TERMINAL LEAVE AND SRA SERVICEMEN on terminal leave have been asking local United States Employment Service offices whether they are eligible for readjustment allowances. The Veterans' Administration has ruled that such servicemen are not entitled to receive readjustment allowances during terminal leave. The individual must have an official discharge or separation notice before he may be considered for such benefits. However, the serviceman on terminal leave does not have to await discharge to take a civilian job. PASS IT ON! SOLICITORS around the country have been asking people to subscribe for magazines to be sent to patients in veterans hospitals. The Better Business Bureau, to which the matter was reported, says that veterans hospital authorities do not encourage the purchase by the public of subscriptions for publications to be sent to hospitals. The hospitals have their own funds to purchase magazines, and subscriptions are based on popular demand among the patients. USES ASKS EVIDENCE OF DISCHARGE A BILL introduced in Congress and backed by veterans' organizations seeks to curb a growing racket of veteran impersonation by the use of medals and insignia. Penalty provisions carry a fine of $1,000 or 1 year's imprisonment for anyone who manufactures, sells, or wears without authority a serviceman's discharge button or other service medals. All kind of "discharge" insignia are being offered for sale and in many cases no questions asked of the purchaser. In other instances, there is a ready impersonation of veterans by men who never served. The public generally accepts medals and insignia at their face value. USES offices and other public agencies require the "veteran" to prove himself by showing a discharge, or certificate of discharge. BILLBOARD ADVERTISES JOBS THE JOB development program for veterans is being featured in billboard advertising in Omaha, Nebr., as a result of the work of the veterans employment representative of the local USES office in that city. The idea was first discussed with a representative of an outdoor advertising agency who was strong for it. With the assistance of the VER, the advertising man designed a poster to be shown to prospective sponsors. Because of the cost of billboard advertising, the VER 24 was not too optimistic that local advertisers would warm to the proposal. However, its reception has been excellent. As of June 25, several billboards in the city were carrying the "ad." The VER reports that by the middle of September he hopes to have sponsors for about 100 advertisements. HELP ON PERSONAL PROBLEMS THE VETERANS Administration is providing specially trained personal counselors in regional offices to help veterans solve personal problems that are interfering with their education or vocational training. The counselors, all of whom must have had extensive college training in psychology and several years of experience in personal counseling, have three main jobs: When the veteran's problem is a minor one, the counselor will use psychological techniques to help him reach a solution himself. When the problem involves such things as economic difficulties or other needs which the veteran cannot solve alone, the counselor may refer him to such an agency as can give him the help he needs. VA has arranged with the Family Welfare Association of America to send veterans to its member agencies. When the veteran has a serious mental or emotional disturbance, and particularly one with an organic involvement, counselors will refer him to a VA outpatient mental hygiene clinic or other VA medical officers. The personal counselors themselves, VA pointed out, are not medically trained psychiatrists. The service is entirely voluntary on the part of each veteran and is supplementary to the vocational advisement offered by VA to veterans who wish to take college or vocational training. Vocational guidance, VA pointed out, is voluntary for veterans who wish to study under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act (GI bill of rights) but is compulsory for those who wish vocational rehabilitation under the provisions of Public Law 16 (for veterans who have a service-connected disability). Personal counseling is never mandatory. According to Dr. Ira D. Scott, director of the VA Advisement and Guidance Service: "If a man with ability has trouble keeping up with his school work, or can't get along with his fellow workers, or seems to be worried, we are going to try to help him understand and solve his problem. We know he can't do his best work, in school or on the job, when personal worries are on his mind." Employment Service Review TH HIS IS the official "Trademark" of the Selective Placement Program, scheduled to come out of its wrappings in time for National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week, October 6-12, 1946. The "Trademark" was designed by Bartholomew R. Valosio and Henry Bausili, Jr., two Washington artists. The "Trademark" was a "labor of love" for these two men. It was executed as their contribution to the handicapped of the Nation and represents their faith in the purpose of our program to assist in securing economic independence for the disabled. The "Trademark" with its slogan, "Hire the handicapped-it's good business," was designed for year-round use. Whereas it will naturally be emphasized during the "Week," it should be used where possible throughout the year. It should be effective in local newspaper advertising, magazine covers and ads, leaflets and pamphlets. Other uses should be exploited to full advantage, such as rubber stamping of outgoing local office mail, use in displays, and so on. Other agencies and organizations should be stimulated to use it. U. S. EMPLOYMENT SERVICE-DEPARTMENT OF LABOR UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR UNITED STATES EMPLOYMENT SERVICE WASHINGTON 25, D. C. The EMPLOYMENT SERVICE REVIEW is published under authority of Public Resolution No. 57, approved May 11, 1922 (42 Stat. 541) as amended by Section 307, Public Act 212, Seventy-second Congress, approved June 30, 1932, with approval of the Director, Bureau of the Budget. The EMPLOYMENT SERVICE REVIEW is a publication of the U. S. Employment Service, United States Department of Labor, and is prepared in the Reports and Analysis Division. Distributed without charge to personnel of the U. S. Employment Service, it may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C., for 10 cents a copy or $1 for a year's subscription (for countries other than the United States, Canada, or Mexico, the subscription price is $1.40 a year). Expressions of opinion in articles published in the REVIEW are those of the authors and are not to be construed as official opinions of the U. S. Employment Service. If you have been encountering difficulty with employers who object to hiring disabled workers because of higher insurance rates" read the article by an official of the Association of Casualty and Surety Executives. It is a story to read, to remember, and to take with you when visiting employers during National Employ the Physically "Eyes" for the Seeing BEHIND the reception desk of the Harrison office of the United States Employment Service for New Jersey is Leonard E. Shelhamer, sightless veteran of World War II. From morning till closing time, job seekers, ex-servicemen, and employers who are a part of this community of more than 100,000 receive, with military exactness and courtesy, the answers to their inquiries and direction into our stream of service. Shelhamer was honorably discharged after 4 years of service as a member of a demolition squad of the 79th Division. He was injured when a time mechanism exploded prematurely as he was about to demonstrate preparation of a land mine before a newly arrived division. Beside losing his sight, he also suffered the loss of his left hand to the elbow, his thumb and third and fourth fingers of his right hand, and an impairment to the hearing of both ears. This latter is corrected by use of a hearing aid. As manager of this office, I am interested in the full productivity of each member of my staff in our service to the public. Pity or sympathy play no part in the evaluation of the type of service rendered by any local office employee. Our blind receptionist is no excep tion. Less than 1 week of orientation and on-the-job training was necessary for Shelhamer to "learn the ropes" of reception work. For him, "learning the ropes" entailed numberless hours of evening study of the various forms, route slips, registration cards, identification cards, unemployment compensation coupon booklets, and the like. Here, yeoman duty was performed by his wife. In order to keep abreast of the facts published in bulletins and instructions, the Shelhamer residence becomes the scene of conferences and discussions each night. Bulletins are read by Mrs. Shelhamer while notes in Braille are made of the highlights by "Lennie." As a result, Shelhamer is today one of the better (Continued on p. 6) |