Wednesday, April 25, 1012
8:30 am to 9:00 am
9:00 am to 10:a.m.
Registration & Continental Breakfast
Welcome –Patricia D’Orange-Martin, Coordinator Veterans Services, PCC
Dr. Mark Rocha, President , Pasadena City College
Congressman Adam Schiff- Video Remarks
Welcome Home:
Creating a Campus Climate of Wellness for Returning Veterans- Part 1
Presenters:
Harold Martin, US Army, PhD, Adjunct, Psychology Dept. Pasadena City College
Daniel Chenowith, Psy.D, U.S. VETS
10:00 am to 11:45 am
This training is a program for faculty and staff about student veterans issues; in the classroom
and on campus and practical steps towards working with veterans in the classroom to help them
succeed. The major objectives of the training are to increase awareness about the signs and
symptoms of the salient mental health issues impacting today's veterans, e.g., PTSD, TBI, and
depression as well as less-discussed matters such as anger, Post-Traumatic Embitterment
Disorder (PTED), high-risk behavior, adjustment disorders, and grief. Faculty and staff will be
given a better understanding as to how these conditions might impact student successes in the
classroom and on campus. A holistic view will be offered which accentuates the positive aspects
of the military experience and how they relate to veterans as students. This is part one of a two
part session.
Lunch Keynote Speaker –
Joseph F. Currier, PhD
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Clinical Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary
Wounds of the Spirit- 12:00 am to 1:00 pm
"Military combat can be a deeply impactful experience. As thousands of warriors return from the zones of
war, many will carry emotional and physical injuries. Although difficult to express or even recognize, the
invisible wounds to the spirit are equally painful for many persons. However, all of these injuries can be
experienced side-by-side with the strengths and competencies honed in military service. In fact, as a
result of struggling with combat stressors, many veterans may mature and grow in significant ways.
This talk will discuss the possible wounds to the spirit and how veterans can overcome feelings of
guilt, honor their lost friends, achieve self-forgiveness, and celebrate the gift of life."
Welcome Home: Creating a Campus Climate of Wellness for Returning Veterans - Part 2 –
continuation of training
Presenters:
Harold Martin, US Army, PhD, Adjunct, Psychology Dept. Pasadena City College
Daniel Chenowith, Psy.D, U.S. VETS
This is part two of a two part session.
1:00 pm to 2:50 pm
For ALL PARTICIPANTS This training is a program for faculty and staff about student veterans issues; in the classroom
and on campus and practical steps towards working with veterans in the classroom to help them
succeed. The major objectives of the training are to increase awareness about the signs and
symptoms of the salient mental health issues impacting today's veterans, e.g., PTSD, TBI, and
depression as well as less-discussed matters such as anger, Post-Traumatic Embitterment
Disorder (PTED), high-risk behavior, adjustment disorders, and grief. Faculty and staff will be
given a better understanding as to how these conditions might impact student successes in the
classroom and on campus. A holistic view will be offered which accentuates the positive aspects
of the military experience and how they relate to veterans as students.
2:50 pm to 3:00pm
Break
Concurrent Workshop 1
Boot Camp for Administrators
Insightful leadership: Building environments for veterans' success, preparing for the
arrival of this latest generation of returning veterans.
Presenters: Terence Nelson, M.A., M.Ed., Assistant Dean of Counseling Services and Special
Programs, Saddleback College; Jane Mathis, M.S., Associate. Dean of Students, Santa Ana College ;
Nancy Montgomery, M.S.N., Associate Dean of Health, Wellness and Veterans' Services, Cerritos
College.
3:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Board members, administrators, managers, and program coordinators,
Come learn how you can play a role in serving our nation's returning Veterans at your
institution. Comprehensive and effective Veterans Resource Centers are popping up all over the
state on community college and university campuses. Many of these programs are built and
sustained with limited institutional funding through the development of partnerships with
government agencies, private corporations, and non-profits as well as the support of local donors
and grants. Learn why a Veterans support program is a wise investment in your institutions
future and find a way to shape the next Greatest Generation.
Concurrent Workshop 2:
Invisible Wounds of War : Developing Compensatory strategies to increase
academic efficiency for Veterans with cognitive difficulties
Presenter:
3:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Stacey Curtis, M.S., CCC-SLP, Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System
Smart Start College Prep Program- Lessons learned in the field & how they can be applied in
the classroom. This workshop is specifically designed for Faculty & Staff who work with
veterans in Learning Assistance Centers, Tutors and in the classroom, as well as, in DSP & S
programs.
