Federal-Level Injured Servicemember Programs David M. Paschane, Ph.D.

DOD’s programs for severely injured1 GWOT2 servicemembers are evolving, and this creates multiple paths of assistance. Currently, no single entity manages a total roster of injured servicemembers and captures servicemembers’ requests for assistance and their experiences with processes of rehabilitation, stabilization, and preparation for either military readiness or career readiness as a civilian. There are currently seven medical hold centers3 with 1,580 patients as of February 2007. Transition Assistance Program Before separation, DOD, DOL, and VA provide a Transition Assistance Program that includes on-line information and in-person workshops, with counseling for disabled servicemembers. The objective is to introduce servicemembers to concepts in resume writing, job searches, and job interviews. The program has been upgraded to include a contemporary website, TurboTap.org, with links to career-seeking search engines. The product is designed by Military.com (leading online servicemember information provider and peer-to-peer network) Service Branches Each of the military services has an independent program for providing information and advocacy to connect servicemembers to direct services. According to their respective estimates in March 2007, they have assisted 2,200 marines, 1,500 soldiers, 129 airmen, and 115 sailors. The total count of 3,944 servicemembers is not linked to the count in medical hold centers. U.S. Army’s Army Wounded Warrior Program

Army Wounded Warrior Program is an information provider and advocate for severely injured GWOT soldiers and their families. They provide on-line information links, and phone service by contractors, 8:00 – 7:00 EST, Monday - Friday. They also provide face-to face services where available. The primary service is early and easy connection to service providers for education, training, and job placement; VA benefits and other entitlements; medical; and family

1 The definition of severely injured is not universal. 2 VA defines Global War on Terror as serving active duty since October 1, 2001; the definition is not universal. 3 National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda; National Naval Medical Center, San Diego; Brooke Army Medical Center; Fort Carson Evans Army Hospital; Madigan Army Medical Center; Tripler Army Medical Center; and Walter Reed Army Medical Center

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assistance. The client can use an internal job board that connects to employers interested in hiring severely injured soldiers. Eligibility is limited to those with a 30% disability rating from the Army or loss of limb, loss of vision or blindness, spinal cord injury or paralysis, permanent disfigurement, severe burns, traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, of conditions requiring extensive hospitalizations or multiple surgeries. Point of contact is Colonel Mary Carstsen, 703-325-4530.

U.S. Marine Corps’ Marine for Life Injured Support

Marine for Life Injured Support is a component of Marine for Life Program and it is an information provider and advocate for severely injured GWOT marines (and sailors injured while serving with marines) and their families. They provide on-line information materials, and phone or face-to-face (Hometown Link) service by marine reservists employed as consultants, 7:30 – 4:30 EST, Monday - Friday. The priority for face-to-face service is for marines in a transition period, defined as 180 days before to 90 days after end of their active duty service date. The primary service is early and easy connection to service providers for education, training, and job placement; VA benefits and other entitlements; medical; and family assistance. Through the Marine for Life Program the client can access a career network and search for career mentors. Point of contact is Colonel Timothy Frank (located at VA), 202-273-7841.

U.S. Navy’s Navy Safe Harbor

Navy Safe Harbor program is an information provider and advocate for severely injured GWOT sailors and their families. They are a partner organization of Marine for Life Injured Support. They provide on-line information links, and phone service by civilian employees of active duty personnel, 7:00 – 4:30 EST, Monday - Friday. They also provide face-to face services where available, focused on those with 30% or more disability rating from the Navy. The primary service is early and easy connection to service providers for education, training, and job placement; VA benefits and other entitlements; medical; and family assistance. Through the Marine for Life Program (where sailors are injured while serving with marines) the client can access a career network and search for career mentors. They encourage active duty retention. Point of contact is Tommy Yavorski, 703-695-5056.

U.S. Air Force’s Air Force Palace HART (Helping Airmen Recover Together)

Air Force Palace HART is an information provider and advocate for severely injured GWOT airmen and their families. They provide face-to face services for up to five years.

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The primary service is early and easy connection to service providers for education, training, and job placement; VA benefits and other entitlements; medical; and family assistance. They encourage active duty retention. Point of contact is Naomi Vernon, 210-565-2055.

