Establishing a Campus-Wide
Veteran-To- Veteran Mentoring Program
On Your Campus
Dr. John Schupp,
NGG National Director
Helping America’s Best, Brightest and Bravest get their degree
What This Presentation Will Provide

The types of stresses on the service-member and
student veteran
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The levels and differences in stresses between
three different service-member groups
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How this may impact the present suicide rate
How many you have in your area and on your campus
 National Guard, Active Duty and Veterans
The impact of these stresses on their academic success
Impact of campus support on this demographic

You help more than just the military student
 You impact several generations
CY Total Army Active Duty Suicides
(Includes USAR /ANG) 1991-2002
Army Active Duty Suicide Deaths 2003-2011
**
*
* = Preliminary Civilian Rate NOT CDC OFFICIAL (as of 16 March 2011 update)
**= HP&RR TF Estimated NOT ARMY OFFICAL: is based on an Active Duty Army strength of 715,662 (as of 1 Oct 11)
Suicide Rates - 2012
The July record included 38 potential suicides among
active-duty soldiers/National Guard-reservists. The 26
suicides are also a monthly all-time record high for
the active-duty Army.
The Army suicide pace this year is surpassing last year,
particularly among active-duty soldiers where there is a
22% increase — 116 deaths so far this year vs. 95
during the same seven months last year, according to
Army data.
In a recent interview with USA TODAY, Gen. Ray
Odierno, Army chief of staff, said suicides are now the
most common form of death in the Army, claiming
more lives than combat or motor vehicle accidents.
Review of Data - Active Duty Army &
Guard Reserve on Inactive Status

1991 Army suicides peak at start of Gulf war

340,000 troops deployed to Saudi Arabia
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2007 suicides surpass highest level since 1991
2008- suicide rate passes civilian suicide rate
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Suicides drop off 5 years later
19.6 vs. 17.7 per 100,000
2011 Suicide rate is at 23.2 per 100,000
2012 projected to have 192 suicides
 Suicide rate projected to be 26.8 per 100,000
Present Suicide Data

Active Duty Army & Inactive Army Guard/Reserve

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Most have had their deployments
Are finishing up their 4-year commitment
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Feeling a sense of lack of mission
Not knowing what to do next
Dealing with what they have experienced
If campuses were to embrace them before they
leave the service

They may gain a sense of mission again

Reduce the suicide rate of Active Duty
Let’s compare the two groups
and the impact of the stresses on these groups

Active Duty
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Gender
Age
Education
Marital Status
Years of Service
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Guard/Reserve
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Gender
Age
Education
Marital Status
Years of Service
All of the following data (on slides 3 thru 12) is from the Report entitled
2009 Demographics of the Military Community
Published by the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (military
community and family policy) along with the Defense manpower Data
Center
Gender & Age - Enlisted
Active Duty
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Gender
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Guard/Reserve
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86% men
14% women
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Age
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Gender
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18-25 - 51.5%
26-30 - 21.3%
31-35 - 12.3%
36-40 - 9.4%
41 or older - 5.5%
Age
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SERV
82% men
18% women
25 or younger - 38.8%
26-30 - 19.1%
31-35 - 11.3%
36-40 - 11.4%
41 or older - 19.4%
Proprietary and Confidential
Education - Enlisted
Guard/Reserve
Active Duty
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Less than bachelor’s 94.0%
Bachelor’s - 4.1%
Advanced Degree - 0.5%

No High School Diploma 0.8%
SERV
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Less than bachelor’s 87.8%
Bachelor’s - 6.7%
Advanced Degree -1.0%

No High School Diploma 4.0%
Proprietary and Confidential
Martial Status - Enlisted
Active Duty
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Married - 53%
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25 or younger - 30.2%
26-30yrs. - 24.1%
31-35yrs. - 18.1%
36-40yrs. - 14.3%
41 or older - 13.3%
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
Average age 36.1 yrs.
Never been married - 48%
Married By gender

57.4% male
46.5% women
Age of Spouse
Married-44%

Average age 29.9 yrs.
Never been married - 42%
Married By gender

Guard/Reserve
50.8% male
37.7% women
Age of Spouse
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25 or younger - 14.1%
26-30yrs. - 18.0%
31-35yrs. - 17.1%
36-40yrs. - 18.2%
41 or older - 32.6%
Families - Enlisted
Active Duty
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Guard/Reserve
With Children - 43.7%
Without Children - 56.3%
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Single with Children - 5.3%
Married to civilian
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with children - 35.6%
No children - 13.7%
SERV
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With Children - 42.8%
Without Children - 57.2%
Single with Children - 9.0%
Married to Civilian
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With Children - 32.3%
No Children - 13.5%
Proprietary and Confidential
Children/Dependents - Enlisted
Active Duty
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Average # of Children - 2
Age of Children
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Guard/Reserve
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0-5yrs. - 42.0%
6-11yrs. - 30.9%
12-18yrs. - 23.1%
19-22yrs. - 4.0%
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Avg. age at birth of 1st child
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Average # of children - 2
Age of Children
24.8
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Avg. age at birth of 1st child
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SERV
0-5yrs. - 27.2%
6-11yrs. - 30.4%
12-18yrs. - 31.0%
19-22yrs. - 11.4%
26.4
Proprietary and Confidential
What the Trends Show
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More guard/reserve women than active duty
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Active duty younger than guard/reserve
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Guard/reserve have more education than active duty
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Less Guard/reserve married than Active duty
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More single parents in guard reserve than active duty
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Guard/Reserve spouses are older than Active duty
Nearly double the amount
Children of guard/reserve older than active duty