Concurrent Workshop 3 –
Beyond the Brochure:
Presenters:
Carol Calandra, Case Manager & Patricia D’Orange-Martin, M.S., Coordinator, PCC Veterans
Resource Center
3:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Developing a College Veterans Services model that plays an integral role in addressing the
unique challenges of student veterans requires the coordination of resources and the
building of a referral network. Student veterans need to be connected with federal &
local governmental agencies and programs. Campus providers need to find and partner
with local ancillary services, community service organizations, veterans service
organizations, and faith-based programs. By leveraging their own limited resources
through these other providers one can expand services that specifically target veterans.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
8:30am to 9:00am
9:00 am to 9:45am
9:45 am to 10:00 am
Continental Breakfast
Dr. Cynthia Olivo, Associate Dean, Counseling, Career and Veterans Services
Break
Concurrent Workshop 2 part sessions: -Part 1
Presenters:
Linda Sinclair, M.A., Veterans Center Coordinator, Santa Monica College,
Harold Martin, US Army, PhD, Adjunct, Psychology Dept. Pasadena City College
10:00 am to 11:45 am
Teaching a Veterans’ Transition Course
Designing a Veteran’s Transition course for your campus that integrates military skills and
experience with basic tools for academic success and personal development. Addressing veteran
related Psychological challenges (post traumatic stress disorder awareness, suicide prevention,
stress reduction techniques) and information on resources & services available to returning
veterans (Veterans benefits and services, academic services, career services) and providing
student veterans with a sense of community, camaraderie and belonging.
Concurrent Workshop 2 Presenters:
Lauren Arenson, PhD., Anthropology Department, Pasadena City College
Kathleen Green, PhD., English Department, Pasadena City College
Veterans Learning Collaborative
10:00 am to 11:45 am
Lessons learned: PCC developed the Veterans’ Learning Collaborative (VLC) this past fall to help
veterans adjust to the challenges of higher education and to enhance student veteran learning
through the development of learning communities to foster academic and social connections.
The student veterans were enrolled in a set of ‘vets only’ General Education classes, including a
transition course, creating a veteran-specific learning community. The program began with an
outdoor retreat to begin developing a sense of camaraderie. The cohort-based classes were
taught by faculty trained in veterans’ issues and were specifically directed at addressing veteran
needs of resiliency, learning, leadership and transitioning. The program focused on the strengths
of the veteran, not their weaknesses.
Concurrent Workshop 3
Stephanie. A. Stone, USN Ret., Los Angeles County Veterans Advisory Commission
Jaclyn Paxton, USMC, U.S. Vets,
10:00a.m. to 11:45
When she came marching home : The Invisible Veteran - a think tank approach to
outreach & services for women veterans on campus.
We will briefly hear about today’s women veterans’ issues and then explore how to reach out to
women veterans on campus. We will discuss the tangible aspects of what colleges have done or
are doing to reach out to women veterans; things that worked and things that didn't . In several
round table discussions we will explore what, why, where and how we might provide services.
11:45 am to 1:00 pm
Lunch - Networking
Concurrent Workshop Part 2
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Teaching a Veterans’ Transition Course- Part 2 - Continued
Presenters:
Linda Sinclair, M.S. Veterans Center Coordinator, Santa Monica College &
Harold Martin, US Army, Ph.D, Adjunct, Psychology Dept. Pasadena City College
Designing a Veteran’s Transition course for your campus that integrates military skills and
experience with basic tools for academic success and personal development. Addressing veteran
related Psychological challenges (post traumatic stress disorder awareness, suicide prevention,
stress reduction techniques) and information on resources & services available to returning
veterans (Veterans benefits and services, academic services, career services) and providing
student veterans with a sense of community, camaraderie and belonging.
Concurrent Workshop
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Carol Calandra, Past President PCC Veterans Club
Marshall Lewis, President PCC Veterans Club
Ernie Aguilar,Past President LBCC Veterans Club,
Octavio Reyes, Past President SMC Veterans Club
Veterans Clubs 101: Getting started and keeping it going.
A round table discussion on establishing and maintaining a viable veterans club on campus.
Documentary Screening “SERVICE – When Women Come Marching Home” –
Award winning Director Marcia Rock will lead a discussion.
1:00 am to 2:30pm
SERVICE portrays the courage of the women in the military and the inadequate care they often
receive once they return. The documentary takes the audience on a journey from the deserts
of Afghanistan and Iraq to rural Tennessee and urban New York City, from coping with the loss
of two legs, to flashbacks, triggers and depression to ways to support other vets. The journey
ends in Washington D.C. where vets meet with Congressional leaders to voice their concerns.
As we visit the ignorance of our culture through the eyes of those who have served it selflessly
we honor the resilience of an amazing group of women who have overcome physical and
emotional traumas with an unbroken spirit.
Closing remarks - Raffle