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Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success

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Webinar Slides: The post 9/11 GI Bill and reductions in force in Iraq and Afghanistan are enabling more veterans to pursue higher education. Returning veterans enter the classroom with valuable life and leadership experiences, however, many face unique challenges transitioning to civilian and student life. Central Michigan University, Ohio State, and the University of Florida have implemented innovative programs to foster the success of their student veterans. This webinar provides information about these university programs, including how they can be implemented at both large and small campuses. To access the webinar recording please visit: www.kognito.com

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Page 1: Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success
Page 2: Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success

Agenda

• Steve Rellinger – Central Michigan University� Veterans’ Resource Center

� VRC Outreach Activities

• Michael W. Carrell – The Ohio State University� Outreach/Education Highlights

� Student-Veteran Community Advocate Program

• Rosa West – University of Florida� Counseling and Wellness Center

� VetSuccess on Campus

• Q&A

© 2014 Kognito. All Rights Reserved.

Page 3: Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success

Veterans’ Resource Centerhttp://global.cmich.edu/veterans

Steve Rellinger, Director

989-774-7991

[email protected]

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Supporting Student Veterans

Page 5: Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success

Supporting Student Veterans

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Veterans Resource Center

• Dedicated Staff - Serves veterans and Active Military and/or their spouses/dependents to help them get the most out of their CMU experience, build academic and social networks, receive assistance with educational benefits and more

• Student Veterans of America (SVA) - helps student veterans succeed during their transition from service, through academia, and into professional development within their chosen field. CMU’s chapter offers many networking and leadership opportunities. They also provide advocacy and support to our local veteran communities

• VRC Outreach Activities - Programs to increase understanding on campus about the needs of student veterans and link student veterans with each other for support.

Page 7: Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success

VRC Outreach Activities

• Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE)

– The PAVE Program is a peer mentoring program that connects

incoming student veterans with upper class student veterans in

order to help them navigate college life; identify any challenges

that they are encountering and refer them to the appropriate

resources on or off campus; and provide ongoing support.

• Disabled American Veterans - Veterans Service Officer

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VRC Outreach Activities

• The Welcome Veterans share the fear, anger, and isolation of post-traumatic stress that plagues them and their families as they struggle to express their anguish during a healing retreat. Their unflinching honesty and courage reinforces that all of us are a vital piece of The Welcome as veterans try to find the way back home.

• When Women Come Marching Home An intimate portrait of several women veterans as they transition from active duty to their civilian lives while dealing with the horrific traumas they faced, their invisible as well as physical injuries, and their challenges in receiving benefits and care.

• Where Soldiers Come From This true story follows several young men as they grow and change from reckless teenagers, to soldierslooking for bombs in Afghanistan, to 23-year-old veterans dealing with the silent wounds of Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD.

Page 9: Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success

VRC Outreach Activities

• Veterans Outreach Panel offers a forum for dialogue

between those who are going through, or have an

interest in the transition from service to scholar. Veteran

and non- veteran students, faculty, and community

members can benefit and contribute.

Page 10: Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success

VRC Outreach Activities

• Veterans on Campus is a 30-minute online, role-playing

simulation designed to educate faculty and staff about

the unique value student veterans bring to campus,

obstacles veterans may face when pursuing a college

degree, effective techniques for managing discussions in

and out of the classroom around topics that may be

sensitive to veterans, and best practices for connecting

student veterans exhibiting signs of psychological

distress with appropriate support services.

Page 11: Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success

Moral Injury• What happens to the soul when a decision betrays the sense

of right and wrong? The challenges faced by veterans with service-related physical injuries and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder have gained the attention of our nation and resulted in increased services in the military sector, the Veterans Administration, and the public realm. However, less recognized is the moral injury carried by many who experience intense emotional pain from damage to their moral foundation. Similar to sorrow or grief, moral injury is considered to be the “signature wound” of this generation of veterans. This three-part series reveals the depth and breadth of the enduring wounds to the soul caused by participation in morally ambiguous combat events and offers insight for campus professionals to better understand and support today’s student veterans. Three part Huffington Post series: http://projects.huffingtonpost.com/moral-injury

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Office of Military & Veterans Office of Military & Veterans

ServicesServices

•• Mike Mike CarrellCarrell •• Assistant ProvostAssistant Provost

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Current PopulationCurrent Population

• 56,000 + Students across 6 campuses

– 2250 Students Receiving VA or DoD Benefits

• Staff of 4 dedicated to serving them/Many offices involved

– VA “VetSuccess on Campus” site

– Work-Study

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Outreach/Education HighlightsOutreach/Education Highlights