Greater amount of teenage children in guard/reserve
What the Campuses Will See
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3x more active duty than guard/reserve

30% are guard/reserve, 70% active duty
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Except for Indiana campuses
77% of the student veterans are men

23% are women
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Women vets have more education than male vets
40 percent of these veterans have a bachelor’s degree
57% of male veterans have some college
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16% who have a bachelor’s degree
Types of Stresses on the Demographics
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Active Duty
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Once they serve their 4 yrs.
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Are in for a longer period
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When home from deployment
They can be deployed again this impacts
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Education
Families
Career
Can no longer enjoy the
camaraderie of their unit
Guard/Reserve
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They are done
No more deployments
Start the 2nd part of their lives
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Education
Families
Career
They can still enjoy the
camaraderie of their unit
Different Triggers of Stress
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Counter-insurgency type of war
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There isn’t any type of ‘front lines’
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This creates a constant level of heightened awareness
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And a constant level of stress
Two different types of battlefield environment
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Iraq - Mostly urban and city type of combat
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Streets, houses, overpasses, markets, many people
Afghanistan
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And no rear ‘safety zone’
Extremely rural, mountainous, fewer people
Two different types of triggers for stress and PTSD
Challenges to Families
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RAND Study - 913 vets, 293 spouses

22% of vets had a mental health condition
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6% had PTSD
6% had depression
10% had a combination of PTSD/depression
Only 9% of group tried drugs
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Many vets won’t try drugs

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positive drug test can hurt the security clearance
38% had alcohol binges
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Similar to civilians of same age group
Challenges to Families
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Biggest challenge - finding access to care

Those that find care
 20% of sample wanted care, did not get care
 24% sought help
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Service-members don’t seek care as often

May hurt career, security clearance, sign of weakness
50% of those who sought care, found it helpful
 33% of care is outside of the VA
36% of those in study attended college for 1st year
72% are employed full time
2nd biggest challenge - getting information about care

This is where campuses can help
Challenges to Families
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Recommendations from RAND
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Increase supply of providers
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Encourage veterans and service-members to seek care
Deliver effective care in all areas
Involve campus/RAND researchers when providing care
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Both VA and others
Can close knowledge gaps, provide info. for next generation
How can campuses help?
What is the population of this
demographic?
Campus Support Programs (CSP’s)
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Support programs created to provide support to
a culturally diverse group of students
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Campus counselors
Volunteer support groups
Student associations
Fraternities
What types of specific programs are
available on campuses today?
Other Campus ‘Support Centers’
Michigan State University www.msu.edu
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Office for Inclusion and Inter-Cultural Initiatives
Family Resource Center
Multi-Cultural Center
Office on International Students and Scholars
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource
Center
Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities
Women’s Resource Center
Colorado State University
www.colostate.edu
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Office of Equal Opportunity
Asian/Pacific American Cultural Center
Black/African American Cultural Center
El Centro Student Services
Native American Cultural Center
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Resource
Center
Women’s Programs and Studies
Resources for Disabled Students
Georgia State University
www.gsu.edu
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Student Support Services
Office of Disability Services
Child Care Access Means Parents In School
(CCAMPIS)
Educational Opportunity Center
Educational Talent Search
Ronald E. McNair Program
Student Support Services
Upward Bound Programs
Veterans Upward Bound
Upward Bound Math-Science
University of Vermont
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Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity
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www.uvm.edu
Diversity and Equity Unit
Accommodation, Consultation, Collaboration and Educational Support
Services (ACCESS)
ALANA Coalition
ALANA Student Center
Center for Cultural Pluralism
Center on Disability and Community Inclusion (CDCI)
The Learning Co-Op
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Ally Services
(LGBTQA)
Office of the Associate Provost for Multicultural Affairs and Academic
Initiatives
Student Life - Diversity on Campus
Summer Enrichment Scholars Program (SESP)
The TRiO/SSS Program
The Women's Center
University of Arizona
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Diversity Support Centers and Research Units
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www.arizona.edu
African American Student Affairs
Asian Pacific American Student Affairs
Chicano Hispanic Student Affairs
Early Academic Outreach
Native American Student Affairs
ASUA Pride Alliance
ASUA Women’s Resource Center
Baby Cats (students with children)
Child Care and Family Resources
University of Arizona (cont’d)
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Center for Research on Equity and
Opportunity/ADVANCE
Cultural and Religious Center
Equity, Access, and Inclusion
Graduate College Diversity Programs
Indian Cooperative Extension
International Affairs
LGBTQ Affairs
Office of Institutional Equity
Office of Outreach and Multicultural Affairs
Social Justice and Leadership Center
Veterans Education and Transition Services
Different Types of Student Veteran
Campus Support Programs