Secretary of Defense Office of the Secretary of Defense (Community and Family Policy)

OSD operates the Military Severely Injured Center (MSIC), which provides information and referrals to services, with contracted support through Ceridian. MSIC reports they have assisted 8,582 servicemembers to date. MSIC sponsors the Operation Warfighter program, which has facilitated temporary work assignments for 185 servicemembers (41 current), with 48 pending program entrance. The MSIC location includes staff from other agencies. DOL’s REALifelines program operates through MSIC, with three DOL employees who make referrals to regional staff, staff at medical hold centers, and staff at 3,500 state-run DOL offices. The program has assisted 2,849 servicemembers with job strategies. VA has one person at the MSIC who makes referrals to VA programs. Point of contact is Commander Dave Julian, 703-908-6236 or Barbara Goodwin, 703-908-6254

Office of the Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

OSD operates America Supports You (ASY), which is a public relations organization created to communicate to GWOT servicemembers the supportive actions by American citizens and organizations. ASY registers non-profit organizations, 70 of the 50 are listed as helping wounded servicemembers. The primary services are providing logos for promotional events, reporting about events on-line, providing on-line feedback by servicemembers, and creating a virtual, unofficial team of non-profit organizations. DOD does not endorse the organizations that register with links on the website. ASY lists 150 organizations, with 70 organizations under “help for the wounded.” Organizations range in their scope and effect, for example: The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes is a direct provider of financial and career services to severely injured4 GWOT servicemembers and their families. They are a non-profit organization that raises funds form individual and corporate donors. The primary services are direct funding of housing and emergency financial relief; funding and volunteers to adapt homes to accommodate wheelchair-bound and

4 The definition of severely injured is not universal.

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blind veterans; and a Career Network Program that provides career counseling and job search assistance, job shadowing and mentoring, and online training through Skillsoft. The Coalition has conducted three Road to Recovery Conferences where they provide all expense paid trips for clients to attend networking and workshop events. The estimated number of Service members served is 3,798. Point of contact is Raymond Clifford, 914-432-5400. Homes for Our Troops is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to severely injured GWOT servicemembers by building new homes or adapting their existing home for handicap accessibility at no cost to the veteran. The primary service is the coordination of the home building or home modification process at all levels. Volunteers donate funds, building materials, and professional services to support this program. The estimated number of servicemembers served is 23. Point of contact is John Gonsalves, 508-823-3300.

Center for the Intrepid

The leading rehabilitation service for amputees is the Center for the Intrepid, which was funded through private donations. The Center for the Intrepid (CFI) is a four-story 65,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art physical rehabilitation facility with clinical, research, and administrative space. The medical care is under the direction of Dr. Mark Bagg (210-916-7846), Chief of the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC). The CFI Program Manager is Dr. Rebecca Hooper (210-916-4108), and the Medical Director is Dr. Jennifer Menetrez (210-916-0306). Staffing is primarily from BAMC offices. At the CFI, VA has two physical therapists providing services, two VHA representatives, and one VBA representative. CFI rehabilitates servicemembers with severe extremity injuries and amputations, disabled in operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other combat and non-combat related duties. The goal is to maximize the ability to live and work productively. Since 2003, DOD has made rehabilitation of servicemembers with amputations part of its mission. As of March 2007, Brooke Army Medical Center has treated 134 OEF/OIF amputees and Walter Reed Medical Center has treated 435 OEF/OIF amputees. The current count of outpatients at CFI is 69 active duty and 5 medically retired. There are an estimated 13 inpatients in the BAMC Amputee Services who may transfer to CFI at a later date. No estimates are available on the demand for CFI services among the estimated total of 569 OEF/OIF amputees. The CFI construction cost of $50 million was provided through 600,000 private contributions to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes fund. The Intrepid Foundation supports fund raising for both CFI and Fisher House. The CFI is near the recently built Fisher Houses III and IV, which can serve 21 families. The official dedication of CFI and the Fisher Houses was January 29, 2007. Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund continues to accept donations to provide additional services to the CFI, which may include

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facilities for patients' children, additional medical equipment and supplies, and fund medical research. BAMC provides the current CFI operating budget. The CFI advanced computer assisted rehabilitation environment includes a gait lab, pool with a Flowrider wave machine, indoor running track, two-story climbing wall, prosthetic fabrication lab, activities of daily living apartment, voice recognition computer workstation, driving simulator, and firearms training simulator. The CFI provides outdoor programs, including horseback riding, paint-ball, golf, swimming, snow skiing, water skiing, track and field, basketball, volleyball, fencing, archery, shooting, kayaking and scuba diving. The CFI includes a behavioral medicine service that works with patients to maximize their potential for emotional, mental, spiritual and physical recovery.

