March 11, 2013

Coming home whole: PTSD doesn't have to end a career

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A few weeks ago, President Obama mentioned in his State of the Union speech that, through the course of this year, 34,000 troops stationed in Afghanistan will be brought back home as part of an overall strategy to remove all combat troops from the region by the end of 2014.

While this is undeniably good news for the families who have waited to see their loved ones who've put their lives on the line, the relatively rapid drawdown over the next two years will put extra pressure on a system that is already struggling to place veterans into new careers -- especially those who have suffered from the scourge of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Unlike many other types of wounds, including traumatic brain injury, that have been rampant in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, PTSD sometimes betrays no physical scars or signs of its presence except in the behavior of its victims. While the effects of PTSD can be devastating -- loss of concentration, irritability, recurring nightmares, anxiety, sleep disorders, panic attacks -- it doesn't have to be a death knell for a returning soldier's civilian career.

Dr. Nathan D. Ainspan, an industrial psychologist with the U.S. Army and author of "When the Warrior Returns: Making the Transition at Home," wrote on the Defense Centers of Excellence website in December about how some nonprofits and corporations are providing services to help PTSD sufferers transition to a rewarding career by making small accommodations for the disability, just like any other condition covered in the Americans With Disabilities Act.

PTSD, Ainspan writes, "may prevent you from carrying out certain duties on the job, but that doesn't diminish what you are capable of doing." He encourages those with PTSD to make a list of their skills and decide what they still can do, rather than focusing on what they can no longer do. "Don't be too quick to limit yourself," he cautions. "Many accommodations exist that will allow you to perform tasks you might not have thought possible."

One of the best places to find information about placement for people with PTSD is the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), which provides free expert guidance on workplace accommodations for those with PTSD and other disabilities. JAN helps people with PTSD to enhance their employability, and also educates employers about how to capitalize on the value and talent of these hard workers.

"In the process of networking and doing informational interviews," Ainspan says, "employers will get to meet you, understand any disabilities and injuries you wish to disclose and, hopefully, see past them to the experience and valuable skills that you can bring to their organization."

For more information on ex-military job recruiting, also consider these valuable resources:

• VetNet. A technology-based effort to help veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses find meaningful employment.


• Fast Track. Sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's "Hiring Our Heroes" program, this service identifies the 100 fastest-growing job markets for veterans in America and the key growth industries in those communities.


• VeteransPlus. A nonprofit that has offered financial counseling to more than 150,000 current and former service members.


• Veterans on Wall Street. An initiative dedicated to facilitating career and business opportunities for former military personnel in the high-pressure financial services industry.

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.

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career change, disabilities, government, military, recruiting, skills, veterans