Campus counseling
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VA counseling
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Private counseling
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Mentoring
Campus Counseling
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Most campus counselors do not have PTSD training
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Most campus counselors are only available at
certain times
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Usually 9-5 weekdays
Volunteers may answer phones overnight
Most campus counselors wont have the time
available
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PTSD recovery takes many months and years of rigorous
counseling sessions
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They are specialized in general college student stresses
Most campus counselors do not have a ‘PTSD rubric’ to
determine success
Most veterans will avoid campus counselors
VA Health Centers
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Medical Centers - 164 nationwide
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Community-Based Outpatient Clinics - 567 nationwide
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Extension of the Medical Centers
Vet Centers - 239 nationwide
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Not officially associated with the VA
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Created during the Vietnam veteran era
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No computerized system
Documents are not shared with the VA system
 Veterans wont lose their security clearance
J. Schupp has list of all three of these per state
Tennessee VA Health Centers
Health Centers
Memphis:
Memphis VA Medical Center
Mountain Home:
Mountain Home VA Medical Center
Murfreesboro:
Tennessee Valley Healthcare System - Alvin C. York (Murfreesboro)
Nashville:
Tennessee Valley Healthcare System - Nashville Campus
Outpatient Clinics
Chattanooga:
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Cookeville:
Cookeville, Tennessee
Knoxville:
Knoxville, Tennessee
Nashville:
Charlotte Avenue (Nashville, TN)
Community-Based
Outpatient Clinics
Arnold Air Force Base:
Tullahoma, Tennessee
Clarksville:
Clarksville, Tennessee
Dover:
Dover (Stewart County), Tennessee
Memphis:
Covington, Tennessee (North Memphis)
Memphis:
Memphis, Tennessee (South)
Morristown:
Morristown, Tennessee
Nashville:
Vine Hill (Nashville, Tennessee)
Savannah:
Savannah, Tennessee
SERV
Proprietary and Confidential
Tennessee Vet Centers, Regional Offices
Vet Centers
Chattanooga:
Chattanooga Vet Center
Johnson City:
Johnson City Vet Center
Knoxville:
Knoxville Vet Center
Memphis:
Memphis Vet Center
Nashville:
Nashville Vet Center
VISN Nashville
VISN 9: VA Mid South Healthcare Network
Veterans Benefits Administration
Area Office
Southern Area Office-Nashville
Regional Office
Nashville Regional Office
Tennessee’s VA Medical System VISN 9


In FY 2007, $372 million in expenditures
2,938 full-time employee equivalents (FTE)
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245 physician and 649 nurses
The inpatient workload was 86,514 unique patients
Outpatient workload totaled 656,276 visits
742,790 veterans seen at the TN VA System
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Allow 10% to be Post 9-11
74,000 OEF/OIF veterans seen at the TN VA system
VA Counselors
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VA counselors are specialized in Post 9-11 veteran
PTSD counseling
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VA counselors have specific rubrics to determine
levels of success
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VA counselors are very good and very understanding
Need to re-assure student veteran that they are improving
Most VA counselors are over-worked

Appointments may interfere with classes
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If they miss an appt., they have to wait months for next
one
Most Veterans trust VA counselors
Many (30%) veterans won’t go to VA counseling

If diagnosed with PTSD, they may lose their security
clearance
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For many, this is very important for their future careers
Vet Center Counseling
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Certified counselors
 Many are Vietnam era veterans
More flexible with their time
 Can come to your campus on a regular basis

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Good bridge between VA and student veteran
 Counselors can talk/observe and recommend to VA counselors if
needed
Vet Centers created during Vietnam Vet era
 Paperwork/diagnosis not shared with VA
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No charge to veteran or campus for this service
Veterans can discuss their challenges/issues
Can still keep their security clearances
Many vets work well with Vet Center counselors
 Vet center schedule may not match with student vet schedule
Private Counseling - from the community
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VA benefits won’t cover private counseling

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Costs are ~ $200/hr. and above
Many private counselors do not have experience
with Post 9-11 PTSD

Once they ‘open the box’ they may not be able to
handle it
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Are more available than VA counselors
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Veterans don’t trust private counseling
Veteran Counseling Data for Several
Mid-West Campuses
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5 campuses evaluated
 4 pubic, 2 private
 2 private only have campus counselors
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2 public campuses have no counseling at all, (350 student veterans)
 Not even student counseling
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Have less than 25 student veterans
Had one student veteran suicide last year
1 public campus (900 student vets) had Vet Center counselors on
campus 1 day/week
 Counselor left because very few veterans showed up after 6 weeks
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Class schedule and counselor schedule did not match
Campus did not get the information out to the student veterans
Campus had two student veteran suicides over past two years
Veteran Counseling Data for Several
Mid-West Campuses (cont’d)
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1 Ohio campus (>1,000) different approach
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Psych Dept. Chair created a peer mentoring program

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Trained 50 Student vets to help other student vets
High visitation rate
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Mentors saw an average of 4 student veterans/week
No suicides among student veteran population
 2-year period
Development of Mentoring Program
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Step #1 - Identify campus veteran population
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31% of student veterans are Freshmen
46% of student veterans are juniors/seniors
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If campus veteran population is 500
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One mentor can usually handle 5 -10 student veterans
150 freshmen student veterans
230 juniors/senior s- need 15 - 20 of these to be mentors
Step #2 - Identify vet upperclassmen able to
participate

Want Juniors/Seniors

Sophomores are still adjusting and entering their majors
 Don’t want to sacrifice their grades for this project
Development of Mentoring Program
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Step #3 - Train upper classmen on counseling
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A one-semester course
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Taken with other courses
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Trained to recognize signs of trouble with a vet
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Usually have psych. or counseling majors participate
Military trains members to evaluate and assess
Taught how to intervene and what actions to take

