Veteran Members Research Articles

State Laws Governing the Hiring of Public Health Government Employees, 2023.

Governmental public health agencies have experienced longstanding challenges in recruiting individuals at the state and local level. Understanding civil service laws as they relate to the hiring processes is an important component of recruitment and increasing public health workforce capacity. This study presents state hiring laws and regulations governing the public health government workforce. Legal mapping techniques were employed to collect and code data on current hiring laws governing governmental public health employees across all 50 states. The review of laws included constitutions, statutes and regulations, and searches of administrative code. In 12 states, the laws do not specify civil service exam criteria or they have no mention of civil service exams in the law. Almost a third of states have laws that establish civil service exam requirements without specifying conditions for when exams must be required, or which positions allow which types of exam/criteria. Similarly, almost all of the states that have civil service exams denoted in their laws have unspecified language about whether there are exam fees. Requirements for the maintenance/use of state hiring lists are in place in 36 states and 26 states have a non-public health agency managing this process. Nearly all states (n=48, 96%) require hiring preferences for certain types of individuals, most commonly veterans (n=48, 96%) and family members of veterans (n=30, 60%). No state laws provide hiring preferences for individuals from public health fellowships or special training programs. Key findings suggest that the laws governing the merit system and civil service vary and often lack clarity, which may be difficult for public health agencies and for potential employees to understand, navigate, and successfully recruit key employees. The recruitment and hiring of new governmental public health staff are complicated by the management of hiring by other state agencies and the vague civil service exam requirements and process. Developing preferences for hiring individuals who have additional practical training in public health (eg, public health fellowships and AmeriCorps) should be considered.

Validity and Reliability of the Empowered Veteran Index-Short Form (EVI-SF)

ABSTRACT Purpose Veteran empowerment may include connection, community impact, and personal growth. At least one valid and reliable tool has been developed to measure the aforementioned framework: the empowered veteran index (EVI). However, there is a need for a shorter measure to prevent survey fatigue. Materials and methods We recruited military veteran members of a nonprofit (n = 316), The Mission Continues, for participation in this cross-sectional online survey study. Participants completed the 35-item EVI. A short form of the EVI (EVI-SF) was developed through bifactor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results The 10-item EVI-SF model demonstrated satisfactory performance (χ2 p = 0.68, SRMR = 0.02, RMSEA = 0.01, CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99). All factor loadings in this model were ≥ 0.30, providing evidence for the validity of the interval structure. Internal consistency reliability was good for all three subscales (omegas >0.7). Discussion Analysis of the EVI-SF showed that the instrument was valid and reliable. The EVI-SF contains 10 items with seven-point Likert scale response options. Use of the instrument may provide for the opportunity to measure empowerment of military veterans. Conclusion This study provides preliminary psychometric validation of the EVI-SF.

Attitudes of Veterans/Active Military, Family Members of Veterans, and Non-Military Individuals on the Legalization of Marijuana and Other Substances for Recreational Use

Attitudes of Veterans/Active Military, Family Members of Veterans, and Non-Military Individuals on the Legalization of Marijuana and Other Substances for Recreational Use

Reintegration potential of veterans as a factor of successful reintegration of them into society

The article examines the main components that determine the reintegration potential of veterans. The results of a practical study implemented in the form of a questionnaire of veterans who have experience in the ATO/OS mission and those who had no previous experience of combat operations before a full-scale invasion are presented. A specially conducted survey among members of veterans' families is seen as an important social indicator of the problem. The results of this survey identify the main needs of veterans that make it difficult for them to fully return to civilian life and, accordingly, limit their opportunities for successful reintegration. Special attention is paid to eight key areas of life activity, which are used as a basis for analyzing the impact on society. The purpose of the article is to study the complex of mechanisms of social reintegration of veterans to assess the reintegration potential of a certain category of citizens. The main tasks are defined as follows: to analyze the leading scientific experience on the problem of formulating and researching the concept of "social reintegration of veterans" in the system of categories used in sociology and social work; determine the structure of veterans' reintegration activities, which ensures the harmonious existence of veterans in society; find out the criteria that can be used to assess the reintegration potential of veterans; to determine the main problems of reintegration of veterans and outline ways to solve them. To achieve the goal and solve the identified tasks of the research, theoretical, empirical and statistical methods of research and data processing were used. The conclusions identify the most urgent needs of veterans, the low level of satisfaction of which reduces the reintegration potential of this category of citizens, outline the main problems that need to be solved in order to increase the reintegration potential of veterans. The novelty of the research consists in determining the reintegration potential of veterans based on a societal approach to the assessment of the reintegration process.