- Faculty & Staff Training

- Attend all new recurring training--Faculty, TA, Advisor

- Attend College/Department Staff meetings

- Invest in Existing Veteran Employees

- Kognito Veterans on Campus for employees

- Student-Veteran Community Advocates

- Donor Funded – Scholarship and Programming

- Scalable

- Place students in Key Offices

- Students Get Leadership Experience

- Staff learns about Mil/Vets Issues

- Both Modify/Create Programs

- Students Liaise back to overall Veterans Population

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Outreach/Education HighlightsOutreach/Education Highlights

- Forming Regional Organizations

- State Agencies

- Dept of Vets Services; Boards of Regents

- Academic Cooperatives

- Athletic Conferences

- Local / County Structure

- VA Footprint

- Private Corporations & Non-Profits

Page 16: Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success

Military & Veterans ServicesMilitary & Veterans Services

• “We truly believe that no one office should ‘own’ military or veteran

students in a university, but rather everyone must, as every entity makes

a critical contribution towards their success.”

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University of Florida Veteran Student Services

ROSA WEST PHD

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Serving Our Veteran Students

� Multidisciplinary Veteran Advisory Committee

� Veterans Student Society

� Veterans Success Center (Resource Center)

� Wellness Services provided through College Counseling Center

� Designated Veterans Counselor

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Counseling & Wellness Center

Provides direct services which include:

� Individual Counseling

� Group Counseling & Workshops

� Crisis & Emergency Services

� Couples Counseling

� Testing

� Etc…

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Boots to Books Focus

Transitional Services

◦ Doing Too much Too soon

Financial Aid Stressors

Struggling to Find New Purpose

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Boots to Books Focus

Targeted Services for Students experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Concerns

◦ Crowded Classrooms/Campuses

◦ Timed Tests

◦ Managing Classroom Stressors

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Counseling & Wellness Center

CWC provides weekly office hours at the Collegiate Veteran Success Center◦ Assists in de-stigmatizing

seeking mental health services

◦ Means of challenging myths/worries about counseling services

Page 23: Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success

Collegiate Veterans Success Center

Serves student veterans at UF

by providing a designated

location on campus for student

veterans to study, meet with on

and off campus resources, and

to spend time with and support

each other in a fun and relaxing

space.

Page 24: Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success

Collegiate Veterans Success Center

• Cable television and movies

• Comfortable lounge and

study space

• Computer lab with free

printing

• Free coffee, snacks, &

promotional items

• Refrigerator and microwaves

• VetSuccess on Campus

counseling

Page 25: Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success

VetSuccess on Campus

The VSOC program is a collaborative effort between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the University of Florida with the purpose of providing a supportive on-campus environment for student Veterans and eligible dependents.

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VSOC Program

Provides:

A VA Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC)� VRCs are called

VetSuccess on Campus (VSOC) Counselors.

� Assists all student veterans, active duty, and veterans’ dependents attending a university or college with a VSOC partnership.Charlotte Kemper,

MHS, CRC

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VetSuccess on Campus Counselor

• Accessing, understanding, and applying

for VA benefits (i.e. Disability

Compensation, Life Insurance,

Education, Home Loan Guaranty, and

Vocational Rehabilitation)

• Career counseling and academic

planning through Chapter 36,

Educational and Vocational Counseling

• Transition support services and

readjustment counseling services

specific to veteran issues

• Employment services and job search

assistance

• Electing healthcare benefits with

Veterans Health Administration

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VetSuccess on Campus Counselor

• Referrals for medical and mental

health care at the VAMC

• Coordinating with school faculty &

staff to provide veteran specific

services on campus (i.e. Office of

Veteran Services, Career Center,

Disability Resource Center,

Counseling Center)

Page 29: Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success

Veteran Advisory CommitteeNext Steps….

� Continuing to foster a Campus Culture supportive of Veteran Students

� Established Training for Faculty/Staff on working with Veteran Students

� Use of Kognito Training

� Development of White Paper which lists available campus resources for Veteran Students

Page 30: Webinar: Fostering Student Veteran Success

Q&A

Have any further questions?

• Steve Rellinger� [email protected]

• Michael W. Carrell� [email protected]

• Rosa West� [email protected]

• Lisa Tannenbaum� [email protected]

• Adrian Lucero – Specialist, Veterans

Programs� [email protected]

© 2014 Kognito. All Rights Reserved.