When to call the VA - when to recommend counseling

Veterans will accept advice from other veterans
 Not from civilians
Development of Mentoring Program
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Step #4 - Provide certification of completion

Makes the mentor ‘official’ in the eyes of the vets
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Step #5 - Inform faculty/staff of their status

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Rank and hierarchy very important in the military
Instructors can identify vets that are in need
Recognize mentor status at graduation
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Gives incentive for upper classmen to enroll in course
SERV
Proprietary and Confidential
Advantages of Mentoring Program
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Student vets mentors on campus more often
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Vets in need will be more open to discuss issues
Student vet mentors are success stories
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Increase chances of seeing a vet in need
Student vet mentors can relate better
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vs. campus/community counselors
They have worked their way through the labyrinth
All of this leads to increased communication
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Mentors ‘face time’ 10-15x higher than
community/campus counselors
SERV
Proprietary and Confidential
Campus Counseling (cont’d)
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If you don’t prepare your campus
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As student veteran enrollment increases, risk for
mental health issues increase
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Independent of total vet enrollment numbers
Impact of a Good Mentoring Program
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For the student veteran
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Help with transition
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Help with education
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Veterans supporting veterans
Professionals supporting veterans
Campus advocate
Retention
Graduation
Help with finances
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VA Claims
Financial benefits
Bill paying (Veterans Service Commission)
Results of Campus Veteran Mentors
LYNN ISCHAY/THE PLAIN DEALER
Jo Gibson, center, teaches creative writing at Cleveland State University.
She is surrounded by students and veterans, from left, David Bennett, who
served in Iraq; Jeff DeLuca, who was awarded a Purple Heart for his service
in Iraq; and John Buckon, who served in Afghanistan.
SERV
Proprietary and Confidential
A new category of student has recently been added to our student
body. I discovered that last spring when I was editing our Department
of English "Essays" anthology of outstanding student writing. Reading
more than 1,000 essays by freshmen, with no information as to
student or instructor identification, the staff and I selected the top six
academic essays for publication.
When we gathered the writers' biographical information, I saw that
two were veterans: Kevin Gallagher served four years in the Navy and
Jeffrey De Luca was a Marine Corps veteran with a Purple Heart for
service in Iraq. That two of the six top academic essays were written
by veterans was, I thought, remarkable. (I later learned that Cleveland
State University serves 400 veterans enrolled as students under Project
SERV [Supportive Education for the Returning Veteran], a program
developed by John Schupp, and that the Pat Tillman Foundation
selected Cleveland State's SERV Program as one of only four institutions
of higher education to become a new scholarship partner for 2010.)
SERV
Proprietary and Confidential
I have since had veterans in my writing classes.
When Army veteran John Buckon wrote, in his
"Personal Statement" assignment, about being
in an Afghani farming village where he "became
a vital part of a group of 30 soldiers that saved
over 200 villagers," he came to understand
how life is shaped "through small but
significant actions.“
SERV
Proprietary and Confidential
When Marine Corps veteran David Bennett wrote and
read to our class in an impromptu writing assignment of
a day when, as an infantry team leader in Saqliwiyah,
Iraq, he was leading a squad and, "responsible for nine
men, nine friends, nine brothers," they came under
fire and took cover in a ditch, we listened, stunned. As
he read what he wrote, how "blowing tall grass arches
childlike, flickering above me as hell rages on," we
understood something of his experience.
This exposure to different cultures should
count for a diversity requirement!!
SERV
Proprietary and Confidential
Impact of Mentoring - Education

Education - Civilian levels at CSU
Only 29 percent of CSU students who enrolled in 2003 had
graduated six years later, according to the Ohio Board of
Regents. (Avg. 6-year grad. rate is 56% statewide)
That ranks CSU 11th among the state's 13 public universities,
ahead of only Central State University and Shawnee State
University.
CSU also ranks 11th in retention -- the number of freshmen
who return for a second year was 64% as of 2008
By Karen Farkas, The Plain Dealer, Published: Monday, April 11, 2011, 5:08 AM
Impact of Mentoring - Education
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Student vets with VRC and cohort classes - CSU
The 1st group - Spring 2008

14 students total

10 remained after 2nd year

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7 have graduated or will graduate in Spring 2011

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71% retention rate after 2 years
50% Graduation Rate in 3 years
3 others are still on campus

On pace to graduate in Spring 2012
The Human Impact

Preventing Substance abuse, Suicide &
Homelessness with our OEF/OIF veterans
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PTSD, major depression, feeling disconnected
No “Daily Mission”
VRCs can bring student vets and the VA together
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Campus can help local VA find more OEF/OIF veterans
Previous generations of veterans can go to VRC
Vietnam vets identify with OEF/OIF vets
CMPs can help families of student vets

How many generations can be impacted?
Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

OEF/OIF veterans in 2009

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
53% had diagnoses of alcohol-only SUDs
21% had diagnoses of drug-only SUDs
26% had diagnoses of both
58% of OEF/OIF vets with SUD diagnoses

had a diagnosis of one or more additional mental
health conditions

PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder & schizophrenia
U.S. Government Accountability Office, VA Faces Challenges in Providing Substance Use Disorder Services and Is
Taking Steps to Improve These Services for Veterans, GAO-10-294R, March 10, 2010
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10294r.pdf
The Human Impact of a CMP

Preventing substance abuse, suicide &
homelessness with our OEF/OIF veterans

Did we have a suicide problem after other wars
that the US has had over the years?

