For too long, justice-involved veterans have been forced to navigate the tangled mess of reentry on their own. Housing. Healthcare. Employment. Courts. The VA, even.
Each one is a maze and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Enter the Veteran Navigator Program, better known as Walking with Warriors. Backed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and powered by organizations like Zero Day Inc., this initiative is designed by veterans, for veterans.
And that makes all the difference.
What the Program Does
At its core, the Veteran Navigator Program is about removing barriers and making sure no veteran slips through the cracks. Services include:
- Housing Support: Connecting veterans to permanent supportive housing, emergency housing, and stability resources.
- Employment Services: From apprenticeship programs to veteran-friendly employers, Navigators create real pipelines to sustainable careers.
- Case Management: Personalized support plans, resource coordination, and even specialized help like Veteran Court support.
It’s a holistic approach; not just throwing a pamphlet at someone and wishing them luck, but walking step-by-step through the gauntlet of reentry with them.
Why It Matters
Michigan is home to thousands of veterans returning from incarceration, and the truth is stark: without support, the cycle of instability, unemployment, and homelessness repeats.
The Navigator model flips that script.
Instead of treating veterans as a problem to be managed, Navigators treat them as leaders, peers, and brothers and sisters in arms. They know the VA system. They know the court system.
And most importantly, they know the lived experience of what it means to rebuild a life after service and after prison.
Zero Day and Community Partners
Zero Day Inc., one of the program’s anchors, brings boots-on-the-ground credibility. Their Veteran ReEntry Care Coordinators (VRCC) specialize in evidence-based recidivism reduction strategies and have the capacity to support over 60 veterans at a time across Michigan.
This isn’t just case management. It’s advocacy. It’s mentorship. It’s a promise that no veteran has to face reentry alone.
Walking With Warriors and Toward Justice
Every pamphlet, every flyer, every word from the Navigators makes it clear: this is about more than services.
It’s about dignity.
It’s about recognizing that those who served their country deserve more than a cold shoulder when they come home from prison.
Walking with Warriors proves that when we invest in veterans; not just with words, but with housing, jobs, and human connection. We don’t just reduce recidivism, we rebuild communities.
And for Michigan’s veterans, that’s a fight worth winning.
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