Prevail and Milicruit Link Their Online Platforms to Provide a Veteran Reintegration Resource That Addresses Unemployment

CHICAGO, Feb. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In December, Prevail Health Solutions began the roll-out of a new online program called Vets Prevail (http://www.vetsprevail.org) that assists veterans with reintegration into civilian life.  Separately, Milicruit has created and maintains a 24/7 "Virtual Career Fair" (http://www.veteranscareerfair.com) allowing companies to interact with and recruit veterans looking for jobs in a online environment that delivers the benefits of a traditional career fair without the cost and inconvenience. Last week the leaders of Prevail and Milicruit reached an agreement to provide participants in the Vets Prevail program who are seeking employment with seamless access to the Milicruit platform.

The reintegration challenges of the current generation of veterans returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are well documented. In too many cases, the normal reactions to the stresses of deployment and military service go unaddressed, and veterans fall into patterns of thought and behavior that can lead to mental disorders.  These, in turn, cascade into problems such as unemployment, substance abuse, and domestic violence. 

The Vets Prevail program is a proactive approach to engaging reluctant care seekers and bringing them the support they need, building resilience against mental health issues before they start.  "Veterans are not a charity case, they're a tremendous national resource," said Richard Gengler, CEO of Prevail. "Vets Prevail is about connecting with this group of healthy, hard-working, highly functional individuals and giving them the tools and support they need to stay that way."

One of the most significant challenges veterans face is entering the civilian labor force. Many are failing to make this transition, with an unemployment rate of 11.5% for all veterans of the current conflicts and 21.9% for those who are young males (ages 18-24). Veteran reintegration difficulties and veteran unemployment are inextricably linked, with one often feeding into the other. "We believe you can't have a successful reintegration program without addressing employment, and that is why we are linking Vets Prevail with Milicruit, an organization with a national solution that has proven it can connect veterans with jobs."

Milicruit employs best-in-class virtual meeting and collaboration software to allow employers, veterans and military spouses the opportunity to meet and interact in an online environment no matter where they might be located. "Veterans are looking for work and many of the greatest companies in this country want to hire them," said Kevin O'Brien, CEO of Milicruit. "Milicruit lowers the barriers, making the process of finding and hiring the right veteran talent work better for everyone."

The Vets Prevail and Milicruit partnership creates the nation's most comprehensive online solution targeting the problem of high veteran unemployment. Veterans can engage in an easily accessible and stigma free program, get support and build the mental resilience necessary to succeed in the job market, and meet and interact with recruiters from companies interested in hiring veterans.

About Prevail Health Solutions
Prevail Health Solutions is a Veteran-owned small business founded specifically to help address the mental health issues epidemic among Veterans and Service Members returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Prevail has been working for the last three and a half years with the backing of the National Science Foundation to develop the technology that underlies Vets Prevail.  The ongoing national roll-out of Vets Prevail is being led by Rush University Medical Center, a leading clinical, teaching, and research medical center.

About UBM Studios' Milicruit                      
Milicruit is the recognized leader in virtual recruiting environments for military veterans.  Powered by UBM Studios, Milicruit brings employers who are committed to helping returning veterans find suitable employment together with job-seeking military veterans and their spouses.  Given the large number of veterans looking to reenter the civilian job market, Milicruit allows employers and job seekers to meet and interact in a convenient online setting.  For additional information on Milicruit or to purchase virtual career fair services, visit www.veteranscareerfair.com

About UBM LLC                   
UBM LLC is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print and provide them with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,000 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.

Contacts             
Erica Krutsch              
UBM Studios Milicruit                  
[email protected]                 
773-687-4315

SOURCE UBM Studios