Special Collections
Resources for Returning Veterans
Description: Separating from military service and returning to civilian life can present unique challenges for veterans. This collection contains resources to help veterans and their families making this transition. #general
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Veterans Employment Tactics
by Tom Stein and Greg WoodThings have changed, times have changed, and times are tough - especially if you're a military veteran seeking employment in today's economy. This essential guide is designed to help you succeed in your civilian job search. Written by a career military officer and a career expert, TheHireTactics introduces a methodology that includes innovative tools that go far beyond the traditional resume and cover letter. You will learn how to define your value in civilian terms and employ the strategies and tactics necessary to differentiate yourself from the competition and successfully complete your job search mission.
Learn the 4 Milestones for Civilian Employment:
Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Guide
by Janet I. FarleyThis handbook provides a career transition framework for service members and their families. Readers are given exit strategies for gracefully leaving the military; charts, checklists, and worksheets for planning each transition aspect; resume and cover letter samples and strategies; and interviewing and salary negotiation tips.
Veterans Benefits For Dummies
by Rod PowersSaving veterans and their families from months of phone calls and internet searches, Veterans Benefits For Dummies outlines the various programs that the VA and other government agencies have in place as well as the procedures for filing applications, claims,and appeals for these benefits which include:
Healing Suicidal Veterans
by Victor Montgomery IIIVeterans are suffering a "mental breakdown" epidemic, often linked to post traumatic stress from the terrors of combat, traumatic brain injury, and drug and alcohol abuse. The problems triggered by an excessive number of deployments, financial and family trouble, fragmented or nonexistent support systems, and increased domestic stress have caused a mass depression among vets.
Healing Suicidal Veterans takes readers firsthand into the "situation room" where crisis intervention and addiction therapist Victor Montgomery explores the psychological wounds of war and the ways they contribute to the tragedy of suicidal veterans. He presents the Montgomery Model for ending veterans' suffering and anguish and putting them on solid paths to healing. The book offers veterans strategies for realizing they are not failures if they seek aid, and it gives families and loved ones ways to understand, cope with, and help their veteran in need.
The Invisible Front
by Yochi DreazenThe unforgettable story of a military family that lost two sons—one to suicide and one in combat—and channeled their grief into fighting the armed forces’ suicide epidemic.
Major General Mark Graham was a decorated two-star officer whose integrity and patriotism inspired his sons, Jeff and Kevin, to pursue military careers of their own. His wife Carol was a teacher who held the family together while Mark's career took them to bases around the world. When Kevin and Jeff die within nine months of each other—Kevin commits suicide and Jeff is killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq—Mark and Carol are astonished by the drastically different responses their sons’ deaths receive from the Army. While Jeff is lauded as a hero, Kevin’s death is met with silence, evidence of the terrible stigma that surrounds suicide and mental illness in the military. Convinced that their sons died fighting different battles, Mark and Carol commit themselves to transforming the institution that is the cornerstone of their lives.
The Invisible Front is the story of how one family tries to set aside their grief and find purpose in almost unimaginable loss. The Grahams work to change how the Army treats those with PTSD and to erase the stigma that prevents suicidal troops from getting the help they need before making the darkest of choices. Their fight offers a window into the military’s institutional shortcomings and its resistance to change – failures that have allowed more than 2,000 troops to take their own lives since 2001. Yochi Dreazen, an award-winning journalist who has covered the military since 2003, has been granted remarkable access to the Graham family and tells their story in the full context of two of America’s longest wars. Dreazen places Mark and Carol’s personal journey, which begins when they fall in love in college and continues through the end of Mark's thirty-four year career in the Army, against the backdrop of the military’s ongoing suicide spike, which shows no signs of slowing. With great sympathy and profound insight, The Invisible Front details America's problematic treatment of the troops who return from war far different than when they'd left and uses the Graham family’s work as a new way of understanding the human cost of war and its lingering effects off the battlefield.
Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents, and Survivors
by The US Department of Veterans AffairsVeterans of the United States armed forces may be eligible for a broad range of benefits and services provided by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). If you’re looking for information on these benefits and services, look no further than the newest edition of Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents, and Survivors.
