#HunterStrong helps Hunter College Veterans transition back to civilian and college life with services like peer-support, tutoring, and counseling services.

2. HUNTERSTRONG
COMHE/PYSCH 400
December 9th, 2014
Martin Cuevas, Sara Fleszar,
Nicole Onorato, & Melinda Garcia

3. VETERAN STUDENT
 Veterans at Hunter College are classified in three ways:
1. An active, reserve, or former member of the Armed Forces who has served in a
combat role overseas.
2. A member in good standing of the State Militia (National Guard), whose time
spent during Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training qualifies him/her
for Veteran’s Benefits without having to have had served in a combat role.
3. A next of kin, child or family member of a service member who was granted
educational benefits through the G.I. Bill’s rules and regulations governing the
transferring of such benefits.

4. HUNTER POPULATION
 Total Number of Students Enrolled: 23,004
• Undergraduate Students: 16,707
• Graduate Students: 6,297
• Male Students: 7,092
• Female Students: 15,912
• Students from NYC: 17,592
• Students from NYS: 2,834
• Students from Other States: 1,210
• Students from Other Countries: 1,368

5. VETERAN POPULATION AT HUNTER
 Total Number of Student Veterans: 234
• Undergraduate Veteran Students: 170
• Graduate Veteran Students: 63
• Doctorate Veteran Students: 1
• Male Veteran Students: 105
• Female Veteran Students: 128
77%
7%
12%
3% 1%
Race/Ethnicity
Caucasian
African-American
Hispanic
Asian-American
Native-American

6. MICHAEL’S STORY

7. MICHAEL’S STORY

8. MARTIN’S STORY

9. WHY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IS NOT
How to talk to Veterans about War
Wes Moore
Author and Advocate
The author of the book, “The Other
Wes Moore,” he is now a vocal
advocate for America’s youth as
well as for fellow veterans returning
from Iraq and Afghanistan

10. SUICIDE AMONG VETERANS
 Veteran suicide rate exceeds that of civilians
• 1 in 5 suicides nationally is a veteran
• An estimated 49,000 veterans committed suicide
between 2005 and 2011
• The Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
was enacted in 2007 to increase the Department of
Veteran Affairs suicide prevention efforts
• In its first year (2007), the Veteran Crisis Line
received 9,379 calls, in 2012 that number increased to
193,507
Carnegie-Knight News21 “Back Home: The Enduring Battles Facing Post-9/11 Veterans” (2013)

11. Carnegie-Knight News21 “Back Home: The Enduring Battles Facing Post-9/11 Veterans” (2013)

12. SERVICES AVAILABLE AT HUNTER

13.  Free and confidential services to
Hunter College Students
• Individual Counseling
• Group Counseling
• Crisis Intervention
• Consultation
• Referral to Other Services
 Programs on a variety of health-related topics
• Stress Management
• Sleep
• Healthy Relationships
• Healthy Self-Care
• Identifying Risk Factors for Mental Health Issues
• Obtaining Help & Referring Others for Help for Mental Health
Issues

14.  Provides information on…
• Getting started at Hunter
• Veterans’ benefits
• Academic policies
• Provisions and procedures for veterans
• Career planning
• On and off-campus resources
 Programs
• Veteran’s tutoring program
• Veterans Club
• P.R.O.V.E.

15.  Funded by the Bob Woodruff Foundation to
ensure academic and personal success for
student veterans of CUNY
 Serves 7 campus Veterans Resource Centers
in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens
 Assists student veterans with the transition from
military service to college life
 Connects them with healthcare, housing,
tutoring assistance as well as camaraderie

17. LOSS OF PURPOSE, COMMUNITY, AND SELF WORTH
A New Mission forVeterans – Disaster Relief
JakeWood
CEO,Team Rubicon
JakeWood runsTeam Rubicon, a nationwide
nonprofit that military veterans with the
opportunity to continue their service by
responding to natural disasters and global
crises

18. LEARNING FROM OTHERS
 Educational approach and public health model
• Promote awareness and provide educational resources
for program implementation
• Utilize veteran-specific Kognito training program
 Highlight personal stories
• Emotional appeal and call to action
 Link to existing resources and organizations
• Mindful of branch-specific resources
 Highlight Military/Veteran Crisis Line
 Apply for outside funding to develop lasting
programs and expand on existing resources

19. HUNTERSTRONG
 Mission Statement:
Our mission is to be a positive and active agent of
engagement for Hunter College student veterans;
promoting mental health and wellbeing through services
and programs that support student veterans,
transitioning back to civilian life, pursue their educational
and personal goals

20. HUNTERSTRONG
 Goals:
• Advocate and promote self-efficacy, mental health literacy,
and behavior-change
• Bridge the gap between academic and mental health services
• Improve and expand veteran presence on campus
• Connect veteran students to mental health services and peer
support groups
• Build and foster relationships with outside resources

21. HUNTERSTRONG ON FACEBOOK

22. HUNTERSTRONG ON TWITTER

23. HUNTERSTRONG MOBILE APP

24. TOTAL FORCE FITNESS
 Created by Admiral Mike Mullen, Total Force Fitness is a
framework for building and maintaining health, readiness, and
performance
• Physical, Nutritional, Medical:
Health screening, smoking cessation, fitness and
nutritional challenges, referrals
• Environmental and Spiritual:
Tutoring, stress management, and counseling
• Social, Psychological, and Behavioral:
Events, Veterans Club, Hunter Warriors

25. HUNTER WARRIOR
 Hunter Warriors are peer-supporters that promote mental
health and help veteran students at Hunter College identify the
tools and resources necessary to live healthier, fulfilling lives
• Offered through a collaboration with Counseling and
Wellness Services and StudentVeteran Services
• Undergo peer-to-peer outreach training to provide peer
support and become knowledgeable of necessary
resources
• Utilize Kognito’s Veteran’s on Campus: Peer Program, a 30-
minute interactive training course
• Learn how to identify signs of depression and stress,
engage in motivational interviewing, and connect veterans
to services that can help

26. BROTHERHOOD IS DIFFERENT FROM FRIENDSHIP
Why Veterans Miss War
Sebastian Junger
Journalist and Documentarian
The author of “The Perfect Storm”
and the director of the Oscar-
nominated documentary
“Restrepo”