LIVE: Veteran Identity and Mental Health: Military Service - Part 2

May 21, 2024
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Pacific

2 Hours | 2 CEs

$125 Registration | $100 Early Registration (through May 14th) | Live Training via Zoom

Kristen J. Vescera, PhD, MPH presents a live virtual professional training program on Veteran Identity and Mental Health: Military Service - Part 2.

“I didn’t serve. I can’t understand what my Veteran clients went through.” The Veteran Identity and Mental Heath training series follows a Veteran through three transition points.

The first training on the Initiation into the military introduced the transition from civilian life into the military. While it is not a requirement, it is strongly recommended to take the first program in the series.

This training takes the audience through the process of transition considerations during a Service Member’s time in the military that ultimately impacts their identity as a Veteran after service. Each transition point impacts the Veteran’s identity beyond their service. This includes expectations at each transitional stage of service that, if fulfilled or not, may impact one’s sense of self as a Veteran upon discharge.

Veteran culture will be explored through the lens of the military experience and asks the learner to think about the Service Member through experiential exercises in order to get “comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Military life will be discussed within the context of the service era, relationships, and the importance of hierarchies within the military. Broad military-culture-related definitions and terms will be explored through the context of development and identity formation. This unique learning experience offers the opportunity for learners to explore their own attitudes and beliefs about the Veterans they work with.

This training is intended for professionals who work (or live) with Veterans at any stage of their career and can benefit from the unique perspectives available in this learning experience.

Training outline:

• Introduction
• Imaginal Exercise- lead the audience through a scenario of being in the service
• Provide context of Veteran identity and defining difference between military and Veteran culture
• Discuss the context of different service era experiences
• Discuss differences in military experiences (with video support)
• Describe the role of hierarchies in service
• Describe the role and context of relationships in service