The answer is…yes.
Suicide rate 100 per 100,000
410,000 veterans in
the region must be
treated in insane
asylums or go home
24,405 mental
cases on record,
only 6,099 beds
to care for them
Suicide Rate Summary for Past 150 yrs.

Suicide rates per 100,000








Civil war - 30
WW I - 100
WW II - 12.2
Korea - 17.7
Vietnam - 19
OEF/OIF - 45
What impacted these rates?
Why did it drop from WW I to WW II?
This data has been compiled from over 200 documents, citations, journals and newspaper
articles for the past 147 years.
Suicide Rates Among WW I Vets

What the WW I vets were facing





Lack of proper psychological analysis
Horrible fighting conditions
Lack of US government concern
Graft/corruption in Veterans Bureau
US society/citizens moving on from the war
All these lead to very high suicide rates
What the Early Psychiatrists Thought

Shell-shock caused the neurosis

The artillery shells caused a ‘molecular rearrangement’ in the brain - Oppenheimer

Soldiers nowhere near an explosion developed ‘shellshock’ symptoms




German POWs exposed continuously to shelling did NOT
develop shell-shock symptoms
Soldiers exposed to gases developed symptoms
1000s of Canadian soldiers with severe head wounds
due to shrapnel had no symptoms of shell-shock
‘Trench Neurosis’ occurs usually in non-wounded
soldiers
Neuropsychiatry and The War, A bibliography with abstracts; Mabel Webster Brown- Librarian, the National Committee for Mental
Hygiene; Edited by Frankwood E. Williams M. D., Associate Medical Director, The National Committee for Mental Hygiene; The
War Work Committee; National Committee for Mental Hygiene Inc.
What the British Doctors Found with
Soldiers with ‘Trench Neurosis’

When the affected soldiers were

Evacuated from the war-front back to England


Treated at advanced base hospitals


Did not respond well to treatment
Treated at hospitals near the war-front


Did not respond well to treatment
Improved much more rapidly
Treated at a combat organization near the front

Was the best method for recovery, when given rest,
encouragement and persuasion
Neuropsychiatry and The War, A bibliography with abstracts; Mabel Webster Brown- Librarian, the National Committee for
Mental Hygiene; Edited by Frankwood E. Williams M. D., Associate Medical Director, The National Committee for Mental
Hygiene; The War Work Committee; National Committee for Mental Hygiene Inc.
What They Found -Timing of Treatment

Immediate attention


As time passes between evacuation & treatment


Best recovery
Less chances for quick recovery
Separation between soldier and his unit

Weakened the bonds with unit

Allowed time for the soldier to think:
If I’m not sick, then I am a coward who abandoned his
comrades. I can’t accept being a coward, therefore I am sick.
Neuropsychiatry and The War, A bibliography with abstracts; Mabel Webster Brown- Librarian, the National Committee for
Mental Hygiene; Edited by Frankwood E. Williams M. D., Associate Medical Director, The National Committee for Mental
Hygiene; The War Work Committee; National Committee for Mental Hygiene Inc.
What This Analysis Means

The psychiatrist offers an alternative hypothesis


A soldier near his unit, both in location or time


You are just tired and will recover when rested
Can expect to get better
A soldier farther away from his unit

Decreases this expectancy

Recovery takes much longer
Suicide Rates Among WW II Vets

No reports of spike in suicides among WW II vets


12.2 per 100,000 (even 5 years later)
Potential reasons



Country embraced them
Country did not go back into a depression
52/20 club kept them from needing to work right away




Allowed time to re-adjust mentally
GI Bill allowed them to gather on campuses
Environment for self-support created
Unit cohesion re-created on campuses nationwide
Robert H. Stretch, "Follow-Up Studies of Veterans," in War Psychiatry (Falls Church, VA: U.S. Army
Office of the Surgeon General, 1995).
WWII Campus Population in Classroom

2.2M vets enrolled in ~1,800 colleges/universities
Average of 1,222/campus
1949 >45% of all college students were vets






The classroom was full of WW II veterans
Veterans get to class 15 minutes early
Discuss their experiences with other veterans
2.2M vets has 4 years of ‘group therapy’

When they graduated, they were done talking about
the war
Dr. Jennifer Adams, Penn State Univ. ASHE meeting Sacramento Nov 18 2000
Results of the First GI Bill Era

1956


11 years after final victory
2.2 million WWII veterans attended college









180,000 college educated engineers
200,000 college educated accountants
238,000 teachers
91,000 scientists
67,000 doctors
22,000 dentists
1 million other college educated individuals
~1.7M college degrees
78% Graduation Rate
Milton Greenberg-report taken from the U.S. Department of State publication, Historians on America
% of Vets on Campus GI Bill Era

WW II


1951 -Total college enrollment - 2,101,962
1951 -Total vet enrollment -1,870,000



88.9% of campus enrollment were veterans
Campus veteran friendly environment established
 Suicide rate - 12 per 100,000
Korea


1956 -Total college enrollment - 2,918,212
1956 -Total vet enrollment -2,312,000 WWII & Korean vets


79.2% of campus enrollment were veterans
Somewhat campus vet friendly environment established
 Suicide rate - 17 per 100,000
This data compiled from the DOE enrollment data, 1947 to present
% of Vets on Campus GI Bill Era

