Episode Details

Eugenia Weiss: Military and Veteran Transitions

Eugenia Weiss is a clinical associate professor at the University of Southern California’s Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. She is the co-author of the book The Civilian Lives of U.S. Veterans: Issues and Identities* and Supporting Veterans in Higher Education: A Primer for Administrators, Faculty, and, Advisors*.

Key Points

• Military and civilian cultures are very separate, and sometimes it’s difficult to transition back into civilian life.
• Most veterans with combat experience won’t have PTSD, it’s about 15%-30% that do. The effects of PTSD vary from person to person.
• In the past, service members typically had several weeks of transport time between combat roles and home, now it’s only a couple of days. This doesn’t allow them much time to process their experiences.
• Don’t be afraid to engage with veterans and talk about their experiences, just do it with care and concern. Most veterans do want to talk about their experiences.
• Volunteering for a veteran’s group can be very rewarding both for you and for the veterans you’re helping.

Resources Mentioned

• PsychArmor Institute
• Corporate Gray: Connecting Employers with Veterans Nationwide
• Student Veterans of America
• Career One Stop
• Veterans Upward Bound Program (college transition)
• My Next Move for Veterans
• Corporation for National and Community Service (veterans section)
• Vet Success
• Wounded Warrior Project
• Veterans for America
• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
• Give an Hour Foundation (free counseling)
• The Soldiers Project (free counseling)
• Cohen Veterans Network (free counseling and resources now based at USC)
• Team Rubicon (vets volunteer disaster work)
• Mission Continues (volunteer work)
• U.S. Veterans Initiative (housing and services)
• Pegasus Rising (Equine therapy for vets with PTSD)
• The Civilian Lives of U.S. Veterans: Issues and Identities* by Louis Hicks, Eugenia L. Weiss, and Jose E. Coll