Department of Labor

DOL provides the Recovery and Employment Assistance Lifelines (REALifelines) program. REALifelines is an information provider and advocate for severely injured GWOT servicemembers and their families. The program is largely operated by three staff located at the Military Severely Injured Center (OSD). They provide referrals to DOL and other programs, and use a network of regional staff, staff at seven medical hold centers, and state employees at 3,500 DOL-funded One Stop Career Centers (generally located in unemployment offices). The primary service is assessments and counseling for training and job placement, referrals to DOL veteran representatives, guidance on legal rights pertaining to past employers and workplace accommodations, and information about VA benefits and other entitlements. DOL promotes veterans to employers through its HireVetsFirst marketing campaign. The campaign asks employers to find veterans through DOL’s One Stop Career Centers. The campaign promotes veterans as employee candidates through a list of general attributes: 1. Accelerated learning curve. Veterans have the proven ability to learn new skills and concepts. In addition, they can enter your workforce with identifiable and transferable skills, proven in real-world situations. This background can enhance your organization's productivity. 2. Leadership. The military trains people to lead by example as well as through direction, delegation, motivation, and inspiration. Veterans understand the practical ways to manage behaviors for results, even in the most trying circumstances. They also know the dynamics of leadership as part of both hierarchical and peer structures. 3. Teamwork. Veterans understand how genuine teamwork grows out of a responsibility to one's colleagues. Military duties involve a blend of individual and

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group productivity. They also necessitate a perception of how groups of all sizes relate to each other and an overarching objective. 4. Diversity and inclusion in action. Veterans have learned to work side by side with individuals regardless of diverse race, gender, geographic origin, ethnic background, religion, and economic status as well as mental, physical, and attitudinal capabilities. They have the sensitivity to cooperate with many different types of individuals. 5. Efficient performance under pressure. Veterans understand the rigors of tight schedules and limited resources. They have developed the capacity to know how to accomplish priorities on time, in spite of tremendous stress. They know the critical importance of staying with a task until it is done right. 6. Respect for procedures. Veterans have gained a unique perspective on the value of accountability. They can grasp their place within an organizational framework, becoming responsible for subordinates' actions to higher supervisory levels. They know how policies and procedures enable an organization to exist. 7. Technology and globalization. Because of their experiences in the service, veterans are usually aware of international and technical trends pertinent to business and industry. They can bring the kind of global outlook and technological savvy that all enterprises of any size need to succeed. 8. Integrity. Veterans know what it means to do "an honest day's work." Prospective employers can take advantage of a track record of integrity, often including security clearances. This integrity translates into qualities of sincerity and trustworthiness. 9. Conscious of health and safety standards. Thanks to extensive training, veterans are aware of health and safety protocols both for themselves and the welfare of others. Individually, they represent a drug-free workforce that is cognizant of maintaining personal health and fitness. On a company level, their awareness and conscientiousness translate into protection of employees, property, and materials. 10. Triumph over adversity. In addition to dealing positively with the typical issues of personal maturity, veterans have frequently triumphed over great adversity. They likely have proven their mettle in mission critical situations demanding endurance, stamina, and flexibility. They may have overcome personal disabilities through strength and determination. The estimated number of servicemembers served through REALifelines is 2,849. The estimated number of servicemembers served through DOL-funded state employees is 4,289, and of these 73% entered employment and 63% reached a 6-month retention, with an average hourly wage rate of $12.76 and an average cost per placement of $2,693 (3/16/07 DOL memo). Point of contact is Ron Drach, 202-693-4749.

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Department of Veterans Affairs

VA provides educational and vocation counseling (Chapter 36) for servicemembers (6 months before separation) and veterans (12 months after separation). The services are contracted to vendors who conduct testing and career planning. If VA determines the veteran meets specific disability requirements, the veteran can also enroll in a vocational rehabilitation and employment program that provides career counseling and funding for training and associated expenses. The program is promoted through a webpage, vetsuccess.gov. Over 50,000 veterans are trainees through the vocational and employment program. Outcomes are not fully reported to the public.