Rhode Island veterans office cites hiring gains, cemetery expansion and $5.7 million refund in annual briefing to Senate committee

Director Kasimian, director of the Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services, told the Senate Committee on Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs on the agency’s annual briefing that a recent hiring push and career fair have put the Veterans Home on track to fill vacancies, enable immediate placements from its wait list and improve service delivery across the agency.

Kasiman said the office had 37 applicants at a two‑day career fair for roughly 30 openings and that, as a result of subsequent hiring activity and collaboration with the Department of Labor and Training, state human resources and Council 94, the agency expects to fill its remaining vacancies within weeks. "With the new hires, we have anticipate the ability to open our vacant Alpha 2 neighborhood within the 30 to 60 days. This means to bring on 20 veterans immediately off the waitlist and into our care," Kasimian said.

The hiring work, Kasimian said, included outreach to local training programs and interstate recruitment after Rhode Island adopted nurse reciprocity changes. He told the committee the office expanded wages in October to improve competitiveness for licensed practical nurses and other roles.

Kasiman also reported a completed corrective action that refunded $5,700,000 to 30 veterans and surviving family members for an earlier overcharge related to service‑connected maintenance fees. "A total of $5,700,000 were refunded. That that impacted 30 veterans overall," he said.

On cemetery…