Returning military

Pearl McGee-Vincent1, & Julie Latimer-Spears2

1National Center for PTSD, VA Palo Alto Health Care System 2Aetna Health

Get a Job

Keep the Job

Excel at the Job

EAP Providers will be able to: 1.  List and describe common challenges for

Veterans in the workplace 2.  Screen for military service and PTSD 3.  Access VA referral sources and make

appropriate referrals 4.  Use Veteran Employment Toolkit to support

Veterans in the workplace

  During the next 5 years more than 1 million active duty military personnel will become Veterans.

  Many businesses are taking steps to hire Veterans.

  How can businesses support and retain Veteran employees?

  So what do YOU think of when we say “Veterans in the Workplace”?

  What challenges do you imagine them facing?

  What strengths do they bring?

  How can we as EAP Providers support Veterans?

  N = 3,813   Sent 34,476 emails   11.5% response rate

  65% screen for military service

  83% have provided services to active duty military, National Guard/Reserve, or Veterans   86% have provided services to family of the

above

  91% are interested in additional education about this population

  Areas in which they want education (rank ordered) 1.  Referral options for Veterans (e.g., how to get into VA) 2.  Issues unique to women Veterans 3.  General resources available to providers 4.  The military experience 5.  General resources available to Veterans, National Guard,

& Reserve 6.  Military culture 7.  Referral options for National Guard and Reserve 8.  Military sexual trauma 9.  Symptoms of PTSD 10.  Anger, irritability

1.  Have you ever served in the military? 2.  Did you serve in the National Guard, Reserves,

Coast Guard or in any of the Active Duty Services?

3.  Do you have a close family member who has served in the military?

http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/communityproviders/docs/Military_Service_Screening.pdf

1.  What dates did you serve? 2.  When did you separate from the military? 3.  What branch and rank were you?

http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/communityproviders/docs/Military_Service_Screening.pdf

1.  Where did you serve (e.g. in the US/where; overseas/where?)

2.  What job/roles did you have when you were serving?

3.  Were you ever deployed? 4.  If so, where and when were you deployed? 5.  Are there other things you would like to tell me

about your military service?

http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/communityproviders/docs/Military_Service_Screening.pdf

  How it might show up in the workplace   How to screen for PTSD   How to address PTSD in the workplace   Treatment and referral options

Common Behavioral Problems that may be related to PTSD:   Performance problems   Attendance problems   Concentration problems   Hypervigilance   Increased alcohol use/misuse   Socially isolating behaviors   Emotional responses (e.g. anger)

In your life, have you ever had any experience that was so frightening, horrible, or upsetting that, in the past month, you:

1.  Have had nightmares about it or thought about it when you did not want to?

2.  Tried hard not to think about it or went out of your way to avoid situations that reminded you of it?

3.  Were constantly on guard, watchful, or easily startled?

4.  Felt numb or detached from others, activities, or your surroundings?

http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/communityproviders/docs/PCPTSD_Screen.pdf

  The Toolkit is For:   Employers, supervisors/managers, human

resource professionals, and EAP providers interacting with Veterans; and Veterans

  Goals:   Offer tools and resources for supporting Veterans   Increase understanding of military structure,

culture, and deployment   Increase understanding of challenges Veterans

may experience   Provide employment resources to Veterans

http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/communityproviders/partner.asp

  Veterans Employment Toolkit http://www.va.gov/vetsinworkplace/index.asp

  Community Provider Toolkit http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/communityproviders/index.asp

  NCPTSD website http://www.ptsd.va.gov

  PTSD 101 courses and videos http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/ptsd101/ptsd-101.asp

  EAP Provider Course (available Fall 2013)

National Center for PTSD   Sara J. Landes, PhD   Pamela Swales, PhD   Tam Nguyen, PhD   Pearl McGee-Vincent,

PsyD   Sonia Easaw, MS, MPH   Robyn Walser, PhD   Joe Ruzek, PhD

Aetna Health   Hyong Un, MD   Lesa Stevens, RN, CCM   Julie Latimer-Spears,

LCSW   Sherry Courtemanche,

LCSW, CEAP

Pearl McGee-Vincent, Psy.D. Julie Latimer-Spears, LCSW National Center for PTSD Senior Product Consultant Dissemination & Training Division Aetna VA Palo Alto Health Care System latimer@rfl.com pearl.mcgee-vincent@va.gov