The VA operates the nation’s largest health-care system, with more than 1,700 care sites available across the country. These sites include hospitals, community clinics, readjustment counseling centers, and more. In this book, those who have honorably served in the active military, naval, or air service will learn about the services offered at these sites, basic eligibility for health care, and more.
Helpful topics described in depth throughout these pages for veterans, their dependents, and their survivors include:
War and the Soul
by Edward TickWar and PTSD are on the public's mind as news stories regularly describe insurgency attacks in Iraq and paint grim portraits of the lives of returning soldiers afflicted with PTSD. These vets have recurrent nightmares and problems with intimacy, can't sustain jobs or relationships, and won't leave home, imagining "the enemy" is everywhere.
Dr. Edward Tick has spent decades developing healing techniques so effective that clinicians, clergy, spiritual leaders, and veterans' organizations all over the country are studying them. This book, presented here in an audio version, shows that healing depends on our understanding of PTSD not as a mere stress disorder, but as a disorder of identity itself. In the terror of war, the very soul can flee, sometimes for life. Tick's methods draw on compelling case studies and ancient warrior traditions worldwide to restore the soul so that the veteran can truly come home to community, family, and self.
The Wounds Within
by Joshua S. Goldstein and Mark I. NickersonAs America’s longest wars end, hundreds of thousands of veterans and their families struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Wounds Within follows the case of Marine Lance Corporal Jeff Lucey, who deployed early in the Iraq War, battled PTSD after returning home, and set his family on a decade-long campaign to reform the Veterans Affairs system and end the stigma around military-related mental health issues, with the perspective of Jeff’s psychotherapist, Mark Nickerson, an internationally recognized expert on trauma treatment.
Recounting one family’s story as well as case histories of Nickerson’s veteran clients, the book explains PTSD and the methods by which it can be treated. It also explores the challenges and frustrations facing returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan—from belated reforms to overwhelmed military families to civilians who don’t know what to say beyond “Thank you for your service.”
After the War Zone
by Matthew J. Friedman and Laurie B. SloneTwo experts from the VA National Center for PTSD provide an essential resource for service members, their spouses, families, and communities, sharing what troops really experience during deployment and back home. Pinpointing the most common after-effects of war and offering strategies for troop reintegration to daily life, Drs. Friedman and Slone cover the myths and realities of homecoming; reconnecting with spouse and family; anger and adrenaline; guilt and moral dilemmas; and PTSD and other mental-health concerns. With a wealth of community and government resources, tips, and suggestions, After the War Zone is a practical guide to helping troops and their families prevent war zone stresses from having a lasting negative impact.
War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning
by Chris HedgesAs a veteran war correspondent, Chris Hedges has survived ambushes in Central America, imprisonment in Sudan, and a beating by Saudi military police. He has seen children murdered for sport in Gaza and petty thugs elevated into war heroes in the Balkans. Hedges, who is also a former divinity student, has seen war at its worst and knows too well that to those who pass through it, war can be exhilarating and even addictive: “It gives us purpose, meaning, a reason for living.”
Drawing on his own experience and on the literature of combat from Homer to Michael Herr, Hedges shows how war seduces not just those on the front lines but entire societies—corrupting politics, destroying culture, and perverting basic human desires. Mixing hard-nosed realism with profound moral and philosophical insight, War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning is a work of terrible power and redemptive clarity whose truths have never been more necessary.
Operation Job Search
by John WeissOperation Job Search is the ultimate guide for US military veterans seeking employment after discharge.
It provides information about the civilian workforce, rubrics for navigating one's career, and a list of essential resources to consult during the job search. Also included are sections dedicated specifically to suggestions and resources available to female veterans. Weiss explains that hiring managers and human resources directors hire veterans who make the effort to build a professional relationship.
He discusses the importance of leaving the house and meeting employers at venues such as job fairs, trade shows, office parks, and even Starbucks. Weiss offers practical instructions and crucial tips, such as: Establish an operations center (home office) for job hunting Don't be afraid to make cold calls Dress appropriately for job interviews and practice communicating in civilian-speak, not military jargon Target military-friendly companies that value the skills of returning military personnel If you are a US military veteran searching for a job, Operation Job Search will guide you every step of the way--from translating your skills into civilian-speak to negotiating your contract.