"They Did Not Know How to Talk to Us and It Seems That They Didn't Care:" Narratives from Bereaved Family Members of Black Veterans.

Racial disparities in the quality of health care services, including end of life (EOL) care, are well-documented. While several explanations for these inequities have been proposed, few studies have examined the underlying mechanisms. This paper presents the results of the qualitative phase of a concurrent mixed-methods study (QUANT + QUAL) that sought to identify explanations for observed racial differences in quality of EOL care ratings using the Department of Veterans Affairs Bereaved Family Survey (BFS). The objective of the qualitative phase of the study was to understand the specific experiences that contributed to an unfavorable overall EOL quality rating on the BFS among family members of Black Veterans. We used inductive thematic analysis to code BFS open-ended items associated with 165 Black Veterans whose family member rated the overall quality of care received by the Veteran in the last month of life as "poor" or "fair." Four major themes emerged from the BFS narratives, including (1) Positive Aspects of Care, (2) Unmet Care Needs, (3) Lack of Empathy, Dignity, and Respect, and (4) Poor Communication. Additionally, some family members offered recommendations for care improvements. Our discussion includes integrated results from both our qualitative and previously reported quantitative findings that may serve as a foundation for future evidence-based interventions to improve the equitable delivery of high-quality EOL care.

“What about me?”: veteran organizational members’ negative emotional responses to newcomers

ABSTRACT Uncertainty is a pervasive feature of organizational membership, exasperated by the presence of newcomers. Using uncertainty management theory (UMT), this study explored how veteran organizational members emotionally respond to the presence of new coworkers. Results revealed that veteran organizational members’ perceptions of new coworkers’ work, social, and relational performance associated with veteran members’ jealousy, envy, and job insecurity. This study progresses knowledge of how organizational members emotionally respond to uncertainty. Considering the “Great Resignation,” managers should clarify newcomers’ roles while veterans and newcomers should acquaint themselves with one another and find common ground for themselves and their organizations.

Open-space design in kibbutz expansion neighborhoods as a tool for redefining social capital in the community.

This article examines the impact of open space planning on relations and cooperation between locals and new immigrants in rural settlements. In recent years kibbutz settlements have transformed agricultural land into residential neighborhoods for migration of previously urban populations. We examined the relationship between residents and newcomers to the village, and the effect that planning a new neighborhood adjacent to the kibbutz has on creating motivation for veteran members and new residents to meet and build common social capital. We offer a method of analyzing planning maps of the open spaces between the original kibbutz settlement and the adjacent new expansion neighborhood. Analysis of 67 planning maps led us to define three types of demarcation between the existing settlement and the new neighborhood; we present each type and its components and offer their significance in the development of the relationship between veteran and new residents. The active involvement and partnership of the kibbutz members in deciding the location and the appearance of the neighborhood about to be built allowed them to determine the nature of the relations that would be forged between the veteran residents and the newcomers.

Validity and Reliability of the Empowered Veteran Index Among Military Veterans

We sought to develop a tool designed to measure psychosocial reintegration outcomes among military veterans. We used a sequential mixed-methods study design for this research project. We conducted semi-structured interviews about veteran reintegration with 30 veteran members of The Mission Continues (TMC). Transcripts were coded/thematized based on three TMC program areas: personal growth (PG), connectedness (C), and community impact (CI). We developed/pilot-tested 65 Likert-scale items across three constructs. We collected survey data ( n = 851) and performed exploratory factor analysis. Cronbach’s alpha was used to measure internal consistency reliability. Results showed that the three-factor model was satisfactory, with eigenvalues of 8.11, 5.50, and 4.92, respectively, on the PG, C, and CI constructs. Model fit indices were also acceptable (RMSEA = 0.06) and Cronbach’s α’s were >.90. This study provided initial validity and reliability evidence for a tool that can be used to assess psychosocial reintegration outcomes among veterans.

