This month, SAMHSA’s Service Member, Veterans, and their Families Technical Assistance Center (SMVF TA Center) wrapped its summer webinar series, Advancing Data, Policy, and Prevention for Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families.

This webinar series, hosted in partnership with RAND Corporation, examined critical issues affecting service members, Veterans, and their families across the military-to-civilian transition such as social connection, employment, and caregiver support.

In this spotlight, we will revisit each session, highlighting key takeaways and recommendations you can use.

Veteran Needs, Well-Being, and Data to Inform Policy and Prevention

In this session, James Murphy, PhD, and Claire E. O’Hanlon, PhD, joined to describe key Veteran data sources and discuss their uses and limitations, building on the recent publication, Finding and Using Policy-Relevant Data About Veterans.

Key takeaways include:

  • Many sources of Veteran data are available, but limited access to this data and nuances in how Veteran status and identity are defined across datasets create challenges in using this data.
  • Groups that collect data should adopt consensus standards, enable linkages, and increase transparency and timeliness of data about Veterans to improve availability, access, and interpretation.

State-Level Veteran Needs Assessments: Lessons from Massachusetts and New York

This session highlighted recent efforts to assess Veteran needs in Massachusetts and New York. Carrie Farmer, PhD, discussed opportunities in Massachusetts to strengthen the Veterans’ Service Officer Model, improve data collection and sharing, and enhance coordination across education, employment, housing, and health care systems. Similarly, Jeanne Ringel, PhD, presented findings on individuals in New York who transitioned out of military service between January 2018 and January 2023.

Key takeaways include:

  • Many recently separated New York Veterans face mental health challenges and the need for mental health services often goes unmet.
  • Veterans in both states experience difficulties meeting their needs, particularly securing and maintaining housing.
  • In both states, there is a need for ongoing data collection and analysis to evaluate applicability and accessibility of available programs to support Veteran needs.

Veteran Social Connections and Improving Transition Support

In this session, Laura Werber, PhD, kicked things off with a discussion on social connections, presenting findings from a recent study titled What Are Organizations Doing to Strengthen Veterans’ Social Connections? Through survey data and interviews with representatives from Veteran-serving organizations, this study found a variety of programs dedicating to supporting social connectedness, but those programs often face practical barriers to measuring their impact. Whitney Linvingston, PhD, built on this discussion, bringing recommendations for improving support for service members when they transition out of military service, gleaned from roundtable discussions with subject matter experts.

Key takeaways include:

  • Research indicates that Veterans who feel connected to family, friends, colleagues, other veterans, and their communities have substantially better mental health outcomes than those who do not.
  • Transition support should incorporate families in an expansive way, including spouses, children, parents, and caregivers.
  • Evaluation of transition support should include a broad range of outcomes, reflecting the diversity of transition experiences and post-service goals.

Improving Accountability and Employment Outcomes in Military-to-Civilian Transition Programs

Carrie Farmer, PhD, returned in this session to dive deeper into employment programs, presenting research findings on the role of nonprofit organizations that provide employment support and examining how they complement federal transition assistance by offering individualized services that help veterans translate military experience into civilian career opportunities. Jeffrey Wenger, PhD, carried the conversation forward, drawing on insights from a study titled Federal Programs to Assist Military-to-Civilian Employment Transitions to provide guidance for improving coordination, evaluation, and accountability.

Key takeaways include:

  • Veteran-serving nonprofit organizations often supplement federal transition programs and initiatives, especially in providing individualized employment services.
  • To strengthen sustainability, Veteran-serving nonprofit organizations should identify opportunities to participate in public-private partnerships and consider direct appeals for philanthropic support.
  • There remains a need for additional research on underemployment and support for transitioning service members and Veterans to find appropriate employment.

Suicide Risk, Prevention, and the Veteran Suicide Prevention Landscape

In this session Lynsay Ayer, PhD, and Lisa Jaycox, PhD, joined to provide a comprehensive view of Veteran suicide. Dr. Ayer began by summarizing national trends and highlighting subpopulations who experience elevated risk, including recently separated service members and Veterans facing economic or social challenges. Then, Dr. Jaycox covered findings from a recent comprehensive RAND landscape analysis of existing and emerging Veteran suicide prevention programs, exploring how current approaches complement one another, where evidence is strongest or limited, and how emerging strategies and technologies may shape the next generation of Veteran suicide prevention efforts.

Key takeaways include:

  • Since 2005, Veteran suicide rates have risen faster than those of non-Veterans and suicide risk rises through the first-year post-separation.
  • Organizations charged with developing, investing in, implementing, or evaluating comprehensive suicide prevention strategies should conduct a needs assessment to identify gaps in suicide prevention activities and prioritize implementation of evidence-based prevention activities.
  • Emerging technologies, such as wearable biometric monitoring that provide real-time feedback, create exciting opportunities for pushing the work forward.

Veteran Families and Caregivers: Understanding Needs, Roles, and Economic Impact

In this final session, Daniel Schwam joined to present findings from Veteran Families in America, which examines the composition, characteristics, and economic circumstances of veteran households using nationally representative data. Kelly Hyde, PhD, followed with findings from America’s Military and Veteran Caregivers, which examines the role of caregiving and provides recommendations to strengthen caregiver support.

Key takeaways include:

  • 53% of married Veteran households came together after military service was completed. As a result, non-Veteran family members may be less likely to have awareness of the availability of federal resources for Veterans and represent an opportunity for additional investment in marketing campaigns to reach these family members.
  • There is a need to increase access to mental health and substance use treatment for caregivers and their children.
  • There is also a need to increase financial and social support for caregivers to support their sustainability.

Recording soming soon!

Special thanks to our partners at RAND Corporation who shared their time and expertise with our audience.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to improving behavioral health care for those who have served, and are currently serving, our country.

SAMHSA’s SMVF TA Center is honored to provide TA to states, territories, and communities seeking to strengthen their behavioral health support for those who have served in the armed forces. For TA inquiries, please email smvftacenter@prainc.com. For more information about the SMVF TA Center and the resources offered, please visit SAMHSA’s SMVF TA Center’s web pages.