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A World In Which People With Disabilities Have Unlimited Employment Opportunities




Veterans

Employer Support Links

ODEP is working closely with the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, as well as DOL’s Veterans Office to address the provision of personal recovery and employment assistance to our nation’s disabled service members, including those coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. Information about this initiative, REALifelines, and various benefits are provided below.

  • America's Heroes at Work

    America's Heroes at Work is a U.S. Department of Labor project that addresses the employment challenges of returning service members living with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Designed for employers and the workforce development system, the Web site is your link to information and tools to help returning service members affected by TBI and/or PTSD succeed in the workplace - particularly service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

  • REALifelines

    The Recovery & Employment Assistance Lifelines (REALifelines) program is a collaborative initiative that represents a new national effort to provide personal recovery and employment assistance to our nation’s disabled service members (and their families) upon their return from duty in the Global War on Terrorism. The intent of the program is to see that these individuals receive timely, professional and compassionate assistance to assure recovery, an opportunity to return to their previous job, or to consider a new career path, and, if necessary, learn about what types of job accommodations might be needed due to a war wound or injury.

  • Military Severely Injured Center (888-774-1361)

    The REALifelines program is closely affiliated with the new Military Severely Injured Center (MSIC) located in Arlington, VA. The MSIC provides personalized assistance tailored to meet the individualized needs of severely wounded or injured service members and their families. The service is available 24/7 at no cost to service members or their families.

  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

    Provides information about veterans’ benefits related to burial, health, education, compensation, vocational rehabilitation, home loans, life insurance and appeals.

  • Veterans Service Organizations

    A list of veterans’ service organizations that have been chartered by Congress and/or recognized by the VA for claim representation.

  • U.S. Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment & Training Service (VETS)

    This Web site provides a great deal of information for veterans, including, but not limited to, employment and reemployment rights of members of the armed forces, information about veterans’ preference, and the Transition Assistance Program.

  • e-VETS Resource Advisor

    This resource assists veterans preparing to enter the job market. It has a tremendous amount of important information such as employment openings, career assessment and special services available to veterans.

Mental Health

Persons with serious psychiatric disabilities continue to have the lowest employment rate (between 80-90%). If employed, they are the most underemployed of all the disability populations. Yet, persons with psychiatric disabilities want to and can work with the appropriate supports. In fact, work can be an important part of recovery.

That's why ODEP has taken on the important task of chairing a Department-wide workgroup on the topic, the Department of Labor Work Group on Mental Health. In addition, ODEP chairs and staffs the Employment Committee of the Federal Partners on Mental Health Transformation, a group consisting of representatives from several federal agencies.

Related Links