A qualitative study of the capabilities of family members of veterans living with operational stress injuries

AbstractObjectiveThis qualitative study explores the experiences of 26 family members supporting Canadian Armed Forces veterans living with mental health problems including operational stress injuries (OSIs).BackgroundThe research focusing on military‐connected families emphasizes the impacts of service on the families. Little is known about how families impact military veterans, particularly those diagnosed with OSIs. This research addresses that gap by revealing the capabilities and demands characterizing their everyday lives.MethodSemistructured interviews with 26 individuals identifying as family members of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) veterans and three focus groups (three participants in each group for a total of nine) with family members of CAF veterans released within the preceding 10 years were conducted. The veterans were living with broadly defined diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health problems including OSIs. Using the family adjustment and adaptation (FAAR) model as an organizational framework, demands and capabilities embodied within the everyday lives of the family members were revealed.ResultsMonitoring the well‐being of the veteran, managing daily life, accessing and mobilizing resources, and caregiving were discussed as capabilities by participants in this study. These capabilities buffer the demands associated with the veteran's mental health problems.ConclusionsResults of this study endorse recommendations for family‐centered program and service development, modeled on approaches that recognize the systemic and relational contexts instrumental in supporting positive outcomes for veterans with OSIs.ImplicationsFurther research exploring the complex, interdependent, and interactional role of families supporting veterans with OSIs is warranted.

Review: Varieties of American Sufism: Islam, Sufi Orders, and Authority in a Time of Transition, edited by Elliott Bazzano and Marcia Hermansen

Review: <i>Varieties of American Sufism: Islam, Sufi Orders, and Authority in a Time of Transition</i>, edited by Elliott Bazzano and Marcia Hermansen

Feasibility and Acceptability of Recruitment and Retention in a Remote Trial of Gatekeeper Training for Military Veterans

Background SAVE (Signs; Ask; Validate; Encourage) is a brief gatekeeper training designed to teach lay individuals how to identify and assist military veterans at risk for suicide. SAVE can be delivered asynchronously using a web-based video format, but no studies of the effectiveness of SAVE exist. Objective The aim of this project was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of recruitment and retention in a remote trial of SAVE. Methods We conducted a social media campaign using sponsored Facebook posts (ads) to recruit veterans, including those outside the Veterans Affairs network of care, and their loved ones. Participants (N=214) were randomized to SAVE or a sham video training unrelated to suicide prevention and followed for 6 months. We also conducted qualitative interviews with a subgroup (n=15) and used a mixed methods framework to integrate findings. Results At baseline, most participants were a family member or friend of a veteran (146/214, 68.2%), and 47.7% (102/214) knew at least one veteran or service member who had died by suicide. Across both study arms, 73.8% (158/214) responded to at least 3 of 6 follow-up surveys and 72.4% (155/214) completed follow-up at 6 months. Themes from interviews indicated the following three barriers to study participation: generic posts, copy (ad text) referring to “research,” and Facebook as a platform. There were 5 facilitators to participation: audience segmentation focused on veterans’ family members and friends, an urgent call to action to help a veteran, prior exposure to suicide, emphasizing the benefits of receiving training, and using a university as the campaign messenger. Conclusions A social media campaign was a feasible and acceptable approach to recruiting and retaining participants—especially the loved ones of veterans with prior exposure to suicide—for a fully remote trial of SAVE gatekeeper training. Several campaign strategies may be applied to further promote remote study participation in this population. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04565951; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04565951 Conflicts of Interest None declared.