The Military Advantage
by Terry HowellThe Military Advantage, 2015 Edition is the most complete annual reference guide to military and veteran’s benefits. Written by Terry Howell, managing editor for benefits for Military.com, the guide is backed by the resources of Military.com and its parent company, Monster.com. The Military Advantage, 2015 Edition is the most reliable benefits guide for the over 30 million Americans who have answered the call to serve in the military. These valuable benefits amount to billions in scholarships, educational benefits, home loan guarantees, and military discounts.
These extraordinary benefits are frequently overlooked by those serving in uniform or retired from the service. The Military Advantage, 2015 Editioninsures that all service members and their families are aware of the availability of all of these substantial benefits. This easy-to-use reference guide is full of insider tips, little-known benefits, shortcuts, and detailed answers to frequently asked questions. While information about these military and veterans benefits is available through numerous, separate sources, this book collects all of those valuable resources into one easy to use reference guide and provides important analysis of these benefits.
The Military Advantage, 2015 Edition is the well-established essential guide to making the most of the military experience for active duty service members, veterans, military retirees, and family members.
The Military Advantage, 2015 Edition is published in partnership with Military.com, the nation's largest military membership organization. With over 10 million members Military.com is the most trusted name in the military community for information about benefits, career, education and financial services. Military.com is owned by Monster.com, the largest career and job website.
Mission Critical
by Michael Abrams and Julia Taylor KennedyThe Center for Talent Innovation's new study, Mission Critical: Unlocking the Value of Veterans in the Workforce, reveals how companies can ensure their veteran talent thrives in the corporate world. Veterans represent a highly desirable talent pool when they transition to civilian careers. They retain the passion for service and camaraderie that drew them into the military, and they bring leadership and technical skills honed in a pressure cooker. In recent years, corporate employers have demonstrated they understand the potential of this valuable cohort by greatly increasing their recruitment efforts. Yet once veterans get through the doors of corporations, they languish. In a matter of months, many ambitious, skilled veterans lose their drive, failing to fulfill their leadership potential—more than half say they don't aspire to hold a more senior position. Many of the remainder feel stalled in their careers.
Why? First, leaders don’t understand their potential. Second, veterans feel distant from their teams and cover their veteran identity in an effort to get closer. Third, they hunger for meaning and purpose at work, something they found in the military but lack in civilian jobs. Mission Critical explores these factors in-depth, especially as they affect women and veterans of color.
Waiting for First Light
by Romeo DallaireAt the heart of Waiting for First Light is a no-holds-barred self-portrait of a top political and military figure whose nights are invaded by despair, but who at first light faces the day with the renewed desire to make a difference in the world.
Roméo Dallaire, traumatized by witnessing genocide on an imponderable scale in Rwanda, reflects in these pages on the nature of PTSD and the impact of that deep wound on his life since 1994, and on how he motivates himself and others to humanitarian work despite his constant struggle. Though he had been a leader in peace and in war at all levels up to deputy commander of the Canadian Army, his PTSD led to his medical dismissal from the Canadian Forces in April 2000, a blow that almost killed him. But he crawled out of the hole he fell into after he had to take off the uniform, and he has been inspiring people to give their all to multiple missions ever since, from ending genocide to eradicating the use of child soldiers to revolutionizing officer training so that our soldiers can better deal with the muddy reality of modern conflict zones and to revolutionizing our thinking about the changing nature of conflict itself.
His new book is as compelling and original an account of suffering and endurance as Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking and William Styron's Darkness Visible.
The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Relationship
by Diane EnglandWar, physical and sexual abuse, and natural disasters. All crises have one thing in common: Victims often suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their loved ones suffer right along with them. In this book, couples will learn how to have a healthy relationship, in spite of a stressful and debilitating disorder. They'll learn how to: —Deal with emotions regarding their partner's PTSD —Talk about the traumatic event(s) —Communicate about the effects of PTSD to their children —Handle sexual relations when a PTSD partner has suffered a traumatic sexual event —Help their partner cope with everyday life issuesWhen someone has gone through a traumatic event in his or her life, he or she needs a partner more than ever. This is the complete guide to keeping the relationship strong and helping both partners recover in happy, healthy ways.
