veterans looking for employment?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and I have to say those are what we call supportive services, so that's the term that we use. We've been getting that, the need to car stick. Oh. My boss is very generous. If he has a mouth funding for it he will get your car fixed. So it's most yeah, because you know he looks at it like well, they need transportation to get to work. So yeah, I've seen a lot of car sticks. We sometimes pay rent. It depends, but you know rent is pretty high. So if we paid everybody's rent we'll be broke.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
So yeah.
Speaker 2:
But do you have flexibility to do whatever it sounds like, do whatever it takes to help this person gain employment and keep employment? Is that fair to say as well?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 2:
I think it's easy for us to forget some of the very practical barriers to employment. It's not just being able to get the job, it's being able to get there and all those kinds of things.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, sometimes we have to get food and we have to do the whole shebang sometimes. So, yeah, if the money's there, my boss will do it.
Speaker 2:
Okay, that's super.
Speaker 1:
So it just depends on when the best ask for whatever they may need.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, can you share, without using names for our listeners, any success stories I guess I would call it, for lack of a better term of individuals who've maybe come to you and you've helped in whatever way to gain employment?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, we have a few. One is a young lady's work at the VA. She was very successful. She started out with us being homeless and now she's a supervisor. So it was hard at first, but she's a supervisor. She no longer needs our assistance, so that was a good one.
Speaker 2:
Oh yeah. Yeah, and you say and that Casey, I mean typically, when I was talking with you, I'm thinking guys, and here's a case where it's not yeah.
Speaker 1:
It's some ladies, it's very few of us. That's why I was put in place, mostly to assist the ladies. Now I do help the males as well, but the ladies. You know, we're a little different, so you know. So it works out. It works fine.
Speaker 2:
Any other success stories come to mind?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, a few more. One of our back started CDL license. We helped them with maybe paperwork and pay some fees. He did the rest. He went to training. I think it was in Arkansas. They gave him a truck, they gave him a new truck. It was just like, wow, you go from not doing anything to doing something big.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
And we were. You know, we were a part of that. We work with Beck Thomas Beck who put in their resume and get a job. He started making 86,000 a year. Wow. So yeah, so it's all kind of it's like wow.
Speaker 2:
They just need that leg up, in a sense that whatever help you can provide and that can make all the difference.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, you have to really show them that you're willing to help and they have to trust you. Veterans have to trust you and if they do, they'll work with you. They'll continue. They won't disappear. They may say, oh, I'm not interested. Later on it could be anything, but they don't just disappear. They try to. They hang in there as long as you hang in there with them.
Speaker 2:
So it sounds like a big part of your task or job is to motivate. Is that fair?
Speaker 1:
To motivate, of course, yeah.
Speaker 2:
I can just imagine there's a whole bunch of things that hold people back from being able to get a job. But just what would be some examples that you see on a pretty regular basis that people need to have that trust and belief and motivation to move forward with.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, a lot of things like fear and doubt and a lot of it that I see that can be fixed is their resume preparation. They don't. Some vets don't want to settle down and prepare, they just want to go get a job. But then they realize why. They don't realize why they don't get the job because they're not ready. They're not prepared for an interview to talk to them hiring manager. They don't really know what to say. They just all this time since the military they just been taking anything. They never had a company like ours that would help, that would sit down and really work with them.
Speaker 1:
A lot of the vets don't give us their resumes. I prepare resumes, I try to do at least a basic one, but they don't see the value, so they will fail.
Speaker 2:
And it sounds like what you were saying there kind of reading between the lines is maybe a part of that is they don't have confidence enough in themselves to put themselves out there to get employment or be successful at whatever that success may be.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's true, and I know that my boss is willing to help. I've seen him do a whole lot for that and somehow some just don't appreciate it.
Speaker 2:
It's a two-way street, I guess. Just like anything, you have to want the help. But it sounds like to me from what you were saying is part of that is whatever your relationship is with that individual and whether they trust you to get that help. How do you go about building that confidence in relationship with your clients?
Speaker 1:
Well, I know from working in employment for years that there's a special way you have to go about things. You can't be too pushy. I just, like you and I are talking right now, like to just be myself and just explain whatever and try to get that back to understand. This is how it's gonna be. I can't promise you anything. We're in any job. We're not an employment agency. We kinda have a script that we wanna let them know.