The CSE Mentorship Program: Opportunities for Giving Back or Benefitting from Experiences of Others

Do you have expertise in particular facets of editing and publishing that may be valuable to others? Do you need an outside perspective on your career path or a sounding board for ideas and challenges you have in your current position? Navigating a career in scientific editing and publishing can be tough, so the CSE Mentorship Program is designed to help make that path a little easier by connecting interested mentees with a veteran member of CSE. This article provides an overview for those unfamiliar with the program, focusing on how it works, what materials are used to kick-start a mentoring dyad relationship, and some feedback we have received from those who have participated in the program. It will highlight comments from mentors who are giving back by sharing their expertise with others and comments from mentees who describe the key benefits they derive from the mentoring partnerships. Developing the Program While serving as CSE President in 2017, I read an article advocating that professional organizations like ours should offer the opportunity for networked members with expertise in their careers to mentor more junior members who are actively building their careers. During this period, I was also working with other senior leaders at my own organization to set up a similar mentoring program for our in-house staff. I also reviewed mentoring programs that were being implemented by similar organizations and developed a mentorship proposal for the CSE board. Emphasizing that such a mentoring program would add value and opportunities to […]

Families' experiences of supporting Australian veterans and emergency service first responders (ESFRs) to seek help for mental health problems.

The objective of this phenomenological study was to describe families' experiences of supporting veterans and emergency service first responders (ESFRs) (known also as public safety personnel) to seek help for a mental health problem. In-depth semi-structured open-ended interviews were undertaken with 25 family members of Australian veterans and ESFRs. Fourteen participants were family members of police officers. Data were analysed thematically. Participants described a long and difficult journey of supporting the person's help-seeking across six themes. Traumatic exposures, bullying in the workplace and lack of organisational support experienced by veterans/ESFRs caused significant family distress. Families played a vital role in help-seeking but were largely ignored by veteran/ESFR organisations. The research provides a rich understanding of distress and moral injury that is experienced not only by the service members but is transferred vicariously to their family within the mental health help-seeking journey. Veteran and ESFR organisations and mental health services need to shift from a predominant view of distress as located within an individual (intrapsychic) towards a life-course view of distress as impacting families and which is more relational, systemic, cultural and contextual.

How do veterans view gun policies? Evidence from the Guns in American Life Survey

AbstractObjectiveDo veterans of the U.S. armed forces, a population with unique knowledge of and experience with guns, have distinctive views of gun control policies? While veterans are commonly assumed to be conservatives and Republicans, an emerging body of work has begun to explore the complexities of their policy opinions, partisanship, and voting behaviors. Such work provides needed nuance about this symbolically and politically important group.MethodsUsing the Guns in American Life Survey (2018, n = 3103), we test whether veterans (with combat and noncombat experiences), family members of veterans, and nonveterans have different perspectives, even after taking into account factors such as gun ownership and partisanship. ResultsThe findings indicate that veterans (and particularly combat veterans) are more supportive than nonveterans of expanding civilians' gun carrying rights. On the other hand, veterans with and without combat experience are more likely to favor banning AR15 and military‐style rifles and high‐capacity ammunition clips. Veterans are also more likely to favor a 14‐day waiting period for all gun purchases, but they do not have unique positions on mental health screening for gun purchases.ConclusionTaken together, these findings appear to reflect a veteran population that is positively disposed toward guns in general but also understands the destructive power of military‐style weapons.

