Welcome Home: Current Military Pre and Post Separation and

Transition Protocol

In the military community transition from soldier to civilian is discrete and fails to adequately provide veterans the requisite information and resources needed to successfully reintegrate and thrive in civilian society. The products of this failure present clear hazards to both the public at large and the military veteran community.

Statistics Statistics reported by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics: !•The military produces approximately 300k veterans each year •Reports in 2012 indicated over 3.5 million veterans with service connected disabilities. •VA estimates $40 billion dollars in expenditures for service connected disability payments annually •30% of Post 9/11 veterans use the VA as their primary source of healthcare •Only 36% of all veterans received care from VA in FY08 study •Less than 9 million veterans are enrolled in VA healthcare programs •Less than 15% of veterans 18-30 who are not enrolled in VA services are knowledgeable of services •The Department of Housing and Urban Development estimate approximately 57,849 homeless veterans are on the street on any given night

•VA statistics show veteran suicide rates at nearly 22 per day •A Disabled American Veterans study reports that nearly 50% of veterans suffer from PTSD and co-occurring mental health issues

Before a soldier returns to the United States from a combat zone they are screened by a mental healthcare provider for indications of potential PTSD symptoms. A digital survey is conducted using a National Center for PTSD assessment tool to evaluate the potentiality for PTSD among individual veterans. Once the soldiers’ deployment orders have been fulfilled they will return to the United Stated to conduct a comprehensive demobilization healthcare screening. Depending on how the individual soldier conducted their pre-demobilization screening the intensity of the follow PTSD screening can vary. Essentially it is the responsibility of the soldier to answer as truthfully and accurately as possible. If the soldier is unaware of how to articulate their mental and emotional health the quality of the assessment may suffer resulting in insufficient care. Additionally, the soldier is made aware that if they are not cleared by the health screening professionals, they will not be permitted to return to the station of origin with their unit until they are cleared; they will not be allowed to return to their family as expected. As a result many soldiers fail to accurately report conditions of their health so that they can return to their homes as quickly as possible.

From Battlefield to Backyard; Getting Home

A lack of education regarding available state and federal resources on top of the severance of a powerful support system is the cardinal factor in the systemic degradation of not only VA programs but also the veteran population’s experience of the program. The result of which not only propagates a general dissatisfaction of the VA system but it dissuades veterans from trying to further access benefits for fear of rejection or dissatisfaction. Currently it is the military’s position to offer its soon-to-be veterans a one week educational program - Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for the Navy, Marine Corp and Air Force and the Army Career Alumni Program (ACAP) for the Army - which at best offers a resume writing workshop, an interview skills session, a brief overview of veterans benefits (aka-service members are issued the VA benefits guide handbook), and the opportunity to enlist in a reserve or guard force. • Department of Defense transition services offer very little real-life support and leave the soon to be veteran poorly equipped to

respond to the stressors of civilian life and reintegration. !• Incentives are placed on enlistment into National Guard and reserve forces which inhibits veterans from fully embracing civilian

transition practices leading to continued alienation and stress. !• Transition training takes approximately 40 hours if spread over the course of five days and is offered during a time when the

individual is faced with an enormous amount of responsibility to make decisions regarding their transition to the civilian world. !• Due to the mandated timing of transition services - as soon as 1 year and as late as 90 days prior to separation - the ability of the

individual to afford the mental space to absorb the material they’re being given as well as their ability to ask critical and constructive questions is drastically impacted. !

• Though the Department of Defense does recognize that reintegration is essential to the transitioning soldier they do not, however, have a uniform definition of reintegration and therefore prescribe a one-size-fits-all program that offers a broad and vague catch-all curriculum.

Shortcomings in Transition

Avenues for Social Work Intervention • Institute veteran reception centers which would serve as a hub for all federal and state services and benefits education with representatives from offices that offer veteran services.

• Develop policy which mandates or incentivizes veteran participation in integration programs, mental health programs, benefits education, and community involvement.

• Create community education programs for veterans to inform them of services and resources as well as educate them regarding specific needs and issues which they typically face.

• Generate a veteran social services and Department of Defense partnership in the sharing of resources and tracking the success of veterans so that data regarding trends of benefits and program use can be reported to the Veterans Administration in relation to their success or shortcomings. The policy/program should afford veterans access to the military community for guidance and accountability, the tenet and core principle of nearly all military education and training

Implications for Social Work Education • A more comprehensive understanding of compound trauma, PTSD, secondary-trauma, moral and emotional injury, and transverse trauma could serve to highly benefit social workers in understanding how to best work with the veteran population as it expands rapidly and integrates further into the civilian population.

• Regarding policy, a more firm understanding of the needs of veterans in the workplace as well as in higher education would prove to be a crucial asset in the field of advocacy for veterans’ services in the community.

Social Work Involvement