1. Reaching Out to Student Veterans
Blanca Sanchez-Navarro, LPC-S, LCDC
Assistant Director of Educational Outreach
Texas State Counseling Center

2. Overview Today’s Student Veteran Demographics Military experience
Student Veteran Experiences
Student Veterans Needs Assessment
General Transitions
Connecting to the Mission
Challenging Assumptions
Defining the Mission
Supporting the Mission

3. What do you picture when you think of a student veteran?

4. Who are student veterans?
From million troops have deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq (Department of Defense, 2014)
2,709,918 Americans served in Vietnam, this number represents 9.7% of their generation. m
Around 25% are Guard & Reserve (Rand, 2013)
In Texas, over 80,000 have returned in recent years
Texas has major military installations

13. Other Cultural Identities
First generation college status
Sexual orientation
Gender identity
FACES (foster care alumni creating educational success)

14. Needs Assessment Methodology Katherine Selber, PhD, LMSW, AP Military and Family Support Initiative
2010, 2011 (freshmen only), 2013, 2015
Plus Other Data Sets
Electronic Anonymous Voluntary Surveys
Domains: Demographics, Education, Career, Military Background, Transitional Process, Financial, Health, & Mental Health
80 Plus Questions Total - Closed and Open Ended Questions
Response rates for Data Sets across years 25%- 28%
Sample Sizes- over 1000 cases, over 85 variables
These are Preliminary Results- still working on data analysis

15. At Texas State University
1154 veterans (Fall 2015) (from Texas State VA Office)
Student veteran profile 2015:
20% Graduate / 80% Undergraduate
Gender: 76% male / 24% female
Ethnicity:
55.6% Anglo
27.6% Hispanic, % Am. Indian
10% African-American, 1.6% Multi-racial
2.4% Asian-American % unknown
90% of student veterans are full time students
60% First Generation College Students (needs assessment data 2015)

16. Separation from military
A process – not an event
Varies from person to person
Some may experience the following:
Military debriefing does not address full range of adjustment
Often encouraged to deny issues
Avoid seeking help before separating
Anxiety from separation or (re)deployment
Not having a plan for “the next step”
Emotional void
Engage in numbing behaviors like heavy drinking or drugs
Family relationships may be strained or damaged
Relating to other others, civilian and veterans alike

17. Classroom and Campus Transitional Experiences
Years since high school
Concentration and memory
Sitting in large/crowded classrooms
Difficulty relating to traditional students
Class discussions about war
May feel marginalized
May not want to “represent” all military
Service member may not want to talk about experiences
Accessing Benefits
VA, G.I. Bill, etc.
Possible anxiety in crowded areas
Health concerns
Family responsibilities
Lack of structure

18. Understanding Military Culture “Battlemind”
The following 3 slides adapted from presentation by Craig J. Bryan, PsyD, ABPP
Associate Director
National Center for Veterans Studies
The University of Utah
Understanding Military Culture “Battlemind”
Warrior Culture
Mental Health Culture
•Strength, resilience, courage, personal sacrifice •Elitism, superiority •Mental toughness •Collectivism, group identity •Inner strength, self-reliance
•Illness, clinical, deficiency-oriented •Injury, problems, disorders •Emotional vulnerability •Individualized, one-on-one •Seek help from others

19. Assumptions that are barriers to the mission
First assumption
All veterans served in combat zones or saw combat.

20. Assumptions that are barriers to the mission
It’s not possible to be in combat without acquiring some level of PTSD
Combat exposure causes PTSD
Combat is a significant predictor of PTSD across numerous studies (Grieger et al., 2006; Hoge, Auchterlonie, & Milliken, 2006; Hoge et al., 2004; Hotopf et al., 2006; Kolkow et al., 2007; U.S. Department of the Army, 2006b)
As combat intensity increases, so does the likelihood of PTSD (Castro & McGurk, 2007)
Feelings of guilt may be a top factor in PTSD (study of active duty Marines)
•Reintegration/adjustment difficulties are not the same as PTSD •Contextual adaptability of “subthreshold PTSD symptoms” •Daily hassles contribute to psychological distress above and beyond trauma exposure (Heron & Bryan, 2012)

21. Assumptions Continued
PTSD is common among combat veterans
PTSD is a chronic condition
Estimated rates of PTSD among combat veterans vary across studies from 5-15% (Tanielien & Jaycox, 2008)
85-95% of OEF/OIF combat veterans without PTSD
42-66% recovery rate from PTSD among those who start Cognitive Processing Therapy
64-74% recovery rate from PTSD from those who complete CPT
Moving from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to
Post-Traumatic Growth

22. Break the Barriers and Connect to the Mission back to Texas State data
60% experience lasting physical effects due to service-related injury
69% experience some degree of pain as a result of service-related injury
6%: Severe
35%: Moderate
28%: Minimal
30% responded that their pain effects their focus and concentration in class
36% have high levels of stress
73% have experienced changes in their sleep patterns since leaving military service
53% - affects school work
7.5% feel continued impacts of concussive event

23. Defining a New Mission Translating military skills into civilian skills
Building and maintaining
Strength
Resilience
Mental toughness
Self-reliance
Becoming part of a new collective
Other veterans
Other cultural identity groups
Identity in major
University identity(Bobcat!)

24. Supporting the Mission – collaboration with other offices because the truth is that “counseling” is not the most likely starting point.
Since 2009, Texas State University has been recognized as a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs and in 2011, Texas State ranked 13th nationally in the Best For Vets college survey conducted by Military Times EDGE.
Veterans Advisory Council –
“Veteran Friendly” training for departments (like Allies and DREAMERS)
“Veteran Friendly Office” designation
Student Diversity and Inclusion
Veterans Alliance of Texas State
Tutor Corps
Counseling Center Readjustment Counseling therapist from the Austin Vet center

25. Training Staff & Faculty
Training faculty & staff since 2009
Looking for funding for “Veterans on Campus” At-Risk Training through Kognito

26. Accessing Support Increases Mission Success
Persistence/Retention after 1 year cohort
Overall Student Population Combined freshman and transfers 77.9%
Veterans Combined freshman and transfers 80.8%
Graduation Rates after 6 years (as of 2015)
Overall Student Population Combined freshman and transfers 60.4%
Veteran Combined freshman and transfers %
This Data was obtained from Institutional Effectiveness Office, fall 2015.
All these are significant correlations, the first two rows are positive meaning they increase together success in college for student veterans.
The row on the top shows how vet services, vats, the initiative all help happiness, connection,.
The third and fourth rows show how if there are unmet needs, vets go to tutoring and your interns. If thinking they may leave because of problems, they go to the va office on campus

27. What’s Your Mission?