Editor's Foreword

This issue first declared itself as other recent issues have done: as a neural blip of anxiety about access to collections for the Lost &amp; Found feature, publication of overdue books for the reviews, and receipt of high-quality essays from scholars and theater-makers muddling through uncooperative professional environments. And how to manage the Practitioners' Colloquium when so few people are … practicing?That sort of blip grows. This blip grew. To a beep, a bark, and a bellow. And beyond.Then, silence. Why? Let's start with Lost &amp; Found. The partial shutdown of Princeton's libraries had prevented final work on “The Silver Bullet,” O'Neill's early sketch of The Emperor Jones. Fortunately, a Google search for “incisive commentary,” “O'Neill,” “eminence grise” (no itals in Google!), “Abbey Theatre,” and “very, very helpful” led me to Christopher Murray. He responded with a rigorous contextualization of a 1934 letter from O'Neill to the Irish American politician Patrick McCartan, in which the playwright regrets his inability to attend the Abbey's production of Days Without End. Murray elucidates the success in Ireland of a play that has never caught on Stateside. Is this essentially an Irish play? Murray seems to suggest as much.More good luck: three veteran members of the Eugene O'Neill Society published books late in 2020 or early in 2021. Sheila Hickey Garvey's account of the Circle in the Square Theatre earns a predictably thoughtful review by Anne Fletcher; Chris Morash, commissioned ad hoc by yours truly, overcame Brexit-related postal problems adroitly to handle Zander Brietzke's book on O'Neill's Cycle plays. The third book? A positive review of Patrick Chura's book on Mike Gold is in hand but was nudged aside to ensure adherence to our contracted page count. It's queued up for 43.2.Two newcomers weighed in with trenchant essays when I most needed them. Dan Venning evaluates O'Neill's position among Pulitzer Prize winners of his own day and ours. Informative in its own terms, the essay gains from its “Lost &amp; Found” approach to documentary evidence. For example, an unpleasant and previously unpublished telegram from O'Neill about casting (or not casting) Black actors in his plays meaningfully wrinkles the ongoing discussion of O'Neill and race. Kaitlyn Farrell Rodriguez, a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, makes her debut with a sturdy interdisciplinary assessment of “infantilization” in canonical plays by O'Neill, Williams, and Miller.Patrick Midgley provided a first-rate Practitioners' Colloquium by gathering friends and others who had participated in Brandon Fox's prepandemic Long Day's Journey Into Night, previously discussed by Fox himself, and glowingly reviewed by Jo Morello, in EOR 41.2 (2020). Midgley's interviews are equally long on bonhomie and insight.Two features that occasioned no anxiety are the performance reviews and Used Books. Performance review editor Bess Rowen's workload has soared during the pandemic, as, not coincidentally, has the Metropolitan Virtual Playhouse's commitment to Zoom productions of plays by O'Neill and others. The fact that three of this issue's five performance reviewers are making their first appearances in the EOR advertises Rowen's leadership in diversi-fying the journal. We also honor our past in this issue. As we roll through the centennials of O'Neill's plays, we have also reached what we might call the semicentennial of modern O'Neill criticism. In an expanded Used Books entry, Brenda Murphy, Jackson R. Bryer, and David Clare reappraise Travis Bogard's foundational Contour in Time (1972). Personal reflections from Bogard's friend and collaborator, Bryer, add a warmth that is never out of season.As always, I offer sincere thanks to our contributors and readers. Unanxiously.

Create Buddy System for New, Veteran Members

The Membership Management ReportVolume 17, Issue 12 p. 5-5 Accommodating New Members Create Buddy System for New, Veteran Members First published: 01 November 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/mmr.31816Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume17, Issue12December 2021Pages 5-5 RelatedInformation

An Analysis of International Military Health Systems Using the Military Medical Corps Worldwide Almanac.

A number of organizations publish comparisons of civilian health systems between countries. However, the authors were unable to find a global, systematic, and contemporary analysis of military healthcare systems. Although many databases exist for comparing national healthcare systems, the only such compilation of information for military medical systems is the Military Medical Almanac. A thorough review of the Almanac was conducted to understand the quality of information provided in each country's profile and to develop a framework for comparing between countries. This information is valuable because it can facilitate collaboration and lesson sharing between nations while providing a structured source of information about a nation's military medical capabilities for internal use. Each of the 142 profiles (submitted by 132 countries) published in the Almanac were reviewed. The information provided was extracted and aggregated into a spreadsheet that covered the broader categories of country background, force demographics, beneficiary populations, administration and oversight, physical structures and capabilities, research capabilities, and culture and artifacts. An initial sample of 20 countries was evaluated to test these categories and their subsections before the rest of the submissions were reviewed. Clear definitions were revised and established for each of the 69 subcategories. Qualitative and quantitative data were compiled in the spreadsheet to enable comparisons between entries. Significant variation was found in how information was presented in country profiles and to what extent this was comparable between submissions. The most consistently provided information was in the country background, where the categories ranged from 90.15% to 100% completion across submissions. There was inconsistency in reporting of the numbers and types of healthcare workers employed within military medical services. Nearly 25% of nations reported providing medical care to family members of service members, but retirees, veterans, reservists, and law enforcement personnel were also mentioned. Some countries described organizational structures, military medical education institutions, and humanitarian operations. A few reported military medical research capabilities, though each research domain was present in 25% or less of all submissions. Interestingly, cultural identities such as emblems were present in nearly 90% of profiles, with many countries also having badges, symbols, and mottos. The Military Medical Almanac is potentially a highly valuable collection of publicly available baseline information on military medical services across the world. However, the quality of this collection is highly dependent on the submission provided by each country. It is recommended that the template for collecting information on each health system be refined, alongside an effort to increase awareness of the value of the Almanac as an opportunity to raise the international profile of each country's military medical system. This will ensure that the Almanac can better serve the international military medical community.

