3 HR Processes Human Resources Practices Veteran Assimilation
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Veteran Assimilation

World-class organizations also host or partner with federal, state and community agencies to provide veterans with socialization opportunities that are positioned to support and positively impact the veteran’s employment (see Additional Articles/Tools section).  Military family resource groups can also be used to help military families pool resources and experiences to support one another, both at work and at home.  Some organizations attach these groups to their Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and/or collaborate locally with other veteran-friendly employers to create cross-employer veteran family support groups.  For example:

  • Amazon offers mentoring and support via an organized internal network of military veterans.
  • AT&T partners with the Chamber to host meet-and-greet events at their facilities, on unitary campuses and military bases.
  • Ernst & Young promotes and facilitates veteran employee networking and collaboration.
  • G.E. offers a specialized advisor who helps military employees understand their job entitlements, employer obligations, benefits and remedies available.
  • Johnson Controls has a military outreach panel that offers veteran employees the opportunity to support one another.
  • Sodexo’s military group, Honoring Our Nation’s finest with Opportunity and Respect (HONOR), offers development opportunities; provides a forum to recognize and celebrate contributions made to our country; and establishes partnerships with community veteran support groups .
  • U.S. Bank’s “Proud to Serve” affinity group is a resource that offers the opportunity to join a talent community that provides news, events and outreach activities dedicated to veterans.

In cases where veterans are not able to engage in full-time work all at once, some employers offer phase-in programs where veterans begin working part-time and slowly increase their hours as they prepare to shift to fulltime civilian work.  For instance, Nelson Laboratories recognized this challenge and allows returning veterans to work part-time during his/her adjustment period.

The following resources are positioned to support employers and veterans, related to assimilation and employee assistance initiatives. This list in not all-inclusive, nor does the fact that a particular program is listed here represent an endorsement of that resource.

Vet Centers:
http://www.vetcenter.va.gov/index.asp
The Vet Centers Program was established by Congress, as part of the VA.  The goal of the Vet Centers Program is to provide a broad range of counseling, outreach, and referral services to veterans, in order to help them make a satisfying post-service readjustment to civilian life. Since 2003, the VA has authorized Vet Centers to also furnish surviving parents, spouses, children, and siblings of service members who die of any cause while on active duty, to include federally activated Reserve and National Guard personnel.

America’s Heroes at Work:
http://www.americasheroesatwork.com/
America’s Heroes at Work, a DOL project, addresses the employment challenges of returning service members and veterans living with TBI and/or PTSD. Designed for employers and the workforce development system, this website provides information and tools to help returning service members and veterans living with TBI and/or PTSD succeed in the workplace.

National Center for PTSD:
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/ptsd101/ptsd-101.asp
PTSD 101, a VA National Center for PTSD, is a web-based curriculum that offers courses related to PTSD and trauma. The goal is to develop or enhance practitioner knowledge of trauma and its treatment. Continuing education (CE) credits are available for most courses.

Where to Get Help for PTSD:
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/where-to-gethelp.asp
The VA National Center for PTSD provides a comprehensive list of resources that are available to veterans and the public on the issue of PTSD.

Swords to Plowshares:
http://www.swords-to-plowshares.org/
Swords to Plowshares is a community-based veteran service organization that provides wrap-around services to more than 2,000 veterans in the San Francisco Bay Area each year, to assist veterans in breaking through the cultural, educational, psychological, and economic barriers they often face in their transition to the civilian world. Swords to Plowshares is a national model for veteran services and advocacy with more than 35 years of experience, and a respected and comprehensive model of care for veterans in the country.

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