PTSD a Growing Mental Health Concern

Experts say that between 11 to 20 percent of all veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Not to mention, 10 percent of Desert Storm veterans and 30 percent of Vietnam veterans suffer from these  “invisible wounds of war” as well.

More and more veterans need mental health care. To meet the demand, the VA has announced that it will be adding 1,900 nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and support staff to its current 20,590 mental health care staff.

VA’s Mental Health Care Commitment

For online PTSD information, including helpful resources for veterans and their families, visit the VA’s National Center for PTSD.

Note: All representation coordinated by Alpha is provided by our employees, the Advocates, who are accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). No private organization that trains and employs accredited agents has been legally recognized by the VA for the purposes of preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims. This work must be done by the Advocates themselves and not organizations.

Over a million disability claims pour into the VA every year. They’re coming, not only from veterans home from Iraq and Afghanistan, but also from Vietnam-era veterans who are fighting for the long overdue recognition of diseases related to their exposure to Agent Orange. Currently, 870,000 disabled veterans nationwide are caught in the backlog. The VA, no doubt, is tackling an enormous challenge.

The Flooded VA Disability Benefits System

An American Forces press release stated that in 2009, around 900,000 claims decisions were made while another 1 million new claims flooded in. In 2010, 1 million claims decisions were made as 1.2 million more claims poured in. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said, “Last year we produced another 1 million claims decisions and got 1.3 million claims in. So the backlog isn’t static. The backlog is a bigger number than we would like, but it is not the same number as three years ago.”

VA regional offices are swimming in paperwork. One of the worst is the Oakland office in the San Francisco Bay area, where the average wait time is 313 days.

However, Shinseki remains confident that all 56 regional offices across the country will reduce wait times to 125 days by 2015. “Our intent is to have no claim over 125 days. And every claims decision that we put out the door [will be] at a 98-percent quality mark.”

The How Behind the Backlog Reduction

The VA is implementing a new automated tool expected to improve speed and accuracy of claims decisions. It’s called the Veterans Benefit Management System. Shinseki says this technology will help the VA “approach the tipping point in ending the backlog in disability claims.” It is still at the testing stage but should be fully implemented by the end of 2013.

Shinseki also intends to improve the VA application process itself, and the VA’s role as advocate to veterans. This seems noble, as veterans often feel frustrated with a perceived lack of support from the VA. The idea behind the effort is “to reduce procedural delays” and “focus on getting the bugs out of the claims process before increasing automation.”

But veterans need benefits and medical care now, like former Marine Ian Rodriguez from San Bruno, California. In a New York Times interview he said it took 403 days to get an initial rating of 30 percent and $389 a month for PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), which he says isn’t enough. He believes he deserves more. “If they upgraded my claim, I would be able to go to group therapy every day, and I hope I would get better.” For now, he waits.

Note: All representation coordinated by Alpha is provided by our employees, the Advocates, who are accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). No private organization that trains and employs accredited agents has been legally recognized by the VA for the purposes of preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims. This work must be done by the Advocates themselves and not organizations.

Senator Patty Murray, who is also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, is leading a federal investigation into whether PTSD misdiagnoses at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Washington could be happening at other military hospitals. The concern for the committee, which oversees veterans’ issues and services, is that veterans may be missing out on the VA disability benefits they deserve because of the cost associated with treating the disorder.

Cost is a Motivator in Misdiagnosing PTSD

Murray decided to take action after months of talking to Army families in Washington State who lost treatment and benefits because a military medical team at Madigan said they did not have PTSD. Apparently, the motivation behind the reversals was cost. In a CNN interview with Murray in early March, it was revealed that Madigan doctors were urged to be cautious before diagnosing PTSD because treating this condition costs taxpayers money.

Murray said, “this was a serious blow to [soldiers] because it’s really hard with an invisible wound of war to get the treatment they need. And then to find out that they don’t have PTSD because it costs too much is amazingly shocking to me and to all of them.”

The reversals have affected more than 40 percent of PTSD cases in the state dating back to 2007.

Army Searches for PTSD Veterans

The Army is trying to locate these soldiers who may, or may not, be getting the treatment they need.