Speaker 1:
It's gonna be some work and if you're willing to stick in there, I'll help you with as much as I can. We have services that we can get you. If we feel like you need it along the way for your job, we'll do all that we can to help you. But you gotta put an effort too. When I just try to tell them that it's not easy finding work the thing now the best don't wanna do the digital application they're like what happens to walking in and talking to a supervisor. They don't do that anymore. So now there's an extra step. There's even more from what you were doing at first. There's even more to do to prepare and you gotta be willing to do it and I can help you. You know, I tell him I can? We can sit down and do it, but the part of we can sit down like hmm, okay, I'll call you back.
Speaker 2:
Okay, or you know.
Speaker 1:
So it is just us having a relationship. But my, my, my best know that they can call me anytime and if I can't help them I'll ask my boss. He'll, you know, he'll go the extra mile as well. So they know that and it's been a good relationship so far. I mean, sometimes we have a couple of that that won't. They just won't follow the rules. So it's not much you can do. Yeah, you know so. Yeah, but those, yeah, the other, the other veterans, they, they understand. Okay, I know I can call Sharif if I have a question, and that's just how we do it. We work on one program year.
Speaker 1:
So we work, so four quarters and we work. We constantly check on them, see how they're doing, and I actually say I'm checking and see are you still working? Because that's what makes the program.
Speaker 2:
Okay.
Speaker 1:
Once we yeah, once we work with you. We want you to work, not just tell us you're going to work and never do.
Speaker 2:
So your services continue after they gain employment.
Speaker 1:
Could be If they need something else. If they call and say you know I'm out of gas, can you give me a gas car? Yeah, you know, if you're working or you're looking for work, you're doing something to get you another job. If you're not, if you're no longer working, we hope that after the first paycheck we don't have to, you know, help as much. But if they say they're out of work, they're looking for more work and we continue.
Speaker 2:
So it takes a lot of stick to it. This on both their part and your part. It sounds like.
Speaker 1:
Yes.
Speaker 2:
Something you said there just really jumped out at me and I mean it's pretty obvious, and that is just how you go about getting a job these days is quite different than it used to be. It used to be you could knock on the door, so there weren't nearly the barriers to getting a job, whereas now, if you don't have access to a computer and everything that goes with it, there there really are a lot more barriers for individuals.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and we understand that. It's been times that my boss has brought computer, laptop, phone. He practically did the work for them and some would not. They just they can't get with the program because I guess they're they're the ones that don't always want to work. But they say they do. But you can, I can tell you know working with these people down, you can tell if they want to work.
Speaker 2:
But in general you've been around the block enough times to kind of get a feel for it, but it doesn't sound like you ever give up on anybody.
Speaker 1:
No, no, because we enjoy helping. We like to make them happy and, again, make them know that we can help them if they want to help. And we, we're here for you. We're not, we're not that big and we too are informal, but we get the job done, we're we, we? My boss spent just as much money as the next boss might spend helping veterans.
Speaker 2:
One of the things we like to do with this podcast is let our listeners know if there's any way they could potentially plug in or help or volunteer or anything like that. Does anything like that come to mind? With what you are providing, that someone might be able to help in some way?
Speaker 1:
Okay, well, as far as volunteer, volunteering, we don't do that thing, that sort of stuff in our office and our setting, our work setting. People always ask but we just, we don't have a need for that. We don't have a need for it, so we don't but sometimes stand down for those times come. People are more than welcome to sign up and volunteer, because it's a really big event.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
So yeah, or donations, things like that, but other and a lot of. We get so many donations that we can't even store them all. Wow. So on that end, but just working around the office probably not Okay. Probably not right now.
Speaker 2:
No, that makes sense and that's perfectly fine. I'm glad you have the resources that you do to be able to do the things you're doing. Yeah, you have obviously been in this dare I say business, because it's not business, it's helping people, as you say for a long time. Yeah, what are some of the big things that you have learned over the course, not just with Easter Seals, but every place you've been? What have you learned in your career in terms of helping people?
Speaker 1:
Well I say, if someone comes to you for help, be determined to help them, don't, you know, don't turn them away. I mean, they may not, sometimes they're not eligible for our program, but once again, my boss may help them anyway.
Speaker 1:
So so I you know, if he says help this person, I'm going to do my best to help the person. So that should be in every or that has been everywhere. I've worked People that they just want. They just want the veterans attention that you're a vet there, that you should be able to help them when possible. You know, sometimes we don't suppose to, but we do, we do anyway.
