WORKING EFFECTIVELY WITH VETERANS ON CAMPUS

Cerritos College Veteran AffairsNorwalk, California

Challenges Faced by Veterans

Veterans’ success in college can be complicated by: Challenges represented by the career shift from the

military to civilian life;

physical or emotional challenges as an artifact of

warfare and deployment overseas;

for recent returnees, the need to reconnect with

previous support systems and community;

the fact that, as frequently working class and from

minority communities, veterans may be the first in their

families to attend college.

Challenges Faced by Veterans

Veterans’ success in college can be

complicated by: the sometimes challenging identity work involved

with integrating past military experiences and behaviors into a post-service identity (witness to suffering and intense violence, etc.);

worries over the return to employment; GI Funding delays and red-tape; health care delays and navigating the VA.

Guiding Principle

While acknowledging and addressing the challenges faced by veterans on campus,

we must proactively support veterans by utilizing their individual and collective

agency and assets

Veterans’ Perspectives

Do not feel welcome Want to be with others who speak “their

language” Lack of personal support Too much “confusion” “Unfriendly” policies and procedures Lack of funds; benefits slow to arrive Credit transfer

Information - courtesy of Sam Wan, Ph.D.VA Medical Center, SF

Veterans’ Perspectives

DO NOT assume that you know my politics or beliefs because I was in the military.

Listen to me. I may or may not be ready to talk about experiences yet, but I have a story to tell when I’m ready.

You must earn my trust, I will trust you if you earn it.

Suggestions from Veterans

We are accustomed to being successful and accountable and may be too proud to ask for help.

We are not to be feared. Getting to know me and being able to identify issues might help and may make me feel welcome.

Be direct and let us know when you see us struggling and offer assistance

Hold us to the same standards as other students. The military held us to high standards. We know pressure. We expect to be challenged.

Counseling Services

Have a familiarity with military culture as it applies to decision-making, ethics, pragmatism, and virtually any other daily activity having a civilian context.

DO NOT make clinical assumptions about a veteran student’s behavior that would otherwise be completely reasonable from a military perspective.

Meet with vets for ongoing PTSD and TBI assistance and create/facilitate support groups and classes.

Allow vets to "vent" frustration when balancing the stress of school with the alienation of trying to assimilate to a new environment.

The Proactive Campus

Know the legal mandates and federal programs available for veterans Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33, 38 USC) Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty (Chapter 30, 38 USC) Montgomery GI Bill – Reserves (Chapter 1606, 10 USC) Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP, Chapter

1607) Post Vietnam Era Veterans’ Educational Assistance Program

(VEAP, Chapter 32) Etc.

The Proactive Campus

Create a welcoming and safe environment where veterans are viewed via their assets first and foremost

Provide a class for transition from deployment to civilian/academic life

Offer in-service workshops on PTSD & TBI and how it affects students

Provide workshops for faculty, staff, and community members on the above topics

Build alliances with community leadership for veterans services

Support the creation of support networks among veterans on campus with ties to off-campus agencies

The Proactive Campus

Become a Service member Opportunity College Provide campus veterans leadership opportunities Actively listen to the suggestions of veterans in support

of a positive change Create an effective, pro-active student retention and

transition system through early tracking/identification, intervention, and student engagement

As Veterans Affairs Counselor, accept responsibility for, and maintain an accountability system for assessing and evaluating program management and student outcomes