Long-Term Care
by Joseph MatthewsFinding the right long-term care often means making difficult decisions during difficult times. Whether you're planning for the future or need to make a quick decision, Long-Term Care helps you understand nursing home costs, the alternatives to nursing facilities, and how to find the best care you can afford.
With Long-Term Care, you'll be able to:
The completely updated edition includes an expanded discussion of Medicaid coverage, special long-term care insurance, assisted living, and long-term care. Plus, you'll get up-to-date benefit numbers, laws and taxes, and revised information on veterans' benefits.
Making Self-Employment Work for People with Disabilities (Second Edition)
by Cary Griffin and David Hammis and Beth Keeton and Molly SullivanAs self-employment becomes a viable option for more and more adults with significant disabilities, give them realistic, practical guidance and support with the NEW edition of this popular guidebook. Updated with a new and improved assessment approach, more self-employment success stories, and the latest on policy changes and online opportunities, this book is your step-by-step guide to helping adults with disabilities get a small business off to a strong start. You'll discover the nuts and bolts of person-centered business planning, and you'll get concrete, step-by-step strategies for every aspect, from business plans to marketing to finances. A must-have resource for employment specialists, transition professionals, and individuals with disabilities and their families, this book is the go-to guide for turning a small business into a big success.
SUPPORT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AS THEY:
Among the Walking Wounded
by Colonel John ConradA gripping account of PTSD, and a stark reminder that, for many, wars go on long after the last shot is fired.
In the shadows of army life is a world where friends become monsters, where kindness twists into assault, and where self-loathing and despair become constant companions. Whether you know it by old names like “soldier’s heart,” “shell shock,” or “combat fatigue,” post-traumatic stress disorder has left deep and silent wounds throughout history in the ranks of fighting forces.
Among the Walking Wounded tells one veteran’s experience of PTSD through an intimate personal account, as visceral as it is blunt. In a courageous story of descent and triumph, it tackles the stigma of PTSD head-on and brings an enduring message of struggle and hope for wounded Canadian veterans. This book is a must-read for anyone who cares about Canadian veterans and the dark war they face long after their combat service is ended.
Out of Uniform
by Tom WolfeAfter completing military service, veterans can have a difficult time finding employment when returning to civilian life.
Out of Uniform, Second Edition is designed to help all transitioning military personnel, regardless of service, branch, rank, rating, time in service, time in grade, or specialty. Although all service members share common denominators, each individual brings something unique to the job market. Not only does this book cover the basics—search techniques, networking, interview preparation, résumés, negotiation, and a new chapter on social media—it also offers guidance on topics that are often overlooked, specifically the central issues of self-knowledge, interviewing empathy, and the power of questions.
In addition to the technical guidance, readers will also discover important information in the anecdotes based on the experiences of soldiers, sailors, air force personnel, and marines. Out of Uniform, Second Edition is an invaluable resource for veterans who want to make the most out of their civilian career opportunities.
Remembering Trauma
by Richard J. McnallyAre horrific experiences indelibly fixed in a victim's memory? Or does the mind protect itself by banishing traumatic memories from consciousness? How victims remember trauma is the most controversial issue in psychology today, spilling out of consulting rooms and laboratories to capture headlines, rupture families, provoke legislative change, and influence criminal trials and civil suits. This book, by a clinician who is also a laboratory researcher, is the first comprehensive, balanced analysis of the clinical and scientific evidence bearing on this issue--and the first to provide definitive answers to the urgent questions at the heart of the controversy.
Synthesizing clinical case reports and the vast research literature on the effects of stress, suggestion, and trauma on memory, Richard McNally arrives at significant conclusions, first and foremost that traumatic experiences are indeed unforgettable. Though people sometimes do not think about disturbing experiences for long periods of time, traumatic events rarely slip from awareness for very long; furthermore, McNally reminds us, failure to think about traumas--such as early sexual abuse--must not be confused with amnesia or an inability to remember them. In fact, the evidence for repressed memories of trauma--or even for repression at all--is surprisingly weak.
A magisterial work of scholarship, panoramic in scope and nonpartisan throughout, this unfailingly lucid work will prove indispensable to anyone seeking to understand how people remember trauma.
Adjustment to Severe Physical Disability
by Charlene Deloach and Bobby G. GreerAdjustment to Severe Physical Disability: A Metamorphosis, then, is designed for professionals-in-training, practicing professionals, and parents or families of disabled persons.
