Dr. Katherine Selber Professor, School of Social Work & Veterans Advisory Council, Founding Member & Military Family Member

Ms. Katie Hall, LMSWVeterans Initiative, Project Facilitator

Texas A&M Conference, September 2015

Closing the Gap in Health and Mental Health Services for Student Veterans

Understanding Our Veterans Better Services Better Graduation Rates, More Success

War Does not Belong to the Fighters Who Fight ItSebastian Junger

I. Texas State University and the Veterans Initiative Model

Texas State UniversityTexas State University

• 38,006 students (Fall 2015)• Located in a military corridor• A federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI)

(25%); about 35% overall ethnic minority• Has long tradition of supporting military with two ROTC

units

This Generation of Student Veterans at Texas StateThis Generation of Student Veterans at Texas State

• 2,963 veterans and dependents (Fall2015) (TxState VA Office, 2015)

• 1034 veterans• Student veteran profile 2015: • 20% Graduate / 80% Undergraduate• Gender: 76% male / 24% female

• Ethnicity:

55.6% Anglo

27.6% Hispanic, .3% Am. Indian

10% African-American, 1.6% Multi-racial

2.4% Asian-American 2.4% unknown

• 90% of vets are full time students• 60% First Generation College Students

II. Knowing Your Student VeteransII. Knowing Your Student Veterans

Dominque LaVista ©

• 2010, 2013, 2015 Needs Assessments

• 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 25%- 28%

• Sample Sizes

Methodology

What Resources Utilized on Campus?

Transitional Process

2015

VA Campus Office (49%)

Academic Advisor (49%)

Financial Aid (26%)

Rec. Center (24%)

Student vet group(21%)

Tutoring, Writing (20%)

Career Services (17%)

Disability Services (13%)

Health Services (10%)

Attorney (4%)

Univ. Counseling (3%)

2013

VA Campus Office (81%)

Academic Advisor (71%)

Financial Aid (51%)

Tutoring Writing (40%)

Rec. Center (30%)

Student vet group (26%)

Career Services (25%)

Health Services (17%)

Disability Services (12%)

Univ. Counseling (7%)

Attorney (5%)

2010

VA Campus Office (83%)

Academic Advisor (73%)

Financial Aid (54%)

Health Services (23%)

Tutoring, Writing (22%)

Career Services (21%)

Disability Services (9%)

Univ. Counseling (8%)

Top Resources Utilized off Campus?

Transitional Process

2015

VA Hospital/ Clinic

(74%)

Private Prov. (23%)

County Veterans

Services (10%)

Vet Center (9%)

2013

VA Hospital/Clinic

(87%)

Private Prov. (24%)

County Veterans

Services (16%)

Vet Center (16%)

2010

VA Hospital/Clinic

(69%)

Private Prov. (29%)

County Veterans

Services (10%)

Vet Center (8%)

Did These Services Help You Adjust?Yes No

2015= 70% 30%

2013= 89% 11%

I have not experienced barriers or obstacles 2013= 35% 2015= 14%

Transitional Process

Health Related FactorsHealth Related Factors

• 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

• 47% have high levels of stress

• 73% have experienced changes in their sleep patterns since leaving military service

• 10.5% feel continued impacts of concussive event

• Takeaway- Pain, stress, sleep issues impact student vetsDominque LaVista ©

Mental Health Factors- Providers Mental Health Factors- Providers

Student veterans’ preferences for providers of mental health services:

• Civilians with experience with military culture: 36%

• Veteran peers: 28%• No preference: 21%• Civilians unfamiliar with military

culture: 6%

*35% indicate they don’t want mental health services

Mental Health Factors- Stress Mental Health Factors- Stress

Overall, Do You Feel High Levels of Stress on a Regular Basis?

• No (52%)• Yes (48%)

Additional supports that would be helpful :• Anything that helped with stress (24%)• Career supports (18%)• Study skills (16%)• Tutoring (15%)• Time management (13%)• Financial (13%)

Mental Health Factors- Alcohol Mental Health Factors- Alcohol

How Much Alcohol Do You Drink on Average?

• I don’t drink (24%)• Daily (32%)• 2 to 3 drinks weekly (23%)• Occasionally (50%)

Mental Health Factors- Sleep Mental Health Factors- Sleep

Difficulty Falling Asleep? • Yes (25%)

Difficulty Staying Asleep? • Yes (30%)

Sleep changes since leaving the military 75%

Does this affect your school work? • Yes (53%)

Trends Over TimeTrends Over Time

In comparison to previous years 2015 student veterans reported :•More mental health needs (upset, anger, stress) •More requests for academic supports to alleviate these needs•Percentages of problem areas reported not over 40% •They are reporting service utilization in higher percentages, mainly supports geared to Veterans

Trends Trends

• Major findings in 2015 needs assessment :• Student veterans report higher levels of need in

areas such as mental health, stress, barriers, and sleep.

