VA provides vocational assistance and therapeutic work opportunities through several programs for veterans receiving VA health care. Each program offers treatment and rehabilitation services to help veterans live and work in their communities.
Participation in the following VA Work Restoration Programs cannot be used to deny or discontinue VA compensation or pension benefits. Payments received from Incentive Therapy and Compensated Work Therapy transitional work are not taxable.
Incentive Therapy (IT) provides a diversified work experience at VA medical centers for Veterans who exhibit severe mental illness and/or physical impairments. IT services may consist of full or part time work with nominal remuneration limited to the maximum of one half of the Federal minimum wage.
CWT/ Sheltered Workshop (CWT) operates sheltered workshops at approximately 35 VA Medical Centers. CWT sheltered work shop is a pre-employment vocational activity that provides an opportunity for work hardening and assessment in a simulated work environment. Participating Veterans are paid on a piece rate basis.
CWT/Transitional Work (CWT/TW) is vocational assessment program that operates in VA medical centers and/or local community business and industry. CWT/TW participants are matched to real life work assignments for a time limited basis. Veterans are supervised by personnel of the sponsoring site, under the same job expectations experienced by non-CWT workers. CWT/TW participants are not considered employees and receive no traditional employee
benefits.
Participants receive the greater of Federal or state minimum wage, or more depending on the type of work. Over forty percent of participants secure competitive employment at the time of discharge.
CWT/Supported Employment (CWT/SE) consists of full-time or part-time competitive employment with extensive clinical supports. The focus of CWT/SE is to assist Veterans with psychosis and other serious mental illness gain access to meaningful competitive employment. CWT/SE follow along support services are generally phased out after the Veteran is able to maintain employment independently.