The book deals with (1) the societal misconceptions that impede the physical, psychological, and social adjustment of disabled persons; (2) the effects these misconceptions have on the attitudes and effectiveness of those who work with disabled persons; and (3) existing services, laws, environmental changes, and technological advances that affect both the efforts of professionals and the lives of disabled persons. In keeping with the goals of this book, the content ranges from hard science to advocacy, from objective data to personal experiences. Case illustrations are designed to stimulate discussion and self-exploration, as well as to illuminate the factual basis for author opinions with no printed sources. Ideally, these illustrations will serve a heuristic function, leading students to conduct needed research into the psychosocial aspects of disability.
I Can't Get Over It
by Aphrodite MatsakisThe author, Aphrodite Matsakis, Ph.D., is clinical coordinator for the Vietnam Veterans' Outreach Center in Silver Springs, Maryland. She also conducts a private psychotherapy practice, specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder and child sexual abuse.
In this ground-breaking book, Dr. Matsakis explains that post-traumatic stress disorder affects not just soldiers, but also survivors of many other types of trauma including: crime, family violence, vehicular accidents, sexual abuse, rape and natural catastrophes.
"I Can't Get Over It" directly addresses survivors of trauma. It explains the nature of PTSD and describes the healing process. This book will help readers find out whether they have PTSD, cope with post-traumatic anger, grief, and survivor guilt, recognize related problems such as depression, substance abuse, compulsive behavior, and low self-esteem, identify "triggers" that set off flashbacks, anxiety attacks, and other symptoms, relieve wounding caused by others' blaming and insensitivity and gain a sense of empowerment and hope for the future.
Trauma and Recovery
by Judith Lewis HermanWhen Trauma and Recovery was first published in 1992, it was hailed as a groundbreaking work. In the intervening years, Herman's volume has changed the way we think about and treat traumatic events and trauma victims. In a new afterword, Herman chronicles the incredible response the book has elicited and explains how the issues surrounding the topic have shifted within the clinical community and the culture at large.
Trauma and Recovery brings a new level of understanding to a set of problems usually considered individually. Herman draws on her own cutting-edge research in domestic violence as well as on the vast literature of combat veterans and victims of political terror, to show the parallels between private terrors such as rape and public traumas such as terrorism.
The book puts individual experience in a broader political frame, arguing that psychological trauma can be understood only in a social context. Meticulously documented and frequently using the victims' own words as well as those from classic literary works and prison diaries, Trauma and Recovery is a powerful work that will continue to profoundly impact our thinking.
The Way of the Wound
by Robert GrantCountless victims of childhood abuse, domestic violence, violent crime, rape, war, life-threatening illness and natural disaster struggle with the impact of their injuries. Former ways of making sense have been injured or destroyed. The lives of many are without meaning or direct. Unless helped to integrate the significance of their traumatic wounds into more comprehensive approaches to self, life and God victims run the risk of addiction, wasted potential, numerous psychological and physical problems, as well as commitments to distorted spiritualities. Victims of trauma are asked to embark on a path of healing that mystics, shamans and mythic heroes have been walking for thousands of years. The only difference is that the path is contemporary and, therefore, potentially more conscious. Trauma provides a modern access to this spiritual path and can initiate powerful experiences of conversion. If properly supported and accompanied trauma has the power to transform all facets of reality.
The Way of the Wound lays out a path of healing, along with the central issues that survivors encounter at every crucial point along the way. This work offers direction to every victim of trauma wanting to move to the next level of healing.
Courage After Fire
by Suzanne Best and Paula Domenici and Keith ArmstrongThe bravery displayed by our soldiers at war is commonly recognized. However, often forgotten is the courage required by veterans when they return home and suddenly face reintegration into their families, workplaces, and communities. Authored by three mental health professionals with many years of experience counseling veterans, Courage After Fire provides strategies and techniques for this challenging journey home. Courage After Fire offers soldiers and their families a comprehensive guide to dealing with the all-too-common repercussions of combat duty, including posttraumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. It details state-of-the-art treatments for these difficulties and outlines specific ways to improve couple and family relationships. It also offers tips on areas such as rejoining the workforce and reconnecting with children.