Self-Help Groups’ Order of Interaction Where There is Difficulty in Referring to and Sharing the Community Narrative

The purpose of this paper is to elucidate self-help groups’ (SHG’s) order of interaction in cases where difficulty is encountered in referring to and sharing community narratives. Previous research argued that SHGs were regarded as narrative communities: SHGs provide an alternative identity to participants who transform their personal life stories through conforming to the community narrative. However, Previous research has not focused on the SHGs’ order of interaction itself because it tended to attempt to understand the community narratives of SHGs and how they influenced participants’ life stories. This paper therefore analyses the order of interaction in SHGs where veteran members comprehend and explain the order of interaction to others.

ARABIC: اِسْتِقْرَارُ الْاُسْرَۃِ فِیْ ضَوْءِ الْقُرْآنِ الْکَرِیْمِ

A family is a basic unit of life. It gains a huge importance among healthy and civilized nations. Good parents not only rare and care of their children, they also focus on emotional, spiritual and religious aspect. Ethical training of a child is a sacred responsibility of parents and other relatives of a family. Family as whole, prod aim and sustains a human society. A person can be resilient and confident under the umbrella of his family. According to anthrop logistics, inadequate child supervision and discipline causes the collapse of a wider community facts show that a large number of children in the world are not given on affectionate attention by their mothers, fathers and other veteran members of their families. Due to that, ratio of juvenile crime has been increased. Every religion denounces.

Evaluation of mental health first aid training for family members of military veterans with a mental health condition

BackgroundA concerning proportion of former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members meet criteria for a mental health condition. Mental health difficulties not only affect the individual veteran. They have been found to negatively impact the mental health of family, with an increased likelihood for family members of veterans developing a mental health condition. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether participating in a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program improved family members of veterans mental health knowledge, reduced personal and perceived mental health stigma, reduced social distancing attitudes and increased confidence and willingness to engage in MHFA helping behaviours. Additionally, the study measured participant’s general mental health and levels of burnout.MethodThe study utilised an uncontrolled design with assessment at three time points (baseline, post-program and three-month follow-up). Participants (N = 57) were immediate and extended family members of former ADF members with a mental health condition, who took part in a two-day standard adult MHFA program. At each time point, participants completed self-report measures assessing mental health knowledge, personal and perceived mental health stigma, social distancing attitudes, confidence and willingness to engage in MHFA helping behaviours, general mental health and burnout. Cochranes Q and repeated measures ANOVA was computed to measure the impact of time on the outcome variables.ResultsResults indicated significant improvements in MHFA knowledge and confidence in providing MHFA assistance. Significant reductions in personal mental health stigma (i.e. an individual’s attitude towards mental health) for schizophrenia were observed and maintained at follow up. High levels of perceived mental health stigma (i.e. the belief an individual holds about others attitudes towards mental health) were reported with no significant changes observed following the MHFA program. Results did not indicate any significant benefit in improving general psychological distress or burnout at follow up. The participant sample had high levels of mental health difficulties with over half reporting a lifetime mental health diagnosis.ConclusionThe study is an important contribution to the international literature on MHFA. The provision of a MHFA program to family members of military veterans has not previously been evaluated. Implications of the findings are discussed with regards to future directions of MHFA research and implementing MHFA programs in this population.