Employers Seek Talented Veterans to Fill Administration, Business and Management Jobs Nationwide During Detroit VA for Vets Hiring Fair
Hertz Corp., Prudential Financial, Service Express Inc. and Target among Employers Hiring for Multiple Openings
WASHINGTON (June 22, 2012) – The Department of Veterans Affairs continues to register public and private sector employers with open positions for its upcoming Veteran Hiring Fair, June 26-28 at Detroit’s Cobo Center. The event is free for Veterans and employers due to a sponsorship from VA for Vet (http://vaforvets.va.gov), VA’s flagship program setting new standards in Veteran employment for the public and private sectors.
“VA is pleased to be partnering with these employers to provide thousands of jobs to Veterans in Michigan and across the country. We encourage Veterans to sign up today,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.
Veterans with experience or interest in general administration and management careers are encouraged to review the positions listed by Hertz Corp., Prudential Financial, Service Express Inc (SEI), and Target.
Hertz is hiring business managers and administrators nationwide, while Prudential is hiring financial associates in Michigan. SEI is hiring account executives, sales managers and billing specialists in multiple states. Target seeks team leaders for management roles in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
VA is hosting three major events at Detroit’s Cobo Center June 26-28: The VA for Vets Hiring Fair, the Veteran Open House, and the National Veterans Small Business Conference and Expo. The events are expected to attract thousands of Veterans, business owners and federal employees, with an economic impact estimated at $11 million for the city.
More than 24,000 federal and private-sector job openings across the country will be available at the free Veteran Hiring Fair June 26-28. Approximately 4,000 of those will be in the local area, with 3,000 in the private sector and 1,000 in the public sector.
VA will bring together partners like the First Lady’s Joining Forces initiative and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, along with private sector companies, during the fair. Not only will the fair provide Veterans an opportunity to showcase their skills to potential employers, it will also assist Veterans with resume preparation, interview techniques and career coaching.
VA hosted a similar event Jan. 18 in Washington, D.C., which attracted over 4,100 Veterans and resulted in over 2,600 on-the-spot interviews and more than 500 tentative job offers.
The Open House gives Veterans and their families the chance to find out about the wide range of financial and health care benefits, services and resources that are available from federal, state and community agencies. Veterans can conveniently enroll in VA care, sign up for MyHealtheVet, and get their questions answered face to face.
The National Veterans Small Business Conference and Expo is the premier government event for Veteran-owned businesses. Last year’s conference in New Orleans drew almost 5,000 attendees, and more than 6,000 participants are expected this year. VA will provide Veteran-owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-owned businesses with a wide range of information to help them maximize opportunities in the federal workplace.
Known historically as the world’s capital for the transportation industry, the Detroit metro area is reinventing itself with six booming industries: medical research, defense, entertainment, green tech, urban farming, and aeronautics. About 330,000 Veterans are served by the city’s VA medical center, and more than 704,000 Veterans live in Michigan.
VA invites all interested persons and businesses to attend. More information about the small business conference is available at www.nationalveteransconference.com. Information and registration for the hiring fair is available at www.VAforVets.VA.Gov/Detroit.
From: VA Public Affairs
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2012 11:59 AM
New Mental Health Center at VA Palo Alto Health Care System Opens
WASHINGTON (June 25, 2012)– The Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Robert Petzel joined Veterans, staff and congressional representatives on June 22 to open a state-of-the-art, 80-bed acute mental health center at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System.
“This new facility will ensure that California’s Veterans continue to have access to high-quality mental health care that they earned through their service to our Nation,” said Petzel. “This is a priority for the American people. It’s a priority for the Department of Veterans Affairs. And there is nothing more important to me than making sure America’s Veterans receive the health care and services they need and deserve.”
The new center, on the Palo Alto campus, will provide a continuum of mental health services, from inpatient to outpatient, with an additional research component. The 90,000 square-foot facility will house four units, each with 20 inpatient acute psychiatric beds. The project also includes outdoor enclosed gardens for the patients, a separate mental health research and office pavilion and a utility building to service the complex. Most rooms are private, with some semi-private, and all have private bathrooms.
“This new facility is like day and night to the current one,” said Christopher Hurt, 25, an Iraq War combat Veteran and patient. “I’ve heard other people say they’ve never seen a facility this nice. It’s bright, airy and just makes the healing process so much nicer. It even has a work-out room and basketball court. I love it.”
The building's therapeutic design and healing environments were the result of collaboration with clinicians and considering the perspective of the Veterans who will receive care in the facility. Features to enhance the treatment of Veterans can be found throughout the project, including patient access to landscaped gardens, ample use of natural light in all internal patient and staff areas, views to landscaped areas from all patient bedrooms, color, texture and material palettes selected to aid in the healing process. To view the VA Palo Alto Mental Health Center visit http://www.paloalto.va.gov/construction_mhc.asp.
Last year, VA provided quality, specialty mental health services to 1.3 million Veterans. Since 2009, VA has increased the mental health care budget by 39 percent. Since 2007, VA has seen a 35 percent increase in the number of Veterans receiving mental health services, and a 41 percent increase in mental health staff.
In April, as part of an ongoing review of mental health operations, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced VA would add approximately 1,600 mental health clinicians as well as nearly 300 support staff to its existing workforce of 20,590 to help meet the increased demand for mental health services. The additional staff would include nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers.
A welcoming home for our Troops.