Speaker 2:
Sounds like it's more than a job for you.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I'm happy with it. I especially love what I'm doing right now, especially because when I talk to that, they're telling me all of this information and blah, blah blah. But I already know because I'm a disabled. So I'm like there are no barriers because I'm working. I think you can work. Yeah, you can work, you can. You really want to. If you wanted to work, you can work. So that sometimes changed in mine too. So it's like we have we all have things in common.
Speaker 2:
Yes, yeah, I didn't realize that too. You just said it, that you yourself are a veteran.
Speaker 1:
Yes, I'm a disabled vet as well.
Speaker 2:
Well, thank you for your service to our country. I appreciate that.
Speaker 1:
Thank you.
Speaker 2:
Have you found that that experience that you've had as a veteran has been helpful in helping other veterans?
Speaker 1:
Yes, especially when it comes to the thing well, I'm a bad, I can't work. Yes, you can, and I know under what terms you can work. I just know the background of being able to work and I know that it's different from having or receiving such a security or SSDI. So maybe with that program you can't work or you can't work as much, but as a veteran we are allowed to work.
Speaker 2:
But you know, there's technicalities. In a way you can say wait a second. You don't have any excuses because I know the system. I'm no different. That kind of thing. What about just the experience of being a veteran? Has anything with that been helpful in serving other veterans?
Speaker 1:
Yes, because when it comes to disabilities, that's a big one. Because, again, I have a disability that I did get six for a year, which I can tell you is my back. I didn't get that six for years and I walked around until I was about probably being a wheelchair or have a pain or something, because I couldn't take it anymore. And that's one of the reasons why I came back home to get surgery. I had to be around my family so they, you know, they could help me after the surgery and everything. But yeah, when people talk about they have disabilities, I get it, I get it. Who wants to have back surgery? You don't know how that's going to turn out. So it worked well for me. I've been it, I've been, I've never felt so good, excellent, so yeah. So when people say they have disabilities and they can't work, and I always think about myself like, yes, you can you know, I did was very risky what I did, but I did it.
Speaker 2:
You can speak from experience and I'm sure that builds confidence with those you're serving in with you, because you've been in their shoes.
Speaker 1:
Yes, yes. And another thing is the best that that decides that they could get the job, work for a little while quit, because that's what they've been doing. So I try, I try to work with them and try to just maybe help them on the way. So just, I took three months, do three months, because that's mostly your 90 day firm. So just push, push yourself to six months, you know, and try to get, push yourself to the end of the year, because a lot of them do say we're not alive, but if you all are honest with me and say they don't know if they can do it, yes.
Speaker 1:
And yeah. So it's just like motivation and just checking on them and you know, hearing from them and they'll say, oh, I love the job or I'm still here, oh, I hate the job, but I'm still here. I'm trying to be in here till I retire. I hear things like that.
Speaker 2:
Well, it really sounds to me like what you're basically doing is building relationships with people and helping them through that relationship.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
Much. It's much more that than it is technically. How do you do a resume or something like that?
Speaker 1:
Right, it's more on the motivation side, because the other stuff comes later when they decide okay, you motivated me enough, now I need a resume for this job, or I need some help going online, or you know, but you, we got to get up there.
Speaker 2:
Yes, yes. And so eventually, what happens is they start asking for the help and they're serious about it Once, once you've built that confidence in them of both you and of themselves that you believe in them.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yeah, cause you know most male that they haven't been around too many female, that it's not a lot of us to really talk to about the same concern, and by me being in a position I'm in, I can actually tell them. You know what I went through. Now, whether or not they believe me, that's a male.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, but you know I I've been through some stuff and I got through it and I'm still. I'm, I'm working and still in the surgery. Over after I gave her, I think about five to six months, I was back out. Back out Cause I didn't know if I could really work. I didn't know how that I would handle that.
Speaker 2:
No.
Speaker 1:
And I just kept going and kept going and trying to get back in there and got back on my feet and I feel like right now it led me to here and this is where this is where I belong.
Speaker 2:
I can't think of a better way to wrap this podcast up with than just that statement that you just made there. That's where you belong and I just say thank you very much for your service, both as a veteran and now helping others because of the challenges that you experienced and overcame.
Speaker 1:
Thank you, sir.
Speaker 2:
I wish you continued success in, as you say, just helping people. Nothing better than that.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's what we do. That's it.