Peshawar to Pittsburgh

From Peshawar

to PittsburghHelping Veterans Make Career Transitions

Amy Armstrong, MS, NCC, MCC, LPC

December 4, 2014

Agenda Review the objectives for this session

Spend a few minutes brainstorming about strategies

to use with sample cases

Cover websites and other resources.

Objectives Understand basic terminology regarding military

transition to career

Get familiar with websites that are helpful to vets in

transition

Gather some information about the GI Bill program

and the vet’s obligations under the program

Identifying Veterans

Pop Quiz

80%

11%

5%4%

A

B

C

D

Most Vets are White

80%

11%

5%4%

Race/Ethnicity

White

Black

Hispanic

Other

Questions to Ask Are you a veteran?

Which branch did you serve with?

What was your MOS? (Military Occupational

Specialty)

Challenges of Civilian LifeChoices, Change, and Access

Hurt Locker Clip

Common Issues for Vets Divorce/loss of job

Risk of homelessness

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Post Traumatic Stress

Suicide Risk

Overwhelmed

[Photo via Flickr]

Self-Advocacy They’ve earned their benefits

Requesting accommodations doesn’t = a free pass

to get around requirements

Educational hurdlesFor Vets

Vets & College First Generation college students

Training that is equivalent to college courses, CLEP

or DANTES test scores

May require accommodations for physical or mental

impairment

Don’t tend to be aggressive advocates for

themselves

How College-Ready Are

They? Ask about:

Performance in high school classes

Support from family and friends

How they cope with stress

Any medical conditions that could affect attendance

Have other family members attended college?

92% of veterans have a high school diploma or

higher

Grades and the GI Bill Withdrawals, Incompletes, and grades lower than a

“C” all can count against a student on the GI Bill

The VA may be able to call back the money and the

student may not be eligible to use those benefits

ever again

Non-Traditional Degree

Options

• Technical Studies/Occupational

Studies

• CLEP credit

• More information available

through American Council on

Education (ACE)

Caution

Cases/Vignettes

Where the Crosswalk Ends

O*NET has a cool

MOS to civilian career

crosswalk (YEAH!)

The client in your office

knows his MOS, but

when you plug it into

the crosswalk . . .

nothing comes up.

(BOO!)

What now?

The Resume that Said Too Much

Two pages of text

Lots of training & skills

None of it in English as

we know it

All is Well, BUT I can’t write papers

I can’t make it to class

before noon

I can’t make it to

evening classes on an

urban campus

Benefits & CompensationBasic Overview

Veterans Administration Healthcare—largest provider of healthcare in the

United States

Behavioral Health

Medical and Prescription Benefits

Optometry, etc.

Disability Compensation—Varies by “Rating”

Education—GI Bill

Death Benefits (Not so relevant if the veteran made it to your office.)

Disability Ratings Additional compensation based on level of disability

(10% and up)

Any physical injury resulting from service (service-

connected) or mental health issue may make them

eligible for disability compensation

This can be a 6 month process

Education Benefits Post 9/11 GI Bill

Government pays the college/university directly

Includes a housing allowance

Up to $1,000/yr for books and supplies

Yellow Ribbon Program

Private colleges and universities allow veterans to

attend at a similar tuition rate as they would at a

public university

State & Federal Benefits Veterans are entitled to federal benefits through VA

They also are entitled to state benefits where they

currently reside, and, possibly, the state where they

were born. In order to receive those benefits, they

have to apply separately.

WebsitesFor Vets and Career Professionals

Military.com Military to Civilian skills translator

GI Bill information

State Benefit Information

Disability Compensation

VA Website GI Bill

Enrollment for/review of Federal benefits online

Patient Advocacy Program information

USMilitary.About.com

O*NET

onetonline.org

Thank you If you have additional questions, I can be reached

at

amy@amyarmstrongLPC.com

Email me if you would like a

copy of the handout. Will also

be posted on

www.amyarmstronglpc.com