Supporting Returning Military in the Workplace Julie Latimer, LCSW Pearl McGee, PsyD

1. Pearl McGee-Vincent1, & Julie Latimer-Spears2
1National Center for PTSD, VA Palo Alto Health Care
System
2Aetna Health

2. Get a Keep Excel at
Job the Job the Job

3. EAP Providers will be able to:
1. List and describe common challenges for
Veterans in the workplace
2. Screen for military service and PTSD
3. Access VA referral sources and make
appropriate referrals
4. Use Veteran Employment Toolkit to support
Veterans in the workplace

4.  During the next 5 years more than 1 million
active duty military personnel will become
Veterans.
 Many businesses are taking steps to hire
Veterans.
 How can businesses support and retain Veteran
employees?

5.  So what do YOU think of when we say
“Veterans in the Workplace”?
 What challenges do you imagine them facing?
 What strengths do they bring?
 How can we as EAP Providers support
Veterans?

6.  N = 3,813
 Sent 34,476 emails
 11.5% response rate

7.  65% screen for military service
 83% have provided services to active duty
military, National Guard/Reserve, or Veterans
 86% have provided services to family of the
above
 91% are interested in additional education about
this population

8.  Areas in which they want education (rank ordered)
1. Referral options for Veterans (e.g., how to get into VA)
2. Issues unique to women Veterans
3. General resources available to providers
4. The military experience
5. General resources available to Veterans, National Guard,
& Reserve
6. Military culture
7. Referral options for National Guard and Reserve
8. Military sexual trauma
9. Symptoms of PTSD
10. Anger, irritability

9. 1. Have you ever served in the military?
2. Did you serve in the National Guard, Reserves,
Coast Guard or in any of the Active Duty
Services?
3. Do you have a close family member who has
served in the military?
http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/communityproviders/docs/Military_Service_Screening.pdf

10. 1. What dates did you serve?
2. When did you separate from the military?
3. What branch and rank were you?
http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/communityproviders/docs/Military_Service_Screening.pdf

11. 1. Where did you serve (e.g. in the US/where;
overseas/where?)
2. What job/roles did you have when you were
serving?
3. Were you ever deployed?
4. If so, where and when were you deployed?
5. Are there other things you would like to tell me
about your military service?
http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/communityproviders/docs/Military_Service_Screening.pdf

12.  How it might show up in the workplace
 How to screen for PTSD
 How to address PTSD in the workplace
 Treatment and referral options

13. Common Behavioral Problems that may be related
to PTSD:
 Performance problems
 Attendance problems
 Concentration problems
 Hypervigilance
 Increased alcohol use/misuse
 Socially isolating behaviors
 Emotional responses (e.g. anger)

14. In your life, have you ever had any experience that
was so frightening, horrible, or upsetting that, in
the past month, you:
1. Have had nightmares about it or thought about it
when you did not want to?
2. Tried hard not to think about it or went out of your
way to avoid situations that reminded you of it?
3. Were constantly on guard, watchful, or easily
startled?
4. Felt numb or detached from others, activities, or
your surroundings?
http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/communityproviders/docs/PCPTSD_Screen.pdf

15.  The Toolkit is For:
 Employers, supervisors/managers, human
resource professionals, and EAP providers
interacting with Veterans; and Veterans
 Goals:
 Offer tools and resources for supporting Veterans
 Increase understanding of military structure,
culture, and deployment
 Increase understanding of challenges Veterans
may experience
 Provide employment resources to Veterans

17. http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/
communityproviders/partner.asp

18.  Veterans Employment Toolkit
http://www.va.gov/vetsinworkplace/index.asp
 Community Provider Toolkit
http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/communityproviders/index.asp
 NCPTSD website
http://www.ptsd.va.gov
 PTSD 101 courses and videos
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/ptsd101/ptsd-101.asp
 EAP Provider Course (available Fall 2013)

19. National Center for PTSD Aetna Health
 Sara J. Landes, PhD  Hyong Un, MD
 Pamela Swales, PhD  Lesa Stevens, RN, CCM
 Tam Nguyen, PhD  Julie Latimer-Spears,
 Pearl McGee-Vincent, LCSW
PsyD  Sherry Courtemanche,
 Sonia Easaw, MS, MPH LCSW, CEAP
 Robyn Walser, PhD
 Joe Ruzek, PhD

20. Pearl McGee-Vincent, Psy.D. Julie Latimer-Spears, LCSW
National Center for PTSD Senior Product Consultant
Dissemination & Training Division Aetna
VA Palo Alto Health Care System latimer@rfl.com
pearl.mcgee-vincent@va.gov