Post on 24-Feb-2016
description
National Guard and Reserve Members:Returning to Work from War
Jennifer Bornemann, M.S.S.W. Lieutenant, United States Public Health Service
Reserve Components of the U.S. Armed Forces
Reserve Components of the U.S. Armed Forces
Federal State
National Guard Reserves
* National Guard is subordinated to the states except when called into federal service by the President of the United States or as provided for by law.
Unique Activations as of 07 June 2011
Source: Produced by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC)
Demographic Summary
Age 41% between the ages of 21 - 30
Gender 82% male
Education 38% at least some college
Marital Status 54% married
Officer Status 85% Enlisted
Race/Ethnicity 66% white, non-Hispanic
Who Are They?
Please note that all photographs are used by permission from Nina Berman, Photographer.
Active Duty vs Reserves
While Reserve units are combat-trained and can be deployed overseas like Active Duty Service Members, they are just as likely to serve in their home communities
So What Happens When They Return from Deployment?
Unlike Active Duty, Reservists transition back to civilian world, including their civilian workplaces
Civilian Employment Status
60.8%
8.5%0.1%
8.7%
21.9%Full Time
Part Time
Specialized Volunteer
Student
Not Employed/Not a Student
Source: CEI 2010, DMDC – represents 70% Selected Reserves
Issues of Reintegration into the Workplace for the Reservist
• More frequent and longer deployments with less advance notification
• Resultant changes in health, functionality, attitude, or world view
• Time needed for return to prior job performance level• Stability of employment and career progression
• Relationship issues• Societal attitudes about military service
Psychological and Behavioral Outcomes May Affect Work Performance
• PTSD or other anxiety disorder• Depression • Substance abuse• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)• Adjustment disorder• Alterations in attitude or world view
Issues of Reintegration into the Workplace for the Employer
• Treatment or job support needs• Short and long term
• Timing of outreach and member readiness to utilize services
• Usefulness of treatment or job support services
• Added demands on employers• Productivity and state of the economy• Retraining or work accommodations
Looking Forward…
• Some companies are aligning resources with the needs of the service members/veterans
• Wall Street jobs are a challenge as the skills needed are interpersonal and cognitive
• America’s Heroes at Work and Military OneSource are two of many resources assisting returning service members and their employers
• Bottom line: There is very little information regarding the success of work reintegration – more needs to be done
SummationThe return of National Guard and Reserve members to their workplace creates a challenging problem in terms of service delivery. So… what do we need to do next?
Collaborate Create new partnerships
Employ strategic thinking
Rethink current service delivery models
Eliminate stigma
Research
Questions