Col. Becky Porter, the chief of Behavior Medicine, Office of the U.S. Army Surgeon General, issued this statement:

“It is important that we make contact with each Soldier who we have identified as possibly requiring a second look. This is part of our promise to our patients – to provide them with optimal care.”

Murray says the families are glad to see the Army step up, “but we have to make sure, system-wide, that when our [military] men and women get an invisible wound of war, they are treated, they’re treated affectively, and they’re not told it’s just in [their] head.  And they are especially not told that ‘we’re not going to treat you because it costs too much.’

More Misdiagnosed Cases

Murray’s staff has also found similar cases at other facilities. The Army counters that they are following the same PTSD diagnostic standards as civilian doctors, the Air Force and the Navy. Murray intends to make sure this is true. 

Invisible Wounds of War

PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) is serious. Veterans may not even realize that their anger, hostility or depression, are PTSD symptoms that can be treated.

An estimated 20 percent of veterans who fought in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have PTSD. Ironically, the VA changed the rules for getting disability benefits to make it easier for veterans with PTSD to get compensation.

Note: All representation coordinated by Alpha is provided by our employees, the Advocates, who are accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). No private organization that trains and employs accredited agents has been legally recognized by the VA for the purposes of preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims. This work must be done by the Advocates themselves and not organizations.

News Source: The News Tribune

It started with this ringing in my ears. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t concentrate. So I went to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) for help in filing a disability claim with the VA. It took a year to get a 10 percent rating for tinnitus. That was the most I could get.

But I was depressed, so I started drinking. By 2000, I was a full-blown alcoholic. I admitted myself into the VA’s four-week alcohol rehab program and got sober. It lasted just 28 days.

Five years later I went back to the treatment facility, this time for six weeks. I was so depressed I just wanted to drink myself to death. They asked a lot of questions I didn’t want to get into – emotional things I didn’t want to face. I just wanted to get off the alcohol. And I did, but I didn’t get better.

I was in horrible shape. I thought the tinnitus was the reason I was depressed, so I went back to the DAV. I wanted to link depression as a secondary condition and appeal my first rating. But they were overwhelmed with cases, so I dropped the claim.

By March 2009 I felt suicidal. So, I went back to the VA medical center. This time I agreed to psychotherapy. I finally talked about this one traumatic incident in the military and the flashbacks and nightmares I am experiencing now. My therapist said it was PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and that we could work through it.

Then I found Alpha and started working on another VA claim with Stephen, my Alpha advocate.  He helped me realize that my condition wasn’t solely my fault – and that the VA should compensate me for my problems. It was great to have Stephen say that to me. He gave me hope.

I know he had other cases, but he made me feel like I was his only case.  He came up with a better argument – a different approach – for my claim.. There was a personal feel to it. A one-on-one. It made a huge difference to have someone on my side. Did it help that Stephen is a veteran? Certainly. We spoke the same language. He understood. He cared. He made time for me.

I hope my story helps veterans pursue what’s due them from the VA. For me, I won 70 percent for PTSD in addition to the 10 percent for tinnitus. We then appealed for more.  I won 100 percent for individual unemployability, too.

I say, hire Alpha. Get it done!

Note: All representation coordinated by Alpha is provided by our employees, the Advocates, who are accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). No private organization that trains and employs accredited agents has been legally recognized by the VA for the purposes of preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims. This work must be done by the Advocates themselves and not organizations.

Medical researchers think that the answers can be found in our genes, but they need large amounts of medical data to better understand how genes affect overall health.  Where can researchers get this data?

Veterans Can Help

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been storing computerized medical records of veterans for more than 20 years. It already has a large database that could quickly become the most comprehensive resource for medical research in the world if veterans are willing to sign up for the “Million Veteran Program: a Partnership with Veterans.”

How It Works

The Million Veteran Program (MVP) partners with veterans receiving VA medical care who agree to donate blood samples. Their identities are kept private asthe VA follows strict measures to ensure confidentiality and security of data.

Veterans will not know the results of their blood tests, nor will the results be recorded in their medical history,but their participation could potentially save lives.

The goal of the program is to collect data from 1 million veterans. This potentially massive collection of data could help improve treatment and prevent serious health conditions in Americans.