Vietnam


1975 - Total college enrollment -11,184,859
1951 - Total vet enrollment - 2,019,733
 18.0% of campus enrollment were veterans


Presently



2011 - Total college enrollment - 21,016,126
2011 - Total vet enrollment - 962,780
4.6%% of campus enrollment are veterans


Suicide Rate - 19 per 100,000
Suicide Rate - 45 per 100,000
As the % of vets on campus drops, suicide rate
increases
This data compiled from the DOE enrollment data, 1947 to present
Factors in Suicide Rate Between WWI
& WW II Veterans

They used their GI Bill in very large numbers


Nearly 8.5M used their GI Bill benefits
When they went to campus, they were the campus


Didn’t talk about the war before, during or after class
Their education/degree gave them hope for their
future*

Rather than dwelling on their past

Better future means less reason for suicides
*Quote from Milton Greenburg, WW 2 veteran and expert on the GI Bill
What is the suicide rate for student
veterans today?



What is the suicide information on today’s student
veterans?
Does education still help lessen the need for
suicide being the only option?
Can the campuses help reduce the suicide rate?

Provide a better environment (VRCs) to increase
graduation among student veterans
David Rudd, the scientific director for the U.’s National
Center for Veterans Studies - Congressional Testimony
Suicides among military servicemen and women have
surged in recent years. Between 2002 and 2009, army
suicides more than doubled. "This problem doesn’t go away
once somebody separates from service," Rudd said. [See
After the Battle: 7 Health Problems Facing Veterans]
Rudd and colleagues examined survey results from a
nationally representative sample of 525 student veterans
whose average age was 26. Nearly all had been deployed to
the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, and close to 60 percent said
they had experienced combat.
After the Battle: 7 Health Problems Facing Veterans
Nov 10, 2010 | 1:41 PM ET | Maureen Salamon, MyHealthNewsDaily Contributor
Rudd Study (cont’d)
46% said they had had suicidal thoughts at some point in
their lives, 20% reported having suicidal thoughts and a plan
to carry it out, about 10% said they thought of suicide very
often, 7.7% reported attempting suicide, and 3.8 percent
said a suicide attempt was either likely or very likely.
Eighty-two percent of those who attempted suicide also
struggled with significant post-traumatic stress disorder
symptoms, Rudd said.
After the Battle: 7 Health Problems Facing Veterans
Nov 10, 2010 | 1:41 PM ET | Maureen Salamon, MyHealthNewsDaily Contributor
Impacting the Student Veteran Suicide Rate

Is it higher for those not using their GI Bill?

How many total OEF/OIF veterans can we expect to
attempt suicide at least once?

What is the cost of counseling from the 1st attempt to
recovery?

Less than the cost of a good campus veteran program?
Impacting the Student Veteran Suicide Rate

Can a Campus Mentoring Program reduce this
7.7%?


Federal dollars for CMPs nationwide
Can it increase the number of veterans using their GI
Bill?

Bring more veterans to campus, reduce the suicide rate for all
OEF/OIF veterans
Projected Increase in GI Bill Usage Nationwide
with Federally Funded CVPs/VRCs
Present OEF/OIF
Total # of OEF/OIF
vets using their
service-members,
% of service-members,
GI Bill benefits veterans GI Bill eligible veterans using their GI Bill
962,780
2,436,395
39.5%
Target for % of servicemembers/veterans using their
GI Bill
Target - Total # of OEF/OIF servicemembers, veterans using their GI
Bill
50.0%
1,218,198
Cost data from “The Veterans Health Administration’s Treatment of PTSD and
Traumatic Brain Injury Among Recent Combat Veterans Feb. 2012 - a CBO report
Projected Student Veterans Who Will
Attempt Suicide & Associated Costs
Target OEF/OIF vets
using their GI Bill
benefits
% of student vets
who may attempt
suicide
Projected OEF/OIF vets using
their GI Bill who may
attempt suicide
7.70%
93,801
1,218,198
Counseling cost per Total counseling dollars on
vet to reduce
vets who've attempted
suicide risk
suicide
$15,000.00
$1,407,018,690
Cost data from “The Veterans Health Administration’s Treatment of PTSD and
Traumatic Brain Injury Among Recent Combat Veterans Feb. 2012 - a CBO report
How Campus Veteran Programs Can
Be Funded to Reduce Suicides
% of counseling costs
set aside for CVPs
Dollars allocated for
CVPs
Total campuses with
vet programs
Total dollars per
campus
30.0%
$422,105,607
1,250
$337,684
Reduction in
suicide
attempts
40.00%
New student # of student veterans
vet 1st
who will NOT
attempt %
attempt suicide
4.62%
37,520
Dollars NOT spent
(saved) by the VA on
recovery
$562,807,476
Lives Saved & Dollars Saved
Total Cost of
CVPs
$422,105,607
Total cost of
Total cost of suicide Total costs for counseling
counseling for those
reduction and
from 1st attempt to
remaining student
treatment program
recovery if suicide rate
veterans that attempt for student veterans among student veterans is
suicide for 1st time
not lowered
$844,211,214
$1,266,316,821
$1,407,018,690
Why a Campus Vet Program is Needed

Other campus programs for at-risk students


Other campus programs for at-risk students



Do not address suicide prevention or lowering
Increase the federal budget
A campus veteran program reduces suicides and
decreases the federal budget
Does this interest your campus?

