CIR Brown Bag: “Veteran Employment & Work Transitions” with Susan Fallon

17 Sep 2012 | posted by Center for Innovation and Research | in CIR News Archive, Past Events

Join CIR on Thursday, September 27, for a Brown Bag session: “Veteran Employment and Work Transitions” with Ms. Susan Fallon. Ms. Fallon will discuss the Veteran Talent Index: Insights and Analysis from Veteran Professionals, Recruiters, and Hiring Managers, published by Monster Insights in May 2012, as well as the challenges that veterans face when transitioning to the civilian workforce. This report is the second of an ongoing series that highlights both the requirements of today’s employers and the needs of transitioning servicemembers, as well as illuminates the gap that is responsible for the high unemployment rate rampant in the veteran population. Monster will track and analyze this gap in a bi-annual Veterans Talent Indices report, to be released around Memorial Day and Veterans Day. These reports will provide insight and recommendations to help both transitioning servicemembers and their employers.

This Brown Bag session will be live-streamed at http://ondemand.usc.edu/SSW/Viewer/?peid=1ca8640421674c63a8c8af7664d20121. Online attendees may participate in the Q&A session by posting their questions to the Facebook event page on the day of the session.

Susan Fallon is Vice President of Business Development for Monster Government Solutions. Susan is responsible for working with government agencies, industry and non-profit organizations to leverage and expand Military.com‘s online community, tools and resources to assist servicemembers, veterans and their families, particularly in the areas of military transition and veteran and spouse employment.

Prior to joining Military.com, Susan served as Senior Director of Corporate Development at the Navy League of the United States where she directed industry partnerships, fundraising and military outreach in support of the League’s work on behalf of the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine. Susan also serves on the National Advisory Board of the USC Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military Families (CIR), the Board of Directors of the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network, as a Trustee of the Wounded Marine Careers Foundation and a Board Member of the Navy League National Capitol Council. She and her pug are also a volunteer Therapy Dog team with Fidos For Freedom. Susan is a graduate of The University of Virginia.

CIR Brown Bag: Dr. Nikola Alenkin Speaks About Veteran Employment

9 Mar 2012 | posted by Center for Innovation and Research | in CIR News Archive, Past Events

Join CIR on Tuesday, April 10, for another session in its Brown Bag Series: “Veteran Employment: Practical Tools and Resources for Providers” with Dr. Nikola Alenkin. Dr. Alenkin will provide an overview of veteran employment and will present on relevant policies and practical resources for providers working with job-seeking veterans. 1.5 CEUs are available for MFTs and LCSWs!

RSVP here!

As of last year, 2.5 million Post-9/11 servicemembers had separated from the armed forces and transitioned into civilian communities. Within these communities, veterans encounter a sluggish economy and high unemployment rates similar to civilians. However, complicating the reintegration process for veterans is the public’s wariness of their mental health status and their ability to succeed in the civilian workforce. Compounding public fears, stories flood the media emphasizing the mental health challenges of the veteran population. In addition to these obstacles, veterans are struggling to translate transferable skills from their military experience to the civilian workplace.

Dr. Nikola Alenkin (Ph.D, LCSW), is currently a part-time lecturer at the University of Southern California School of Social Work. He has over 15 years of direct classroom teaching experience, teaching at all collegiate school levels (community college, and California State University Schools).  His current role as Supervisory Social Worker at the Department of Veterans Affairs provides him the opportunity to supervise clinical and paraprofessional staff and provide direct clinical practice to military veterans.

Dr. Alenkin completed his dissertation research in the area of secondary traumatic stress/compassion fatigue and coping strategies for mental health professionals. He has also completed research in the area of homelessness, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS effected individuals. He is currently part of a studying investigating the impacts of mindfulness practice in relation to stress management and reduction.

UPDATE:  To view this archived seminar, CLICK HERE.