So far, about 10,000 veterans have enrolled.  Find out how to participate in MVP at the Website.  

Note: Alpha is a veterans disability advocacy group.  All representation coordinated by Alpha is provided by our employees, the Advocates, who are accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). No private organization that trains and employs accredited agents has been legally recognized by the VA for the purposes of preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims. This work must be done by the Advocates themselves and not organizations.

A Contest to Like

This November, Alpha, and its sister Social Security disability advocacy group, Freedom Disability, are sponsoring a Moustache Photo Contest on Facebook to raise funds for the campaign.

 If you are a “Mo Bro” and are growing a moustache or goatee in support of the Movember Prostate Cancer awareness campaign, “like” our Alpha Facebook page to submit your photo to our Facebook Wall. You can also do the same on Freedom Disability’s Facebook page.

Even if you already wear a moustache, show it.  For every Facebook photo on Alpha or Freedom Disability’s Wall, we will donate $1*to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. 

Be a Mo Bro this November

Prostate cancer is a presumptive disease connected to Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War. It is also the second leading cause of cancer death in men. Over 30,000 men in this country die of prostate cancer every year.  Many are veterans – a good reason to be a Mo Bro this Movember.

The Alpha/Freedom Disability Moustache Photo Contest ends November 30. Read more about Moustache Season here. 

*The Alpha/Freedom Disability donation to the Prostate Cancer Society will be capped at $3,000.

Note: All representation coordinated by Alpha is provided by our employees, the Advocates, who are accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). No private organization that trains and employs accredited agents has been legally recognized by the VA for the purposes of preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims. This work must be done by the Advocates themselves and not organizations.

One way is at the Veterans Job Bank, at the National Resource Directory (NRD), a Web site created in partnership with the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. 

About the Veterans Job Bank

The Veterans Job Bank is a central online search engine. Job searches are pulled from various job boards and job search Web sites.  Recently, a new search tag has been added to improve search results. Businesses can now tag job listings as “Veteran Committed.” In this way, veterans can find jobs specifically targeted for them, and businesses can better connect to the qualified veterans they are looking to hire.

Job Bank Widget

Businesses can also add a Veterans Job Bank Widget to their Web site that will automatically update new “Veteran Committed” job offerings in the Veterans Job Bank. It is easy to install and requires no oversight.

Job Sites Commit to Veterans

As recently as this month, more job search websites have agreed to help “Veteran Committed” businesses connect with unemployed veterans. They include:

• Simply Hired
• LinkedIn
• Monster and Military.com
• Taleo
• Indeed
• BranchOut
• TweetMyJobs

Currently there are 900,000 veterans out of work.  Businesses, committed to hiring veterans, such as Alpha – more than 90 percent of Alpha employees are veterans – honor our veterans by hiring them.

Veterans and businesses can find out more about the Veterans Job Bank at www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov.

Note: All representation coordinated by Alpha is provided by our employees, the Advocates, who are accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). No private organization that trains and employs accredited agents has been legally recognized by the VA for the purposes of preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims. This work must be done by the Advocates themselves and not organizations.

I filed my first claim for VA disability compensation in 2004 with a VA representative at the John McClellan VA Medical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. I filed for PTSD but was also being treated by my supervising physician at that facility for Diabetes Mellitus Type 2.

Back in 2000, Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 was approved by the VA for Agent Orange disability for any U.S. citizen who had ever visited Vietnam between 1968 and 1975. Vietnam veterans do not have to prove the cause for getting this disease. [Vietnam veterans with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange and are eligible for disability compensation]. But, the VA did not approve compensation for my diabetes because the VA representative on my case took the position that it was caused by my Ulcerative Colitis, not Agent Orange. And, I was denied for PTSD. That was my first encounter with a VA Evaluation Center.  I was left feeling that the VA used any means possible to deny me benefits.

Second Attempt Ends in Denial

After moving to Chillicothe, Ohio in 2005, I filed again for PTSD compensation at the Chillicothe VA Medical Center with the help of an AMVETS representative.  I had been diagnosed for PTSD from two VA-certified psychiatrists there, and I was diagnosed and treated for Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 by their medical staff. However, after completing all information requested by the Cleveland, Ohio Evaluation Board, I was again refused compensation, though my attending physician had placed two calls to the Board to plead my case. Even with the assistance of an AMVETS representative, I was denied.

