DOL to Launch Site for Employers of Veterans, Others with 'Invisible Wounds'
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao will be a featured speaker at a press conference tomorrow in Washington to unveil a new initiative aimed at helping employers of veterans and others with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), two increasingly common battlefield conditions. The event also will launch the department's "America's Heroes at Work" Web site, which is designed to provide information about TBI and PTSD, as well as tools and guidance on how to implement workplace accommodations and other services that benefit affected individuals, including non-veterans who have experienced traumatic events, such as first responders. A collaborative effort among multiple federal agencies, the initiative aims to reduce employer fears and to encourage the hiring of veterans with invisible wounds of war, DOL said.
In addition to Chao, the event will include experts from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, business leaders committed to hiring those whom DOL refers to as "wounded warriors," and veteran employees with TBI and/or PTSD who have succeeded in the workplace. Here is a synopsis of the event:
WHO: Chao; Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness Dr. David S. C. Chu, U.S. Department of Defense; Deputy Chief Consultant for Mental Health Services Dr. Antonette Zeiss, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Brig. Gen. Loree Sutton, director, Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and TBI; Dr. Shirley Davis, director of diversity and inclusion initiatives, Society for Human Resource Management; Greg Arend, partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP and Ability First founder; and successful veteran employees who have experienced TBI and/or PTSD
WHAT: America's Heroes at Work press conference
WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008, 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. EDT
WHERE: National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor, Washington, D.C.
For more information, contact the Office of Public Affairs at (202) 693-4676.