Veteran's Employment and Training Resources
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Resources
The National Center for PTSD
The center of excellence for research and education on the
prevention, understanding, and treatment of PTSD. Our
Center has seven divisions across the country. Although we
provide no direct clinical care, our purpose is to improve
the well-being and understanding of American Veterans. We
conduct cutting edge research and apply resultant findings
to advance the science and promote understanding of
traumatic stress. The National Center for PTSD does not
provide direct clinical care or individual referrals; we do
provide links and information to help you locate VA and
other mental health services in your area. Each VA medical
Center has mental health specialists. To find the one
nearest you, visit the US Department of Veterans Affairs'
Facility
Locator
web page.
America's Heroes at Work
A U.S. Department of Labor project that addresses the
employment challenge of service members living with
Traumatic Brain Injury and/or Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder. Designed for employers and the workforce
development system, this website 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. For more information, visit America's Heroes at
Work website.
Military OneSource
Military OneSource is a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week, toll-free
information and referral telephone service available
worldwide to active duty, Reserve, and National Guard
military members and their families. Military OneSource is
the parent program or umbrella over the Army, Navy, Air
Force and MCCS OneSource programs. Military OneSource
provides information ranging from everyday concerns to
deployment-related issues. Also, Military OneSource offers
three kinds of short-term, nonmedical counseling services
to active-duty, Guard, and Reserve members (regardless of
activation status) and their families. In addition,
Military OneSource offers a website for information on a
variety of topics and issues, to order educational
materials (booklets, CDs, etc.) at no charge and access
consultants on-line. Registration is not required in order
to call into the service. If you go online, you will be
required to become a member, or personalize the website.
This is a brief, one-time process that will not require you
to disclose personal information other than your branch of
service and Unit/Location. As a member of the Military
OneSource community, you have access to all of the great
resources offered to nonmembers, and you will have access
to the entire website and all content. You will also be
able to subscribe to our many newsletters designed for
specific interests, such as Parenting, Single Military
Life, and Healthy Living. For more information, visit the
Military OneSource
website.
New York Head Injury Association's Traumatic Brain Injury Training and Military Veteran's Services Project
Recent statistics from the U.S. Army indicate that as many
as 20% of U.S. troops are returning from Operation Enduring
Feedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom with symptoms of a brain
injury. In fact, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is called the
"signature injury" of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. If
you were exposed to a blast, were in a vehicle crash, or
had your head hit or jolted while you were deployed, you
might have a brain injury. Many troops may not know that
they have an injury or that treatment is available, and it
may be months before symptoms of a brain injury begin to
appear. A recently released Army task force report noted
"major gaps" in identifying and treating traumatic brain
injuries in service members. Together with individuals and
agencies across New York State, the Brain Injury
Association of New York State is working to build awareness
about combat-related traumatic brain injury and its impact
on our returning military. The Association has collaborated
with the New York State Department of Health to raise
awareness about TBI in the military. The Traumatic Brain
Injury Training and Military Veteran's Services Project is
a resource for providers and families as they seek to
understand the symptoms of and treatment for TBI.
Information and support is provided to military personnel
returning to New York State from Iraq and Afghanistan and
their families. In addition, the Assocation offers training
about traumatic brain injury to civilian and military
service providers. We continuously reach out to individuals
and organizations who are already within the network of TBI
service providers to encourage collaboration with veterans'
programs. If you or a family member served in Operation
Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom and were
injured while you were deployed, we want to hear from you.
For more information, visit The Traumatic
Brain Injury Training and Military Veterans Services
Project website.
Veterans for America (VFA)
VFA, also known as Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation
(VVAF), is an advocacy and humanitarian organization that
"...addresses the causes, conduct, and consequences of
war". The primary mission of VFA is to ensure that our
country meets the needs of service members and veterans who
have served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). VFA focuses specifically on
the signature wounds of these conflicts: psychological
traumas and traumatic brain injuries. For more information,
visit the Veterans for
America website.
Veterans for America's Wounded Warrior Outreach Program (WWOP)
WWOP addresses the staggeringly high levels of
psychological and neurological injuries experienced by
today's troops and the lack of resources and programs to
provide much-needed assistance. WWOP's team of Service
member Liaisons, compose of Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans, visits military
installations across the country and works one-on-one with
returning troops who are suffering from psychological and
mild, difficult to detect, neurological combat injuries.
For more information, visit the Wounded Warrior
Project website.
New York State Division of Veterans' Affairs
As a Veteran living in New York State, you may be eligible
for a variety of economic, medical and social benefits,
including compensation, health care, vocational
rehabilitation and training, tuition assistance for higher
education, and real property tax exemptions. These
benefits, however, are not automatic, you must apply for
them. In New York State, the Division of Veterans' Affairs
along with county and city Veterans service agencies are
ready to assist you in determining your options or applying
for a specific benefit. Toll-free number - 1-888-VETS NYS
(1-888-838-7697) - will link you to the NYS Division of
Veterans' Affairs counseling office nearest you. This
information is also available on the New York State Division of
Veterans Affairs
website. To locate the VA Medical Center or Community based
out-patient clinic neareat you, visit the US Department of
Veterans Affairs'
New York web page.