More Time Passes with Little Action

In August 2008 I learned about Reps for Vets and counted on the extensive competence and results their television advertisements proclaim.  But what I remember most about their representatives was that they always seemed to explain the reasons why they were unable to get anything accomplished for me. After a year and a half, they could not get a settlement in my favor.

Alpha Works Hard and Gets Results

My experience has been very different with the disability advocates at Alpha. They are working tirelessly on my behalf.  They submitted a new claim for me for Ischemic Heart Disease, which is another Vietnam Agent Orange service- connected disease, and have procured an initial settlement for me of $111,000 in back pay compensation. They are also continuing to work on getting me back pay for my diabetes and PTSD claims.

All of the Alpha advocates with whom I have come in contact with have been extremely knowledgeable about all areas of veterans’ benefits, and they are thoroughly professional.

Alpha is the most dedicated veterans disability advocacy group I have encountered since my original filing with the VA in 2004. They genuinely care about the veterans they represent. I have nothing but compliments to say for their competence and professionalism. 

 Sincerely,

Thomas J. Butler

Note: All representation coordinated by Alpha is provided by our employees, the Advocates, who are accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). No private organization that trains and employs accredited agents has been legally recognized by the VA for the purposes of preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims. This work must be done by the Advocates themselves and not organizations.

The Veterans’ Court

The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) is a national court located in Washington, D.C. It is a veterans’ court created in 1988 to ensure that veterans have legal recourse if denied VA benefits. The CAVC is separate from the Department of Veterans Affairs and has exclusive jurisdiction to provide reviews of final decisions by the Board of Veterans Appeals.

Alpha has CAVC Experts

Alpha has veterans advocates experienced in arguing cases before the CAVC. Their focus is on formulating the best possible argument for why you deserve benefits. Even if your case was not previously represented by an Alpha advocate at the Board of Veterans Appeals level, the legal experts at Alpha will take your case and help you get through this highest review of your appeal.

If you decide to practice your legal right to a judicial review, your Alpha advocate will file a Notice of Appeal for you with the CAVC. This must be done within 120 days after the final decision from the Board of Veterans Appeals was received.

The CAVC Decides the Appeal

The goal of your Alpha advocate is to convince the CAVC to either reverse the BVA decision and grant you benefits, or to send your claim back to the BVA for reconsideration. Once the CAVC reviews all evidence, CAVC will decide the appeal.

There is no fee for Alpha’s legal representation services. If your case is reversed or remanded back to the BVA, the federal government pays for legal fees and expenses under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA). The Advocate’s fee is subject to review by the VA’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC). The VA/OGC generally considers a fee of 20% of the retroactive award as a reasonable payment and we agree. Subject to the review of the OGC, and only if we win an appeal, your Alpha Advocate will be paid a one time fee of 20% of your retroactive award.

The number of cases decided by the CAVC has been steadily climbing. In 2009, the CAVC decided 4,379 cases. In 2010, the CAVC decided over 5,000 cases. Clearly more veterans are challenging VA decisions on their claims. If you are denied benefits, you have the right to fight back.

Note: All representation coordinated by Alpha is provided by our employees, the Advocates, who are accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). No private organization that trains and employs accredited agents has been legally recognized by the VA for the purposes of preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims. This work must be done by the Advocates themselves and not organizations.

Why Hiring Veterans is Good for Business

Connecticut state leaders and private-sector employers gathered together at Alpha National Headquarters in Shelton, Connecticut on Monday, September 26 for a Hire Our Veterans Symposium to discuss why hiring veterans is good for business.

The event was organized and hosted by Alpha, a veterans disability advocacy group. Alpha  has a business model for hiring veterans recognized by state and local leaders as a business success. Over 90 percent of Alpha employees, many of whom are disabled, served in the military. These are veterans from all five branches of the military and who fought in the Vietnam and Gulf Wars, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The event was timely in light of President Obama’s recent introduction of the American Jobs Act that includes a veterans jobs bill to provide more job-training programs for veterans and tax incentives for companies to hire veterans. It includes a “Returning Heroes” tax credit of $2,400 for every short-term hire and $4,800 for every long-term hire, and a Wounded Warriors tax credit that will increase existing tax credits for employers who hire veterans with service-connected disabilities.

