It will link vets to housing, employment, training and other services.

Recognizing the need to connect returning veterans to employment, training and other social services, Maricopa County has created and launched a new Veterans Resources website that will provide access to information about programs and services  offered to veterans by the county, other governmental agencies and community organizations.

www.maricopa.gov/veterans will serve as a single, one-stop clearinghouse to link military veterans to employment, housing, legal, training and education, wellness and other services provided by Maricopa County and federal, state and local governments, as well as community organizations.

The website was created from a constituent contacting West Valley District 4 Supervisor Clint Hickman, who was asked what services were available to veterans. Hickman did some research on the various services, and was surprised at the many programs available, but concluded: “Nobody knows about them.

“We are a customer service organization,” Hickman said. “We have to make sure our citizens find it easy to access the services we and others offer.  The design is simple, but the content is rich. There aren’t any distractions or diversions on the screen. Every click will take users to the information they seek.”

County Manager Tom Manos organized a county task force to develop a website, and, aided by a  $25,000 donation from the Industrial Development Authority of Maricopa County, the website and its content were developed within a  few months.

The website was designed by the county Office of Enterprise Technology.  All five branches of the service are represented and the specific content is organized into five common themes: employment, housing/legal, training  and education, wellness and “Additional Support,” which includes links to other governmental organizations and private and non-profit community organizations. All content can be accessed from the home page in  three different ways.

“This site is very easy to navigate,” Hickman said. “This website will be a valuable tool for military veterans.”

The national unemployment rate for returning veterans hovers near 12 percent, almost twice the national unemployment rate of 7 percent. “Veterans can start by looking at what jobs we have in Maricopa County,” Manos said.

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Please visit www.maricopa.gov/bos for information about each member of the Board of Supervisors.