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
- Supporting Veterans in Higher Education: A Primer for Administrators, Faculty and Academic Advisors* by Jose E. Coll and Eugenia L. Weiss
- Handbook of Military Social Work* by Allen Rubin, Eugenia L. Weiss, and Jose E. Coll
- A Civilian Counselor’s Primer to Counseling Veterans* by Jose E. Coll, Eugenia L. Weiss, and Herbert A. Exum
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