Key Takeaways Discussed at the Symposium

All veterans
• $1,500 maximum for 120 hours of work
• $2,400 maximum for 400 hours of work

Disabled veterans
• $3,000 maximum for 120 hours of work
• $4,800 maximum for 400 hours of work

Veterans from families receiving Temporary Assistance benefits
• $9,000 for a two-year combined period

• Veterans are hired at an apprenticeship wage and VR & E supplements the salary and pays for training tools until the veteran has successfully completed training
• VR & E can reimburse employers who hire veterans who have faced obstacles to employment up to 50 percent of a veteran’s salary for up to six months
• VR & E pays for accommodations in the work environment for disabled veterans

A lineup of ten distinguished speakers shared their views on hiring veterans, including State Senator Carlo Leone, Senate Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee, and Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman. Key highlights are below:
 

Senator Carlo Leone Kicks Off the Symposium

The kickoff speaker for the Alpha Hire Our Veterans Symposium was Connecticut State Senator Carlo Leone (D-Stamford, Darien) who also serves as Senate Chair of the General Assembly’s Veterans Affairs Committee. Senator Leone, a U.S. Air Force veteran, met Alpha Vice President Sean Libby at the Connecticut Stand Down in Rocky Hill, Connecticut this September. Leone told symposium attendees that veterans have discipline, are self-sufficient and know how to get the job done. He said veterans have skills that translate across the workforce and that “if you’re looking for workers, please hire veterans first. At the state level, we are working together to come up with ideas to spur job growth. Veterans are an elite force of workers that deserve a chance. I’m here for you [the employer] and for the veterans. It’s really an honor to come here today to support Alpha and all that they’re doing to promote what we all can do for veterans.”

Letter from Congressman Chris Murphy

Stephanie Podewell, district aid to Congressman Chris Murphy representing the 5^th district of Connecticut, spoke on behalf of the Congressman who could not attend. She shared a letter from the Congressman which, in part, said; “Thank you to Alpha Veterans Disability Advocates for organizing this symposium on the benefits of hiring the nation’s highly qualified heroes. Even though veterans are some of the best trained and most skilled Americans, there are one million unemployed. The rate is over 13 percent. As we continue to bring our service men and women home from Iraq and Afghanistan we have worked to change this statistic. I’m glad you have gathered to discuss making a difference. . . I recently conducted a survey of manufacturers in the state and almost all of them say that they either employ veterans or would seriously consider a veteran applicant. These men and women already possess the skills and disciplines required for these types of jobs especially in this time when some employers complain that skilled workers are hard to find . . .”

The Employer’s Perspective

Guest speaker, Dave Lissy, CEO of Bright Horizons said, “We have this adage: ‘We hire for attitude and train for skill.’ We think about people who can develop a passion around their mission; who can work as a member of the team; who can get a job done towards a common goal. Veterans represent that in spades.”

Focus on the Positive: Companies are Hiring

Bill Purcell, president of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce  serving the Connecticut communities of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton, said, “It is striking that there are one million unemployed veterans. That’s not acceptable. If we owe them anything it is to welcome them back home to productive employment . . . I’m encouraged by surveys of manufacturers who say they are doing it [hiring veterans] or intend to do it, but they are waiting for the economy to rebound. I say, stop it! You are the economy. So let’s get things moving today. We have to change the conversation. Focus on the positives in our state and region. Companies are hiring. . . Let’s focus on those stories. The real challenge is to make certain that opportunities are being created and skill sets of returning veterans are matched. Adapt their team-building, leadership, and hands-on skills and apply them to the private sector.  Companies are lean and mean and are trying to come up with unique and creative ways to expand their workforce and productivity. I’m going to learn today about financial incentives to hire veterans and share theses messages with my Chamber colleagues across the state, as well as local employers, that there are advantages, beyond the moral obligation, to hire a returning veteran. “

Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Visits Alpha Symposium

Half way through the speaker presentations, Connecticut’s Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman made a special guest appearance.  Lt. Governor Wyman has a record of many distinguished public-service accomplishments. Among them is what Alpha President Jon Mayhew (photo: left of Lt. Gov.) described as “closest to the hearts of those at Alpha.  In 2007 she sought private donations to create the Wall of Honor Tribute, an annual memorial ceremony in the state Capitol to the Connecticut men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

She called the Alpha Hire Our Veterans Symposium a great opportunity to bring businesses together to “talk about what is out there that would benefit your businesses and at the same time benefit our veterans. . . I went to the Stand Down in Rocky Hill. Seeing 900 veterans, some of them homeless, looking for jobs . . . we have to do something. . . As soon as we can get them working, then we don’t have to worry about homelessness. . . I just wanted to stop by and say thank you to Alpha and to all of you gathered here to show us what we can do to get our veterans working again . . .”

Alpha Business Model Puts Veterans Back to Work

Next on the agenda was Allen Gumpenberger, Alpha’s Directory of Disability Advocacy, who gave an overview of Alpha’s unique On the Job Training Program and how businesses can develop their own training program for their businesses. He said, “The unemployment rate among veterans is outrageous considering the sacrifices veterans have made and the incentives created to encourage employers to recruit and hire veterans. . . I can assure you that you won’t find a more dedicated and motivated group from which to recruit talent. Simply put, veterans make excellent employees . . . When we launched Alpha we made a commitment to employ veterans. We wanted to offer, not just jobs, but career opportunities for veterans, especially disabled veterans. In pursuit of this goal we partnered with the Department of Labor and the Department of Veterans Affairs and together we created a new program to bring in veterans and train them to become independently accredited Veterans Disability Advocates. Today, we employ veterans from all five branches of the military that include veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf Wars, as well as Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. I have been privileged to see their work ethic, their camaraderie, and their commitment to help fellow veterans and drive Alpha’s mission forward.”                                                     

Where Veterans Can Go to Find a Job – How Employers Can Find Them

“Not many people know about us,” said Jason Coppola, a veterans’ employment representative for the Connecticut Department of Labor. “We assist veterans who are unemployed, underemployed, or seeking career changes . . .” Coppola explained all the employment services available to veterans, from resumes to referrals, as well as a database available for employers to find skilled veterans to hire.  “We are passionate about what we do to help veterans. Some of them are here at Alpha,” said Coppola. “Let’s hire veterans into qualified positions and hopefully we’ll have a better economy.”

Alpha’s Apprenticeship Program

Paul Femia, representative from the Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship Training, explained his role in helping Alpha develop its one-year veterans disability advocate training apprenticeship program.  “Alpha has grown into something big.  Alpha hired 17 new apprentices in 16 months. To put that in perspective, we have roughly 500 apprentices statewide and about 2,500 companies and unions. If we could get each of them to hire one apprentice a month, that would be 2,500 new hires. From someone who has been doing this [apprenticeship training] for over 20 years, that’s phenomenal growth.”

Kim Pignatiello, Employment Coordinator for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) said, “My job is to serve disabled veterans. Alpha Disability has hired quite a few of my clients. I thank any employer in this room who is hiring veterans. At least 20 percent of the veterans I work with are looking for jobs in the private sector. It is so important for me to touch base with you.” Pignatiello went on to explain how the VA accommodates employers and supports veterans.

Symposium a Great Success

The Alpha Hire Our Veterans Symposium gave attendees a very unique perspective on the many and varied benefits of hiring veterans, including incentives, tax credits, and resources for locating veterans.  Janna Rahnig, from the Adecco Group, an HR services group that helps people with work and career opportunities, called the Symposium “an incredible experience,” and left feeling invigorated with ideas on how her company can help connect veterans to jobs.

The Symposium concluded with speakers and attendees already looking forward to the next one.

Events of the Alpha Hire Our Veterans Symposium were reported in real-time on Alpha’s Twitter and Facebook pages

Note: All representation coordinated by Alpha is provided by our employees, the Advocates, who are accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). No private organization that trains and employs accredited agents has been legally recognized by the VA for the purposes of preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims. This work must be done by the Advocates themselves and not organizations.