The USC Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families (CIR) at the USC School of Social Work has received nearly $1 million in funding from Prudential Financial, Inc.

CIR is one of 10 organizations to benefit from Prudential’s initial $6.2 million in grants to groups that help U.S. military veterans and their families transition back into civilian life.

“Prudential’s generous gift to CIR allows our team to continue strengthening the transition for veterans and their families back into our communities,” said Anthony Hassan, director of CIR. “Prudential’s support recognizes the important work that CIR is doing in the areas of education, innovation, research and community partnerships. I am grateful that Prudential sees CIR’s work as important, valuable and meaningful. We look forward to a lasting partnership with Prudential for many years to come.”

The $900,000 gift will help CIR continue to identify and facilitate best practices in the field of behavioral health that help veterans and their families overcome the effects of combat service and other challenges to successful reintegration into their communities. CIR does this by educating the next generation of military social workers trained in advanced behavioral healthcare and evidence-based clinical practice.

The grant will also help support projects such as CIR’s Reintegration Partnership Project, a collaboration with a local California National Guard unit that provides skills training to servicemembers and their adult family members to address the challenges of reintegration.

“Prudential is committed to helping veterans develop meaningful careers after their military service and between deployments,” said Lori High, president of Prudential Group Insurance and executive sponsor of Prudential’s Veterans Initiative. “Because this is not always easy, especially for wounded veterans, our contributions support nonprofit organizations that provide not just professional development but also a broad mix of services veterans critically need to successfully return to civilian life.”

Prudential’s Veterans Initiative team coordinates companywide efforts to create sustainable programs for transitioning veterans and collaborates with corporate peers to support similar programs with an emphasis on providing veterans access to quality education, job training and employment opportunities.

PHOTO:  The CIR staff with Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (center)

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