In Tight Economic Times, It's Increasingly Important to Remember Those Who Served and Need Our Help

Barbara Van Dahlen, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder and president of Give an Hour

Special to Veterans Advantage

Data compiled by the Bureau for Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2007 indicate that prior to the current crisis, the unemployment rate for Veterans who served after September 2001 was 6.1 percent—compared to 4.4 percent for non-veterans. The rate for 18 to 24-year-old male Veterans who served after September 2001 was 11.2 percent—which is not statistically dissimilar to the rate for young male non-veterans (10.5 percent). The BLS also reported that the unemployment rate for all Veterans was actually lower than that for the rest of the workforce. The rate was 3.8 percent for 2007, compared to 4.4 percent for non-veterans.

While the overall unemployment rate for all Veterans was lower than that of non-veterans, clearly the men and women returning from the current conflicts are not fairing as well as Veterans from prior eras. We need not only to recruit creative and dedicated men and women to our military, but also to provide appropriate training and support so that those who serve are able to remain gainfully employed once they have been hired.

The BLS report also suggests that the enforcement efforts of the Department of Labor’s Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) were effective in 2007. As of August 2007, National Guard members or reservists who served after September 2001 had an overall unemployment rate of just 2.6. While this is excellent news, we should not assume that the rate will be as low for 2008 and beyond. As the economy slumps, many small businesses that employed military personnel prior to their deployment may no longer be in business when troops return to their communities.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is responding to the needs of our military community in a number of ways. There is a now a web site called America’s Heroes at Work (www.americasheroesatwork.gov), which focuses on the employment challenges of returning service members living with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The site is designed for employers and workforce development professionals and provides information and tools to help returning service members affected by TBI and/or PTSD succeed in the workplace.

There are also programs developing in the private and nonprofit sector. Give an Hour is now partnering with TecAccess to develop a program that will fill the current gap in services available to employers seeking to hire and train returning warriors. TecAccess has already developed the DVET program, which was designed to ensure that Veterans with disabilities receive the support, job training, and recognition they have earned through service and sacrifice. Together, Give an Hour and TecAccess plan to expand these services so that all Veterans receive the training and support they need and deserve. In addition, this program will provide support to employers who want to hire returning warriors but often feel ill-equipped to address the psychological wounds of war that may affect successful job performance. Several corporations have already expressed interest in participating in this program.

In addition to facing employment difficulties, returning troops and their families may also feel the need to cut back on mental health services. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal indicates that due to the economic crisis, many people are unable to afford to begin or continue counseling services. This is a serious situation for all Americans who need mental health care, but it is especially concerning for the men, women, and families who must cope with the invisible wounds of war including post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. Our returning warriors should not have to choose between healing the wounds of war and putting food on their family’s table. We must ensure that those in need of mental health care are able to access appropriate support easily.

Fortunately the mental health community continues to step up to provide for those who serve our country. Mental health professionals continue to join Give an Hour to offer their services. In an unprecedented event, the major mental health associations—the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and the American Association of Pastoral Counselors—will come together to announce their support for Give an Hour at a joint press event planned to coincide with Veterans Day. Clearly, this country has the resources to provide for the mental health of our troops. We must maintain our determination and our focus in order to successfully respond during this challenging time.

Give an Hour, providing free mental health services to military personnel and their loved ones, at www.giveanhour.org.

Editors Note: Give an Hour is a strategic partner of Veterans Advantage. Learn more about our partnership with Give an Hour.

Veterans Advantage is also hosting a special online PTSD Transition Center for its members, with customized news and resources to help in this vital area.