America Supports You: Holistic Support Helps Wounded Vets Reintegrate

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

July 16, 2008 - Wounded veterans and their families looking for help reentering civilian life can turn to an organization in Huntsville, Ala., that takes a holistic approach to that task. "Still Serving Veterans" enables and empowers wounded veterans and their families by helping them reintegrate into the work force and community via counseling, coaching, guiding, job transition, and assistance in obtaining all Veterans Affairs benefits to which they are entitled, Werner W. Baker, the organization's executive director, said.

This holistic approach begins with a case manager, who documents individual needs, desires, abilities and limitations of the veteran or spouse, Baker explained. Those notations help case managers offer career development guidance and determine any other needed courses of action.

"We work with other organizations ... to help provide and coordinate our services to veterans," Baker said. "We also seek out grants in the accomplishment of these efforts."

Since the organization's start in 2006, Still Serving Veterans has worked with more than 500 veterans and families in need of counseling, job development, training and employment, with priority given to severely wounded veterans. All of those services have been provided at no cost to the participants.

Still Serving Veterans is a new supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

The organization hopes this affiliation will help spread the word. "[The hope is it] will allow Still Serving Veterans more visibility across the nation, thus having more veterans in need of services avail themselves [of our] services," Baker said.