Let J. Schupp know. He is working on a
proposal for congress now!
First Attempt Suicides Prevented in
the Region

22,053 total veterans

Goal to have 75% of region’s vets use their GI Bill


Present 1st attempt suicide rate among student
veterans - 7.7%

Expect 1,273 student veterans to attempt suicide


16,540 student veterans
Create a good campus veteran program with a VRC reduce 1st attempt rate by 50%
Save 640 student vets from attempting suicide in
the region!
Homelessness/SUD Prevention on
Your Campus…if you had a CMP
Total veteran/servicemember campus
Enrollment Spr 17
508
Total Combat
vets on campus
# of vets with
undiagnosed
PTSD/Depression
# of undiagnosed
PTSD/Depression
at risk for
potential
substance abuse
# of undiagnosed
PTSD/Depression
with potential
substance abuse
at risk for
homelessness
Total vets that
your campus
could prevent
from being
homeless
318
42
31
24
24
From the Rand Report “The Invisible Wounds of War” 2008
Human Impact of Your CMP

Spring 2017, 508 veterans on Campus

318 combat vets - 42 with undiagnosed PTSD/depression

If untreated



Spring 2017 - 318 combat vets on campus
One suicide over a four-year period
The Campus CVP reduces the risk of these events
Bring the VA to the campus once/week or once/month
 Help VA reach more OEF/OIF vets than the present 52%



31 will have substance abuse issues
24 will spend all GI Bill money on addiction and become
homeless
How many families in Seattle will benefit
from a CMP at Your University or several
CMPs in your region?
In region
Ex-Service- Total # of vets Total # of # of reservists
Married
members
18-35
reservists
18-35
Married vets reservists
22,053
18,525
2,993
2,035
On campus
2013
Ex-Service- Total # of vets Total # of # of reservists
members
18-35
reservists
18-35
508
426
69
47
11,688
1,317
Married
Married vets reservists
vets
reservists
269
30
How many families in Seattle will benefit from
a CMP at Your University or several CMPs in
your region?
In region
# Spouses of # of Spouses of
Reservists
vets with
reservists
BA
with BA
between 25-35 between 25-35 degrees degrees
13,673
1,467
904
201
On Campus
2013
# Spouses of # of Spouses of
Reservists
vets with
reservists age
BA
with BA
between 25-35 between 25-35 degrees degrees
315
34
21
5
Married vets
with kids
5,108
Married
reservists
with kids
564
Married vets
with kids
118
Married
reservists
with kids
13
How many families in Seattle will benefit from
a CMP at Your University or several CMPs in
your region?
In region
single
veterans
single reservists
total # of
children
# of children
with kids
with kids
of veterans
with reservists
461
151
11,137
1,429
total # of
children
# of children
On campus
2013
single
veterans single reservists
with kids
with kids
of veterans
with reservists
11
3
256
33
How many families in Seattle will benefit from
a CMP at Your University or several CMPs in
your region?
In region
Age of
zero to 5
4,678
On campus
Age of
zero to 5
108
Children Of vets
6 to 11
3,452
2013
12 to 18 19 to 22
2,573
455
Children Of vets
6 to 11
79
12 to 18 19 to 22
59
10
Of
Age of Children reservists
zero to
5
6 to 11
12 to 18
386
429
443
19 to 22
157
Of
Age of Children reservists
zero to
5
6 to 11
12 to 18
9
10
10
19 to 22
4
By Having a CMP at Your University
VRC on campus of Your
University
 You could impact




426 vets
69 Guard and reservists
349 spouses
289 children


206 of them younger than
12 yrs. old
At least two generations

All with a small investment
VRCs on several
campuses in the region
 You could impact
 18,525 vets
 2,993 Guard/reservists
 15,140 spouses
 12,566 children

8,945 of them younger
than 12 yrs. old
Total Impact of Campus Mentoring Program

Financial

Human Impact

Campus - $9.5M

Homelessness prevented - 24

Community - $16.2M

Suicides NOT attempted - 640

Total - $25.7M

289 children impacted
All by having a $206,000 investment
Resource Requirements

Personnel requirements

Instructors


Administrators


May need to attend training seminar on campus procedures
VA counselors and psychologists



May need to be briefed on student veterans
From the region - no cost to campus
Specialists in understanding veterans and veteran
environment
Campus recruiters

J. Schupp can teach how to meet potential student veterans
Resource Requirements

Resource requirements

Need a VA Hospital/CBOC near campus - J. Schupp can provide

Adequate level of OEF/OIF veteran population in area - HAVE


Program has to be self-sustaining
Need to have community involvement/support - OBTAIN

Community leaders, local businesses, Chamber of Commerce,
County Commissioners, other elected officials

Need to have financial support of Veteran Resource Center
Resource Requirements

J. Schupp can provide a business plan outline to
all those campuses that request it

Send me


Your present enrollment data by chapter
The counties that you draw from for civilian enrollment
Campus/Faith-Based Groups

Many places of worship have concerns about
veterans and their families

Many families of veterans/service-members attend
places of worship

What is the level of information and interest at these
places of worship regarding veterans and their
education?

