New Minneapolis-St. Paul Center to Empower Paralyzed Veterans

A new Paralyzed Veterans of America Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling Center, opened Friday, will equip disabled veterans with the tools they need to re-enter the job market following life-altering injuries.

Based at Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in St. Paul, the center, the second of its kind, is being established through an innovative public-private partnership between Paralyzed Veterans of America (Paralyzed Veterans), TriWest Healthcare Alliance, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The first center, established last year and based at Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, is helping dozens of paralyzed veterans achieve their employment goals.

"Paralyzed Veterans works 24/7 to ensure that our veterans with disabilities have access to everything they need to thrive-and a good job is an essential part of being able to thrive," said Paralyzed Veterans National President Randy L. Pleva, Sr. "Thank you TriWest and VA for your partnership in this very exciting project to help empower our paralyzed veterans."

Speakers at today's opening of the new Twin Cities-based center included the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs James B. Peake, the First Lady of Minnesota Mary Pawlenty, TriWest Healthcare Alliance President & CEO David J. McIntyre, Jr., and Paralyzed Veterans of America Deputy Executive Director Maurice L. Jordan.

"Working with the Paralyzed Veterans of America, this center is yet another partnership that recognizes the importance of our veterans," Secretary Peake said. "Providing timely benefits and access to resources to veterans sets the stage for their future success."

"Our veterans have given so much of their life to protect our freedoms," said TriWest President and CEO David J. McIntyre, Jr. "We at TriWest actively recruit and hire veterans, whom I found to be hard-working and dedicated employees. I challenge other major corporations to return the favor and hire veterans, especially those who have participated in the Vocational Rehabilitation Center."

The center will empower paralyzed veterans with the important resources, tools, and skills they need to reintegrate into the job market-while matching them with interested businesses and organizations with vacant positions. Given the unique life experiences of veterans with spinal cord injury-along with the challenges facing people with disabilities seeking employment-a dedicated Paralyzed Veterans' counselor will ensure that each veteran receives the appropriate intensive case management to fully meet his or her career needs.

This is just one way that Paralyzed Veterans of America is helping our veterans. We offer many other programs and services and are open to trying new things. Do you have any suggestions of other ways that we can help our veterans? Please share with us below!

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