Professional Knowledge and Abilities
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is a non-profit organization committed to serve the nation’s service-connected disabled veterans, their dependants and survivors. According to Baker (2008), the DAV’s mission is to “advance the interests and work for betterment, of all wounded, injured and disabled American veterans”. The national service program employs National Service Officers (NSO) who represents veterans and their families with claims for benefits from the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and other government agencies.
Apart from providing free services for compensation, pensions, life insurance, home loan guaranty, death and health care benefits, the DAV also works extensively towards vocational training, rehabilitation and quality employment services for the disabled and homeless veterans. DAV offers a broad spectrum of physical and psychological rehabilitation programs as well as research programs to assist the soldiers injured or sickened by war. I served eight years in the US Navy and am now a disabled veteran. Being a part of DAV has helped me lead an independent life.
The DAV, in association with other agencies such as the Department of Labor (DOL) runs numerous programs such as Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VRE), Veterans Employment and Training Services (VETS) and the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) work towards providing training and gainful employment to the wartime disabled veterans of the US. The support provided by the DAV helped me regain self-sufficiency in spite of being disabled. The training, performance management and accountability requirements of the rehabilitation programs are all provided free of cost and are a great help to the veterans in earning a decent livelihood.
After I became a disabled veteran from the US Navy, I became a NSO with the DAV. Becoming a part of the DAV helped me recuperate my sense of achievement and self esteem by getting involved in activities that helped me realize my potential. The specially designed training programs at DAV assisted me and many other disabled veterans like me to obtain professional skills and intensive training to take up jobs in various suitable positions. The benefits assistance programs are designed to prepare officers to work in the claims department either working as claims processors or as trainers and mentors for the new hires.
It takes around two years for new non-rating claims processors to acquire sufficient knowledge and experience to be able to work independently with speed and quality. After I completed the initial orientation training at the home office, that introduced me to software applications and medical terminologies, I was required to attend a two week centralized training course that introduced me to my job responsibilities of a claims processor at the post of Veteran Service Representative (VSR).
I personally feel that the regular on-job trainings via use of on-line learning tools, such as ‘Training and Support System’ helps me in keeping myself updated. In addition to the three phase training, as a VSR I had to undergo eighty hours of annual training on the core technical topics. The training programs are well equipped to keep a check on the performance and accountability of the veterans. After I cleared a skill certification test, I got a promotion.
Such tests and performance evaluation schemes at the DAV ensure the veterans get equal chances of personal accountability and career progression. The greatest challenge for the disabled troops returning to civilian life is finding suitable jobs for themselves. The professional abilities and skills learnt through the training programs emphasize on increasing the employability of the veterans. The comprehensive and ongoing training further ensures the smooth career progression for the employed veterans.
The VRE’s five track employment program aims advance employment opportunities for veterans. The VRE’s independent living programs empower severely disabled veterans to successfully live independently in the society. The employee motivation to perform and excel is supported by the institutional mindset that focuses on optimal work output and quality performance. The professionally conducted training programs at the DAV followed by routine performance enhancement tools equip veterans like me to have an occupation and also look forward to career progression.
? References Baker, K. (2008), Statement of Kerry Baker Associate National Legislative Director of the Disabled American Veterans Before the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity United States House of Representatives, Retrieved on July 28, 2009 from http://www. dav. org/voters/documents/statements/Baker20080619. pdf Disabled American Veterans: Building better lives for America’s disabled Veterans, dav. org, retrieved on July 28, 2009 from http://www. dav. org/veterans/VeteransAffairs. aspx
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