Each year across the country, thousands of military personnel leave active duty and seek to return to the civilian workforce. Between October 2001 and February 2008, more than 30,000 veterans returned home with service-connected disabilities. Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have experienced a higher proportion of both traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). (more…)
Veterans With Service Connected Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): A Guide for Employers. http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/veterans-disabilities-employers.html
President’s National Hire Veterans Committee – Hire Vets First – This comprehensive career website is designed to help employers find qualified veterans, as well as help veterans to make the most of a national network of employment resources. http://www.hirevetsfirst.gov
Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network (EARN) – Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), EARN is a national toll-free and electronic information referral service to assist employers in locating and recruiting qualified individuals with disabilities who are seeking jobs. http://www.earnworks.com, 1-866-EARN NOW (327-6669)
Occupational Information Network (O*NET) Online – Through the Department of Labor, employers may access a comprehensive database that helps align military skills, knowledge, and training with workplace needs. Information on reasonable accommodation also is available. http://www.online.onetcenter.org
Office of Veterans Affairs – Vermont – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs supports a nationwide employment-training program for veterans with service-related injuries. The Vermont Office is located in Montpelier. http://www.va.state.vt.us
VocRehab Vermont – http://www.vocrehabvermont.gov
VABIR (Vermont Association of Business Industry and Rehabilitation) – http://www.vabir.com
Vermont Department of Labor – http://www.labor.vermont.gov/
EEOC Enforcement Guidance: Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship Under the ADA (2002). This extensive guidance clarifies the rights and responsibilities of employers and individuals with disabilities regarding reasonable accommodation and undue hardship and provides practical examples of the types of accommodations that may be needed to enable a person with a disability to be considered for a position, perform the essential functions of a job, or enjoy the equal benefits and privileges of employment. http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/accommodation.html
Job Accommodation Network (JAN) – JAN provides a variety of resources for employers seeking to hire employees with disabilities. JAN also provides lists of possible accommodations based on specific disabilities as well as links to various other accommodation providers. http://www.jan.wvu.edu
In the United States, 1.4 million people sustain a Traumatic Brain Injury each year. Of those, 50,000 die; 235,000 are hospitalized; and 1.1 million are treated and released from an emergency department.
So what is a traumatic brain injury (TBI)? A TBI is defined as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of such an injury may range from “mild,” i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to “severe,” i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. A TBI can result in short or long-term problems with independent function.
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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur after a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and scary that a person sees or that happens to them. During this type of event, a person feels that their life or others’ lives are in danger. Anyone who has gone through a life-threatening event can develop PTSD. These events can include:
Reformer.com
Wednesday, May 28
Now that the Memorial Day speeches are over and the flags and wreaths have been placed on the graves, perhaps we can start talking about what it means to “support the troops.”
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By Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The number of U.S. troops diagnosed by the military with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) jumped nearly 50 percent in 2007 over the previous year, as more of them served lengthy and repeated combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Pentagon data released yesterday show.
The increase brings the total number of U.S. troops diagnosed by the military with PTSD after serving in one of the two conflicts from 2003 to 2007 to nearly 40,000.
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WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that employees are protected from retaliation when they complain about discrimination in the workplace, adopting a broad interpretation of workers’ rights under two federal civil rights laws.
By decisions of 7 to 2 in one case and 6 to 3 in the other, the court found that the two statutes afford protection from retaliation even though Congress did not explicitly say so.
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Teacher lets Morningside students vote out classmate, 5
By Colleen Wixon
Saturday, May 24, 2008
PORT ST. LUCIE — Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son’s kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class.
After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn’t like about Barton’s 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.
By a 14 to 2 margin, the students voted Alex — who is in the process of being diagnosed with autism — out of the class.
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MONTPELIER – Bill Talbott has been named acting commissioner of education, the Vermont State Board of Education announced today.
Talbott, a resident of Monkton, currently serves as chief financial officer and deputy commissioner for the department, a position he has held for over 10 years and will continue to serve in concurrently with his acting commissioner responsibilities.
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