• However, more respondents stated these were not issues in their academic success

• If experiencing need, student veterans seek help from veteran-specific services

Trends –Trends –Service Utilization on Campus

• Student veterans DID NOT frequently utilize:– Counseling services 3%– Office of Disability Services 13%

Trends – Trends – Service Utilization on Campus

• Student veterans have increased utilization of:• Veteran’s Affairs• VATS- student veteran organization• Social Work Interns

Mental Health Services Access • Responses have increased since 2013 in the

area of mental health• Student veterans noted these issues :

– Experiencing high stress 47%– Changes in sleeping from 25% to 30%, – With sleep issues impacting school work up

at 43%

However, the data does not show that student veterans expect or want traditional services from on-campus providers

Analyses: Correlates of Success

• If student veterans are feeling they have unmet adjustment needs, they are going to tutoring services and Social Work interns

• There is a positive relationship between happiness and utilizing the Veteran’s Affairs on campus among the student veterans population

• Utilization of Tutoring/Writing Skills, Student veteran group, Veteran Initiative Interns, and the recreational center increase connection to the University environment

Analyses: Correlations of Success & Support Systems

Utilize on campus Veterans Affairs Office

Utilize on campus SLAC/Writing

Utilize on campustutoring

Utilize on campus VATS

Utilize on campus Vet Initiative Interns

Utilize on campus Rec center

Happiness at the University

.126*

.015374

Connection to the University

.171*

.019187

.306**

.000187

.325**.000187

.238**

.001187

.288**

.000187

Unmet adjustment needs

.104*.049359

.115*.029358

Problems to cause leaving University

-.176**.000932

Analyses: Preliminary Implications

• A major finding in this study:

The military has prepared them to handle the stress of college responsibilities (82%)

• This has implications for how we prepare to transition a veteran into campus to increase academic success

Preliminary Summary Conclusions• Student veterans are reporting need areas-

mental health, stress, and sleep issues at higher levels

• They request academic supports to alleviate some of these issues

• Increases in recreational activities for stress reduction, tutoring, and writing support, which they are utilizing in higher percentages

• Increases are also within Veteran-specific services (Veteran’s Affairs office on campus, VATS, Veteran’s Initiative interns )

III. Services on Campus

Veteran Services at Texas State Veteran Services at Texas State

Academic Support and Orientation Services

Health and Behavioral Health Support

Services

Career and Leadership Services

Training and Technical Assistance Services

• Individual & Group Counseling Services by Vets—our Counseling Center staff & Austin Vet Center staff

Health & Behavioral Health Support

It’s a lifeline not just a student organization!

Peer-to-peer help

Sample 2014/2015Events: Monthly pizza luncheons with speakers, Tailgating, 5k race, Veterans Day, Intra-mural Sports, Golf Tournament, Clean-up of River with County, Monthly officer meeting, Monthly off-campus socials, Warrior Challenge

Student Veterans of America chapter

Veterans National Honor Society

Health & Behavioral Health Support

Case Management:Assessment, Referral, Linkage, Follow-up

Social Work MSW/BSW Interns Assigned to Veterans Initiative- since 2010 placed 30+ BSW/MSW interns in the program

Supervised by faculty Called Veterans Initiative Interns Outreach to vets

- From Veterans Affairs Office & Other Campus Offices- Calls for those on Alert List due to low GPA- Self referrals- Referrals from faculty, staff- disability services- Voluntary

Focus on first year student vets

Health & Behavioral Health Support

Operation Scuba

Partnership with Texas State Meadows River Center Project Cohort MVPN

Use of Peer to Peer Model approach

Dominque LaVista ©

Health & Behavioral Health Support

Evaluate

Roll out fuller program

Secure Funding

Pilot– select and train Operation Scuba mentors . Stand Up adaptive sports network in region

Data indicated vets wanted more outdoor challenges for stress and pain management that can be peer to peer based.

Needs assessment reflected 40% of vets have sleep issues & 69% were dealing with pain & 47% dealing with stress

Prior work with wounded warriors @ Center for the Intrepid certification dive setting to secure dive skills & therapeutic.

Developing Operation Scuba

Groups/Team Outdoor Activities– newest adds--fly fishing and archery

Managing Stress & Promoting Wellness

• Persistence after 1 year 2013– 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 64.4%

• Data from Institutional Effectiveness Office, 2015.

Texas State Student Veteran Outcomes

CreditsCreditsVeterans not only understand the concept of sacrifice for the greater good; Veterans not only understand the concept of sacrifice for the greater good;

They’ve lived it. They’ve lived it. Colleagues in Military Projects:

Dr. Nancy Chavkin, Center for Children and Families

Dr. Mary Jo Biggs, HRSA grant

Dr. Amy Russell, Project Evaluator, HRSA grant

Ms. Katie Hall, LMSW Project Facilitator

Texas State student veterans and interns.