The Veteran Supported Education Service Treatment Manual: VetSEd

his/her educational successes. Accordingly, as a peer VetSEd provider, you will likely
work with Veterans who are also working on housing, employment, mental health
supports, family connections, avenues of creative expression, spiritual fulfillment and/or
many other areas at the same time. While VetSEd providers are not intended to be
primary mental health providers, housing case managers, spiritual advisors or family
therapists, you can promote a Veteran‘s recovery by acknowledging the many parts of
his/her life and helping to secure appropriate supports and resources in non-educational
areas, as needed.
v. Non-linear
Our society often places expectations on students to complete their education in a
sequential and linear way. Similarly, society tells many people with a history of mental
health issues that once they ―recover‖ they should feel better forever. The reality for most
people, however, is that life in all of its manifestations is non-linear. According to
SAMSHA, ―recovery is not a step-by-step process but one based on continual growth,
occasional setbacks and learning from experience.‖ As a peer VetSEd provider you can
promote the recovery of returning Veterans by validating and normalizing this principle.
It is understandable and expected for Veterans to change their mind in the middle of an
education goal. They may enter school studying to be a human resource specialist and
realize after taking a few classes that they are more interested in studying to become an
accountant. Similarly, a Veteran living with PTSD may enter class with a mental health
wellness plan in good order, and then experience a set-back when the anniversary of the
attack on their battalion passes. No matter the change in direction or set-back, as a peer
VetSEd provider, you will be working with Veterans to help them recognize that positive
change is possible.
vi.
Strengths-based
Every returning Veteran who enters VetSEd has skills, abilities, talents, survival
strategies and inherent worth. Taken together, these strengths represent an incredible
resource for you and the Veteran as they pursue their educational goal. Focusing on the
strengths and abilities of returning Veterans helps challenge internalized stigma and
related self-doubts that returning Veterans may hold. You may find some returning
Veterans having difficulty with identifying their strengths. Fortunately, there are many
resources available to help Veterans identify their inherent abilities and sources of
resilience (Armstrong, Best & Domenici, 2006).
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