How can you get your campus information to them?
Veterans’ Survey - Background

Sampled the entire Episcopalian Diocese of Ohio for
their activities and level of interest in Veterans’
education

31 out of 75 parishes responded – What did they
say?
How many members of your parish are currently in
the military?
How many members of the armed services does
your parish pray for each Sunday?
What degree of knowledge do you or your outreach
group have about military health issues like PTSD?
What degree of knowledge do you or your outreach
group have about educational benefits and
opportunities for veterans?
Are you or your outreach group familiar with the
Post 9/11 GI Bill, which began August 2009?
Do you or your outreach group think learning more
about veteran health and educational issues would
help your outreach for military members and
veterans?
Survey Analysis


Some service-members are members of the parish
Parish prays for many service-members at worship




Few parishes are aware of the Post 9/11 GI Bill
Parishes more aware of health issues than educational
opportunities
Some parishes don’t know how to establish a veterans’
outreach ministry
Your campus can be the bridge between the veteran
community and the parishes
 But how do you begin to reach out to them?
Efficient Way To Reach This Demographic

The Church Bulletin



Reaches three generations of loved ones


Parents, grandparents, spouses, children
It already has troop announcements in it


Nothing else to do while waiting for service to start
Feel too guilty to throw it away….immediately
Just add the info. of the university program to it
It is trusted for its authenticity

After all, it is in the ‘Church Bulletin’
How well does this idea work?

J. Schupp has provided business plans to over
50 campuses nationwide

Both in person and by email

Many of these campuses have started VRCs
based upon this information

Here are a few…..
Results from Hiram College
From: Rood, Donna B.
Sent: Wed 1/26/2011 2:21 PM
To: Faculty; Staff; Class of 2011; Class of 2012; Class of 2013; Class of 2014; Weekend College Students;
Graduate MAIS Students
Subject: Message from the President
To the campus community,
I am delighted to share additional good news with you this week. Our friend and former trustee Chuck
Miller has given $500,000 to Campus A through the estate of his parents, Paul C. and Kathryn W. Miller.
Chuck’s wishes are that we use the money to renovate Miller Dining Hall as the new home for student
support services and for our new efforts to recruit and provide support to military personnel returning to
civilian life. The funding will be used to complete the renovation of Miller and to create an endowment to
support programs related to the work done by Kathryn Craig, Frank Hemphill, and their colleagues in
Student Life.
In his letter to me announcing the gift, Chuck said “I am certain that our mother and father would be
pleased and delighted that their contribution to Campus A would be used for these activities. Both of
them were very strong believers in education and the opportunities that can result from learning for not
only the individual student’s career, but his or her family and the communities in which they live.”
This is a wonderful gift from Chuck and his wife, Judie, that enables us to advance the support we
provide to our student body.
Tom Chema
Terra Community College
New Veterans’ Center at Terra State Opens
For most of her career at Terra State Community
College, Joyce Spencer has been an advocate for
armed forces veterans. Now she has, well, an army of
supporters.
Thanks to a push from administration, the hard work of
maintenance and housekeeping employees, and
Spencer’s steady guidance, the new Terra State
Veterans’ Center opened on Nov. 15, 2012
It features four computer work stations, a conference
room with white board, and a lounge area with a flat
screen television. A coffee maker, microwave,
refrigerator and sink round out all the comforts of home
From: John Schupp [john.schupp@theservprogram.com]
Sent: Friday, October 07, 2011 5:59 AM
To: Millet, David
Subject: Re: Veteran's Mentoring Program
Results
from
Eastern
Washington
University
David, great talking with you today- Attached is a file of those that have returned and checked in with
their VA since 9/11 as of Oct 2010 (they update every october)
I have the numbers for Eastern Washington Counties in yellow, you have a total of 4,470 Post 9-11
veterans available. This data is from the Ombudsman's office of the VA in DC.
If you could have the attached spreadsheet filled in as best as you can, I can provide you with the cost
analysis and financial impact of what your campus has provided to the region so far, and project what it
could do in the futureKind Regards
J. Schupp
On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 1:27 PM, Millet, David <dmillet@ewu.edu> wrote:
John – we participated in the Sept 15th webinar and would like to get some information. One of the slides
mentioned you could provide “the number of post 9-11 vets that have returned back home to your
county-aka- ‘your market’”
We are located in eastern Washington state in Spokane county and draw many of our students from
eastern Washington counties. Is it possible to get this date from you.
Thanks-Dave
M. David Millet
Director of Advancement, College of Business and Public Administration, College of Social and
Behavioral Sciences, Eastern Washington University, 102 Hargreaves Hall, Cheney, Wa 99004
On Mon, Jul 16, 2012 at 7:58 PM, Millet, David <dmillet@ewu.edu> wrote:
John – I wanted to pass on a thank you and the below links to our opening of the EWU
Veterans Resource Center. Part of the success of this project had to do with the information
you provided last fall in “ROI” and from a purely business sense why we should do a better
job of recruiting, retaining and graduating veterans.
First link is to photos of the opening – although still a work in progress.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ewuphoto/sets/72157630519578742/with/7545949310/
http://www.ewu.edu/about/ewu-news/military-center.xml
So EWU is moving forward and we look forward to assisting many more veterans in the
future.
Best,Dave
M. David Millet
Director of Advancement, College of Business and Public Administration, College of Social and
Behavioral Sciences, Eastern Washington University, 102 Hargreaves Hall, Cheney, Wa 99004
Let J. Schupp help you help your local veterans!
We can save this generation and make it
the next “Great Generation”
john.schupp@theservprogram.com (440) 488 - 6416