Web-based compilation of more than 10,000 listings designed to aid transition to civilian life

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has joined with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to launch a Web-based National Resource Directory to help wounded warriors identify resources available to assist them in transitioning back to civilian life.

“It is exciting to have the National Resource Directory included in DisabilityInfo.gov, the federal government’s one-stop site for disability-related information. This directory is valuable for our returning wounded warriors and their positive reintegration back into mainstream American life,” said Neil Romano, assistant secretary for the Labor Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.

The National Resource Directory is available at http://www.nationalresourcedirectory.org and encompasses more than 10,000 services and resources from federal, state and local governmental agencies; veteran service and benefit organizations; nonprofit community-based and faith-based organizations; academic institutions, professional associations and philanthropic organizations. Information is organized into six categories: benefits and compensation; education, training and employment; family and caregiver support; health; housing and transportation; and services and resources. It also provides helpful checklists, frequently asked questions and connections to peer support groups. All information on the Web site can be found through a general or state and local search tool.

The directory is designed to serve the needs of care coordinators, providers and support partners with resources for wounded, ill and injured service members; veterans and their families; families of the fallen and those who support them.

“The National Resource Directory will prove to be a valuable tool for wounded, ill and injured service members and their families as they wind their way through the maze of benefits and services available to them in their transition to civilian life. The Department of Labor is pleased to have the opportunity to work with our partners at the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.” said Charles S. Ciccolella, assistant secretary for the Labor Department’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS).

November is Warrior Care Month. The Departments of Labor, Defense and Veterans Affairs, along with other federal agencies, also collaborate on America’s Heroes at Work, which focuses specifically on the employment challenges of returning service members living with traumatic brain injury and/or post-traumatic stress disorder. Additionally, the Labor Department’s VETS offers REALifelines, which provides individualized job training, counseling and re-employment services to veterans seriously injured or wounded in the War on Terrorism. More information about these projects is available at http://www.americasheroesatwork.gov and http://www.dol.gov/vets/REALifelines.