Disability Employment Challenge:

With returning veterans struggling to transition to the civilian workforce, in 2007, the US Army asked the National Organization on Disability to design a program to address the career needs of the most severely injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Innovation Team:

  • NOD
  • US Army
  • Local veteran and employment organizations in North Carolina, Texas, Pennsylvania and Colorado

Impact:

NOD responded by developing the Wounded Warrior Careers program, through which we piloted a scalable career support model, reported the results, and at the same time, helped nearly 300 veterans and their families successfully reintegrate into their communities.

The extensive body of experience and data accumulated through the Wounded Warrior Careers demonstration provide a solid foundation for helping employers meet their veteran hiring goals. Together with our partners, we’ve distilled key lessons into the following guides for companies seeking to welcome returning veterans and transitioning service members.

Best Practices:

Tips for Managing Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the Workplace

Each workplace is has its challenges for veterans transitioning with TBIs. Job accommodations and productivity support measures can be very effective in bringing their performance up to standards.

Employers' Guide for Welcoming Veterans and Service Members Home

In this guide, we introduce a structure for providing support for veterans in the workplace. Intended as a primer on the basics a veteran’s employment lifecycle, this publication offers suggestions on how to successfully design a veterans’ employment program for your organization.

Wounded Warrior Careers Four-Year Report

NOD releases the results of a four-year evaluation of our Wounded Warrior Careers program, a proven, cost-effective model that successfully places severely wounded veterans into the civilian workforce.

Return to Careers

Learn from our findings about the career interests and support needs of severely injured veterans, particularly those with post-traumatic stress (PTS) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Sponsored by the Institute for Economic Empowerment/AbilityOne at NISH.

Hiring America’s Best

These toolkits offer practical tips and information to companies seeking to build workplaces that are welcoming and supportive for returning veterans and transitioning service members.

Toolkit: Welcoming Service Members and Veterans Home

NOD joined with Give an Hour—an organization that links veterans with mental health services—to produce practical employer guides on how to successfully integrate veterans into your company.

Career Action Planning Guide for Wounded Warriors

The Career Action Planning Guide for Wounded Warriors outlines a process for working with veterans with serious disabilities or wounded warriors as they transition to civilian careers. Career Action Planning is the first of a four step process that together constitute the Intensive Career Transition Support Model™ for veterans with high barriers to career transition developed by the National Organization on Disability.